Parents Worry as School Year Nears

SILVER SPRING, Md. — All three of my kids went back to school this week, which is both wonderful (I am alone! Alone! Finally alone!) and uncertain (How are my guys going to do in their new classes?) and terrifying (Will my special needs kids be successful this year — or will they crash and burn?).
All parents experience trepidation when they send their children off to school, but parents of special needs children face extra worries. We worry about the class work and if our children will be able to keep up. We worry about the start of homework and the battle of wills that comes with it. We worry that our children will be bullied, and if not bullied, that they won't be able to interact successfully with their peers. We are concerned about the transition back to school and wonder if halls full of students will be too much for our children. We also worry that our kids won't be able to connect with their teachers, and hope that those teachers will understand and welcome them.

College Options for Students with Disabilities

Colleges recently reported to the U.S. Department of Education that, among students with disabilities, 31 percent have some kind of learning disability. Starting in January, the Sage Colleges in Albany, NY will be offering a new all-online bachelor’s degree program, the Achieve Degree, designed specifically for students on the autism spectrum and for students with learning disabilities. The program offers a bachelor of arts in liberal studies with an emphasis in computer science and is the first of its kind to offer a four-year degree. Students in the program have to meet the same admissions standards and academic requirements as students in other parts of the college but can individualize how they work towards the degree, says InsideHigherEd:
They can opt for multiple-choice over essay exams, or choose their preferred form of content delivery – audio, video or text – and absorb the lectures that way. The program is also year-round, so students can take fewer courses per term and not drift off during summer break.

Read more: http://www.care2.com/causes/college-options-for-autistic-students-and-students-with-disabilities.html#ixzz1WYZlVtxl

Kids of Older Dads Face Higher Autism Risk

Children of older fathers are more likely to be diagnosed with autism, schizophrenia and a number of other neuropsychiatric or developmental disorders, and a new study reveals why this may be.
The results show that older male mice are more likely than younger males to have offspring with mutations in genes that correspond to human genes associated with these neurological conditions. The genomes of mice and men are roughly 85 percent identical.
"Mice do not get schizophrenia or autism," said Dr. John McGrath, senior author of the study published today (Aug.30) in the journal Translational Psychiatry. "But, we have found previously that the offspring of older mice have subtle changes in brain structure and behavior."

Ohio Stops Using Medicaid Funds to Pay Guardians of People with Disabilities

COLUMBUS -- The Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities stopped seeking Medicaid funding to pay for protective services for thousands of adults after state auditors questioned the agency's accounting for more than $1.3 million in program costs.
To avoid any interruption in services for the mentally retarded and disabled, Director John Martin said he is using non-Medicaid tax dollars to cover the expense.
"These are vital services," he said.

Finding His Voice Through Technology

FOLSOM, Calif. -- Scott Grochowski is a young man with a great sense of humor and a compassion for animals, but up until about a year ago his Folsom neighbors had never seen that side of him. Instead, Scott was known for violent outbursts and aggressive behavior. The 26-year-old has been diagnosed with Mental Retardation, Autism and mild Cerebral Palsy, which severely limits his ability to speak. This verbal communication deficit meant people who came into contact with Scott had a difficult time understanding him.
The frustration Scott endured from his inability to communicate with his community caused him to lash out. When angry, Scott might yell, run at dangerous objects or bite his own arm. Scott’s family and neighbors believed that he did not like meeting new people and hated dogs, because he had hit several individuals on the street and was known to kick at dogs that crossed his path. Neighbors began crossing the street and walking their dogs in the opposite direction when Scott came their way; he had alienated the people in his community.

Eva Longoria Lends Support to 2011 Toys"R"Us Toy Guide for Differently-Abled Kids

For nearly 20 years, Toys"R"Us, Inc. has provided parents, caregivers and gift-givers with reliable toy recommendations for the children with special needs in their lives through the Toys"R"Us Toy Guide for Differently-Abled Kids®.
To help alleviate the guesswork in selecting toys most appropriate for a child's physical, cognitive or developmental needs, all items featured in the Guide are paired with colorful icons to indicate the skills that can be developed during playtime. 

Citizen Patrols Enter Hunt For Handicap Parking Violators

The city's Human Rights Department is completing plans for a program that would have a squad of volunteers hunt for vehicles that are illegally parked in handicapped spots and report them to police.
Director Lana Turner-Addison told city councilors Tuesday that since the program's concept was made public last month, she's received several phone calls from people wanting to participate.
Oklahoma City has had a successful program for more than 20 years, but it goes a step further, with volunteers empowered to issue the citations, Turner-Addison said. 

Mom Focuses on Son and Others with ASD

LONG BEACH, Calif. -- Jane Tipton's four children are her life, and there's nothing the 43-year-old single mother wouldn't do for them.
"I basically live for my kids. Whatever they're going through, I go through with them," she said.
Her children, who range in age from 25 to 4½ years old, have each had their own issues, but most challenging has been the autism diagnosis of her youngest.

