US Congressional Committee Hearing on the Science of Dyslexia

In an age of gridlock and choking polarization, the yesterday’s Congressional Committee Hearing on the Science of Dyslexia evoked the best qualities of US governmental process: bringing elected officials to the table with ordinary citizens in non-partisan dialogue to solve a major societal problem.

For a two hours in Rayburn room 2318 on Capitol Hill, there were no Democrats or Republicans, just people concerned about the prevalence of dyslexia in our nation’s children and the fact that millions of families are struggling, and convinced that something huge needs to be done to help these kids read, learn and thrive.

What made the event most remarkable was its emotional richness. As data points from the vast body of dyslexia science were shared by leading experts, tears flowed and laughter filled the air.

At one point, Committee Chairman Lamar Smith of Texas commented that he’d never heard such eruptions of applause and enthusiasm in a Congressional Hearing.

Best of all, the event was made accessible for everyone: its live webcast was recorded and archived; and all of the testimony was transcribed.

Here are several highlights.

Clicking on the speakers’ names will bring up a full transcript of their remarks:

Rep. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana gave some of the day’s most compelling and heart-wrenching testimony, pausing several times to wipe away tears and collect himself.

“A couple of years ago, my youngest daughter was diagnosed with dyslexia. Prompted by concerns about my daughter and my constituents’ children, I set out to learn as much as I could about dyslexia and was amazed at how much is known and yet, far too often, not incorporated into public policy and education. . ."

"If dyslexia is identified in elementary school and the appropriate resources are given to these children, America can produce more teachers, more scientists and more entrepreneurs.”

Brownley1Rep. Julia Brownley of California also shared personal perspectives as a parent.

“When my daughter Hannah struggled to learn to read, like any parent I was completely panicked about what to do next."

"It was Hannah’s dyslexia, and learning to navigate the school system, where I witnessed the good, the bad, and the ugly, that led me to public service. . ."

"This spring, Hannah received her Master’s degree in International Studies, and is now overseas saving the world with a NGO in Kenya, Africa."

"She speaks three languages, and she still misspells in all of them! I could not be prouder of her. But for every success story like Hannah, there are countless others who do not succeed.”

Sally1Dr. Sally Shaywitz of the Yale Center for Dyslexia and Creativity made a passionate plea to policy makers that now is the time to translate science into action.

“In dyslexia, remarkably in America, in the year 2014, we have not a knowledge gap but an action gap."

"We have the knowledge but it is not being put into policy and practice and far too many children and adults, too, are suffering needlessly."

"There is an epidemic of reading failure that we have the scientific evidence to treat effectively and we are not acknowledging or implementing it. . ."

"I cannot look into the face of one more child who has lost faith in himself and the world, I cannot look into the face of a child’s father who is desperately trying to hold back tears; I cannot hear once again about how a school told a mother, ‘we do not believe in dyslexia.’. . ."

"It is our hope that hearing the depth and extent of the scientific knowledge of dyslexia will alert policy makers to act and to act with a sense of urgency. ”

Max Brooks, an accomplished author and screenwriter, electrified Committee members and the gallery crowd with his personal account of living with dyslexia:

“For me, dyslexia was nearly as bad as the feelings of anxiety, shame, and low self-esteem that it caused."

"For me, ‘learned dependency’ was the real enemy, the self-narrative that ‘I can’t do this’ that can destroy children’s learning potential for the rest of their lives."

"That was ALMOST me. I’ve spent the last 30 years unlearning the lesson that dyslexia taught me, that society has no use for me. . ."

“A little awareness and flexible teaching methods could unlock unlimited potential in these kids who now think they’re losers."

"If we already have mandatory racial sensitivity training for our police, why not have mandatory dyslexia recognition training for our teachers?"

"It’s so simple, so easy, and when you look at all the other government programs designed to help citizens help themselves, it’s probably the least expensive.”

Persusasive testimony was also given by panelists Stacy Antie, a mother and parent advocate; Paul Eden, president of Landmark College; and Guinevere Eden, Director of the Center for the Study of Learning (CSL) and Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Georgetown University Medical Center.

Later on in a Q&A session with Committee lawmakers, Max Brooks revived his comment about making dyslexia training “a mandatory part of every teacher’s certificate,” instantly sparking whoops of applause from the gallery crowd, including many members of the Decoding Dyslexia movement.

And those Decoding Dyslexia members, from states as nearby as Virginia, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, and from as far away as Texas, graciously gathered for a photo op of their own before the day’s proceedings concluded.

After the Committee Hearing, attendeees and panelists enjoyed a great luncheon hosted by the National Center for Learning Disabilities, featuring a preview look at the new Understood.org initiative and a website that will launch later this month.

