MEDIA CONTACTS:

David Zucker, dzucker@hbbf.org, 917.617.0584

Jennifer Hazelton, Jennifer.hazelton@hbbf.org, 404.368.2533

Unprecedented Alliance of Scientists, Health Professionals,

& Advocates Agree Toxic Chemicals Hurting Brain

Project TENDR calls for immediate action to reduce toxic exposures in the environment.

New York, NY (July 1, 2016) – An unprecedented alliance of leading scientists, health professionals, and children’s health advocates agree for the first time that today’s scientific evidence supports a link between exposures to toxic chemicals in food, air and everyday products and children’s risks for neurodevelopmental disorders. The alliance, known as Project TENDR, is calling for immediate action to significantly reduce exposures to toxic chemicals to protect brain development for today’s and tomorrow’s children.

Neurodevelopmental disorders include intellectual disability, autism spectrum disorder, attention deficits, hyperactivity, and other maladaptive behaviors, and learning disabilities.   Project TENDR’s consensus statement can be found here.

Prime examples of the chemicals and pollutants that are contributing to children’s learning, intellectual and behavioral impairment include:

• Organophosphate (OP) pesticides
• Polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) flame retardants
• Combustion-related air pollutants, which generally include polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter
• Lead
• Mercury
• Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs)

“This is truly an historic agreement. Ten years ago, this consensus wouldn’t have been possible, but the scientific research is now abundantly clear: toxic chemicals are harming our children’s brain development,” said Irva Hertz-Picciotto, environmental epidemiologist at UC Davis and TENDR Co-Director. “As a society, we can eliminate or significantly lower these toxic chemical exposures and address inadequate regulatory systems that have allowed their proliferation. These steps can, in turn, reduce high rates of neurodevelopmental disorders.”

“This national problem is so pressing that the TENDR scientists and health professionals will continue their collaboration to develop and issue recommendations aimed at significantly reducing exposures to toxic chemicals that are harming children’s brain development,” says Maureen Swanson, with the Learning Disabilities Association of America and TENDR Co-Director. “Calling for further study is no longer a sufficient response to this threat.”

The following experts are available to answer reporters’ questions about Project TENDR’s findings via the telephone briefing at 11am ET on Friday, July 1 st .

Call-in Bridge: 1-800- 215-0618; Access Code: 337-8044

Participants:

Dr. Irva Hertz-Picciotto is Professor of Epidemiology and of Environmental Health in the Department of Public Health Sciences and the MIND Institute at UC Davis, and Director of the NIH-funded Environmental Health Sciences Core Center. She is co-founder and co-director of Project TENDR.

Mark Mitchell M.D., MPH, FACPM is the principal of Mitchell Environmental Health Associates, a consulting firm on environmental health and environmental justice issues. He chairs the National Medical Association’s Council on Medical Legislation and co-chairs the NMA’s Commission on Environmental Health, which trains and coordinates advocacy on behalf of African American physicians and their patients.

Frederica P. Perera, DrPH, PhD, is a Professor of Environmental Health Sciences and serves as the Director of the Columbia Center for Children’s Environmental Health.

Maureen H. Swanson is Director of the Healthy Children Project of the Learning Disabilities Association of America (LDA), focused on raising awareness of environmental factors linked to learning and developmental disabilities, and on promoting policies and practices to reduce toxic chemical exposures, especially for pregnant women and children. She is co-founder and co-director of Project TENDR.

About Project TENDR:

Project TENDR, which stands for “Targeting Environmental Neuro-Developmental Risks,” is an alliance of 48 of the nation’s top scientists, health professionals, and health advocates (See Author List). It was launched by Maureen Swanson of the Learning Disabilities Association of American and Irva Hertz-Picciotto of UC Davis, who brought together participants across many disciplines and sectors, including epidemiology, toxicology, exposure science, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, nursing, public health, and federal and state chemical policy. Medical and scientific societies that have signed on in support include American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, American Nurses Association, Endocrine Society, National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners, National Medical Association, National Hispanic Medical Association, Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments, Physicians for Social Responsibility and the National Council of Asian Pacific Island Physicians. TENDR’s long-term mission is to lower the incidence of neurodevelopmental disorders by reducing exposure levels to chemicals and pollutants that can contribute to these conditions, especially during fetal development and early childhood. More information about Project TENDR can be found here.

