Teenagers are, by definition, difficult. Like the stereotype, they can be moody, reckless and emotionally volatile, crying in the shower, screaming at their parents, slamming their bedroom doors behind them. It’s not a new phenomenon: the psychologist G. Stanley Hall dubbed the teen years a time of “storm and stress&rdquo…[more]

CHICAGO - Almost one in five young American adults has a personality disorder that interferes with everyday life, and even more abuse alcohol or drugs, researchers reported Monday in the most extensive study of its kind. The disorders include problems such as obsessive or compulsive tendencies and anti-social behavior that can some…[more]

In some urban and suburban school districts across the county, talk of sensory integration has become part of the special-needs vernacular, along with attention deficit disorder and developmental delays. Though reliable figures for diagnosis rates are not available, the number of parent groups devoted to sensory problems has more than…[more]

Video features leading SPD therapist discussing about SPD red flags and treatment: Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) (Red Flags) Child does not like to be held Child is bothered by background and unexpected sounds Child's mouth is bothered by food

Families that find their way to the STAR Center and other groups that treat SPD typically have traveled a long road to get there. Their common refrains: My doctor doesn't believe in SPD; teachers can't handle it; insurance won't pay for therapy. There's good reason for that. SPD is not listed in medical texts or in the Diagnostic Statistical Ma…[more]

Real estate broker Robert Ott and his autistic son, Aaron, 6, find a quiet moment at their home in Renton. Because of the slump in home sales, Ott and his wife, Renee, are finding it difficult to maintain the expensive behavioral therapy that Aaron requires and which is particularly needed at this time in his life.

Autism causes are in the news these days, and one group of researchers suggested a link between older dads, and possibly their aging sperm, and the neurological disorder, The Scotsman reported. Mothers aged 35 and over were cited as having a 30 percent higher risk of having an autistic child than mothers in their 20s, while for fath…[more]

The CDC report found that 17 percent of women smoke compared to 22 percent of men. Whites (21 percent) smoked at higher rates than blacks (20 percent) or Hispanics (13 percent). Asian Americans were lowest (10 percent) and American Indians and Alaska natives were highest (36 percent). Among people who never graduated high school, 25…[more]

The first step in doing that is to start talking to your family about cancer. A lot of families don't say the word cancer out loud. They don't talk necessarily about who had cancer in the family and they don't stand up and say it to everyone in the family when someone's diagnosed with cancer. S…[more]

'I can't do it anymore' Since the law went into effect in July, 30 children have been dropped off at state-licensed hospitals. Many are teens and nearly all are older than 10, with some from as far away as Georgia, Michigan and Iowa. Several parents or guardians to leave children in Nebraska reported out-of-control behavior. The paren…[more]