According to the American Psychiatric Association, as many as one in ten children between the ages of six and 12 experience the "persistent feelings of sadness" associated with depression. According to the CDC and the Health Resources and Services Administration, more than one in ten children ages four to 17 have been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD. Still others experience anxiety. Some kids are bipolar. The CDC believes an estimated 1 in 68 fall under autism spectrum disorder. Really, many mental health conditions can — and often do — manifest themselves in childhood.
On this edition of Houston Matters, we learn about mental health services available for children in Greater Houston, how mental health conditions are diagnosed and treated here, and the challenges mental illness can create for kids in school. We meet a Houston mom whose son was diagnosed with Asperger's. And we welcome your questions for the heads of a pediatric bipolar unit at a Houston area hospital, and a neurological institute and school based here in Greater Houston.
Also this hour: On the latest installment of The Full Menu, Katharine Shilcutt of Houstonia Magazine, David Leftwich of Sugar and Rice Magazine and Eric Sandler of CultureMap Houston discuss their favorite holiday fare in Greater Houston, gift ideas for the foodie in your life, and bakeries to check out over the holiday season.
Plus: A conversation with singer/songwriter and Houston native Kat Edmonson.
