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AUCDigest

June 29, 2007 • Volume 7, Number 6


RESOURCES

Network Related Resources

Maternal and Child Health Resources

    • Knowledge Path: Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention. This electronic guide presents a selection of current, high-quality resources that measure, document, and monitor the problem; identify risk and protective factors; and report on promising intervention strategies.
    • Research to Policy and Practice Forum Brief: Periodontal Health and Birth Outcomes. Timed with the release of findings from a major clinical trial exploring the effects of periodontal therapy on preterm birth and funded by NIDCR, this forum offered a timely opportunity for health leaders from the public and private sectors to do the following actions: 1) Review current evidence-based research regarding the relationship between periodontal disease in pregnant women and birth outcomes; 2) Review current policies, programs, and practices in the public and private sectors addressing the oral health needs of pregnant women as related to improving birth outcomes and women’s overall health; and, 3) Dialogue about future directions in research, policy, programs, and practice related to women’s periodontal health and birth outcomes.

Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities Research Reviews Special Issue: Public Policy Aspects of the Developmental Disabilities (Volume 13, Issue 2). The 2007 issue highlights the public policy aspects of developmental disabilities. A number of articles are authored by AUCD Network members! See the issue's table of contents and links to the abstracts of each article.

Center for Development and Disability’s (NM UCEDD) Second Edition of Tips for First Responders. Two new disabilities have been added: autism and multiple chemical sensitivities, and the original tips have been revised. These Tips for First Responders sheets provide information about many types of disabilities for use by first responders during emergencies as well as routine encounters. The TIPS are not meant to be comprehensive, but contain specific information that you can read quickly either before or while you are actually responding to an incident.

Rural Institute’s (MT UCEDD) Transition Projects Website. The Transition Projects Website was recently redesigned to be easier to navigate and more user-friendly. New postings include a downloadable Transition Assessment and Planning Guide and numerous form templates for establishing a community-based volunteer or work experience program for middle and high school youth with disabilities. For additional information, contact Dr. Ellen Condon, Transition Projects Director, at (406) 243-4134.

Nisonger Center’s (OH UCEDD) Young Adult Transition Corps. Young Adult Transition Corps (YATC), an AmeriCorps program, is designed to serve young adults with disabilities who are transitioning from school to adult life. AmeriCorps/YATC members engage young adults with disabilities in existing educational and community-based programs in the Columbus area that promote community service, community access, and social skill development, three areas critical to successful transition. To learn more about YATC, contact Dr. Tom Fish, Program Advisor.

Rural Institute (MT UCEDD) Publication: Allocation and Use of Section 5310 Funds in Urban and Rural America. Section 5310 of the Transportation Equity Act is a Federal program of capital assistance to address the mobility needs of the elderly and persons with disabilities. This study provides a baseline against which to measure changes following the implementation of the Transportation Act of 2005.

Five Information Briefs on Prevention and Awareness for Parents of Children with Developmental Disabilities from the University of Southern California UCEDD. This 5-part parent information sheet series provides essential information on identification, reporting, and prevention of abuse and neglect. The series, developed through an Administration on Developmental Disabilities Project of National Significance, is a companion to Keeping Our Children Safe: A Booklet for Caregivers and Providers of Children with Developmental Disabilities to Reduce Risk of Abuse. Available in English and Spanish, each 2-page sheet presents information in easy-to-digest pieces to enhance accessibility for low literacy readers.

Part 1: What is Child Abuse?
Part 2: How Do I Know if My Child Has Been Abused?
Part 3: What Should I Do if I Think That My Child Has Been Abused?
Part 4: What Can I Teach My Child To Help Keep Him Safe?
Part 5: How Can I Keep My Child Safe?