This was followed by speeches by an assortment of guests, including Hal Malchow, President of the International Dyslexia Association, Robbi Cooper of Decoding Dyslexia Texas, and Kristin Kane of Decoding Dyslexia Virginia.

What will be the net impact of a day like this on our nation’s dyslexic children and the parents and teachers who support them?

It’s hard to say, but there was enough knowledge, passion and experience gathered there on Capitol Hill to move mountains.

With so many diverse players assembled at the table, it brought to life the vivid slogan Learning Ally has embraced this year: Together It’s Possible.

All credit goes to Learning Ally for the content of this article.

US DSM-5 for diagnosing mental disorders published - Asperger's is Out!

In the manual, grief is newly medicalised as major depressive disorder (MDD). 

Credit: Adam G. Gregor /Alamy

The field of mental health will face its greatest upset in years on Saturday with the publication of the long-awaited and deeply-controversial US manual for diagnosing mental disorders.

Early drafts of the book, the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, or DSM-5, have divided medical opinion so firmly that authors of previous editions are among the most prominent critics.

Known informally as the psychiatrists' bible, the $199 tome from the American Psychiatric Association is the guidebook that US doctors will use to diagnose mental disorders. The latest edition is the first major update in 20 years.

Though not used in the UK, where doctors turn to the World Health Organisation's International Statistical Classification of Diseases (ICD), the US manual has global influence. It defines groups of patients, and introduces new names for disorders.

Those names can spread, and become the norm elsewhere, but more importantly, the categories redefine the populations that are targeted by drugs companies.

Criticisms have come from almost every corner. There are claims of expansionism, with common experiences and behaviours becoming newly medicalised.

Allen Frances

Temper tantrums become Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD); grief becomes major Depressive Disorder (MDD), according to Allen Frances, an American psychiatrist who chaired the task force behind the fourth edition of the manual.

Other behaviours get their own labels: overeating becomes binge eating disorder; keeping too much junk, a hoarding disorder; a bit forgetful could be mild neurocognitive disorder.

David Clark

David Clark, professor of experimental psychology at Oxford University, said "Mental health disorders are often hard to divide into clear categories, because too little is known about them, and there can be major overlaps. But the definitions are often valuable. For example, greater distinctions between various types of anxiety have led to more specific and effective treatments."

Nick Craddock, professor of psychiatry at Cardiff University, and director of the National Centre for Mental Health in Wales, said "Some of the stranger aspects of the US manual will have no impact in Britain. DSM-5 was flawed because definitions of disorders were sometimes changed on the basis of too little fresh scientific evidence."

"I don't believe the science has advanced sufficiently in 20 years since DSM-4 to warrant making a new system," he said. "That essentially is just a group of people agreeing on tweaking things and making them appear a little bit different. That to me is not a very helpful stage in the develop of psychiatric diagnosis. This is the wrong time in history to change the diagnostic system."

Changing the definitions of disorders alters who has them. That affects who gets drugs and other support, and who interventions are trialled on. If the criteria for attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) are broadened, then more people are likely to be diagnosed with the condition.

The arrival of DSM-5 will mean the end of Asperger's syndrome in the professional eyes of the US psychiatric arena.

Along with some other autism-related conditions, Asperger's will now be consumed by the new category of "autism spectrum disorder".

Carol Povey

Some people diagnosed with Asperger's are unhappy about the coming change. Carol Povey, director of the National Autistic Society's Centre for Autism, said: "The term Asperger Syndrome is a core part of their identity for many people and they understandably feel anxious about moves to remove the term. The changes won't prevent people from continuing to use it to define themselves and nor should it," she said.

Debbie Tucker, chair of the Asperger's Syndrome Foundation, said the label can be useful in treating people, but that some did not want to be labelled. "Labels only become unhelpful and sometimes dangerous if used to discriminate. People with Aspergers are vulnerable to this," she said.

Thomas Inse

Last month, Thomas Insel, director of the National Institute of Mental Health, declared that the organisation would not use DSM-5 definitions to set its research priorities. Writing about DSM-5 on his blog, he said: "The weakness is its lack of validity. Unlike our definitions of ischaemic heart disease, lymphoma, or AIDS, the DSM diagnoses are based on a consensus about clusters of clinical symptoms, not any objective laboratory measure."

Instead, he said the NIHM would lay the foundations for a new classification system, based on brain imaging, genetics, cognitive science and other research.

"We need to begin collecting the genetic, imaging, physiologic, and cognitive data to see how all the data – not just the symptoms – cluster and how these clusters relate to treatment response," he said.

Allergies among US children increase between 1997 and 2011

For U.S. children aged younger than 18 years, the prevalence of allergies increased from 1997 to 2011, with age, race/ethnicity, and income all affecting the prevalence, according to a May data brief issued by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS).