The PDF to this Press Release can be downloaded here.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT:

April 19, 2016

Mary-Clare Reynolds, Executive Director

412-341-1515, ext. 206

mcreynolds@ldaamerica.org

Outstanding Educator Recognized by Learning Disabilities Organization

The Learning Disabilities Association of America (LDA), a premier source of information, support and advocacy for parents, teachers and individuals, recognized Nancy Hammill of Cherry Hill, NJ as the 2016 Sam Kirk Award recipient at its recent international conference in Orlando.

The Sam Kirk Award is given each year to an outstanding educator who has made a difference in the lives of individuals with learning disabilities and in the field of special education. The award is named in honor of Dr. Samuel A. Kirk, psychologist, scholar, humanitarian and pioneer in the field of learning disabilities. Dr. Kirk is often given credit for coining the term Learning Disabilities.

Nancy is a Learning Therapist and Professional Development and Outreach Coordinator, for the Cooper Learning Center, Pediatric Department of Cooper University Hospital. She received her Master of Science in Education from Bank Street Graduate College of Education in New York and has worked more than 20 years in public and private school systems in both suburban and urban settings. Nancy considers helping students thrive to be a personal calling. As a person with learning disabilities herself, she knows the impact learning differences can have on someone’s self-esteem. Her mission is to have her students achieve academic success and learn to appreciate themselves and their uniqueness as individuals.

Nancy has been active in working with LDA of New Jersey (LDANJ), focusing on bringing community awareness to best practices for people with learning disabilities in and out of the classroom. Most recently she presented a workshop for teachers at the 2015 LDANJ conference entitled The “Write” Strategies for Improving Writing Skills for Struggling Students. Her training and expertise covers the areas of corrective reading, reading comprehension, reading fluency, written expression, executive functioning and self- regulation.

Other nominees, who received Honorable Mention, were Julianne Alvarado from Illinois, Annette Lalley from Michigan, and Tobey Bullington from Oklahoma.

LDA is a non-profit organization of parents, professionals and adults with learning disabilities providing support, information, and advocacy on behalf of individuals with learning disabilities. For further information go to www.ldaamerica.org.

February 10, 2016

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT:
Mary-Clare Reynolds, Executive Director
412-341-1515, ext. 206
mcreynolds@ldaamerica.org

53rd Annual Learning Disabilities Association of America Conference in Orlando to address current issues such as employment, technology, and education as they relate to individuals with learning disabilities

Educators, Professionals, Parents and Individuals gather at national conference.

Assistive technology, diversity and other timely topics will be featured at the 53rd annual international conference of the Learning Disabilities Association of America (LDA) at the World Center Marriott, Orlando, FL, February 15-18, 2016.

This conference attracts educators, administrators, support professionals, parents and adults with learning disabilities from around the country as well as from other countries to take a comprehensive look at issues and best practices in professional preparation and evaluation; advances in research, assessment for learning disabilities, and the transition from school to work or college.

The four-day conference includes 200 breakout sessions and workshops featuring leading experts in education, assistive technology, research, mental health, classroom techniques, public policy, advocacy, juvenile justice and much more.
Keynote sessions include “You Built It! Celebrating 53 Years’ presented by Lisa Dieker, Ph.D., Pegasus Professor, Lockheed Martin Eminent Scholar, University of Central Florida; “Two Reasons Why Many Students with Disabilities are Failing School and Why RTI Hasn’t Helped Them’ presented by Doug Fuchs, Ph.D., Nicholas Hobbs Chair in Special Education and Human Development, Department of Special Education, Peabody College of Vanderbilt University; and “What Makes Online Learning Work (or Not Work) for Students with LD” presented by Don Deshler, Ph.D., and Sean Smith, Ph.D., Department of Special Education, University of Kansas.

Kayla Wilson shares her moving story, “The Elephant in the Room: Trying to Hide my LD, but Knowing It was Always There’ during Tuesday’s Adult Luncheon. The Thursday Awards Breakfast spotlights David Bowker, Director of the Office of Future Engineers, Purdue University, who asks the question “Is Everybody Special?”