Football and Cheerleading Squads Bring Something Special to the Game

NAPPERVILLE, Ill. -- The Warriors, decked out in their brand-new uniforms, took to the Naperville North football field Sunday morning and wasted no time scoring an opening drive touchdown run.
On the sidelines, the Angels cheerleading squad celebrated their team's success.
And in the stands and on the field were proud moms and dads who likely never thought they'd see their children -- all of whom are disabled -- playing flag football or leading cheers.

For Girls with Autism, Middle School Years Can Be Particularly Challenging

Piece by Pamela Gross Downing, a special education teacher. Part 2 of her series will appear next week.

BROWNSVILLE, Texas -- When Maggie was little, she was a very precocious child. The family attributed the girl’s trouble sitting still to her constant curiosity. As a student, Maggie always did average to above average work in school. However, as the girl grew older, her behavior and disposition began to change. Maggie’s parents started noticing that their daughter was no longer fitting in with other children her age. That alone didn’t really concern them. Being different wasn’t the problem. Maggie had always been very creative and she displayed a special gift for art. The parents knew that their daughter’s inability to relate to her peers wasn’t the only issue of concern. The major difficulty was Maggie’s sudden unexpected outbursts at home and at school. Plus, the incidences were becoming more frequent.

Addressing the Aging Issue

CHICAGO -- Many agencies working with people with disabilities are facing a new challenge: they must accommodate the aging developmental disabilities population.
The Baby Boomer generation is hitting their senior years. Medical advancement and quality of services have made it possible for this population to live longer, and local, not-for-project organizations have come together to develop plans.

League of Dreams Levels Playing Field

ABERDEEN, Md. -- During last week's Cal Ripken Major/70 World Series at the Ripken Academy in Aberdeen, a few dozen disabled children were afforded the opportunity to play ball, a chance that might not have been there were it not for the League of Dreams program.
Convening on the turf practice field on Saturday afternoon, the local children were treated to a baseball clinic, during which they were instructed on the hitting, fielding and throwing aspects of the game, and were supposed to take part in a scrimmage game, but that was canceled when a heavy rainstorm cut short the proceedings.

Where Diversity is Part of Camp Experience

NANJEMOY, Md. -- Many school children in the United States go to camp during the summer months, but what makes Camp Accomplish unique is that it brings children with disabilities together with those without disabilities.
It is a place for children with or without physical, developmental or emotional issues.
A climbing wall is one of many offerings at Camp Accomplish. A nervous Helen O'Brien is getting ready to climb. She is encouraged by fellow camper Camryn Evans, who just did it herself.
“Just climb and make it to the top,” Evans tells her.
“I will just climb and make it to the top," says O'Brien. "I will do it. I will do as best as I can.”
O'Brien is autistic and developmentally delayed. Evans is not. That diversity is a big part of the experience at camp

Advocates Urge Fed to Reject Calfornia Plan to Slash Medicaid Reimbursement Rates

A consortium of 33 advocacy groups for people with disabilities on Thursday urged federal regulators to reject California's request to cut the state's Medicaid program.
Gov. Jerry Brown has asked for permission to slash his state's Medicaid reimbursement rates by 10 percent to help plug a $26.6 billion budget gap. Advocates say the cuts would be particularly harmful to people with disabilities, and are urging federal regulators to reject California's request.

Summer Job Leads to Awareness

PRAIRIE DU CHIEN, Wis. -- When Jordan Mortensen signed up to be a counselor at a camp for people with developmental disabilities, he thought it would be a good opportunity to learn more about people with special needs and give him something to bolster his resume.
After spending the summer at Wisconsin Badger Camp in Prairie du Chien, however, Mortensen, 21, learned there is more than meets the eye when it comes to those with developmental disabilities.
"I think sometimes people just pass (those with disabilities) off, especially the ones who are nonverbal and have severe disabilities. No one pays much attention to them," said Mortensen, a Rothschild resident. "But they have a lot to give. Sometimes (those with special needs) just need an extra push."

Governor Send Back Bill on New Jersey's Special Needs Centers

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — A task force set up by the New Jersey Legislature to facilitate closing residential centers for people with developmental disabilities was put on hold Thursday by Gov. Chris Christie, putting in limbo the movement to shift disabled individuals from institutions to less restrictive, community-based settings.
The governor sent the bill to create the task force back to lawmakers with a conditional veto, asking for changes he said would better equip the state to meet the needs of people with disabilities. Almost immediately after, the state Senate voted unanimously to adopt Christie's changes, but those changes still need another vote in the Senate and approval from the Assembly before the bill can go back to Christie's desk.

