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Tag: Antipsychotics

Ablechild Joins NAACP’s Call for Psychiatrist’s Resignation. Civil Rights Groups will not ignore “Gene Pool” comment.

Written by Sheila Matthews on . Posted in Lawmaking.

Patricia Weathers
President
www.ablechild.org
(845) 677-8115

Sheila Matthews
National Vice President
www.ablechild.org
(203) 966-8419

 Recently, in a Texas Committee hearing on Psychotropic Drugs and Foster Care Children, a psychiatrist, Joe Burkett, testified regarding foster care children. In what proved to be one shocking and horrific moment for child advocates everywhere, he informed the committee that one of the main reasons so many foster kids need to be on psychotropic drugs is that “they are very sick, from a Bad Gene pool”.

Last week in Austin, civil rights groups and critics of the state’s welfare agency, of which included the NAACP, demanded the resignation of this psychiatrist.

Ablechild is in full support of the NAACP’s request. We wholeheartedly assert that we will continue to back groups committed to safeguarding children’s rights. We reassert the call for an immediate and swift kick out of office for this psychiatrist, who clearly, by his flippant and de-humanistic statements, is not representing children’s health and safety.

In response to Civil Rights groups call for his resignation, Joe Burkett, in the Dallas Morning News, October 27, 2004, said that he did nothing wrong and has no plans to quit. Questioned regarding his “Gene Pool” statement Burkett responded to the Dallas Morning News stating, “There are pretty strong genetic factors in mental illness. The comment…was really a comment about the fact that these children are in the foster care system because they don’t have normal parents making good decisions….” “That’s really the connection I’m making with genetics.”

Based upon Burkett’s recent statements, Ablechild as well as other civil rights advocates call upon Burkett to produce certifiable evidence of these “genetic factors” in foster care children.

Burkett is well aware, as are we, that there are No objective tests to verify with certainty a genetic component for mental illness. Unless Burkett can miraculously pull out of his hat scientific proof in the form of a blood test, x-ray, biopsy, or exact brain scan verifying such a statement, he should be held accountable for deceiving the public, and attempting to divert public attention away from his original and most damaging statement.

Just one example of the division within the psychiatric and medical community regarding how “scientific” psychiatric diagnoses truly are can be pulled from Clinical Psychiatry News, January 2000. Dr. Theodore Pearlman, a psychiatrist in Houston, speaking about the DSM-IV, the billing bible for psychiatry and what psychiatric diagnoses are based upon, stated that DSM-IV has gone too far. “There are too many diagnoses without any objective basis or biological support,” Dr. Pearlman went on to say.

This is one doctor out of many who have challenged the “genetic factor” and or elusive “chemical imbalance”, clearly recognizing their theoretical foundations demonstrating lack of proof.

Burkett’s comments highlight the failed approach psychiatry as a whole has marketed to the public encompassing both our foster care system and education system. Psychiatrists, like Burkett, should be held accountable for putting forth misleading and biased information to the public to skew perception or understanding of this topic.

“Marketing theories of “bad genes,” “chemical imbalances,” or “diseases” for diagnoses such as ADHD for one, has led to a tremendous increase in the number of children labeled mentally ill and trafficked into drug use without proper and full informed consent”, said Sheila Matthews, Vice President of Ablechild.org a grassroots parent organization dedicated to safeguarding children’s rights and ensuring that all receive full informed consent prior to any psychiatric “treatment”.

Children falsely accused of suffering from subjective mental disorders is a disturbing issue that has been taking place without question for far too many years. It is painfully obvious to so many now that the Psychiatric Industry is allowed to oversee the foster care system without any independent oversight or accountability. It has been a long time without justice for these children. They deserve more.

We need to recognize that it is the time to act and attempt to get both educational and healthy non-drug approaches over the walls to these unprotected children, instead of promoting and allowing the psychiatric gatekeepers and their tentative theories to remain at the helm.