Institute for Community Inclusion (MA UCEDD) Briefs Focusing on Minimum Wage Increase. On May 24th, Congress passed a federal minimum wage rate increase, which will raise the minimum wage from $5.15 to $7.25 in three stages over two years. Given that many individuals with significant disabilities earn wages at or near the minimum wage, they are likely to be impacted by these changes. Two new publications review how the minimum wage increase is relevant and provide guidance for both people with disabilities and service providers: "An Aid for Disability Service Providers" and "What it Means for People with Disabilities.

Products and Resources from the Texas Center on Disability and Development (UCEDD)

    • Disability Training Network for the Texas A&M University (TAMU) System (Brochure). The project strives to increase the competencies of the faculty, administrators, and staff in the TAMU system in providing students with disabilities a quality postsecondary education.
    • The Next Step (Video). This 19-minute video from the Texas DD Council presents personal stories of five Texans with disabilities who enrolled in colleges, universities, or technical schools. See the videos online; videos can also be ordered in DVD and VHS format.
    • Career Technology Special Populations Training and Resource Education Center (CTSP website). The CTSP Center is geared toward career and technology teachers, parents and professionals working with special populations in Texas. The CTSP Center website offers valuable information, including access to training and resources, answers to frequently asked questions and regular newsletters exploring special topics.

Fourteen Issue Briefs from National Technical Assistance Center for Children's Mental Health, in association with Georgetown University Center for Child and Human Development (DC UCEDD). We are pleased to announce the availability of 14 new issue briefs that summarize the presentations and recommendations from the Special Forums held at the 2006 Georgetown University Training Institutes. These issue briefs summarize the issues and recommendations from each Special Forum:

Resources from the Partners of the Institute on Community Integration (MN UCEDD)

    • INTASC Principles: How They are Addressed by Five Specialty Program Association Standards. This In-Brief Policy Analysis from the National Association of State Directors of Special Education (NASDSE) reviews five Specialty Program Association standards and supporting documentation regarding the principles from the Interstate New Teachers Assessment and Support Consortium (INTASC), Council of Chief State School Officers. The INTASC principles were developed as guidance for teacher education programs and address standards that all teachers should meet to teach diverse students, including students with disabilities. NASDSE found that most SPA standards address most of the INTASC principles at least minimally, but most do not address all of them.
    • Involvement of Youth with Disabilities in State-Level Decision Making. This In-Brief Policy Analysis from NASDE is based on interviews with state education agency representatives and youth with disabilities who are involved in state-level decision making in special education. Six states which reported including youth with disabilities on state advisory panels and/or transition councils were chosen for interviews.
    • Mentoring Programs for Special Education Teachers: State Approaches. This In-Brief Policy Analysis from NASDE provides an overview of research on teacher mentoring, especially mentoring for special educators; discusses best practices in developing and implementing mentoring programs; and describes several state-level mentoring programs for special education teachers based on interviews with program staff.

New Products and Resources from National Center on Physical Activity and Disability (NCPAD), in association with Institute on Disability and Human Development (IL UCEDD)

    • Fall Injury Prevention and Exercise. Read this month's new document on Fall Injury Prevention and Exercise to learn how to strengthen and stabilize your body and reduce the risk of injuring yourself in a fall. Achieve a healthy balance in other areas of your life by using NCPAD products and resources to add variety to your summer workouts and adventures.
    • Exercise Reduces Secondary Conditions in Children with Cerebral Palsy. Children with cerebral palsy have lower endurance and greater muscular weakness than their peers without disabilities, which can be exacerbated by sedentary behaviors and lack of physical activity. An article that will soon appear in the journal Physical Therapy includes a review of evidence that children with CP often develop secondary conditions such as chronic pain, fatigue, and osteoporosis as a result of low physical activity levels.
    • Physical Activity Resources for Veterans. It is our goal at NCPAD to serve all Americans, and this month NCPAD would like to offer a few resources that can assist veterans in leading active and healthy lifestyles.

Products and Resources from the Wyoming Institute for Disabilities (UCEDD)’s Victims of Crime with Disabilities Resource Guide.