Kristen D. Jackson, M.P.H., and colleagues from the NCHS in Hyattsville, Md., reviewed data from the National Health Interview Surveys from 1997 to 1999 and from 2009 to 2011 to examine the prevalence of food and skin allergies in U.S. children younger than age 18 years.

According to the report, from 1997 to 2011 there was an increase in the prevalence of food and skin allergies among U.S. children.

The prevalence of skin allergies decreased, while respiratory allergies increased with increasing age.

The prevalence of food, skin, and respiratory allergies was lower among Hispanic children than among other races or ethnicities.

Compared with non-Hispanic white children, non-Hispanic black children were less likely to have respiratory allergies and more likely to have skin allergies.

The prevalence of food and respiratory allergies increased with income level, with children with family income equivalent to 200 percent or more of the poverty level experiencing the highest prevalence of allergy.

"Among children under age 18 years in the United States, the prevalence of food and skin allergies increased from 1997-1999 to 2009-2011," the authors write.

More information: More Information

Industrial Chemicals Found in US Food Samples

A sample of 72 commonly consumed foods including pizza, meats and beverages from supermarkets in Albany, N.Y., were purchased and tested for the presence of phthalates. 

Researchers detected some level of phthalate in every food product they sampled. 

Credit: © cristi lucaci / Fotolia

Researchers at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) have discovered phthalates, industrial chemicals, in common foods purchased in the United States. Phthalates can be found in a variety of products and food packaging material, child-care articles and medical devices.

"Although it's not completely understood how phthalates get into our food, packaging may be a contributor to the levels of the toxin in food," said lead investigator Arnold Schecter, M.D., M.P.H., professor of environmental health at The University of Texas School of Public Health Dallas Regional campus, part of UTHealth.

The study is published in the online edition of Environmental Health Perspectives. Schecter believes this is the first study to compile an analysis of phthalates in foods found in the United States. National Institutes of Health researcher Linda Birnbaum, Ph.D., is the senior author on the study publication.

"It's unfortunate that we have these toxic chemicals in our bodies," said Schecter. "However, this is not a cause for alarm because the amount of phthalates found in the food falls below what the Environmental Protection Agency considers safe. But it is cause for concern because these toxins and others previous reported by this group do not belong in our food or our bodies."

Phthalates are synthetic compounds that are used as a plasticizers and in personal care products such a shampoo, soap, perfumes and other common household products. According to Schecter, exposure to phthalates has been reported to be associated with harmful effects including reproductive changes such as damage in sperm, premature breast development in girls and premature birth.

A sample of 72 commonly consumed foods including pizza, meats and beverages from supermarkets in Albany, N.Y., were purchased and tested for the presence of phthalates. Researchers detected some level of phthalate in every food product they sampled, Schecter said.

Schecter believes further research is necessary to fully characterize phthalates in U.S. foods.

The study was funded by the Gustavus and Louise Pfeiffer Research Foundation.

In other studies, Schecter and his colleagues have found bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical produced in large quantities for use primarily in the production of polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins, and hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD), a widely-used flame retardant, in foods.

Polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE), another kind of flame retardant, was found in butter and its paper wrapping, which led to butter contamination.

US Infant born with HIV 'is cured' - Dr

Dr Hannah Gay

A baby born with the virus that causes Aids appears to have been cured, scientists have announced.

Specialists at a major Aids meeting in Atlanta, Georgia, described the case of a child from Mississippi who is now two-and-a-half and has been off medication for about a year with no signs of infection.

There is no guarantee the child will remain healthy, although sophisticated testing uncovered just traces of the virus' genetic material still lingering. If so, it would be only the world's second reported cure.

"I just felt like this baby was at higher-than-normal risk, and deserved our best shot," Dr Hannah Gay, a paediatric HIV specialist at the University of Mississippi, said.

Experts say the announcement offers promising clues for efforts to eliminate HIV infection in children, especially in Aids-plagued African countries where too many babies are born with the virus.

Dr Fauci of NIH

"You could call this about as close to a cure, if not a cure, that we've seen," Dr Anthony Fauci of the National Institutes of Health said.

A doctor gave the baby faster and stronger treatment than usual, starting a three-drug infusion within 30 hours of birth. That was before tests confirmed the infant was infected and not just at risk from a mother whose HIV was not diagnosed until she was in labour.

That fast action apparently knocked out HIV in the baby's blood before it could form hideouts in the body.

Those so-called reservoirs of dormant cells usually rapidly reinfect anyone who stops medication, said Dr Deborah Persaud of Johns Hopkins Children's Centre.