For more information on mental health and its role in foster care abuse and for recent information on the FDA’s issuance of Black Box Warnings on Antidepressants given to children nationwide please visit our site at www.ablechild.org

Children Suicide “Cluster” in Pennsylvania. Is Antidepressant Use to Blame?

Written by Sheila Matthews on . Posted in MedWatch.

Patricia Weathers
President
www.ablechild.org
(845) 677-8115

Sheila Matthews
National Vice President
www.ablechild.org
(203) 966-8419

 As Pocono Mountain East High School reels from its third unexplained child suicide that has occurred within the past six weeks, the mental health industry scrambles to explain away what so many people in this country, and in the U.K., have slowly but clearly begun to understand. Three child suicides all involving children who attended the same school inside of six weeks would appear alarming to the average person, but not to the American Psychiatric Association, which issued this statement concerning the matter. “Reports of suicide “clusters”, in which one suicide appears to trigger several others within a group such as a school or community, have increased.”

To say that suicide clusters have increased without addressing a possible antidepressant link is a “smoke screen” attempt to take our attention away from the stark reality, the shock, and horror that the average person would have to know that 3 children all attending the same school killed themselves all inside a 6 week period. One would think right away, what are the odds?

Psychologist Sara Camaerei, who practices with Family Treatment Associates of Stroudsburg, PA had this to say regarding the recent cluster of child suicides. “Suicide is a taboo in our society. No one likes to talk about it. When one individual commits suicide, it removes the taboo and others could think that maybe it’s an alternative.”

A taboo, simply put, is anything prohibited or forbidden by society, tradition or convention. To blame suicide on the fact that it is a taboo within society and that children are more likely to kill themselves because society as a whole does not like to talk about suicide is a far-reaching theory. To reach further and state that one child suicide would encourage other children to follow suit, simply killing themselves because this “taboo” has been removed, is another questionable theory that offers very little answers and does not get to the crux of the situation.

The reality is that both statements produce a tremendous amount of much needed “smoke and mirrors” on the mental health industries part in their futile attempt to divert our focus away from more logical explanations. The reality is that both statements and point of view do not address the current antidepressant crisis happening in this country and the very real plausible explanation into why children are killing themselves at such a rapid rate.

The facts should speak for themselves and override any meager attempts by a profit driven industry to explain away child suicides. The facts should not be covered up or go unheard when children continue to die. They are:

  • Last years ban of antidepressants for children in the U.K. due to their link to suicide ideations.
  • This years FDA investigation into the antidepressant link to suicide and violence.
  • This years Congressional Investigations into the FDA’s failure to act in the best interest of public safety by attempting to withhold crucial drug research and studies from the public.
  • The drug companies ability to withhold clinical data from the FDA and the public that clearly linked antidepressant use with suicide.
  • The recent issuance of “Black Box Warnings” by the FDA on all antidepressants clearly spelling out their link to suicide.
  • Over 850 parents have come forward on a national level to report being pressured and coerced by nation schools to place their children on behavioral drugs and antidepressants.
  • Parents and advocates taking action within states across the nation to enact state laws outlawing the prevalent practice of coercion by schools which led to the Federal government proposing “The Child Medication Safety Act,” which would safeguard both parental and children’s rights https://www.ablechild.org/flegislation.htm.
  • Lack of a tracking system in place for each State and for the Nation overall, that would comprise useful data regarding the number of children dying as a result of psychiatric drugs.

These facts cannot be discounted. The question remains: Is the American public going to continue to buy into the mental health industries “smokes and mirror” attempts to dispel, distort and overshadow children dying, and the reason why they are dying?

Is this incident at Pocono Mountain East High School in Pennsylvania so easily swept under the rug by the industry promoting unapproved drugs to children? Will the American public allow this to happen?

The American public needs to demand accountability. Three child “cluster” deaths in Pennsylvania should be enough to prompt a full Federal investigation into the matter. The public needs to have access into the number of children dying as a result of psychiatric drugs. No accountability and No oversight is just plain Unacceptable.

