Showing posts with label developmental disabilities. Show all posts
Showing posts with label developmental disabilities. Show all posts

Sunday, January 5, 2014

Federal Definition of Developmental Disability


1.    DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITY

A.    IN GENERAL.—The term “developmental disability” means a severe, chronic disability of an individual that—

                                                    i.        is attributable to a mental or physical impairment or combination of mental and physical impairments;

                                                   ii.        is manifested before the individual attains age 22;

                                                  iii.        is likely to continue indefinitely;

                                                 iv.        results in substantial functional limitations in 3 or more of the following areas of major life activity:

                                                  v.        Self-care.

                                                 vi.        Receptive and expressive language.

                                                vii.        Learning.

                                               viii.        Mobility.

                                                 ix.        Self-direction.

                                                  x.        Capacity for independent living.

                                                 xi.        Economic self-sufficiency; and

                                                xii.        reflects the individual’s need for a combination and sequence of special, interdisciplinary, or generic services, individualized supports, or other forms of assistance that are of lifelong or extended duration and are individually planned and coordinated.

B.    INFANTS AND YOUNG CHILDREN.—An individual from birth to age 9, inclusive, who has a substantial developmental delay or specific congenital or acquired condition, may be considered to have a developmental disability without meeting 3 or more of the criteria described in clauses (i) through (v) of subparagraph (A) if the individual, without services and supports, has a high probability of meeting those criteria later in life.

 

 

 

Monday, November 18, 2013

Person-Centered Planning Resources



Person-Centered Planning should be part of a plan for individuals with developmental disabilities. The truth of the matter is that it is a fundamental right for all people to not only be in control of their life but to direct it as well. I have include resources on Person-Centered Planning which includes, the definition, facilitators manuals, books, and state agency resources.


DEFINITIONS

Wikipedia 

Cornell University 

BOOKS

A little Book About Person Centered Planning Vol.1 

Make a Difference 

FACILITATORS MANUALS

Increasing Person-Centered Thinking 

Person-Centered Planning: What To Expect


STATE AGENCIES

Arizona 

California 

Colorado 

Connecticut 

Delaware 

Florida 

Georgia 

Idaho 

Illinois 

Indiana 

Iowa 

Kentucky 

Maine 

Michigan 

Minnesota 

Nevada 

New Hampshire 

New Jersey 

New York 

North Carolina 

Ohio 

Oregon 

Pennsylvania 

South Carolina 

South Dakota 

Tennessee 

Virginia 



Sunday, October 27, 2013

Job Burnout

When I first started working in the developmental disability field, I noticed an older co-worker who always seemed to be unhappy. She never smiled, always complained and kept to herself. As a young woman in my 20's, I felt, if she was so unhappy, why not just leave and find a new job. Well, fast forward to 15 years later, and I became that woman! Luckily, I was able to figure out what was going on early enough to prevent further burnout!

People who work in helping professions are affected by job burnout in large numbers. Many of the reasons cited include:

  • the profession is involved in an environment that is client-centered
  • Good intentions are met with low pay, impossible workload, low prestige and feeling unappreciated.
  • lack of criteria for measuring accomplishments and success
  • inadequate funding and institutional support
  • Conflict among co-workers is often encouraged instead of working as a team
Job burnout however does not affect everyone working in the field. A person who lacks ambition is not likely to burnout. It is usually the type A personality, who is goal-oriented. dedicated and committed to a cause. More than likely, the person that burnouts out:
  •  set extremely high goals for themselves and punish themselves severely if they fail to achieve their goals.
  • a person more emotional than others which interferes with adaptive functioning.
  • will often have inadequate coping skills and will act impulsively, lacks perseverance and relies heavily on defense mechanism such as denial, repression and projection.
Here are ways to reduce job burnout and stress:

  • Meditation
  • Exercise on a regular basis
  • Delegate if possible
  • Visualize and recite positive affirmations.

Saturday, October 12, 2013

October is National Disability Employment Month


National Disability Employment Awareness Month is recognized each October to highlight the workforce contributions of people with disabilities.

Facts:

  • Only 20.6% of the labor force with disabilities were employed.
  • 59% of people with hearing impairments were employed
  • 41% of people with visual disabilities were employed
  • 16% of people with a severe disability worked full-time.
What you can do in your organization to recognize National Disability Employment Awareness Month.

  • Train front-line staff on the facts.
  • Feature information on National Disability Employment Awareness Month in your organization's newsletter.
  • Reach out to local media.
  • Proactively recruit people with disabilities.
  • Review your company's policy and procedures.
  • Conduct a training for supervisors on understanding their role in fostering an inclusive workplace culture.
  • Participate in Disability Mentoring Day.
  • Conduct a training on disability history.
Resource Links

United States Department of Labor

National Disability Employment Facts and Figures


Friday, October 11, 2013

AAIDD 2014 Call For Presentation Papers

 

The American Association for Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD), will be holding it's 138th annual meeting in Orlando, Florida, from June 23-26, 2014. The theme of the meeting is, Embracing Complexity Inclusion, Participation and Citizenship.

The purpose of the meeting is to provide researchers, clinicians, practitioners, educators, policy makers, local, state and federal agencies with cutting edge research, effective practices, and valuable information on important policy initiatives.

AAIDD is now accepting proposals for the meeting. proposal formats include paper, panel and poster presentations and pre and post conference settings.

