VIDEO: AAP president shares policy statements on opioids, early reading, school expulsion
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ORLANDO — In this Healio video perspective, AAP president Benjamin D. Hoffman, MD, FAAP, discusses new policy statements at the AAP National Conference & Exhibition.
The first policy statement he discusses “focuses on appropriate use of opioids as a mechanism to manage pain for kids while being very deliberate about the risks of opioids and very clear in the guidance not to use them if they’re not absolutely necessary,” Hoffman, who also serves as professor of pediatrics in the division of general pediatrics at Oregon Health & Science University, told Healio.
The second statement recommends that pediatricians encourage parents and caregivers to read with children as early as birth to promote brain and language development, as well as attachment.
The last policy statement discusses the use of school suspension and expulsion due to behavior issues. Hoffman noted that children who are neurodivergent, have behavioral concerns or have experienced significant trauma are more likely to be suspended or expelled from school, along with students from historically underrepresented groups.
“We are hoping to move past a culture where suspension and expulsion were the answer and more toward a trauma-informed, inclusive approach to ensuring that every child has access to education and the resources they need to be able to learn and thrive,” he said.
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