    • Clinical report: Maltreatment of Children with Disabilities. The purpose of this clinical report is to ensure that children with disabilities are recognized as a population that is also at risk of maltreatment. The need for early recognition and intervention of child abuse and neglect in this population, as well as the ways that a medical home can facilitate the prevention and early detection of child maltreatment are discussed in this report. Hubbard, Roberta A., and Desh, Larry W. "Maltreatment of children with disabilities.” Pediatrics 119.5 (May 2007): 1018(8).
    • 16th National Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect Materials Available. The Conference Program includes information on plenaries, workshops, seminars, roundtables, poster sessions, and experiential learning opportunities that took place at the conference.
    • Cases from the Headlines. To bring attention to the serious issue of crimes against people with disabilities, the Resource Guide has begun developing an online collection of news stories involving victims with disabilities. Selected from newspaper and news channel web sites, articles have been abstracted and posted in the Online Discussion section of the Resource Guide website.

Research to Know

Baylor College of Medicine Developmental Disabilities Research Center (TX) Discovers Gene For Rare Skin Disorder. Researchers at the TX DDRC, funded in part by the National Institutes of Health, have identified the gene that accounts for most cases of Goltz syndrome, a rare skin disorder that can also affect bone and eye development. Goltz syndrome, also called focal dermal hypoplasia, causes a distinctive red rash and thinning of the skin, which allows fat from the tissue below to protrude and form small yellowish-white lumps.

Boys with Autism, Related Disorders, Have High Levels of Growth Hormones Boys with autism and autism spectrum disorder had higher levels of hormones involved with growth in comparison to boys who do not have autism, reported researchers from the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and the University Of Cincinnati College Of Medicine. The researchers believe that the higher hormone levels might explain the greater head circumference seen in many children with autism. Earlier studies had reported that many children with autism have very rapid head growth in early life, leading to a proportionately larger head circumference than children who do not have autism. The researchers found that, in addition to a larger head circumference, the boys with autism and autism spectrum disorder who took part in the current study were heavier than boys without these conditions.

Additional Resources

New NADD Products. National Association for the Dually Diagnosed (NADD) in association with the American Psychiatric Association (APA) announces the availability of two new products:

    • The Diagnostic Manual - Intellectual Disability (DM-ID): A Textbook of Diagnosis of Mental Disorders in Persons with Intellectual Disability
    • Diagnostics Manual – Intellectual Disability (DM-ID): A Clinical Guide for Diagnosis of Mental Disorders in Persons with Intellectual Disability

ODEP Releases Three New Fact Sheets on Disclosure of Disability. The US Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) has developed three new fact sheets on disclosure to assist service providers and youth with disabilities transitioning from high school to a post-secondary setting or the workplace. The fact sheets provide valuable information and resources to help youth make an informed personal decision about the need for disclosing disability.

Resources from the Department of Education

    • Evaluations of States on their Implementation of IDEA (Fact Sheet). The US Department of Education has issued determination letters on implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to each state education agency for Part B and to each lead agency for Part C. The determinations, required under the statute, are part of the on-going efforts to improve results for children and youth with disabilities.
    • Learning Opportunities For Your Child Through Alternate Assessments (Booklet). This 28-page booklet introduces parents to the "big ideas" contained in school improvement efforts under NCLB and IDEA, and provides them with the information they need to help ensure that their children can benefit from these efforts.

Reports from the Government Accountability Office

    • Medicare Part D: CMS's Process and Policy for Enrolling New Dual-Eligible Beneficiaries.
    • Medicare Part D Low-Income Subsidy: Additional Efforts Would Help Social Security Improve Outreach and Measure Program Effects.

Resources from the National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD)

Various Resources

American Association for People with Disabilities (AAPD) Presidential Election Action Center. Stay up to date on candidate and campaign news, get-out-the-vote initiatives, action alerts, and all things related to the 2008 presidential election through AAPD's new Presidential Election Action Center.