Vaccine Cleared Again as Autism Culprit

Yet another panel of scientists has found no evidence that a popular vaccine causes autism. But despite the scientists’ best efforts, their report is unlikely to have any impact on the frustrating debate about the safety of these crucial medicines.
“The M.M.R. vaccine doesn’t cause autism, and the evidence is overwhelming that it doesn’t,” Dr. Ellen Wright Clayton, the chairwoman of the panel, assembled by the Institute of Medicine, said in an interview. She was referring to a combination against measles, mumps and rubella that has long been a focus of concern from some parents’ groups.

Service Dogs Aid People with Disabilities

WASATCH, Utah -- These dogs don’t just fetch.
They turn on light switches, drag laundry baskets, pull wheelchairs and give autistic children the confidence to visit the dentist.
But before Canine Companions for Independence dogs can fulfill their destiny of becoming service animals to people with disabilities, they need the right start in life. At 8 weeks old, the dogs go from a breeder to a carefully screened volunteer “puppy raiser,” said Melanie Dutcher, president of the national organization’s Utah chapter, Wasatch Companions.
“They are in an important developmental phase,” she said. “If handled properly, you get a confident and safe dog.”

Finding Jobs and Creating Taxpayers

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- When Maryland Community Connection (MCC) began, the non-profit was just an “informal group run" — as they called it — that gave children and adults with development disabilities free tickets to basketball and baseball games. Now, 10 years later, as politicians scramble to resolve America’s financial crisis and unemployment rate, MCC has managed to find jobs for those who have disabilities in D.C. and Maryland.
Founders Andre’ Coates and Kimblyn Snyder launched the organization with their loved ones in mind. As the two dealt with family members who suffered from disabilities, they started the non-profit to help those who faced learning challenges become independent.
“People with disabilities are just like us,” said Coates, the MCC’s executive director.“They can be taxpayers, they can be homeowners — the key point is the level of support.”

Draft Pick Gives Back As Career Begins

CLEVELAND -- Dillon Howard and his family are eager for the right-handed pitcher to toe the rubber as a member of the Cleveland Indians' organization. Before he realizes his dream, however, he just has one stop to make: a trip to the dentist's office.
Howard has a Wednesday appointment to have all four of his wisdom teeth removed, a painful step before he begins a pitching regimen as a professional baseball player.
"He'll do a long-toss program down in Mahoning Valley, and then we'll have him up on the mound in the instructional league," said Brad Grant, the Indians' director of amateur scouting.
The Indians selected Howard in the second round (67th overall) of June's First-Year Player Draft. The right-handed pitcher posted a 9-1 record and 0.31 ERA in 12 starts during his senior season at Searcy High School in Searcy, Ark. He allowed just two earned runs in 58 innings, striking out 115.
Howard said he contemplated whether he was mature enough to begin a professional career at the age of 19 before he agreed to a contract with the Indians.
Howard is donating a portion of his signing bonus to the Cleveland-based Milestones Autism Organization, founded in 2003 "to promote life-long strategies of success for individuals with autism, from childhood through adulthood," according to the organization's website. Howard decided it was the perfect organization to contribute to when he noticed a small baseball icon on its website.
Howard's brother, Ben, who is beginning his freshman year of high school, was diagnosed with autism just a few months after he was born.

Arkansas Medicaid Reform Takes Shape

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. -- Arkansas officials have identified nine areas that they want to focus on as they look at changing the way Medicaid pays for services, including neonatal care and developmental disabilities, Gov. Mike Beebe told federal health officials in a letter released Monday.
The state in May was given initial approval to move forward with developing plans to switch from a fee-for-service model that Medicaid uses. The state instead hopes to pay partnerships of local providers for "episodes" of care rather than each individual treatment.

Traveling with Children with Disabilities

Twelve-year-old Peter Mance knows every street before he sets foot in a city.
It's not because he's visited before. It's because he's autistic and has an uncanny ability to memorize maps.
"He's actually a big help when traveling," jokes his mother, Kim Mance, founder of women's travel blog Galavanting and the Travel Blog Exchange, a community of travel writers and bloggers.
Mance's other son, 10-year-old son Stephen, has used a wheelchair since surgery to remove a spinal tumor left him paralyzed from the waist down. Mance always has to make extra phone calls to ensure there's an accessible subway or hotel room, but that hasn't stopped her from vacationing with her sons all over the world.

Questions for Your Speech Therapist

Came across an interesting item on MSN News, which seems pretty straight forward and logical (something that frequently can be overly complicated).

When you have a child with autism, communication can be a big challenge. Understanding the problem and knowing how to address it can help you feel less stressed and more in control. But what if you don’t have all the vital facts you need?
Your child’s speech-language pathologist (SLP), commonly referred to as a speech therapist, is a great source of information about all kinds of communication issues. All you have to do is ask.

