Did you know that some schools are prohibiting the use of microwaves by students? According to the Dept. of Agriculture, which governs the Child Nutrition Programs (providers of school meals), food preparation and reheating should ONLY occur in inspected food prep areas. That means no microwaves in classrooms, cafeterias, or anywhere that students can use…
Good news in the special education legal arena
A federal appeals court recently ruled that a lawsuit alleging that Hawaii schools “deliberately neglected the needs of two girls with autism during their formative years” could go forward. The parents are seeking damages under the federal Rehabilitation Act due to “lost opportunity”—that the Hawaii Department of Education failed to provide appropriate special education when…
CAP-MR/DD Stakeholder Survey
During the month of September, you are invited to participate in a survey about the CAP-MR/DD Medicaid waivers (Comprehensive Waiver and Supports Waiver). Your feedback is very important to us as we continue to improve the waivers. We want to hear from individuals receiving CAP-MR/DD services, parents and guardians of individuals receiving services, service providers,…
Back to school—I love it, I love it not
Back to school—hurray! I say that now with a sigh of relief, but not for long. I hate getting up and rushing out the door, I DETEST homework and projects with a passion, and I don’t enjoy the constant monitoring of my children’s progress. What I do enjoy about my children being in school—besides watching…
My Summer Camp Experience
This past Friday, August 13th, I had the privilege of attending the Talent Show at Camp Royall. I was there to welcome families and give them information about ASNC. As it turned out, I got much more from the experience than what I gave. I arrived early to the Camp’s gym and sat out…
Rosa’s Law, People First Language and More…
The Senate has passed legislation—Rosa’s Law—to replace the term “mental retardation” with “intellectual disability”. This change in terminology would affect health, education and labor policy at the federal level, and bring it into line with the language already adopted by the CDC and other federal agencies. The House version, called the Elizabeth A. Connelly Act,…
Surfers Healing This Month
As I posted in March (http://autismsocietyofnc.wordpress.com/2010/03/07/think-spring-think-surfing/), Surfers Healing will be coming to Wrightsville Beach later this month (Aug. 19). I know that the sign up is quite intense—some families log on at 12:01 a.m. to try to reserve a spot! Good luck to those who succeeded; keep tabs on the Surfers Healing website for videos. …