NEW COURSE HELPS PREVENT THE MISDIAGNOSIS OF AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDENTS
NEW COURSE HELPS PREVENT THE MISDIAGNOSIS OF AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDENTS WHO ARE OFTEN DIAGNOSED WITH AUTISM, ADHD, AND OTHER LEARNING DISABILITIES
Dr. Frederick B. Covington, founder of the International Institute of Therapeutic Intervention and Learning
Nationwide (BlackNews.com) -- Sensory processing disorder also known as Sensory Integration Disorder can lead to poor grades, academic failure, diminished social skills, and other negatives in a child's life. This makes it imperative and extremely important that teachers and daycare employees have a full understanding of what sensory integration is. There has been a long history of African American children being misdiagnosed with Autism, ADHD, and learning disabilities because the staff, teachers, and educational team did not understand sensory integration and how it plays an important role in growth and development. Sensory Processing Disorder is a neurological disorder in which the sensory information that's received through sensory systems such as sight, smell, taste, and hearing, causes abnormal reactions.
As a result, a child can react incorrectly to their environment with excessively big reactions or their reactions could be significantly diminished. Incorrect reactions to sensory input can impair academic success, sociability, and safety. These incorrect reactions to their environments can look very similar to other diagnosis and a child can be misdiagnosed and be labeled as emotionally disturbed, autistic, having ADHD, or any number of learning disabilities. At least one in twenty people in the general population are affected by sensory processing disorder, and the numbers are significantly higher for those with special needs and in special education. To assure that these children receive what they need the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) guarantees a free and appropriate public education with peers who need special education and related services in order to learn in school.
Teachers can now empower themselves and their classes by obtaining the "Sensory integration Classroom Facilitator" certification. The certification enables teachers and daycare workers to identify sensory differences, utilize research-based evidence to address student sensory needs, and adapt the learning setting to better meet the needs of the child. This certification was created by the International Institute of Therapeutic Intervention and Learning, founded by Dr. Frederick B. Covington.
Dr. Covington is a worldwide lecturer, university professor, award winning inventor, and noted author. In addition to his expertise in sensory integration/processing disorder, he has been recognized for his pediatric treatment methods for children presenting with developmental delays, intellectual impairments, autism, emotional disabilities, ADHD, OCD, learning disabilities, cognitive impairments, and executive functioning disorders. His passion stems from working in environments where he personally encountered multiple misdiagnosis and incorrect labeling of children. In a recent interview, he discussed what lead him to pediatrics.
He comments, "My son was misdiagnosed at a very young age. Though I was not yet an expert in pediatrics, I did not feel that his diagnosis and subsequent labeling was correct. I fought the system, and this fight led to my doctoral expertise. I was able to fight, but not all parents and educational professionals can. I have seen how the wrong diagnosis can lead to incorrect treatments and a child slipping through the cracks of the educational system, sometimes straight into the prison pipeline. This is why I created the 'Sensory Integration Classroom Facilitation' certification. My goal is to essentially empower teachers, parents, daycare workers, and anyone who works with a child to be a strong advocate and agent for change."
The certification course is now fully available and can be completed entirely online. Allowing teachers, parents, daycare workers, and those that work with children to not only better themselves as educational professionals but better the lives of the children they work with.
To enroll in the course, please go to: http://bit.ly/sensoryexpert