Richmond Overhauling Service System

RICHMOND, Va. -- The McDonnell administration is developing a plan to overhaul the way Virginia treats people with severe mental and physical disabilities. It's an effort that will take years and cost millions.
Over the next two months, the state will develop recommendations about how to spend $30 million lawmakers set aside to improve care for Virginians with severe intellectual and developmental disabilities. Lawmakers approved the money to ease pressure from the federal government. Everyone agrees it will go a long way toward improving care, but it still might not be enough

Bakery Boosts Self-Esteem, Pride

LEAWOOD, Kan. — A bakery that started out with a toaster oven in a small church kitchen is now booming. Sonflower Bakery provides work and life skills to young adults with developmental disabilities. The people who work and volunteer there make it special.

Sonflower Bakery is in the basement of the Church of the Resurrection in Leawood. Three times a week they fill the air with the smell of fresh baked goodness.

Study: Teens with ASD Rely on School Help

A new study released on Monday, Aug. 22 found that a high percentage young adults and children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) use school mental health services to treat related mental health disorders.
The study found that 46 percent of adolescents with autism “used a mental health service in the past year,” Sarah Narendorf, a social work doctoral candidate with the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis, which conducted the study, said in a statement.
Of that number of students using mental health services, “49 percent received it at their schools,” she noted. The students with ASD likely sought services to help deal with anxiety and depression, the study said.

Lawsuit Could Cost Hawaii Millions

A much-delayed lawsuit concerning the Hawaii public school system’s treatment of two autistic girls in the mid-1990’s is set to go to trial in October and could cost the state “millions of dollars” in damages for each of the girls, according to public records.
Long delays in the case are attributable to rulings by an octogenarian federal court judge, Manuel Real, whose erratic courtroom behavior and quixotic legal decisions have brought him repeated rebukes and reversals from his appellate court superiors.
The parents of the girls first filed the lawsuit in 2000, alleging that the state had denied the two sisters crucial special education services from 1994 to 1998. The children, identified only as Natalie and Michelle in the suit, were just two and three years old in 1994. They are now 19 and 20.

Parents Join Forces to Open New School

ELKRIDGE, Md. -- For the first time, Kristin Fleckenstein's daughter Lucy had found a school where she can succeed in math. It also was the first place Lucy made friends.
So when Fleckenstein got a call at the end of June that her daughter's school for children with special education needs - the Norbel School in Elkridge - was abruptly closing, it was more than just disappointing.
"It's a crisis," said Fleckenstein, the communications director for the Anne Arundel County State's Attorney's Office.
"The first thing (Lucy) … said when we told her Norbel was closing was, 'But I just started getting invited to birthday parties.' It broke my heart."

Pre-Kindergarten Programs Under Scrutiny

BATON ROUGE, La. — Louisiana's pre-kindergarten programs have become a confusing array of efforts with varying standards, costs and successes, state officials say.
State figures show that seven state and federally funded pre-K programs in Louisiana spend $1,700 to $7,200 per child — and it's not clear just what the state expects the children to learn, or how much taxpayers are getting for the money.
"There needs to be better organization, better structure, better services for the child," Walter Lee, the longest-serving member of the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, said during a special forum last week. BESE members spent part of a morning on how classes aimed at preparing students for kindergarten are doing, The Advocate reported.
Experts say many children who enter kindergarten behind their peers never catch up academically or socially.

Program Prepares Students for Life

YORKTOWN — Jean Murphy's daughter Emma is 19 and, ready or not, has just two years left before she leaves school to face the real world.
But Emma, like many with autism, will only be ready if she has the best chance to prepare.
"That's every parent's dream that by the time your child gets to be 18, 19, 20 that they're off on their own, that they get to be independent," Murphy said. "That's not really our lives."
That's why the Apartment for Life Skills at Putnam-Northern Westchester BOCES means so much to Emma's mother. The Apartment for Life Skills, under renovation since May and funded by $25,000 set aside by the Board of Cooperative Educational Services administration, will provide an all-in-one classroom for daily living for 75 students with autism or multiple disabilities.

Preparing Children with Autism for School

The end of summer always seemed to come too quickly for teachers. Parents, however, often felt school hadn’t come soon enough. That is because their children had become bored after the first few weeks of vacation. However, for children with autism, the radical change between summer and the school year can be overwhelming.
This certainly was the case last year for Isabel and Gus’s son Toby. Toby had qualified for the extended service year (ESY). ESY was only for the month of June. However, by July and August a child with special needs such as Toby became used to a routine without school.
Toby had classic autism. He did not do well with change. By early August, Toby’s mother knew she had to start preparing her son for school. Those preparations included getting her son up earlier and earlier every day a few weeks before school began. She had already started taking Toby by his school. That was a problem in itself. Toby was beginning first grade. He was going to have a new teacher and a new school. The changes this little boy was about to go through were very significant.