For more information on children’s mental health issues, Federal and State laws involving a child’s right to grow up drug free, and education please visit www.ablechild.org.

Psychiatrist Blames Bad Gene Pool for Massive Drugging of Foster Care Children in Texas

Written by Sheila Matthews on . Posted in Lawmaking.

Patricia Weathers
President
www.ablechild.org
(845) 677-8115

Sheila Matthews
National Vice President
www.ablechild.org
(203) 966-8419

Does this indicate the Resurgence of Eugenics in America?

On October 4, 2004 in a Texas Committee hearing on Psychotropic Drugs and Foster Care Children, human and children rights advocates were stunned when psychiatrist, Joe Burkett, informed the committee that one of the main reasons so many foster kids need to be on psychotropic drugs is “they are very sick, from a Bad Gene pool”. Another psychiatrist, Dr.Sargent, re-emphasized how very sick these kids are, and how these children’s brains are wired differently, requiring them to receive “expert” psychiatric care.

“This Bad Gene Pool” and “sickness” belief system is very alarming to many child right advocates who look to find effective, healthy, non-drug solutions for children in state care; children who more than likely have experienced trauma and stress within their environment and have had natural reactions to such. John Breeding, founder of Texans for Safe Education and author of “The Wildest Colts Make the Best Horses”, and “True Nature and Great Misunderstandings” testified before the committee. Dr. Breeding challenged the Bad Gene Pool theory. “That is just not true. Once we label these children, we stop thinking of strategies to help them succeed and master the coping skills needed in society.” Dr. Breeding called for a seven-step approach to reform, which would include strengthening informed consent laws, thereby increasing the likelihood that accurate information regarding the subjective nature of the diagnoses, being all too eagerly assigned to children placed in state care, is given to childcare providers. This would also ensure that state childcare providers given all the information, would be less likely to discount the overwhelming risks associated with drug “treatment”.

Texas is not the first state that has initiated hearings, investigations, and litigation regarding widespread abuse, which includes the rampant drugging of children within state foster care.

  • Massachusetts just this year launched an investigation into tracking how many of its children in state care are on psychiatric drugs. · Washington, California, Illinois, and Florida are just some of the other states that have tackled the overall systemic abuse as well.
  • Last year, Connecticut was the first state to actually ban the use of two unapproved antidepressants on children in state care.

What is quite clear from this is that children in the foster care system nationwide are clearly unprotected on a human rights level, and with current “bad gene pool/sickness” ideology being spread publicly, there is little hope that the current nationwide crisis within state foster care programs will get any better.

Two psychiatrists spouting comments regarding “bad genes” is alarming to say the least, but what is more disturbing is the unanswered question: Does this indicate that the American Psychiatric Association condones such ideology? If so, is any hope lying ahead for children remanded into state care? Or, are these children designated “human research subjects” for popular and profitable drug “treatments”? Ideology espousing concepts of “bad genes” and inferiority among humans based on characteristics bares a striking resemblance to the science of Eugenics that deals with the improvement of races and breeds, especially the human race, through the control of hereditary factors. We can recall that Hitler employed this same ideology in Nazi Germany. What many do not recall however is that it was also used in our country in the early 20th century within mental asylums when experimentations were conducted on people deemed an inferior sect of human beings.

This mindset contrasts sharply with our country’s founded principals of democracy, which espouses that all men are created equal.

Ablechild’s National Vice President, Ms. Sheila Matthews stated that, “This Bad Gene Pool” comment is very damning to the entire psychiatric industry and should send a wake up call to all America! These children are clearly vulnerable and are fair game for drug research, with no accountability whatsoever. All who care for children should be distraught at this public display of disregard for these children’s health and safety.”

For more information regarding foster care abuse, mental health and children, please visit us at www.ablechild.org

New Investigation: Death of 16 Year-Old Girl, State of Pennsylvania After FDA Warning Was Issued

Written by Sheila Matthews on . Posted in MedWatch, Violence.