Guidelines

All presenters who attend the conference must pay the conference registration fee.

A complete proposal consists of the following:

1. Completed Presentation Submission form
2. 500- word summary
50-75 word abstract: brief summary of presentation used for the conference program.

Deadline: December 6, 2013

For more information

Sunday, June 2, 2013

Upcoming Conference


The American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD) will be holding it's 137th annual meeting, "Race to Catch the Future" June 3-6 in Pittsburgh, PA

For more information:AAIDD Conference
Conference Program Online


Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Feds: Schools must Open Sports to Kids with Disabilities

For the first time, federal officials are telling school districts that they must offer students with disabilities equal access to school sports. In guidance issued Friday to districts across the country, the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights said that children with disabilities have the right to participate in their schools extra curricular activities under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act.

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Diagnosed with Autism and DiGeorge Syndrome, ten-year old is able to memorize complicated ballet.

When I conduct trainings on developmental disability and sensitivity, I often mention the importance of seeing the ability of each person. When one focuses on the disability, it is very easy to see the limitations of the person and ignore their capabilities.
Most IEP's CFA's, and ISP's will indicate the strength and weaknesses of each person in order in order to determine a plan of service. But, what if we saw the characteristics as stengths? For example, some people with autism have specific symptoms. What if we saw these symptoms or characteristics as positive traits? People with autism often demonstrate repetitive behavior, artistic ability, attention to detail, creativity, energy, good memory and a stick-to- itiveness.

I bring to you Miss Clara Berg, a ten-year-old diagnosed with autism and Di George Syndrome, who has memorized the principal character, Swanhilde's entire lead routine from the Coppelia ballet.  This is a perfect example of realizing that we all come with great gifts that need to be nurtured on a regular basis. Watch this amazing video of Clara, and I dare you not to be moved by it!

State of the States in Developmental Disabilities Project



The State of the States in Developmental Disabilities Project is funded in part by the Administration on Developmental Disabilities and administered by the University of Colorado. Longitudinal data for fiscal years 1977-2009 is included on the website. This information allows you to create a chart based on state-by state comparative data. State profiles include information on Federal spending dollars, spending by program setting and individual and family support spending.

A hard copy version of the new monogram is also available in PDF.

Conferences and Events

The ARC 2012 Convention: Achieving Inclusion: Across the Globe
October 25-28, 2012- Washington, DC
For more information

12th Annual Coleman Institute Conference on Cognitive Disability
and Technology
November 2, 2012- Westminster, CO
For more information

2012 ANCOR Technology Summit: Implementing Innovative Solutions
November 2, 2012- Westminster, CO
For more information


Death of Staten Island developmentally disabled man ruled a homicide

(Source: Staten Island Advance)

A developmentally -disabled man who died in April after he and his roommate fought over McNuggets inside their community residence has been ruled a homicide victim, according to a spokeswoman for the city medical examiner's office.  John Parisi, 45, died of cardiac arrest following blunt impact to his face and torso, with hypertensive cardiovascular disease listed as a contributing factor to his death, according to the medical examiner's office.

Tara's Law to provide protections for the developmentally disabled moves forward


(Source: NJToday.Net)

Legislation to create more stringent oversight of community care facilities servicing the developmentally disabled and provide a clear methodology for investigating potential instances of abuse continues advancing. The measure (A-2573) is named "Tara's Law," in memory of 28-year-old Tara O' Leary, a developmentally disabled woman who had been residing in a licensed community care residence in the state. Over a 2.5 year period, she lost a dangerous amount of weight, failed to attend the majority of programs and was finally admitted to a local hospital, weighing only 48 pounds and suffering from dehydration, malnutrition and bedsores. When despite efforts of the hospital staff, O' Leary's condition did not improve, she was disconnected from life support and died.

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Progress in identifying the genetic roots of autism

Scientists say that roughly 20% of autism cases can be linked to known genetic abnormalities, and may more may be discovered. Pinpointing a genetic explanation can help predict whether siblings are likely to have the disorder and even point to new, targeted  treatments. Last week, for example, researchers reported that an experimental drug, arbaclofen, reduced social withdrawal and challenging behaviors in children and adults with Fragile X syndrome, the single most common genetic cause of autism.

Sunday, September 30, 2012

October is Down Syndrome Awareness Month



Facts: 

  • In 1866, the physical characteristics of people with Down Syndrome were linked with decreased intellectual disability and grouped as one syndrome.
  •  John Landon Down, was the first to publish these findings.
  • Down Syndrome is a condition in which a baby is born with an extra chromosome.
  • Even though people with Down Syndrome might have have some physical and mental features in common, symptoms can range from mild to severe.
  • Physical signs of Down syndrome include, small hands and feet, tiny white spots on the iris, and a single crease across the palm of the hand.
  • CDC estimates that each year, about 6,000 babies in the United States are born with Down Syndrome.
  • Physical problems associated with Down syndrome include, a birth defect in the heart, stomach problems, problems with memory, concentration and judgement.



RESOURCES

Family Blogs

Down Syndrome New Mama

Enjoying the Small Things

Josiah's Journey

Life As We Know It

Noah's Dad 

WEBSITES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Pub Med Health

Wikipedia

Medline Plus

NICHCY Disability Fact Sheet

National Association for Down Syndrome

National Down Syndrome Society

Youtube video on understanding Down Syndrome


 This next video really made my heart smile.