Florida Cuts Jeopardize Care and Jobs

TARPON SPRINGS, Fla. -- He needs help with basic tasks, from combing his hair to drinking a glass of water.
Born with cerebral palsy, 26-year-old Michael Cherta relies on others to dress him, feed him or take him to places where he can soak up the sunshine.
While his parents are at work during the day, licensed caregiver Pam Davison watches over Cherta and sees that his needs are met.
She'll fix lunch and pick up medication. Davison will take Cherta, who is wheelchair-bound, to physical or speech therapy sessions. Sometimes, she stands up for her client when she feels he's being ignored or taken advantage of.
Cherta and Davison now are worried this three-year arrangement is coming to an end because Gov. Rick Scott and lawmakers are cutting back on services for the developmentally disabled.

New Group Homes in Indiana Create Jobs

CENTERVILLE, Ind. -- New homes under construction here will create as many as 31 permanent jobs and allow eight developmentally disabled adults to live in a real home.
ResCare Home Services this year purchased properties on Water Street and Kellam Road on which to build two group homes, Centerville building commissioner Gene Kates said. Construction on two four-bedroom homes began in late May and is expected to be completed in September.
The need for residential facilities for developmentally disabled adults has increased in Indiana since the state adopted a federal directive to place those individuals in the least-restrictive environment possible.

Editorial: Watch Health Care Experiment

One of the state's most influential special interests -- Minnesota's nonprofit health plans -- faced an unprecedented level of scrutiny this year during the legislative session.
But after serious questions were raised about how much money the plans made off the taxpayer-funded medical assistance programs for the poor, elderly and disabled, lawmakers at the session's end opted to give them even more of the state's health care business.
About 115,000 of the sickest and most vulnerable patients who are currently in a state-administered plan will now be automatically enrolled in privately run managed-care plans next year, unless they choose to opt out. About half are expected to do so.
This is a sweeping new health care reform -- one that many other states are implementing -- and it did not get the airing that it deserved during the legislative session.
The intentions behind it are good -- improving medical care while saving money. But Minnesota cannot afford to assume this will happen, which is essentially what it's done.

'Not In My Backyard' Attitude Lingers

DECATUR, Ala. -- Despite more than three decades of public education, group homes continue to face the "not in my backyard" attitude.
So say advocates for those with intellectual disabilities — and Carol Taylor, whose adult son Lane Barnes lives in a group home on Cleveland Avenue Southwest in Decatur.
They say little has changed since Congress passed the Fair Housing Act of 1968.
"We're still hearing the same old stories about property values and crime," Taylor said.

Future of Georgia Center Still Uncertain

ROME, Ga. -- The future of the property that has housed Northwest Georgia Regional Hospital for multiple decades is still uncertain.
Only about 38 employees remain at the hospital, most of them are tasked with the responsibility of “mothballing” the facility in preparation for the Sept. 30 closure, said Tom Wilson, spokesman for the state Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities.

Teaching the 'Why' of Social Thinking

For those of you interested, Michelle Garcia Winner will be presenting on Social Thinking at the YAI Network's annual Full-Day Autism Conference on Oct. 11, at McGraw Hill Auditorium in New York City.

SILVER SPRING, Md. — For a long time in the autism community, social skills teaching has been a crucial component of therapy. This often rote learning of scripts and strategies aimed at helping kids interact with their peers is a standard—and valuable—way to enhance a child's chance of success in the world.
However, in recent years, more and more speech-language pathologists (SLPs) have turned to social thinking, a new way of teaching social competence espoused by Michelle Garcia Winner, the founder of this new school of thought and its associated methodology.

Understanding Autism Spectrum Disorders

Interesting column by Dr. Richard Elghammer who writes weekly for the Journal Review in Crawfordsville, Indiana.

Jump in your car. Drive around. Read the writing on billboard advertising. You will soon come across a billboard which, in letters two feet high, proclaims: “EVERY 20 MINUTES A CHILD IS BORN WITH AUTISM.” What’s going on?
Today’s column will take you inside the complex and confusing world of Autism Spectrum Disorders. ASD is a broad term for a range of childhood developmental disorders which, in order of severity, go like this: Autism, Pervasive Developmental Disorder, to Asperger’s Disorder. ASD’s cause impairments in three areas: Social relationships, verbal and non-verbal communication and in the regulation of behavior.

Editorial: Autistic Adults Pose Challenges

Simon Greenspan's neighbors wanted peace, quiet and respect for the privacy of their own homes.
Simon Greenspan's parents wanted to keep their family together. They love their son and wanted to continue caring for him -- no small task, since he is a strapping 26-year-old with autism.
In recent years, those seemingly reasonable desires clashed, as a recent story by Plain Dealer reporter Peter Krouse chronicles.
The civil authorities got involved at the repeated request of the neighbors. Eventually, the Shaker Heights police levied thousands of dollars in nuisance fees against the Greenspans.
Today, Simon Greenspan lives in Ogden, Utah, in an apartment with 12 other adults with disabilities, and is being treated at a therapy center there. His parents' feelings are hurt, their family is divided and they question how their son's medical condition can fairly be classified as a criminal nuisance.

