"UNIFIED SPORTS WORKSHOP"
Presented by: Special Olympics Massachusetts

Unified Sports - a Special Olympics initiative that combines approximately equal numbers of Special Olympics athletes and athletes without intellectual disabilities (called Partners) on sports teams for training and competition.  Come learn about Special Olympics Unified Sports and how your school and students can get involved.   Participation in Unified Sports helps both groups learn acceptance, form friendships and get involved with their school community.  PDP's will be available to participants who complete a follow-up action plan.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION

Topics:
Why you need a plan for cardiac arrest.
What are current preventive practices?
What are the obstacles to an effective plan?
What items must be on your checklist?

Speaker:
Dr. Ashwin Rao is currently the primary care sports medicine fellow at the University of Washington in Seattle, WA.  He completed his residency in Family Medicine at the University of Washington in 2006, after which he explored a variety of different clinical opportunities prior to beginning his fellowship.

Other highlights:
Michaela Gagne, Miss Mass 2006 is a heart health advocate who will speak about her experience as a young athlete diagnosed with a serious heart disorder.  There will be demos of automated defibrillators and an electrocardiogram-based heart screening.

"CONCUSSION IN YOUTH SPORTS"
Presented by Katrina Sullivan, Brain Injury Association of Massachusetts

Did you know that as many as 3.8 million sports and recreation-related concussions are estimated to occur in the United States each year?

A concussion is a brain injury caused by a direct blow to the head, face, neck, or elsewhere on the body, with an “impulsive” force transmitted to the head. Even what appears to be a mild bump or blow can be serious. Proper management of sports-related concussions can help prevent this injury from having permanent, life-long effects. Come learn more about this important issue in youth sports today.

Participants in this workshop will learn:
·         the signs and symptoms of a concussion
·         the mechanism of brain injury and the possible long term effects
·         about preventing “second impact” syndrome
·         when a student athlete can return to play
·         how to help students returning to school after injury

Featured will be a panel of student athletes and their family members speaking of their own experience of injury, recovery and return to school and sports. A question and answer period will be included with this panel discussion. Participants will also receive the new “Heads up: Concussion in Youth Sports” tool kit, from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

"Portion Distortion" - Doreen Iovanna, Massachusetts Dept. of Education - Nutrition, Health and Safety
Have you event wondered exactly how practicing proper "portion control" relates to good nutrition?  Find out what the proper portion sizes of foods really look like and how they can make a difference in your's and your students' lives.

"Understanding Eating Disorders" - Kristin Fabbri - MEDA, Inc.
This presentation is geared toward parents, teachers and students who have no previous education regarding eating disorders.  The workshop addresses the signs and symptoms of eating disorders, the precipitating factors for eating disorder development, and assessment and treatment options.  The negative influence of media and our weight-obsessed culture will be discussed, and we will put a strong focus on how to help friends and loved ones.

Over the past five years, student participation in a variety of gambling activities has increased dramatically with some studies showing over 80% of students gambling in some form.  Problematic gambling rates for adolescents tend to be 2-3 times the rate for adults.  Is this a problem or isn't it?  What do we know about the problems students may experience and how to avoid them?  Is there such a thing as low risk gambling?  What resources are available to help schools address this issue?  This session will answer these and other questions in an interactive format.

Learning Objectives
Participants will be able to:
* List several ways that students gamble
* Discuss the kind of issues some students experience because of their gambling
* Summarize ways to minimize one's personal risk factors around problem gambling
* List several resources that are available for this population

Drug use and abuse among teens across the nation is always changing. Teenagers are using a variety of legal and illegal substances in order to get high. However, they pose serious side effects and potential life threatening consequences. These include OTC (over the counter) medications, prescription drugs, MDMA (Ecstasy), Inhalants, Marijuana, GHB, and several other drugs of choice. The following topics will be discussed during the presentation.

OTC-Over the Counter Medications
The active ingredient in most over-the-counter cold medicine is DXM (Dexthromethorphan). Taken in recommended doses it is an effective cough suppressant. If taken in higher doses it acts as a dissociative anesthetic, similar to PCP and Ketamine. Users report a heightened sense of perceptual awareness and visual hallucinations.

Prescription Drugs
Legally prescribed medications are being used as a way to get high. Pain medication, Vicodin, Oxycodone, and many others are being circulated by teens without regard to the medical effects. Several other medicines will be discussed.

MDMA (Ecstasy)
A drug of choice whose use is declining but is still readily available. Ecstasy is a stimulant and a hallucinogen. It affects the senses and gives the user a feeling they have never had before. It also damages the brain in a way that can not be repaired. The effects of ecstasy long term will be examined.

Inhalants
These chemical products that are found in every household can kill the user the first time they use. We will examine the high users get and signs to look for.

Marijuana
Marijuana is still the first drug of choice for most teens. The marijuana that is now on the street has changed since the 70’s. We will talk about what the active ingredient THC does to the human body.

GHB
Commonly known as the date rape drug, this is used more around college campuses. How it is administered and used will be discussed.

June 6