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Laurie Karpf, a psychiatrist who treated Cruz from 2008 to 2011. “ADHD kids tend to be impulsive,” said Dr. The common disorder can cause difficulty at school and can be treated with a combination of behavior therapy and medication, according to the CDC. Kravitz, a clinical psychologist, said he agreed with Cruz’s ADHD diagnosis, which caused him to have trouble paying attention and controlling impulsive behaviors. “He was delayed in independence skills, he was delayed in language, he was delayed in gross motor, fine motor,” said Fischer, the former director of the Young Minds Learning Center where Cruz was a pre-school student.Īttention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)įrederick M. Susan Hendler-Lubar, Anne Marie Fischer, and John Newnham testified meeting Cruz as a student in pre-kindergarten, kindergarten, or elementary school and reported that he had a special education plan due to developmental delays. When the progress is consistently slow, physicians recommend therapeutic interventions such as speech therapy, and a special education plan, according to Yale Medicine experts.

Pediatricians evaluate basic developmental progress by focusing on the changes in motor, cognitive, social, and emotional skills from conception through birth.

Also, studies show the use is associated with negative behavioral and cognitive outcomes in childhood. Tobacco: Smoking during pregnancy can cause tissue damage in the brain, according to the CDC. Scientists have established the brain starts to develop during the third week of gestation and does not finish developing and maturing until the mid to late 20s, according to the National Institutes of Health.ĭeakins and Woodard testified Cruz’s biological mother, Brenda Woodard, used cocaine, marijuana, alcohol, and cigarettes while pregnant with Cruz. Researchers are still studying the long-term impacts that the exposures and experiences during pregnancy could have on the developing brain. Here is a list of some of the terminology experts have referred to or mentioned during their testimony: McNeill also asked other witnesses - including a school counselor, a therapist, and a psychologist - who met Cruz as a child in kindergarten and elementary school to describe the challenges that he and his adoptive mother faced.

#Lynda cruz florida obituaries crack

– The public defenders who are trying to save the Parkland school shooter’s life are focusing their case on his childhood development and mental health before the 2018 Valentine’s Day massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.Īssistant Public Defender Melisa McNeill asked Carolyn Deakins and Danielle Woodard, Cruz’s biological maternal half-sister, to testify about Cruz’s biological mother’s addiction to crack cocaine, alcohol, and cigarettes and her use during pregnancy.