LDA is a non-profit organization of parents, educators, adults with learning disabilities and professionals providing support, information, and advocacy on behalf of individuals with learning disabilities.

For further information go to www.ldaamerica.org/conference/index.asp

January 27, 2016

Letter to the Editor

Dear Editor:

The Learning Disabilities Association of America (LDA) shares the distress of parents and professionals across the country over the situation in Flint, Michigan. The damage that has been done, and will continue to be done, by the contaminated water supply of Flint, is of immediate concern.

Given the urgency surrounding the children diagnosed with elevated lead levels from the drinking water in Flint, Michigan and our long-time interest in the effects of toxins on children and pregnant women, LDA would like to share information about the relationship between lead exposure and learning disabilities.

A fresh water supply with high levels of lead can cause neurological damage leading to learning disabilities, lowered IQs, and behavioral problems. Scientists agree that there is no safe level of lead exposure for children. Recent studies show that learning and behavior deficits occur in children even at very low levels of lead exposure, and that these deficits persist. In addition to learning disabilities, lead exposure can cause intellectual impairment, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and behavior problems. According to LDA’s Healthy Children Project, scientists link low levels of lead exposure in toddlers to declines in math and reading test scores when the children reach elementary school.

A learning disability is a neurological condition that interferes with an individual’s ability to store, process, or produce information. Learning disabilities can affect one’s ability to read, write, speak, spell, compute math, reason and also affect an individual’s attention, memory, coordination, social skills and emotional maturity.

Learning disabilities will differ from child to child and person to person. They will not all look and act the same. For example, some students will have difficulty learning to read, others will struggle with math, some people may misinterpret or have difficulty remembering oral directions, and others may have trouble interpreting nonverbal cues like facial expressions or body language.

It’s clear that the most immediate priority is the health of the children. Testing for lead poisoning and, if needed, the removal of lead from their bodies is the absolute first priority. However, the State of Michigan and the City of Flint must recognize that this is only the first step on the long road to mitigating the impact of this problem. As stated previously, evidence strongly suggests that many of these children will have some form of a learning disability and/or neurological impairment (LD/NI). Therefore, the Learning Disabilities Association of America is strongly recommending that any intermediate and long-term plan dealing with this health crisis needs to contain the following:

1. 100 % of all two to four-year-old children testing positive for lead poisoning be periodically assessed for the early warning signs of a possible LD/NI and, if warranted, be provided with early intervention services at school and in the home.

● Scientific evidence suggests that early intervention services for children ages 7 and under can significantly reduce the long term impact of a LD/NI.

2. 100% of all seven-year-old children testing positive for lead poisoning be given a comprehensive evaluation that includes a cognitive assessment in order to identify specific problem areas that the individual child may have.

● The impact of a learning disability is unique to each child. A cognitive assessment is the only way to identify the problem areas that are specific to each individual child.

3. 100% of all children testing positive for lead poisoning be assigned a special education advocate/ parent trainer to work with the families in order to secure the right services at the right time from the Flint, Michigan School District.

● School districts tend to provide the least amount of services needed following the identification of a child with LD/NI and, as time goes by, subsequently increase services if needed.

● LDA firmly believes that school districts should provide the appropriate amount of services from the beginning and make small incremental adjustments moving forward.

● The role of the special education advocate is to represent the best interests of the child.

● Having a child with a disability is a traumatic event and can result in significant disruption in the home. Parent trainers work with families to help reduce and/or possibly eliminate the disruptions.

4. Finally, recognition by the State of Michigan that many of the children identified with neurological impairments as a result of lead poisoning will need an on-going system of supports as adults. While the impact of the impairment may be lessened, the impairment will last a lifetime.

● Individuals with LD/NI drop out of high school at a significantly higher rate than their non-disabled peers.

This needs to be a long-term commitment because learning disabilities do not go away.

As an organization that has worked for over 50 years with families of children diagnosed with learning disabilities, the Learning Disabilities Association of America can offer information about types of learning disabilities and early signs, assessment and evaluation to identify learning disabilities, special education services, legislation, advocacy, issues faced by adults with LD, and other resources. We invite you to visit our website at LDAAmerica.org.

Sincerely yours,

Mary-Clare Reynolds

Executive Director

Learning Disabilities Association of America