Batman Takes on Autism

MAYWOOD, N.J. -- Batman has brought down criminal clowns and conniving cat burglars. Against autism, however, you would think all of his flying kicks and batarangs would be useless.

Maywood’s Joe Caramagna says you might be surprised.

He believes the comic book adventures of Batman and other superheroes can be a tool to help kids with autism. To that end, he has written a story in the new issue of DC’s “Batman 80-Page Giant 2011” that explores the relationship between comics and the disorder that affects one in 94 children in New Jersey.

One Man's Journey to Independence

This is such a powerful story. It truly displays that people with disabilities -- regardless of their level of abilities -- still have a right to lead the life of their choosing ; one with independence, dignity and respect.

SACRAMENTO -- The journey of Ed Etter Jr. to a home of his own is a telling documentary of the evolution of developmental disability services in California.

In 1943, Ed Jr. was born in Missouri while his father, a Navy man, was bravely fighting in World War II. When Mr. Etter came home from the war, his wife was missing, and so was his newborn son.

According to Mr. Etter, Mrs. Etter took everything (even the light bulbs) and moved to California. Eventually she placed an eight-year-old Ed into Sonoma State Hospital.

Assistant Police Chief Joins NYS OPWDD

ALBANY -- Assistant Chief Anthony "Tony" Bruno quietly retired Thursday after nearly 22 years on the police force.

Bruno, 43, who joined the department as a patrolman in January 1990, is leaving to take a post as chief of investigations with the state Office for People with Developmental Disabilities.

"I'm looking forward to it. It's an amazing opportunity, and it's really a chance to really help to protect a very vulnerable population," Bruno said on his last day in the office before his retirement becomes effective Aug. 27.

Woman Grants Wishes to Those with Downs

WILLISTON PARK, N.Y. — An Ulster County woman is working to grant wishes for people with Down syndrome.
“People aren’t always very kind so I just felt this was one way to honor people with Down syndrome and helping them have something special for themselves,” Kim Adams told CBS 2′s Cindy Hsu.
Kim Adams works as a CAT Scan technician, but spends even more hours working with Gifts From the Heart for Downs, which she founded in July 2010. She decided to grant wishes all over the country after facing the challenges of getting what she needed for her children. She adopted Judy and Matthew when they were babies. Matthew is now 17 and Judy is 12.

N.Y. Cracks Down on Abuse of Disabled

Moving to end the state’s lax oversight of the developmentally disabled, the Cuomo administration on Wednesday announced an agreement with the State Police to establish guidelines for reporting possible crimes against the disabled to law enforcement authorities.

The agreement covers the 126,000 developmentally disabled people who live in state and privately run group homes and institutions or who receive a variety of other services from the state. The plan has the potential to reshape how the state approaches enforcement against abuse of the developmentally disabled, though it remains to be seen how it is carried out and what force it has.

Parents Do What's Best for Son's Education

FORT MILL, S.C. - William and Kimberly Brittain say they've decided to pull their autistic son Will from Fort Mill Schools. They say the district refuses to make accommodations and modifications best suited for his education under the Individuals with Disabilities Education act.

In many ways, their son Will is a typical kindergartner, able to learn in a regular school environment, along side other children his age. Federal law says if he can, and he's not disruptive to his classmates, then he should attend school with non-disabled kids his age.
"He functions best when people believe in him," said Kimberly Brittain, who worked in the specialized area of autisitc education prior to her son's birth.
Will communicates through sign language, using around 150 hand signs. In the past, he's done well in other regular classroom settings.

"We have the appropriate documentation and data to prove that he was very successful doing that and the school district refuses to look at that," said Kimberly Brittain.

Giving Child with Autism Her Voice

GREENSBORO, N.C. -- It's a dream come true for a Triad family.

Tuesday, we told you how the Kassay family is trying to raise more than $7,000 needed to buy a critical device that will give 11-year-old Emily a voice.
Emily has autism and lost her speech before she was even two years-old. Last year, she had a brief taste of independence when she was able to use a helpful machine that speaks for her when she types on it. The school district had to take it back after two weeks, though.
The Kassay family got great news Wednesday. Jack Murphy from radio station 107.5 WKZL saw her story on News 2 and offered to buy the machine through his charity, Murphy's Kids.

Florida Aims to Break Employment Barriers

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Governor Rick Scott recently signed a bill and issued an executive order designed to remove employment barriers facing Floridians with mental and physical disabilities.
Committee Substitute for Senate Bill 926 encourages Florida businesses to hire workers with developmental disabilities by granting new legal protections to firms that employ them. The legislation gives employers immunity from liability for negligent or intentional acts or omissions by individuals with developmental disabilities if:
Governor Rick Scott recently signed a bill and issued an executive order designed to remove employment barriers facing Floridians with mental and physical disabilities.

