Judge Orders Therapy for Ohio Toddler

Robert and Holly Young watch as
their son, Roman, 2, plays at  home.

CINCINATTI -- A federal judge ordered state officials on Wednesday to provide speech therapy and other care to an autistic boy in Clermont County who has gone without those services for more than four months.
The judge stopped short, however, of a more sweeping order that the boy’s parents say is needed to get crucial, comprehensive care to their son and other autistic children across Ohio.

Technology Helps Developmentally Disabled Living Alone

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Two-way video cameras, motion detectors and other smart-house sensors soon could take the place of human caregivers for many developmentally disabled Ohioans who need help living on their own.

Medicaid is to begin paying for remote-monitoring services on July 15.

State officials say the service, available to about 16,000 people who have a Medicaid Individual Options waiver, is cheaper and potentially less intrusive than hiring caregivers to assist those who live alone, with a roommate or in group homes.

Overcoming Obstacles and Graduating

WAVERLY, Ohio --Most students couldn't imagine making it through school with multiple disabilities,but Waverly senior Jonathan Hill, 17, has lived with cerebral palsy and developmental disabilities throughout his entire school career.
"Jonathan wasn't born with a disability, but when he was very small, he contracted pneumococcal meningitis, which attacked his spinal column and left him disabled," said Hill's mother, Brenda.
Despite his handicaps, Jonathan's experience in school has been a positive one, and he has received support from not only teachers, but also fellow students.

Wages Tricky for Workers with Disabilities

Such a touchy issue. On one hand, some companies provide opportunities to train people with disabilities on the job, while providing them with a paycheck, which yes, may be below minimum wage. If they didn't have this, chances are they might not be working at all. On the other side, however, it does appear that this is so unfair to people with disabilities who can and are reliable, hard working and productive employees.

BUCYRUS, Ohio -- Wages are wide-ranging for disabled workers in Crawford County.
Recent reports show thousands of adult workers with developmental disabilities in Ohio are paid less than minimum wage. The Columbus Dispatch reports 14,600 disabled Ohioans are affected by a federal law provision that allows employers to pay less than minimum wage to adults with disabilities that limit productivity.
Critics of the lower wages paid to disabled workers say it is taking advantage of them, while supporters say it provides more opportunities for them to have jobs.

School Transition Plans Coming Up Short

Can't resist more of this excellent series from Columbus Dispatch. They are totally on the mark. While there are plenty of children with autism and other developmental disabilities, they eventually become adults. Then what?


COLUMBUS, Ohio -- As a preschooler, Daniel Coffey drove the wheels off his battery-powered car.
His parents wrote the manufacturer for spare parts, again and again, so that their youngest son - autistic, obsessive-compulsive and afflicted with a dash of Tourette's syndrome - could perfect his parallel parking.
That stubborn focus provided early clues about how much Daniel loved to master a task.
"He wants to get things just right," said his mom, Venta. "Daniel appreciates a job well done."
The Canal Winchester family worked for years to nurture his interests and abilities, then jumped at the chance to involve Daniel in an intensive employment-training program. Coffey, who is 21, will be graduating in June.
Schools are required to prepare "transition plans" for Ohio students with developmental disabilities. But few students are in such top-notch programs - which make them much more likely to be employed after they move into the adult world, advocates and researchers say.

Promoting Jobs vs. Workshops in Ohio

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- If he had been born 50 years ago, Ian Baustian might have been institutionalized. Locked away.
No one would have discovered whether he was capable of more.
Back then, Baustian wouldn't have been a laboratory clinical assistant at Fairfield Medical Center in Lancaster, where he works alongside people who don't have disabilities - people who embrace him and his autism.
His kind of story is both triumph and tragedy, as far as advocates are concerned. As far as Ohio has come in employing developmentally disabled adults, the state has much further to go, they say.

A Coach Without a Game Plan

SHELBY, Ohio -- How do you devise a game plan from an incomplete scouting report?
How do you prepare for an opponent you know almost nothing about?
Chris Solis has devoted his professional life to avoiding situations like those -- or, more accurately, eliminating those eventualities for the athletes in his charge. Preparation is, after all, a tenet of any successful coach's philosophy. And by all accounts, Solis is a successful coach.
But Solis, who quietly turned in his resignation as Shelby's football coach last month, couldn't have readied himself for this adversary.
It's causes are unknown, and there is no cure.
His 3-year-old son, Colin, was diagnosed with autism in October.

Companies Provide Job Opportunities For People With Developmental Disabilities

NEWARK, Ohio -- For some, a job is just a way to earn a paycheck.
But for those with developmental disabilities, the opportunity to work means so much more."It gives them the ability to live independently," said Heather Odendahl, public information manager for the Licking County Board of Developmental Disabilities. "They can go to work and socialize with their peers. You can imagine the self confidence boost."
But with the economic slowdown, many people living with developmental disabilities have had difficulty finding work, Odendahl said.
"A lot of people are experiencing job losses right now," she said. "The job loss is even higher for the developmentally disabled community."
Two Hebron companies -- THK Manufacturing of America and Hendrickson Auxiliary Axle -- recently made commitments to increasing opportunities for developmentally disabled workers.