Sheila Matthews
National Vice President
www.ablechild.org
(203) 966-8419, Fax (203) 253-0329

Vicky Dunkle
Vice President State of Pennsylvania
(814) 887-9296

Attention: Committee Members of Oversight and Investigations:

Antidepressant Use in Children

Last week Ablechild contacted the Committee Members of Oversight & Investigations to make notification that another child has died as the result of antidepressants not FDA approved for use in children. Ablechild Vice President of Pennsylvania, Mrs. Vicky Dunkle, met with the family of this latest victim, a 16 year-old girl on Friday, September 17, 2004. At the age of 14, their daughter started taking Wellbutrin. Two years later, their daughter hung herself, just 14 days after stopping Wellbutrin.

Mrs. Vicky Dunkle provided them information about the on-going Congressional investigation and the recent FDA warning. The family was unaware of the FDA warnings, and on-going investigations into this antidepressant crisis. This clearly highlights the overall public health crisis and lack of management to provide warnings and detoxification procedures. Having psychiatrists come on television to do damage control for the drug companies is not proper public health management. As this committee investigates this national health crisis, there must be a public health plan established to ensure that the public is fully aware of the investigation and the impact of withdrawal. This does not mean encouraging children to stay on antidepressants or focusing on the dangers associated with not seeking “drug” treatment. Non-drug approaches to depression and other behavioral issues should be encouraged and considered prior to prescribing off-label antidepressants.

This latest victim of drug suicide has left a family very willing to speak out. They were never told of the subjective nature of the diagnosis itself, or the dangers associated with the recommended “drug” treatment. Their daughter hung herself in her bedroom. Mrs. Vicky Dunkle’s help to the family comes with a keen sense of understanding, as her own 11-year-old daughter, Shaina Dunkle, died due to toxic levels of an antidepressant prescribed her that was not FDA approved for use in children.

Mrs. Dunkle has been featured on the Montel Williams Show, as well as other National television and radio programs. She is eager to speak out to protect American children and their basic human and constitutional rights. She has asked the family to report their child’s death to the FDA as soon as possible and contact the members of this Committee.

For more information on the recent FDA hearings regarding antidepressants and suicide in children please visit our website at www.ablechild.org

Black Box Warning on Antidepressants

Written by Sheila Matthews on . Posted in Lawmaking, MedWatch.

Sheila Matthews
National Vice President
www.ablechild.org
(203) 966-8419

Gloria Wright
Vice President State of North Carolina

AbleChild is pleased with the FDA advisory panel’s move to place “black box warnings”, the strongest possible warnings that can be issued, on all antidepressants that have been linked to suicide ideations. The FDA’s hearings appear now to offer hope and healing. During the hearings held February 2 and September 13, frustrated and anguished parents and victims testified as to the horrible acts of violence, suicide, and suicide ideation induced by antidepressant use. According to their testimony, SSRI drugs had the causal effect of perpetrating these terrible tragic reactions on their loved ones. SSRI’s are a class of antidepressants still under investigation for causing suicidal thoughts and acts in children and adolescents. Eight of these SSRI drugs have been banned since last year in the U.K. for anyone under 18 years of age. The FDA never approved the use of these drugs for use in children. These drugs failed to meet the basic FDA requirement for effectiveness, yet were prescribed to children through a loophole called “off label”.

Though this move to place “black box” warnings is long overdue, it is necessary and a welcomed step toward improving the informed consent process. Our organization has regularly requested accountability, which must be required of both the drug companies and the psychiatric industry. There must be a documented informed consent process prior to treatment. Our organization will continue to work with the Congressional Investigation and Oversight Committee and FDA to ensure that the wording on warning labels are clear so there is no chance for misinterpretation.

Misinformation is itself a clear and present danger to the safety of our children. We need to focus closely on ensuring any write-ups regarding risks are straightforward, clear, and are not in any way additional attempts to mislead the public further on the part of drug companies or the psychiatric industry. The decision of the advisory panel to place a “black box warning” on these drugs will go a long way towards reducing the suicide rate in the United States .