Dr Deborah Persaud

She led the investigation that deemed the child "functionally cured", meaning in long-term remission even if all traces of the virus have not been completely eradicated.

Dr Persaud's team is now planning a study to try to prove that, with more aggressive treatment of other high-risk babies. "Maybe we'll be able to block this reservoir seeding," she said.

Dyslexia: Praiseworthy legislation addresses dyslexia

(An extract from the Sun Herald of Mississippi and the Gulf Coast.)

One of the good pieces of legislation to come out of this year's session was signed into law by Gov. Phil Bryant.

It requires kindergartners or first graders to be tested for dyslexia, a reading disorder that occurs when the brain does not properly recognize and process certain symbols like letters in the alphabet.

The new law also gives dyslexic students in the first six grades the ability to move to a new public or non-public school if it is determined the student can be better served by the transfer.

A separate bill also signed by Bryant creates a scholarship program for people who want to study dyslexia therapy.

There's no telling how many people were considered "slow learners" because of this condition. Many were otherwise highly intelligent, but because they couldn't learn to read properly, were behind throughout their school years.

Too many dropped out. A couple of notable ones we can recall were allowed to stay in school without achieving much except to excel in football.

Bryant himself says he was in the fourth grade before a teacher discovered dyslexia was causing him to scramble words and failing to put the right sounds with letters.

"I repeated the third grade. What a difficult, horrible experience that was for a child," Bryant said at the bill signing.

Fortunately, the condition can be addressed with therapy, and the governor is living proof it can be overcome. More therapists are needed, though, and it is hoped the scholarship will increase the number.

Estimates are that between 10 and 20 percent of the population suffers from dyslexia. Good for Bryant for openly discussing his own struggles and for encouraging those who have the condition.

Good for the Legislature for addressing the subject with the new laws.

US The Literate Nation Movie - YouTube

This shocking video gives startling facts about the rapid deterioration of America because it is neglecting to educate its young people with even a basic education—much less world class. EDUCATION: What are the FACTS?

Obesity Lower at High Altitude

People who are classified as Obese may find it easier to lose weight at high altitudes, the results of a German study suggest.

Previous studies demonstrated weight loss in athletes and normal-weight subjects at high altitude, but this study focused on the impact of altitude on overweight people for whom weight loss is desirable.

Researchers from Germany took 20 obese men to a high altitude location for one week. No changes were made to limit their food or alter their exercise routines, in an attempt to isolate the impact of altitude on weight.

After one week, the participants were eating less, had lost weight and had a lower diastolic blood pressure.

Writing in Obesity, the researchers said that low levels of oxygen found at high altitude may cause a rise in the hormone leptin which is thought to suppress appetite. However, they say more research is needed.

- Obesity Online 2010
- American Obesity Association

- AOA Online Journal
- The Journal of the American Obesity Association

Asperger's syndrome: Extradition a breach of Human Rights?

Gary McKinnon will be extradited to the United States on computer hacking charges

Computer hacker Gary McKinnon could be sent to the US within weeks after the Home Secretary refused to block his extradition.

Alan Johnson finally dashed hopes that the Government would intervene in the case, insisting there was no evidence that the extradition would breach Mr McKinnon's human rights.

Mr McKinnon's mother, Janis Sharp, said ministers should "hang their heads in shame" for the "barbaric" decision.

His legal team is to apply for a judicial review within days, but Ms Sharp warned that if that was not granted then her son could be extradited by Christmas.

Mr McKinnon, who has Asperger's syndrome, faces up to 60 years in jail for hacking into Pentagon computers soon after the 9/11 terror attacks. He says he was looking for evidence of UFOs.

He and his family, who have led a high-profile campaign to block the extradition, were given hope last month when Mr Johnson agreed to study new medical evidence. The Home Secretary's deliberations came after the High Court refused the 43-year-old permission to appeal to the Supreme Court against his removal.

But Mr Johnson said in a statement: "I have carefully considered the representations in the case of Gary McKinnon. I am clear that the information is not materially different from that placed before the High Court earlier this year and does not demonstrate that sending Mr McKinnon to the United States would breach his human rights.

"As the courts have affirmed, I have no general discretion. If Mr McKinnon's human rights would be breached, I must stop the extradition. If they would not be breached, the extradition must go ahead."

Mr McKinnon's family say that his health has deteriorated significantly under the pressure of the pending extradition and fears about how he will be treated by the US authorities. There are fears that he may even commit suicide.

Ms Sharp said: "To force a peaceful, vulnerable, misguided UFO fanatic like Gary thousands of miles away from his much-needed support network is barbaric. This is a cruel and miserable decision. If the severity of Gary's medical condition isn't sufficient to prevent his extradition, I can't imagine what is. God help others facing a similar fate. I'm so upset and angry."