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April 2009, Vol.9, No.4
Dear AAIDD Friends and Colleagues:
- New study depicts troubling picture of interactions between an unaware, untrained criminal justice system and a vulnerable and difficult-to-detect population of inmates with intellectual and developmental disabilities in the United States.
- The Alliance for Full Participation launches national employment initiative for citizens with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
- Pilot study on the Supports Intensity Scale assessment tool in Edmonton, Alberta, draws positive feedback from participants.
- The 2009 Disability Policy Seminar in Washington, DC from April 27-29 focuses on embracing new opportunities in face of grave challenges.
- Mayo Clinic researchers find that children who require multiple surgeries under anesthesia during their first three years of life are at a higher risk of developing learning disabilities later.
NEW STUDY DEPICTS TROUBLING PICTURE OF INTERACTIONS BETWEEN AN UNAWARE, UNTRAINED CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM AND A VULNERABLE AND DIFFICULT-TO-DETECT POPULATION OF INMATES WITH INTELLECTUAL AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES IN THE UNITED STATES
Early identification of intellectual and developmental disabilities in people in the criminal justice system is essential to protect the rights of this group during arrest and trial, ensure safety when incarcerated, and maximize the opportunities to receive services while incarcerated and after being released from the prison. Using telephone interviews with jail administrators in one U.S. state, a new study published in the February issue of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, examined how people with intellectual and developmental disabilities were identified in jails. The results portray a challenging picture.
Click here to read “Are We There Yet? Screening Processes for Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities in Jail Settings” by Anna Scheyett et al. appearing in the February 2009 issue of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. To learn more about the journal, click here.
THE ALLIANCE FOR FULL PARTICIPATION LAUNCHES NATIONAL EMPLOYMENT INITIATIVE FOR CITIZENS WITH INTELLECTUAL AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES
The Alliance For Full Participation (AFP) announced a national effort to increase employment for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. To accomplish this goal, AFP has a four-part strategy of focused action and networking among multi-stakeholder state teams, national webcast education and town-hall events, national and state-level policy change advocacy, and directed local efforts to increase and enhance employment for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The AFP is a nonprofit organization comprised of 13 national nonprofit organizations in the field of intellectual and developmental disabilities.
PILOT STUDY ON THE SUPPORTS INTENSITY SCALE ASSESSMENT TOOL IN EDMONTON, ALBERTA, DRAWS POSITIVE FEEDBACK FROM PARTICIPANTS Since 2008, the Edmonton and Calagary Region Community Boards in Canada and Persons with Developmental Disabilities (PDD) have been rolling out a pilot project to determine if the Supports Intensity Scale (SIS) assessment tool can adequately determine resource allocation for people with intellectual disabilities. The SIS is a planning tool that measures support needs of a person living with an intellectual disability so that professionals can plan services accordingly. Ryan Popplestone, Community Supports Coordinator with Persons with Developmental Disabilities (PDD) in Alberta, Canada, walks us through the myriad details that go into ensuring a smooth pilot study of the Supports Intensity Scale. “The feedback has been both positive and constructive,” says Popplestone. To read the interview, click here. To learn more about the Supports Intensity Scale newsletter, visit www.siswebsite.org. To subscribe to the SIS Vantage newsletter, visit www.siswebsite.org/cs/Newsletter.
THE 2009 DISABILITY POLICY SEMINAR IN WASHINGTON, DC FROM APRIL 27-29 FOCUSES ON EMBRACING NEW OPPORTUNITIES IN FACE OF GRAVE CHALLENGES
A New Era: Embracing Opportunities In The Face Of Grave Challenges, the 2009 Disability Policy Seminar to be held in Washington, DC from April 27-29, 2009, will explore the unique challenges and opportunities facing the new 111th Congress and Obama Administration brought about by the 2008 election results and the economic crisis. Issues that will take center stage at the seminar include, Budget and Appropriations; Entitlements (Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security); Health Care and Long Term Services Reform; Developmental Disabilities Act; and Employment.
MAYO CLINIC RESEARCHERS FIND THAT CHILDREN WHO REQUIRE MULTIPLE SURGERIES UNDER ANESTHESIA DURING THEIR FIRST THREE YEARS OF LIFE ARE AT HIGHER RISK OF DEVELOPING LEARNING DISABILITIES LATER
Mayo Clinic researchers have found that children who require multiple surgeries under anesthesia during their first three years of life are at higher risk of developing learning disabilities later. Several studies have suggested that anesthetic drugs may cause abnormalities in the brains of young animals. This is the first study in humans to suggest that exposure of children to anesthesia may have similar consequences. To read a news release on the study, click here. The study titled “Early Exposure to Anesthesia and Learning Disabilities in a Population-based Birth Cohort” by Robert T. Wilder et al. is published in the journal Anesthesiology. Click here to read an abstract of the article and download it at no cost.