Connecticut Family Reunited with Son

Nathan Carman, the Middletown teenager who was found by police in Virginia Monday night after being missing since Thursday, was picked up by his parents about noon Tuesday, officials said.
Sharon Hartstein, a family spokeswoman, said Carman's parents drove most of the night to get to Sussex, Va.
"We're all exhausted. We're all relieved, and we are all immeasurably grateful for all the help," Hartstein said.
Carman, 17, has Asperger syndrome, a form of autism, and had last been spotted near a bus station in New Haven on Thursday.He told his father, Clark Carman, on Wednesday night that he was going to get up in the morning and ride his bicycle to Westbrook to go fishing. Police and the family believe he did not go fishing. In retrospect, they believe that he was grieving over the recent loss of his beloved horse, Cruise.
Ann Guptill, owner of Fox Ledge Farm in East Haddam, said Carman's close relationship with the horse was obvious in the three years she worked with the family.
"Nathan and [Cruise] definitely had a special bond," Guptill said. "Even before Nathan got close to his stall he knew Nathan was there."

Siblings of Autistic Kids at Higher Risk

(Reuters Health) - Siblings of kids with autism have a higher risk of being diagnosed with the disorder than previously believed, suggests a new study.
The analysis of more than 600 three-year-olds with an older autistic sibling found that almost one in five of them had an autism spectrum disorder, which includes Asperger's syndrome and similar conditions.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/08/15/us-autistic-kids-idUSTRE77E0OW20110815

Graduation Day for Autistic Students

Check out the link for a video of the ceremony--congrats to all of the graduates!

NEW YORK -- Zachary is getting his cap and gown. He and 20 other students are graduating from preschool today. All of the children are all battling autism, and each and every one of them is going to main-stream school this fall.


They have all been students here at the Association for Metro Area Autistic Children in Manhattan.

AMAC, as they call it, is a year-round school for children age two and a half to 21-years-old, but when high functioning kids like these are ready, they leave.

Unique First-Day Pressures for Special Needs Students

O'FALLON, Ill. -- Like many of the incoming sixth-graders at Edward A. Fulton Junior High in O'Fallon, Nate Shaw has a lot of changes in front of him. He'll be in a new building, with new classes, teachers and students.

Unlike many of those students, however, Nate has Down syndrome, a genetic condition that affects the way he learns. Nate loves school, so he's ready for the change of pace. His mom, on the other hand, is a little apprehensive.

Governor Signs R.I. Autism-Insurance Law

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Governor Chafee on Thursday morning held a ceremonial signing of legislation that requires insurers to to provide coverage for the screening, diagnosis, and treatment of autism spectrum disorders.

He was joined by families of, and advocates for, people with autism, as well as Rep. Peter Palumbo, D-Cranston, and Sen. Edward O'Neill, D-Lincoln, the legislation's primary sponsors, for the State House event.

Autism Population Doubles in St. Louis

St. Louis- MO

The Granite City School District is increasing training for teachers to handle children with autism issues. The number of students with the disability has more than doubled in four years, officials said.
"The most exciting part for me is that their brains work differently, so we get to figure out the way they're thinking," said Kelly Rathbun, of the LaGrange Area Department of Special Education, who led a class about the issue last week at the Granite City Early Childhood Center.

Read more: http://www.stltoday.com/suburban-journals/illinois/education/article_da49077a-6bc7-5635-8de1-25f63b1d0518.html#ixzz1UjvFs0Br

Vancouver Safety Net Shredding for Dev.Disabilities

The crisis in B.C.'s community living sector


By Alana Hendren, Vancouver Sun August 11, 2011


Thanks to integrated education and community inclusion, most people today know someone who has a developmental disability: a neighbour, classmate, co-worker, or someone who shares the same interests. Thankfully, institutionalization is a thing of the past. Today, people with developmental disabilities make important contributions to the fabric of our society and participate in all aspects of community life.
The B.C. government was among the first in the world to close large institutions for people with developmental disabilities. And, in collaboration with families, non-profits, private caregivers, unions, and other organizations, services were developed to support individuals in their homes, schools, workplaces, and communities. B.C. was heralded as a world leader.Read more:
http://www.vancouversun.com/health/crisis+community+living+sector/5239618/story.html#ixzz1UjuRWWb4

High-Tech Home Offers Independence for Man with Down Syndrome

MINNEAPOLIS -- On a recent tour of his home, Jeremy Collins showed off his kitchen, his chair, his bed, his new shower.

It's a dream come true for the 31-year-old who has Down syndrome, and who had lived in group homes all of his adult life. Since April, he's lived on his own in a Coon Rapids townhouse, with a web of support that includes his parents, his caregivers and landlords, Anoka County and a technology company that all work together to help him be safe and continue to grow in independence and confidence.

