Email  |  Print

February 2009, Vol.9, No.2

Dear AAIDD Friends and Colleagues:

• U.S. President Barack Obama reveals comprehensive plan for people with disabilities.
• End-of-life planning with People Planning Ahead guide helps one person voice her fear of dying in a nursing home and another individual reconnect with a lost sibling.
• New study reveals that high doses of Omega-3 fatty acids administered to preterm infants can help their mental development, reducing the risk of developmental disorders.
• New study of the Supports Intensity Scale assessment reveals that it is an effective instrument for measuring differences in support needs and making decisions about funding for people with intellectual disabilities.
• New report outlines factors to be considered to prevent people with developmental disabilities and their families from being left behind as U.S. leaders tackle healthcare reform.
• Nation’s most extensive survey on employment of people with disabilities shows resistance among businesses to view people with disabilities as being able to advance up the corporate ladder.

U.S. PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA REVEALS COMPREHENSIVE PLAN FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES
On January 20th, U.S. President Barack Obama announced the new Administration's 4-part disability agenda: Provide educational opportunities to Americans with disabilities; end discrimination and promote equal opportunity; increase the employment rate of workers with disabilities; and support independent, community-based living. In addition, the plan also has a separate statement on the Administration’s vision for Autism support. Read more on the White House disability agenda at http://www.whitehouse.gov/agenda/disabilities/.

[Back to top]

END-OF-LIFE PLANNING WITH PEOPLE PLANNING AHEAD HELPS ONE PERSON VOICE HER FEAR OF DYING IN A NURSING HOME AND ANOTHER INDIVIDUAL RECONNECT WITH A LOST SIBLING
Dawn Rudolph, Program Manager with the Association on University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD), talks about her experience implementing the planning guide, People Planning Ahead: Communicating Healthcare and End-of-Life Wishes as a former residential services director. People Planning Ahead provides professionals in disability, palliative care, and geriatric care a comprehensive and structured way develop plans to ensure that people receive care respecting their wishes and conforming to their personal, cultural, and religious beliefs. To read an interview with Dawn Rudolph, click here. To learn more about People Planning Ahead, click here.

[Back to top]

NEW STUDY REVEALS THAT HIGH DOSES OF OMEGA-3 FATTY ACIDS ADMINISTERED TO PRETERM INFANTS CAN HELP THEIR MENTAL DEVELOPMENT, REDUCING THE RISK OF DEVELOPMENTAL DISORDERS
A six-year study led by researchers Maria Makrides from the Women’s & Children’s Health Research Institute and Professor Bob Gibson from the University of Adelaide has demonstrated that high doses of fatty acids administered to preterm infants via their mother's breast milk or infant formula can help their mental development, hence reducing the risk of developmental disorders. The research findings are published in the January 14th issue in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

To read an abstract of “Neurodevelopmental Outcomes of Preterm Infants Fed High-Dose Docosahexaenoic Acid: A Randomized Controlled Trial” by Maria Makrides et al., click here. To read a news release on the study from the University of Adelaide, click here.

[Back to top]

NEW STUDY OF THE SUPPORTS INTENSITY SCALE ASSESSMENT REVEALS THAT IT IS AN EFFECTIVE INSTRUMENT FOR MEASURING DIFFERENCES IN SUPPORT NEEDS AND MAKING DECISIONS ABOUT FUNDING FOR PEOPLE WITH INTELLECTUAL DISBABILITIES
A new study of 274 adults with intellectual disabilities currently receiving funding from a state agency reveals that the Supports Intensity Scale (SIS) is effective in equitably determining need for extraordinary funding if ‘equitable’ refers to funding on the basis of an individual’s intensity of supports needed. The study also concludes that SIS as a means to determine actual supports needed would be as or more effective than using another established instrument, the Developmental Disabilities Profile (DDP), or professional/personal judgment alone.

The study titled “Efficacy of the Supports Intensity Scale (SIS) to Predict Extraordinary Support Needs” is published in the January 2009 issue of the American Journal on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AJIDD). Click here to read the article. Click here to view the table of contents from the current issue of AJIDD.

[Back to top]

NEW REPORT OUTLINES FACTORS TO BE CONSIDERED TO PREVENT PEOPLE WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES AND THEIR FAMILIES FROM BEING LEFT BEHIND AS U.S. LEADERS TACKLE HEALTHCARE REFORM
The National Association of State Directors of Developmental Disabilities Services (NASDDDS) has published a report titled “Health Care Reform:
Long-Term Services and Supports for Citizens with Developmental Disabilities” outlining a series of factors to be considered as the U.S. health care reform agenda unfolds. The goal is to ensure that health care reform efforts fully consider the needs of individuals with developmental disabilities and their families. Adults and children with developmental disabilities rely heavily on the national Medicaid program not only for physical and mental health services, but also for long-term services and supports that enable them to live and participate in their communities. Click here to read the report.

[Back to top]

NATION’S MOST EXTENSIVE SURVEY ON EMPLOYMENT OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES SHOWS RESISTANCE AMONG BUSINESSES TO VIEW PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES AS BEING ABLE TO ADVANCE UP THE CORPORATE LADDER
The U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) released findings of an extensive survey of employers’ actions and attitudes toward employing people with disabilities at www.dol.gov/odep. The survey found that a majority of large businesses are hiring people with disabilities. However, there continue to be challenges. “While in many cases the front door has begun to open for people with disabilities seeking employment, unfortunately, all too often a glass ceiling still keeps these valuable employees in lower level positions," says ODEP Assistant Secretary Neil Romano.

[Back to top]

AAIDD F.Y.I. is compiled by Anna Prabhala, Editor and is published by the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (Formerly AAMR). Please submit comments, suggestions, tips, and news to annap@aaidd.org. To learn about AAIDD products, visit http://bookstore.aaidd.org. For more information on becoming an AAIDD member, visit /Membership/index.shtml.

Subscribe for free at http://www.responsetrack.net/aaidd/sign_up.