| 1 | Representative(s) Barreiro offered the following: |
| 2 |
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| 3 | Amendment (with title amendment) |
| 4 | Between line(s) 15 and 16, insert: |
| 5 | Section 1. Subsection (8) is added to section 1003.57, |
| 6 | Florida Statutes, to read: |
| 7 | 1003.57 Exceptional students instruction.--Each district |
| 8 | school board shall provide for an appropriate program of special |
| 9 | instruction, facilities, and services for exceptional students |
| 10 | as prescribed by the State Board of Education as acceptable, |
| 11 | including provisions that: |
| 12 | (8) Before a public school student may be evaluated for an |
| 13 | emotional, behavioral, or mental disorder, a specific learning |
| 14 | disability, or other health impairment, including psychological |
| 15 | or psychiatric evaluation, the parent of such student must be |
| 16 | fully informed of all known and potential consequences of and |
| 17 | alternatives for such evaluation and acknowledge and sign the |
| 18 | following statement: |
| 19 |
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| 20 | I understand that my child has been referred to be evaluated for |
| 21 | an emotional, behavioral, or mental disorder, a specific |
| 22 | learning disability, or other health impairment, that may lead |
| 23 | to psychological or psychiatric evaluation. The evaluation may |
| 24 | ultimately result in the diagnosis of a "mental disorder" or |
| 25 | "syndrome" which is based on the observation and subjective |
| 26 | interpretation of my child's behavior as reported by teachers, |
| 27 | psychologists, psychiatrists, or others. |
| 28 |
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| 29 | I understand that, unlike most medical diagnostic methods, a |
| 30 | diagnosis of mental disorder or syndrome, including, but not |
| 31 | limited to, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), |
| 32 | bipolar disorder, and depression, is not based on any medical |
| 33 | test, such as a brain scan, chemical imbalance test, Xray, |
| 34 | biopsy, blood test, or urinalysis, that can scientifically |
| 35 | detect a physical abnormality in an infant, child, adolescent, |
| 36 | or adult. |
| 37 |
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| 38 | I understand that if my child is diagnosed or labeled with any |
| 39 | mental disorder or syndrome, treatment may include prescriptions |
| 40 | for psychotropic or psychiatric medications, such as |
| 41 | antidepressants or stimulants, which may have side effects and |
| 42 | uncertain effectiveness. Most antidepressants are not approved |
| 43 | for children by the Food and Drug Administration, and all |
| 44 | antidepressants contain warnings of suicide risk. The Food and |
| 45 | Drug Administration has also issued warnings that stimulants |
| 46 | often prescribed for children may cause suicidal and psychotic |
| 47 | behavior or sudden death due to heart failure. |
| 48 |
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| 49 | I understand that I have the right to be informed of all the |
| 50 | known side effects of any recommended drug, including the |
| 51 | current information concerning the drug in the Physicians' Desk |
| 52 | Reference. |
| 53 |
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| 54 | I understand that I may request full information on the short- |
| 55 | term and long-term benefits and risks of a drug, any |
| 56 | interactions the drug has with other medications, the length of |
| 57 | time my child will need to take the drug, and all of the up-to- |
| 58 | date accumulation of adverse reaction reports of the drug from |
| 59 | the FDA. I understand that psychotropic or psychiatric drugs may |
| 60 | be addictive and could cause dependency. |
| 61 |
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| 62 | I understand that physical problems such as poor nutrition, |
| 63 | exposure to toxins, including lead poisoning, or allergies and |
| 64 | other medical conditions can cause emotional, behavioral, or |
| 65 | mental symptoms and that these causes may be detectible through |
| 66 | medical examination, including, but not limited to, blood |
| 67 | testing. |
| 68 |
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| 69 | I understand that there are alternatives to psychotropic or |
| 70 | psychiatric drug treatment and that I should ask the evaluation |
| 71 | personnel and my physician about such alternatives. I understand |
| 72 | that it is my responsibility to make an informed decision on |
| 73 | behalf of my child. |
| 74 |
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| 75 | I acknowledge that I have read and understood the above |
| 76 | information and, based on my understanding, I hereby: |
| 77 |
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| 78 | (1) Give my full and informed consent for my child to |
| 79 | undergo evaluation for an emotional, behavioral, or mental |
| 80 | disorder, a specific learning disability, or other health |
| 81 | impairment. |
| 82 | (Signature of Parent) |
| 83 | (2) Do not give my consent for my child to undergo |
| 84 | evaluation for an emotional, behavioral, or mental disorder, a |
| 85 | specific learning disability, or other health impairment. |
| 86 | (Signature of Parent) |
| 87 |
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| 88 | ======= T I T L E A M E N D M E N T ======= |
| 89 | Remove line(s) 2 and insert: |
| 90 | An act relating to mental health; amending s. 1003.57, F.S.; |
| 91 | requiring consent by a parent before his or her child's |
| 92 | evaluation for an emotional, behavioral, or mental disorder, a |
| 93 | specific learning disability, or other health impairment; |
| 94 | specifying the contents of a statement that must be signed by a |
| 95 | parent; providing for a |