Boy with Down Syndrome Hospitalized After Being Left in Van

PHOENIX -- A 6-year-old boy who has Down syndrome was sent to the hospital after his family says he was left alone on a school van for three hours under the hot Arizona sun. The CEO of the school promised a full investigation to make sure such a thing never happens again.

His mother says he is lucky to be alive.

"They are monitoring him right now,” Tracy Roberts told

High School Football Player with Down Syndrome Kicked Off Team

HOBBTON, N.C. –- The North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA) was taking heat Wednesday for barring a 19-year-old student with Down syndrome from suiting up with his beloved football team due to the association's age restrictions.

Brett Bowden, a junior at Hobbton High School in Newton Grove, N.C., has spent the last two seasons donning pads for the Wildcats, but the NCHSAA has said Bowden can no longer participate in practices or games as a member of the team.

"Brett don't see that he has Down syndrome," Bowden's mother, Pat Bowden, told WWAY-TV. "Brett wants just to be one of those guys, out there dressed, thinking that he is a football player, feeling like he's a football player."

Neuroscientist Links Autism with Internet Use

Neuroscientist Baroness Greenfield of Oxford University has created a firestorm of controversy by correlating autism with increased computer use amongst children. She contends that the use of social networking Web sites is altering children’s brains, creating shorter attention spans, an expectation of instant gratification and a lack of empathy (i.e. “autistic-like traits").

She proceeds to point out that individuals with autism are particularly drawn to using computers speculating, “Of course, we do not know whether the current increase in autism is due more to increased awareness and diagnosis of autism, or whether it can – if there is a true increase – be in any way linked to an increased prevalence among people of spending time in screen relationships. Surely it is a point worth considering,’” she added.

Mother Kills Self, Autistic Son, In Despair Over Debt, School Placement

What a terribly tragic story--our hearts go out to their family.


KENSINGTON, Md. -- Ben Barnhard finally had reason to be optimistic this summer: The 13-year-old shed more than 100 pounds at a rigorous weight-loss academy, a proud achievement for a boy who had endured classmates’ taunts about his obesity and who had sought solace in the quiet of his bedroom, with his pet black cat and the intricate origami designs he created.

But one month before school was to start for the special-needs teen, his mother, psychiatrist Margaret Jensvold, shot him in the head, then killed herself. Officers found their bodies on Aug. 2 in the bedrooms of their home in Kensington, Md., an upper-middle class Washington suburb. They also found a note.

“School — can’t deal with school system,” the letter began, Jensvold’s sister, Susan Slaughter, told The Associated Press.

And later: “Debt is bleeding me. Strangled by debt.”

Autism, ADHD Share Genetic Similarities

A new study from Canada linking Autism and ADHD is garnering attention here in the U.S.

TORONTO, Canda -- Similar genetic changes found in some people with ADHD and in some with autism may help explain why children with the hyperactivity disorder often have symptoms of other developmental disorders, a new study reports.

The study identified several genetic changes that are present in a small portion of both attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) patients and autism patients, and that are absent in people without these disorders.

Self-Discovery and Asperger Syndrome: a Personal Story

A highly-personal account of an adult's life with Asperger's Syndrome.


I don't remember when I first heard of Asperger's Syndrome.

When I was a child, Asperger's Syndrome simply didn't exist. It wasn't even described in English until I was eight, and it didn't enter the DSM until I was nineteen. It's not like the introduction of a new diagnosis prompts people to systematically examine the schools, in any case. Either way, when I was a child, I knew what autism was: it was the classic Idiot Savant, staring into the distance and not saying much and calculating the weekday of August nineteenth, 4087BC. It certainly wasn't me.

Father of Child with Autism Starts Summer Camp

SAN FRANSISCO -- Like other parents of autistic children, classical musician Stephen Prutsman faced the challenging task of finding summer activities for his son to participate in. So he came up with the idea of a camp suited to such children.

Prutsman, who approached the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department with the idea, has seen his vision come to fruition at Camp Azure. This summer, the four-week-long Glen Canyon summer camp has accommodated 32 autistic children from ages 6 to 12.

9 Conversations To Have With Your Autistic Child

Growing up, Paul McAuliffe says he “felt like a Martian.” He was always saying the wrong thing or overreacting, but he didn’t know why. Then several years ago for his job as a case manager, the Panama City resident started reading online about the symptoms of autism.

“And I said, ‘My god,’” recalls McAuliffe, now 57. “‘That’s me.’”

Enjoying Being Part of a Team

NEWARK, Del. -- In April, Geoffrey Steggell secured his first permanent job.
He went through training and orientation with the rest of his new co-workers, and now he works on the cash register serving customers and on production in the back room.
What does he like best about the work? Given that he works at the UDairy Creamery on the University of Delaware campus, he doesn't take long coming up with an answer.
"I get to eat ice cream after every shift," he said.Steggell, 22, is one of two students hired at the Creamery through a jobs program at UD's Center for Disability Studies.