Signs of emotional neglect are:
1. Inadequate nurturing or affection

2. Exposure of the child to spousal abuse

3. Permitting a child to drink alcohol or use recreational drugs

4. Failure to intervene when the child demonstrates antisocial behavior

5. Refusal of or delay in providing necessary psychological care

Examples of emotional child abuse include:
1. Belittling or shaming the child: name-calling, making negative comparisons to others, telling the child he or she is “no good,” “worthless,” “a mistake”

2. Ignoring or disregarding the child; refusing to give affection and warmth

3. Isolating and terrorizing a child as punishment, such as tying the child to a fixture or piece of furniture or locking a child in a closet or dark room.

4. Causing a child to witness or participate in criminal activities, drug or alcohol abuse, or acts of violence.

Source: Helpguide.org

Feds ‘Concede’: Autism-Vaccine Link

Government health officials last month conceded that childhood vaccines worsened a rare, underlying disorder that ultimately led to autism-like symptoms in a Georgia girl, and that she should be paid from a federal vaccine-injury fund.

Medical and legal experts say the narrow wording and circumstances probably make the case an exception — not a precedent for thousands of other pending claims.

The government “has not conceded that vaccines cause autism,” said Linda Renzi, the lawyer representing federal officials, who have consistently maintained that childhood shots are safe.

However, parents and advocates for autistic children see the case as a victory that may help certain others. Although the science on this is very limited, the girl’s disorder may be more common in autistic children than in healthy ones.

“It’s a beginning,” said Kevin Conway, a Boston lawyer representing more than 1,200 families with vaccine injury claims. “Each case is going to have to be proved on its individual merits. But it shows to me that the government has conceded that it’s biologically plausible for a vaccine to cause these injuries. They’ve never done it before.”

— The Associated Press

- For local activities, visit the August Levy Learning Center in Wheeling’s Web site, www.augustalevylearningcenter.org. For more information on autism, visit the Autism Society of America Web site, www.autism- society.org