Ablechild’s president and co-founder, Patricia Weathers testified before the Advisory Panel, “It broke my heart to see so many senseless deaths. To hide this important information from the public is a deadly secret we cannot afford to keep any longer. These families trusted the psychiatric and drug industries, and that trust was broken.”

AbleChild will attend the Connecticut Statewide Conference on Inclusion in New Canaan , Connecticut , on Saturday, October 2. We will offer the Connecticut Department of Education, parents, children’s advocates, as well as educators access to the latest information on the advisory panel’s recommendations and highlight the importance of “The Child Medication Safety Act” which is still stalled in committee in the Senate. For more information, please visit our website: www.ablechild.org.

FDA Update on Review of Antidepressants Used as Tool for Drug Companies to Seek Pediatric Approval for Antidepressant Use in Children

Written by Sheila Matthews on . Posted in Articles.

Patricia Weathers
President
www.ablechild.org
(845) 677-8115

Sheila Matthews
National Vice President
www.ablechild.org
(203) 966-8419

 AbleChild.org Requests that the FDA Withdraw Antidepressant Drug Applications that Seek Drug Approval at Upcoming Advisory Review Committee Meeting on September 13th and 14th, 2004 in Bethesda, Maryland.

According to the FDA’s Talk Paper on the safety review of antidepressants dated August 20th, there are findings among drug trials that suggest an increase risk of suicide in children, but interpretation of these findings represents a “substantial challenge”. Despite these findings, and the fact that the UK last year banned the use of 8 of these antidepressants for use in children, the FDA has attached to their Talk Paper, applications from drug companies, which seek to approve these same drugs for children. (See link attachment on FDA Talk Paper http://www.fda.gov/cder/pediatric/Summaryreview.htm).

The fact is that these drugs have never been approved for use in children. These drugs were being prescribed in what is termed an “off-label loophole”, whereby a doctor could prescribe any of these drugs for a child at his own discretion.

With these facts, and the link to suicide in children, the America public should be alarmed that the FDA is allowing these drug applications to be considered during this safety review process.

“As part of its commitment to keep the American public fully informed about the status of its review of data concerning the use of antidepressants in pediatric patients, the FDA is issuing this update to provide healthcare providers and patients with the most current information on this topic.”

How is this statement fulfilling the FDA’s commitment to fully inform the public, when in fact, they are simultaneously submitting new applications from various drugs companies that would approve the use of these same drugs for children? There was a total of 203 press alerts across the wires yesterday on the FDA’s Safety Update on Antidepressants, all of which excluded the “fine print” located at the bottom of the FDA’s Talk Paper that links new applications to the safety review process. Is this the FDA’s commitment to fully inform the American public?

“The FDA will assure that the labels of the antidepressants used in pediatric patients reflect the most recent information obtained from these same studies and analyses”.

Let’s get to the plan at hand. Is it the intent of the FDA to approve these suicide-linked drugs for use in children, and then slap warning labels on the package after approval?

The September FDA Advisory Committee Meeting that is conducting this review should be acting in accordance with U.S. Code Title 42: Section 289a-1: Part H – General Provisions regarding review and approval of proposal for research under Section (b) Ethical Review of Research. This Advisory Committee has an obligation to the protection of human research and under section (2) the peer review and in the case of any proposal for the National Institutes of Health to conduct or support research; the Secretary may not approve or fund any proposal that is subject to technical and scientific peer review.

Based on these procedural safeguards and guidelines, these antidepressant drug applications that seek drug approval for use in children should be withdrawn immediately from the September FDA Advisory Committee Meeting Agenda.

As a public health agency, the FDA must protect public health, not manage risks associated with depression that goes untreated, especially when that “treatment” itself is inducing suicide ideation that results in death.

It appears the pending strategy seems to be, approve the drugs for use in children, and then warn of risks. This is unacceptable.