Mapping 2005 State Proficiency Standards onto the NAEP Scales (Report). This June 2007 report from the National Center for Education Statistics indicates that Academic standards vary so drastically from state to state that a fourth grader judged proficient in reading in Mississippi or Tennessee would fall far short of that mark in Massachusetts and South Carolina.

Journal Article Reports Youth Mental Health Issues Missed in Primary Care. “Identification of Youth Psychosocial Problems During Pediatric Primary Care Visits.” Jonathan D. Brown, Anne W. Riley, and Lawrence S. Wissow, Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research, May 2007. This study found that pediatric primary care providers who reported greater burden associated with treating mental health problems and those who reported easier access to mental health specialists were less likely to accurately identify youth with mental health needs, compared with a standard screening tool, even after accounting for the severity of the mental health problem, reason for the visit, and other PCP characteristics.

Guidelines for Reporting and Writing about People with Disabilities (Guide). This is a good set of guidelines for preferred terms and how to portray disability in words. The guide is from the Research and Training Center on Independent Living from the University of Kansas.

United Cerebral Palsy (UCP) Releases States Services Report. UCP recently released a report, 2007 Case for Inclusion Report: An Analysis of Medicaid for Americans with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities to “spotlight” how state Medicaid programs are serving people with developmental disabilities and mental retardation. The 18-page report ranks states and offers analysis of service outcomes. According the report, the top-ranking 10 states are Arizona, Alaska, Vermont, Massachusetts, California, Connecticut, Minnesota, Colorado, Michigan, and New York.

Disability Issues Newsletter. The Center for Health Policy and Research at the University of Massachusetts Medical School produces a quarterly newsletter entitled “Disability Issues.” The newsletter, which has been published for 25 years, discusses current issues surrounding disabilities in Massachusetts and beyond.

Customized Employment Q&A: Assisting Adults with Intellectual Disabilities and Their Families to Pursue Their Employment Goals (Fact Sheet). Federal and state policies have promoted a shift away from segregated day programs for people with disabilities towards employment in integrated settings. This fact sheet explores why adults with disabilities choose to attend sheltered workshops and how this situation can be changed.

Do Participants Increase Their Earnings After Enrolling in the Medicaid Buy-In Program? (Issue Brief). Mathematica issued its fourth Working with Disabilities issue brief. This issue brief investigates whether participants increase their earnings after enrolling in the Medicaid Buy-In program.

New Websites

Described and Captioned Media Program (DCMP). This is a free service for students who are deaf, hard of hearing, or deaf-blind. The DCMP is funded by the U.S. Department of Education to provide free-loan described and captioned educational media and also act as a clearinghouse of information about accessible media.

DBTAC-Great Plains ADA Center. The ADA Center is "the most comprehensive resource for technical assistance and information on the Americans with Disabilities Act and related laws".

Manitas por Autismo (A Little Hand for Autism) Website. A new website, created by families for families, provides information in Spanish about autism spectrum disorders. In addition, a chat room and public forum area currently are under development.

Education.com. Education.com unveils an easy to use, comprehensive, one-stop online destination that helps parents and educators access high-quality information and resources with respect to the education of their children. Education.com empowers parents and educators of children ages pre-school through grade 12 to take an ever more active role in their children’s education.

HEATH Resource Center Launches Updated Website. The George Washington HEATH Resource Center has been redesigned to better meet the needs of students with disabilities, their families, school and university professionals, and others in the Internet community. The new website provides a clearer structure and simplified navigation. Users of the site will benefit from the improved navigation menus, the added features of RSS Feed subscription, and an extensive collection of links that will provide further information.

National Association of State Medicaid Directors (NASMD) Redesigned Website. Visitors can find news, conferences, key issues areas, State Medicaid Director letters, federal budget information, links to key organizations, and state Medicaid agencies, publications, and many other resources.

 

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