News, Accomplishments and Messages
Therapeutic Living Program- Marcus House-Licensed by the Department
Of Health since December 2010.
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Loveland Academy achieved two major milestones for grades PK-9
First, Loveland Academy has met all standards of accreditation set forth by the National
Independent Private Schools Association (NIPSA) and granted a Certificate of Accreditation
on January 1, 2009.
Second, Loveland Academy has met all standards of Level III Therapeutic Certification set forth
by the National Independent Private Schools Association (NIPSA) and granted Therapeutic
Certification on July 1, 2009. NIPSA is a fully Accredited Member of the Council For Private
School Accreditation and a member of the Commission for International and Trans-Regional
Accreditation.
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Loveland Academy awarded three-year CARF (Commission of
Accreditation of Rehabilitation) accreditation, continuous since 2001.
Honolulu, Hawaii : Continuous accreditation since 2001 — CARF International announced that
Loveland Academy has been accredited for a period of three years (2011-2014) for its
Programs/Services
Assessment and Referral: Mental Health (Adults)
Assessment and Referral: Mental Health (Children and Adolescents)
Community Integration: Psychosocial Rehabilitation (Adults)
Community Integration: Psychosocial Rehabilitation (Children and Adolescents)
Day Treatment: Mental Health (Adults)
Day Treatment: Mental Health (Children and Adolescents)
Outpatient Treatment: Mental Health (Adults)
Outpatient Treatment: Mental Health (Children and Adolescents)
Residential Treatment: Integrated DD/Mental Health (Adults)
Residential Treatment: Integrated DD/Mental Health (Children and Adolescents)
The latest accreditation is the 3nd consecutive Three-Year Accreditation that the international
accrediting body has awarded to Loveland Academy.
This accreditation decision represents the highest level of accreditation that can be awarded
to an organization and shows the organization’s substantial conformance to the CARF
standards. An organization receiving a Three-Year Accreditation has put itself through a rigorous
peer review process and has demonstrated to a team of surveyors during an on-site visit that its
programs and services are of the highest quality, measurable, and accountable.
Loveland Academy is a for profit organization with offices at 1506 Piikoi St., Honolulu, Hawaii,
96822. It has been providing Assessment and Referral: Mental Health (Adults), Assessment and
Referral: Mental Health (Children and Adolescents), Community Integration: Psychosocial
Rehabilitation (Adults), Community Integration: Psychosocial Rehabilitation (Children and
Adolescents), Day Treatment: Mental Health (Adults), Day Treatment: Mental Health (Children
and Adolescents), Outpatient Treatment: Mental Health (Adults), Outpatient Treatment: Mental
Health (Children and Adolescents) in the Honolulu, area since 1999.
Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities. CARF is an independent, nonprofit
accrediting body whose mission is to promote the quality, value, and optimal outcomes of
services through a consultative accreditation process that centers on enhancing the lives of the
persons served. Founded in 1966 as the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation
Facilities, and now known as CARF, the accrediting body establishes consumer-focused
standards to help organizations measure and improve the quality of their programs and services.
For additional information, contact Dr Patricia Dukes at 808 524-4243.
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New Definition of Autism Will Exclude Many, Study Suggest
New York Times , 19 January 2012, by Benedict Carey
Proposed changes in the definition of autism would sharply reduce the skyrocketing rate at
which the disorder is diagnosed and might make it harder for many people who would no
longer meet the criteria to get health, educational and social services, a new analysis
suggests.
New Definition of Autism Will Exclude Many, Study Suggest New York Times , 19 January
2012, by Benedict Carey
This morning's *New York Times* includes an article: "New Definition of Autism Will Exclude
Many, Study Suggests" by Benedict Carey.
Here are some excerpts:
Proposed changes in the definition of autism would sharply reduce the skyrocketing rate at
which the disorder is diagnosed and might make it harder for many people who would no
longer meet the criteria to get health, educational and social services, a new analysis
suggests.
The definition is now being reassessed by an expert panel appointed by the American
Psychiatric Association, which is completing work on the fifth edition of its Diagnostic and
Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, the first major revision in 17 years.
The results of the new analysis are preliminary, but they offer the most drastic estimate of
how tightening the criteria for autism could affect the rate of diagnosis.
The psychiatrists' association is wrestling with one of the most agonizing questions in
mental health -- where to draw the line between unusual and abnormal -- and its decisions
are sure to be wrenching for some families.
At a time when school budgets for special education are stretched, the new diagnosis could
herald more pitched battles.
Tens of thousands of people receive state-backed services to help offset the disorders'
disabling effects, which include sometimes severe learning and social problems, and the
diagnosis is in many ways central to their lives.
Close networks of parents have bonded over common experiences with children; and the
children, too, may grow to find a sense of their own identity in their struggle with the disorder.
The proposed changes would probably exclude people with a diagnosis who were higher
functioning.
"I'm very concerned about the change in diagnosis, because I wonder if my daughter would
even qualify," said Mary Meyer of Ramsey, N.J. A diagnosis of Asperger syndrome was
crucial to helping her daughter, who is 37, gain access to services that have helped
tremendously.
