The U.S. Department of Education recently held its first summit on bullying prevention in Washington, D.C., as part of the Obama administration’s efforts to coordinate the federal government’s strategies to end bullying. I like the idea of better coordination and collaboration, but do hope this will be more effective than the National Director of Intelligence—remember…
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,…
Another request for input from policymakers
The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services’ Administration on Developmental Disabilities would like input from the public on how they can best meet the needs of individuals with developmental disabilities and their families. ADD is planning future Projects of National Significance (PNS). PNS will create opportunities for people with developmental disabilities to contribute to,…
Nominate Your Outstanding Child or Student for the Yes I Can! Award
The Council for Exceptional Children is accepting nominations for its annual Yes I Can! Award; all nominations must be postmarked by Oct. 22, 2010. There are nine categories (academics, arts, athletics, community service, employment, extracurricular activities, independent living skills, self-advocacy and technology). Winners will receive a trip to National Harbor, Md., near Washington, D.C. ,…
Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee
The Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) Services Subcommittee will be having two meetings, as well as a public workshop, in the coming weeks and months. The first meeting will be a conference call held on Tuesday, August 10, 2010 from 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM ET. For more information see: http://iacc.hhs.gov/events. The purpose of…
Autism and the Criminal Justice System
This article was in the Western Region newsletter, produced by Parent Advocate Kathy Dolbee… In 2008, the General Assembly provided funding to the TEACCH Autism Program (TEACCH) at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Medical School to develop this “video to raise awareness of autism for those involved in government and public service, including…
ASA: Amazing Sessions!
Two weeks ago, the Autism Society of America held its annual conference in Dallas, TX, and I was fortunate enough to be there—my first ASA conference! What an amazing experience, with many different sessions occurring simultaneously. I have to say that it was quite a thrill to be standing in line next to Carol Gray,…
Speak Up for Fair Housing
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has commissioned a study on whether or not discrimination exists in the housing industry. Doesn’t that just sound like a government study?? Do you think there might be some discrimination against “protected classes”?!? Let’s have a study to ask that question! Oh, wait, maybe we could just…
Survey about Moving into Adulthood
The Family Advocacy and Support Training (FAST), a project of the PACER Center in Minnesota, is currently conducting a study of the needs of youth with disabilities (12 – 22 years old) as they move into adulthood. Parents or primary caregivers are asked to complete this survey, which is also available in Spanish. The purpose…