The "Autism at-a-Glance" series provides a current summary of topics relevant to high school students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) as well as practical tips and resources for school and community personnel and family members. This report was designed to help high school staff and family members in supporting adolescents on the…

Given the changing landscape in higher education, education practitioners are faced with increasing workloads, which in turn is causing an increase in stress-related factors that impede health and wellness, and thus productivity. In response, practitioners in modern higher education settings must adopt a commitment to self-care that focuses on the…

The nutritional guidelines for individuals with autism are the same as those for the general population. However, many teens with autism face challenges related to food and/or eating that can negatively impact their health. "Autism at-a-Glance" is a series of practitioner and family-friendly documents created by the Center on Secondary…

Like all teens, students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) go through puberty. During this transitional time, their bodies will go through changes that can be disorienting. Given that adolescents with ASD may have a need for sameness and routine, the changes associated with puberty can be difficult. Teachers and parents can support students by…

Families of adolescents with ASD, and school staff who support them, often report that maintaining good personal hygiene can be difficult for their sons, daughters, and students. Hygiene is the practice of keeping up with one's health and cleanliness. Maintenance of hygiene includes washing hands after going to the bathroom, using a tissue when…

Individuals with visual impairments (that is, those who are blind or have low vision) do not have the same opportunities to develop their knowledge of sexual health and participate in sex education as their sighted peers (Krupa & Esmail, 2010), although young adults with visual impairments participate in sexual activities at similar rates as their…

The majority of parents report that they believe they have an important role in shaping adolescents' values and behaviours in relation to drinking, but they also report that they need more support in this area. Education, welfare, health, youth and other professionals have an important role in providing services to young people and/or their…

The reproductive health of American adolescents has been, and continues to be, a matter of serious concern. America's teen birth rate--already one of the highest among developed nations--is again on the rise. Also, rates of sexually-transmitted infection (STI) among teens remain disconcertingly high, with one-quarter of the 19 million new cases of…

Although parents play a vital role in fostering healthy sexuality-related attitudes and behaviors among adolescents, many parents struggle with how to address sexuality-related topics with their adolescent child. This article provides practitioners with evidence-based frameworks and guidelines on how to work with parents in order to improve their…

This brief discusses the signs and symptoms of alcohol and drug use and provides recommendations to assess substance use among youth in your program. It is not uncommon for adolescents to experiment with different substances such as alcohol or cigarettes, but this can lead to heavy and continued use, which is dangerous and may put their health at…

"Food insecurity," which is the lack of access to enough food to fully meet basic needs at all times because of economic constraints, afflicts 40.6% of low-income households with children. Research shows that living in a food-insecure household can lead to negative health and developmental consequences for young children, including obesity.…

Sedentary living is a serious global public health problem that is associated with numerous preventable diseases. Schools are in a position to be the most cost-effective public resource to combat inactivity. In schools physical educators are positioned to be the strongest advocates of a healthy, active lifestyle. To effectively promote physical…

Obesity is second only to smoking as the nation's number one preventable cause of death. Fewer than one in four kids gets 20 minutes of physical activity per week and fewer than one in four participate in at least 30 minutes of physical activity a day. In an effort to help students switch to a healthier lifestyle and through a grant from PANA…

The Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) was developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to measure the major health risk behaviors performed by youth. These health risk behaviors include: behaviors that contribute to intentional and unintentional injuries; the use of tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs; sexual behaviors that contribute…

Purpose: To provide a rationale regarding the importance of physician behavior change counseling. To describe the double helix behavior change curriculum at the University of Rochester (UR). To provide initial evidence that the curriculum is effective. Design/methodology/approach: Evidence that physician use of the 5A's model is effective in…