"She's on disability, which is partly based on the Asperger's; and I'm hoping to get her into
supportive housing, which also depends on her diagnosis."
The new analysis, presented Thursday at a meeting of the Icelandic Medical Association,
opens a debate about just how many people the proposed diagnosis would affect.
The changes would narrow the diagnosis so much that it could effectively end the autism
surge, said Dr. Fred R. Volkmar, director of the Child Study Center at the Yale School of
Medicine and an author of the new analysis of the proposal.
"We would nip it in the bud."
Experts working for the Psychiatric Association on the manual's new definition -- a group
from which Dr. Volkmar resigned early on -- strongly disagree about the proposed changes'
impact.
Disagreement about the effect of the new definition will almost certainly increase scrutiny of
the finer points of the psychiatric association's changes to the manual.
The revisions are about 90 percent complete and will be final by December, according to Dr.
David J. Kupfer, a professor of psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh and chairman of the
task force making the revisions.
At least a million children and adults have a diagnosis of autism or a related disorder, like
Asperger syndrome or "pervasive developmental disorder, not otherwise specified," also
known as P.D.D.-N.O.S.
People with Asperger's or P.D.D.-N.O.S. endure some of the same social struggles as those
with autism but do not meet the definition for the full-blown version. The proposed change
would consolidate all three diagnoses under one category, autism spectrum disorder,
eliminating Asperger syndrome and P.D.D.-N.O.S. from the manual.
Under the current criteria, a person can qualify for the diagnosis by exhibiting 6 or more of 12
behaviors; under the proposed definition, the person would have to exhibit 3 deficits in social
interaction and communication and at least 2 repetitive behaviors, a much narrower menu.
"Our fear is that we are going to take a big step backward," said Lori Shery, president of the
Asperger Syndrome Education Network. "If clinicians say, 'These kids don't fit the criteria for
an autism spectrum diagnosis,' they are not going to get the supports and services they
need, and they're going to experience failure."
In the new analysis, Dr. Volkmar, along with Brian Reichow and James McPartland, both at
Yale, used data from a large 1993 study that served as the basis for the current criteria.
They focused on 372 children and adults who were among the highest functioning and found
that overall, only 45 percent of them would qualify for the proposed autism spectrum
diagnosis now under review.
The focus on a high-functioning group may have slightly exaggerated that percentage, the
authors acknowledge.
The likelihood of being left out under the new definition depended on the original diagnosis:
about a quarter of those identified with classic autism in 1993 would not be so identified
under the proposed criteria; about three-quarters of those with Asperger syndrome would
not qualify; and 85 percent of those with P.D.D.-N.O.S. would not.
Dr. Volkmar presented the preliminary findings on Thursday.
The researchers will publish a broader analysis, based on a larger and more representative
sample of 1,000 cases, later this year. Dr. Volkmar said that although the proposed diagnosis
would be for disorders on a spectrum and implies a broader net, it focuses tightly on
"classically autistic" children on the more severe end of the scale.
"The major impact here is on the more cognitively able," he said.
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A major Goal completed in 2007
That a child will be able to use the computer and technology in every day life. To accomplish
tasks like writing letters, resumes, to search the Internet for information and for fun activities like
making music, working with photos and to become aware of the many ways technology and
computers can assist in life, at home, at work, and for fun. Loveland Academy will provide the
foundation to provide this learning experience and provide instruction to the students at all grade
levels.
Accomplished
The new computer lab consists of new PC's, Macs, multimedia equipment, music production
equipment, and various software programs. It is used for individual assignments, online
classes, group computer classes, multimedia production, and music production.
Designed and built by our staff and students, the lab is painted in a rich royal blue (our school
color), is decked out with custom floating shelves, a sleek metallic decor, centered by a one of a
kind DVD clock. The space also serves as a black and white gallery, displaying many photos of
our students and staff.
The students are really enjoying their new lab that they helped create. Overall, the reaction from
students, parents, and visitors has been very positive. There are still plans for upgrades and
improvements over time.
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New Class Curriculum: Introduction To Computer Information
About The Class
This class will invite students into the knowledge about three basic applications that are
bundled into Microsoft Office for Windows 2000. The applications are Microsoft Word, Microsoft
Power Point, and Microsoft Excel. The students will learn the basic functions of each application
and be able to create projects and work on assignments inside and outside of this class.
Word
The students will learn how to perform the basic functions in Word, making it faster and easier to
use. The students will learn how to use shortcuts on the keyboard, copy and paste, write a letter,
address an envelope, develop a résumé, and much more.
Power Point
The students will learn how to perform the basic functions in Power Point, making it faster and
easier to use. The students will learn how to use different slide themes, slide layouts,
transitions between slides, add animation to each slide, insert a picture on a slide, and much
more.
Excel
The students will learn how to perform the basic functions in Excel, making it faster ad easier to
use. The students will learn how to add cells, columns and rows, adjust the width of a column,
insert functions such as sum, average, max/mm, create graphs such as bar, line, pie, and much
more.
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