GUEST OPINION: Universal Mental Health Screenings: A Call to Rally

Written by Able Child on . Posted in Interviews, Lawmaking.

By Penny Pullen, former state rep and President of Eagle Forum of IL.

OPINION — A recent letter-to-the-editor writer first asked how such an invasive law as Illinois’ new universal mental health screening atrocity could be passed, and then answered, essentially, that anything can pass any time if it’s characterized as being “for children.”

This may be true today, sad to say, but once upon a time, it was not. And so, I’m not so sure it is true.

Continue reading

Ablechild Petitions Connecticut Governor And Public Health Commissioner To Provide Public With FDA Warning On Antidepressants Before Treatment

Written by Sheila Matthews on . Posted in Lawmaking, MedWatch.

Patricia Weathers
President
www.ablechild.org
(845) 677-8115

Sheila Matthews
National Vice President
www.ablechild.org
(203) 966-8419

 AbleChild has learned that last week the Connecticut Commissioner of Public Health, Dr. Galvin, submitted to Governor Rell a written opinion on Informed Consent relating to the recent FDA Antidepressant Warnings and their link to Suicide in adults and children. Ablechild requests that the office of Public Health, as well as the Governor’s office, provide this written opinion on informed consent to the public immediately, to ensure that the public is aware of the ongoing investigation and public health warnings regarding antidepressants and the implications surrounding this issue.

This year FDA warnings on Antidepressants immediately followed an FDA investigation, which was launched on a different class of antidepressants known as SSRI’s (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors). This investigation and subsequent warnings comes after the United Kingdom banned the use of SSRI’s in 2003 for anyone under age 18, due to their propensity to cause suicidal ideations in children and adolescents. Currently the FDA has required that the drug companies re-label antidepressants with stronger warnings, requiring them to disclose their links to suicide.

This past week, on the Federal level, a Congressional Investigative Subcommittee Hearing, which was to investigate drug companies’ concealment of clinical data involving harm and negative side effects of Antidepressants, was abruptly shut down. This shut down, was a result of the Subcommittee Chairman’s (Congressman Greenwood-PA) acceptance of a job with one of the company’s under investigation. This recent news highlights the corruption within the political process, and the conflict of interest, both of which have sadly overrode our children’s health and safety.

In light of these facts, Ablechild has taken immediate action in Connecticut to increase public disclosure of the very real risks and life threatening warnings that these drugs have, in hopes of dispelling the myth that these drugs are safe and effective. Misinformation, comprising of the idea that these drugs are safe for our children, has been for many years, all too easily and eagerly, spread by the pharmaceutical industry manufacturing them, as well as a major portion of the mental health industry. Both of these industries have vested financial interests as top priority.

The State of Connecticut has a responsibility to protect public health. The public needs to have access to all warnings in order to make informed decisions regarding whether or not to use antidepressants for “treatment”, being recommended for depression and other psychiatric labels placed upon our children. These warnings need to be taken seriously, should be disclosed readily prior to “treatment”, and should not be overlooked. Informed Consent, hand in hand, with public safety, should be everybody’s top priority!

To read more on antidepressant warnings visit www.ablechild.org

Victims of Antidepressants Respond to Federal Corruption in Ongoing Investigation. Drug Companies’ Influence Suspends Hearing.

Written by Sheila Matthews on . Posted in Lawmaking, MedWatch.

Patricia Weathers
President
www.ablechild.org
(845) 677-8115

Sheila Matthews
National Vice President
www.ablechild.org
(203) 966-8419

 A hearing scheduled for yesterday, July 20, 2004, by the House Energy & Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, headed by Congressman Greenwood of PA, was abruptly shut down just hours before it was to convene. This hearing, requested by victims, was scheduled to address both the withholding of clinical trial data from the public by drug companies, and the role of the FDA in the antidepressant investigation. Representatives from 7 pharmaceutical companies, their trade association, as well as, representatives from the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and one top FDA official, were all scheduled to testify before the Subcommittee. Ablechild learned from the Associated Press that the hearing was suspended due to Congressman Greenwood’s announcement that he was seeking career opportunity from the pharmaceutical industry. This clearly raises ethical concerns.

