April 2023

Vol. 2, Issue 4

Hello, school nurse friends! You are in the home stretch now with roughly one month to go before summer break is here! We look forward to seeing some of you during our virtual School Nurse Workshops and at MEGA this summer. We appreciate you and all of your hard work and dedication this school year. Thank you for helping make your school a happy, healthy place where students can learn, grow, and thrive.

The Monthly Spotlight

Autism Acceptance Month

Autism Acceptance Month is a time for us to raise awareness to promote autism acceptance, celebrate each individual's unique differences, and encourage inclusivity and connectedness for people with autism.¹ Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disorder caused by differences in the brain.²Though some people with ASD have a known difference, other causes remain unknown. For more information, please join us in listening to Dr. Jennifer Sheehy-Knight's presentation on Caring for the Student with Autism Spectrum Disorder. As said by Dr. Temple Grandin, "The world needs all kinds of minds."

Child Abuse Prevention

Child abuse is a serious public health problem throughout the United States. According to the CDC, at least 1 in 7 children in the United States experienced child abuse or neglect within the past year; however, this is likely an underestimate due to many cases being unreported.¹ In 2015, there were over 21,000 reports made to Alabama's Department of Human Resources (DHR) involving more than 30,000 children.²The health consequences surrounding abused children are substantial. Child abuse and neglect are preventable, and resources are available. Children's of Alabama's CHIPS Center is devoted to promoting health and healing for those affected by suspected child abuse and neglect.³ For more information on services available at the CHIPS Center, visit the CHIPS Center website.

Distracted Driving Awareness

Because April is National Distracted Driving Awareness Month, we wanted to take a moment to shine a light on one of the fastest growing safety issues on our roadways today.Distracted driving is any activity that can take a driver’s attention away from their primary task – driving.¹According to Drive Safe Alabama statistics, a texting driver is 23 times more likely to be involved in a crash than a non-texting driver.¹Reckless and distracted driving is 100% preventable, so let’s do our part to make Alabama's roadways safer for everyone.

Alabama Department of Transportation - Drive Safe Alabama

Did you know...

Our workshops on Youth and Trauma, Human Trafficking, and Seizures in Schools from last summer are available on myschoolnurse.net.
Our website houses numerous free resources you can access at any time, including full recordings of previous school nurse workshops.

Visit our website for more info

If you have any questions concerning school nurse workshops or any other school nurse resources available at Children's of Alabama, please reach out to our School Nurse Liaison, Ginger Parsons, via telephone at (205) 638-6287 or email at ginger.parsons@childrensal.org

Need help educating your students and parents?

Check out KidsHealth

Printable resources with advice on children's health, behavior, and growth from before birth through the teenage years
Information on a variety of topics including how the body works, homework help, and more
Approved by doctors, and has separate sections written specifically for parents, teens, and kids

If you have any suggestions on future content you would like to see featured in our newsletter, please reach out to us via email at healthedu.safety@childrensal.org.

Inside Pediatrics

Inside Pediatrics is a free monthly podcast series featuring specialists at Children’s of Alabama and the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). Episodes cover topics related to child health and wellness, research and treatment, and frequently complement articles appearing in Inside Pediatrics magazine.

The Monthly Sp﻿otlight