Story & Show Ideas
There are many discussion points about pediatric sleep disorders that the news and talk-show hosts could be bringing to the attention of millions of uninformed parents: 
1. Sleep Disorders in students are nearing Epidemic Rates:
As many as 15,000,000 children between 1 and 18 yrs of age have a major sleep disorder impairing their school performance and/or emotional regulation. Almost No One is helping them! Why?? It is time for the T.V. news and talk show hosts to alert parents, rescue these children, and Wake Up America!
2. What are the six major sleep disorders impairing > 15% of our students' school performance and/or behaviors?
Parents must know the six major sleep disorders, 10 major symptoms, and how sleep disorders impair children's cognition, learning, behavioral/emotional regulation, health, 
and safety. There are often exciting improvements post-treatment of these sleep disorders when corrected early! Luginbuehl is an expert at explaining the negative educational impact of these sleep disorders, post-treatment improvements, and what parents can do to help.
3. Sleep disorders are easily screened, identified, and corrected, so why not do it?
In spite of ease of identification, only about 2% of children & adolescents with a major sleep disorder are identified and treated. Untreated students are often struggling in school. Approx. 33% of all students placed in special education and 25% of students given a DSM-IV diagnosis have a serious sleep problem impairing their performance or emotional regulation. They might not need special education services or medications for behavioral/emotional disorders if the sleep problems are corrected. Luginbuehl can tell parents how to quickly screen their child on-line in 15 min. and know with 90% certainty if the child or adolescent has a sleep disorder and how to get it corrected!
4. Two-to-three times more African-American students have a major sleep disorder (Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome - OSAS) than Caucasian students:
Given the fact that unidentified and untreated Obstructive Sleep Apnea can cause cognitive, learning, and behavioral/emotional impairments, this could be one of the major reasons for over-identification of African-American students into special education and drop-out prevention programs, as well as lower rates of high school graduation. These factors often contribute to higher rates of unemployment, disability, welfare support, incarceration, etc... There is an easy solution: screen, identify, & treat! We need to fight for universal screening, identification and treatment of all African-American children and adolescents with OSAS!
5. What are the political forces preventing universal sleep screening, identification, and treatment of these students? 
Learn why sleep specialists, pediatricians, school nurses, school psychologists, insurance companies, and Medicaid are preventing most of these students from getting their sleep disorders corrected. Also learn why this professional neglect is costing our country billions of dollars in extra healthcare expenses, special education services, medications & therapy for mood disorders, incarceration, welfare, disability , and vehicular accidents. News and talk show hosts' advocacy for these children could significantly improve the lives of millions of students, save the USA billions of $$ at a time when finances are strained, and even save thousands of lives annually. This could be one of the greatest causes and accomplishment for children and adolescents that professionals in the media can present!
Contact Dr. Marsha Luginbuehl, Ph.D., NCSP for more information at:
Bus: (307) 248-0825 or (307) 248-0226; Email: childuplift@aol.com or Sales@SleepDisorderHelp.com