Ablechild received a flood of calls from families outraged over the government’s depraved indifference to human rights, its lack of responsibility, and its blatant disregard for the public safety. Ablechild has put in an emergency request to the Senate to reopen these hearings to the public immediately, due to this Subcommittee’s inability to act in the best interest of the public. Parents contacting Ablechild know that the Subcommittee is unduly influenced and request that immediate action should be taken to uphold the integrity of this investigation.

On behalf of parents nationwide, Ablechild contacted Senator Santorum, from PA, specifically requesting that he take steps to reopen these hearings to ensure that the health and well being of our children is not, in any way, compromised. Ablechild points to the death of little Shaina Dunkle, from Pennsylvania, who at the age of 10, died from the direct result of antidepressants. Mrs. Vicky Dunkle, has repeatedly appealed to both Congressman Greenwood and Senator Santorum, asking for accountability in the death of her daughter. We have appealed to Pennsylvania, reminding them that Shaina Dunkle’s death should not be disregarded by the power plays of special interest groups influencing politicians and investigative hearings.

The government has the responsibility to protect public safety. Ablechild eagerly awaits Senator Santorum’s response.

National Association of School Psychology Down Plays Drug Deaths and Misleads Public on State Laws On National Public Radio

Written by Sheila Matthews on . Posted in Lawmaking, Violence.

Patricia Weathers
President
www.ablechild.org
(845) 677-8115

Sheila Matthews
National Vice President
www.ablechild.org
(203) 966-8419

 In a NPR radio segment on the Here and Now show that aired yesterday, the National Association of School Psychology Spokesman, Peter Welley, told the public that Connecticut’s law that prohibits school personnel from recommending psychotropic drugs for children was rescinded. Connecticut’s legislation signed into law on June 28, 2001, has served as model legislation for other states around the country. Peter Welley, speaking on behalf of the organization for school psychologists, further indicated that there were many complaints launched against the Connecticut legislation.

Ablechild.org knew this public claim aired live was an outright falsehood. We suspected it to be an outlandish and meager attempt at best, to mislead the public by steering it away from the fact that this nation has been passing legislation in order to counter the epidemic of children being forced onto drugs via the public schools. Ablechild immediately launched its own investigation into this serious matter by placing a direct call into Republican Lenny Winkler’s office, the Sponsor of the Connecticut Law, as well as a practicing emergency room nurse. Her office confirmed our beliefs by assuring us that the law has not been rescinded, or in any way changed. Furthermore, AbleChild.org has learned from their office that the only complaints that they have received regarding this legislation, were from, not surprisingly, The National Association of School Psychologists. Questioned more in depth, Representative Winkler’s office indicated to us that there was not one parent complaint.

There could be several motivating factors, which prompted this organization to misrepresent the facts publicly. The possible loss of grant money is just one incentive for continuing today’s trend of labeling and drugging our children. Ablechild suspects that there will be many more similar attempts to misrepresent and divert public attention by organizations that have preyed off of our children for many years. These group’s financial incentives are on shaky ground, and it is not surprising that they grasp at thin air, in lieu of so many facts arising to the public nationwide regarding legislation and drug risks. It could be that the nation’s widespread anti-coercion Federal and State legislation, Great Britain’s ban last year of the use of 8 different antidepressants for children and adolescents, America’s own on-going FDA investigation and warnings on antidepressants, and the many Federal legal cases pending regarding informed consent and drug risks, all had a hand in making many groups a tad bit jumpy.

Children’s health and safety are being compromised daily and The Association of School Psychology takes no responsibility for this reality associated with their diagnoses and recommendations. This is a national mental health crisis, and confirms the fact that we need Federal protection in place for our children. To read about the current Federal Legislation called “The Child Medication Safety Act” and to help ensure a child’s right to grow up healthy and drug-free click here  Legislation.