Caregiving provided by children and adolescents
In the September Monitor article "Invisible caregivers," Melinda Kavanaugh, PhD, points out that some children and adolescents must provide care and asks, "Why don't we arm them with more skills, training and practice?" That question raises two points. First, why don't we teach our children how to care about others, period? We don't teach them how to be kind to their peers, nor how to care for the children they may have as adults. A relevant example comes from the GED exams as they were before they were revamped: Students needed to know the stages of a butterfly's evolution, for example, but did not have to answer questions about the development of a human child, even though many students studying for the GED are parents.
Second, if we did teach children how to be caregivers, what skills, training and practice would we teach? The caregiving examples given in the article included caring for school-age siblings with disabilities, a parent who has had a heart attack or a father who was an alcoholic. Maybe it is time to look at caregiving as a process.
Harriet Heath, PhD
DePaul University
The ADA after 25 years
Thank you for the column "The ADA: Improving Lives for 25 years" by Gwendolyn Puryear Keita, PhD, in the September Monitor. While the column celebrates the impact of the ADA in the lives of many around the nation, it fails to note that there are many areas where the ADA is not observed, and as a result, some people who need its protections are ignored.
The Disability and Abuse Project became acutely aware of this problem two years ago when three individual cases in probate court in Los Angeles were brought to our attention. What we found was problems that affect thousands in California and, we are learning, others throughout the nation. The attorneys in these cases did not use ADA protections on their clients' behalf. The problems caused by this failure are massive, yet "under the radar" since the needs of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities do not get the rigorous attention that is their due. These failures allow for protections in law to be ignored, leaving some people subject to abuse. Attorney training in the ADA — and oversight — is needed.
Nora Baladerian, PhD
Los AngelesDirector, Disability and Abuse Project
Opinions on the independent review
The September Monitor reported on actions by APA's Council of Representatives related to an independent review that concluded some APA officials worked with Department of Defense officials to have APA issue insufficiently restrictive ethical guidelines for military psychologists participating in interrogations in national security settings. In July, APA set up web pages for members and the public to comment on the report.
Please send letters to Sara Martin, Monitor Editor. Letters should be no more than 250 words and may be edited for space and clarity.
