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October 2009, Vol. 9, No. 10
Dear AAIDD Friends and Colleagues:
- The new definition and classification manual of Intellectual Disability by the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities is here.
- Nearly two-thirds of the 36 children who have died due to the H1N1 flu between April and August experienced a form of developmental disability, CDC report says.
- The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development presents for public comment a report highlighting among other issues, areas of future expansion in the field of intellectual and developmental disability research.
- Join a series of free aging and end-of-life webinars from experts around the country through February 2010.
- A National Standards Report provides comprehensive overview of the scientific evidence in support of the many education and behavioral treatments currently available for people with Autism Spectrum Disorders.
THE NEW DEFINITION AND CLASSIFICATION MANUAL OF INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY BY THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION ON INTELLECTUAL AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES IS HERE
Intellectual Disability: Definition, Classification, and Systems of Supports, the new 11th edition of the definition and classification system by the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD) is now published. This is the first official AAIDD definition manual with the terminology “Intellectual Disability” (formerly mental retardation). To learn more about this progressive system of diagnosing and classifying the condition of intellectual disability, visit /intellectualdisabilitybook/. To purchase the Manual, please visit the bookstore at http://bookstore.aaidd.org.
Written by a committee of 18 experts over seven years, the AAIDD definition system is based on the global notion that intellectual disability is not a static life-long trait, but a condition that can be enhanced with the provision of proper supports. The 11th edition of the manual was based on a synthesis of current information and best practices regarding intellectual disability; numerous reviews and critiques of the 10th edition of the AAIDD definition manual; and feedback from the field regarding a series of articles published by the Committee.
NEARLY TWO-THIRDS OF THE 36 CHILDREN WHO HAVE DIED DUE TO THE H1N1 FLU BETWEEN APRIL AND AUGUST EXPERIENCED A FORM OF DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITY, CDC REPORT SAYS
CDC reported that of the 36 children died due to the H1N1 flu between April 2009 to the first week in August, 22 had neurodevelopmental conditions such as developmental delay or cerebral palsy. Thirteen of those children had more than one neurodevelopmental diagnosis, and nine had both neurodevelopmental and chronic pulmonary conditions. Read more: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5834a1.htm.
The mortality figure has since risen. By mid-September, CDC reported a total of 49 children had died from H1N1 flu, four of those since August 30. CDC posts weekly flu surveillance reports on http://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/index.htm#MS.
THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF CHILD HEALTH AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT PRESENTS FOR PUBLIC COMMENT A REPORT HIGHLIGHTING AMONG OTHER ISSUES, AREAS OF FUTURE EXPANSION IN THE FIELD OF INTELLECTUAL AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITY RESEARCH
In this report by an expert panel on the current work and future directions of the NICHD’s IDD Branch, the group supported a paradigm shift in IDD research “to integrate the IDD field more broadly, rather than focus on individual, rare disorders.” The panel felt this shift could encourage investigators to rethink the IDD field from the perspective of shared paths of investigation, systems approaches, and interrelated networks, “with the goal of developing interventions that may generalize across many conditions.” This would promote development of interventions for a wider population of individuals with IDD. The comment period ends October 16.
The panel supported work in several directions:
- Research on therapeutic interventions for IDD
- Early identification and diagnosis via newborn screening
- Research on adolescent brain development
- Health disparities and health promotion research related to IDD
- Training initiatives in the IDD field
- The draft is available at: http://www.nichd.nih.gov/news/releases/upload/DRAFT_IDD_Branch_Council_Report_Sept_2009.pdf
JOIN A SERIES OF FREE AGING AND END-OF-LIFE WEBINARS FROM EXPERTS AROUND THE COUNTRY THROUGH FEBRUARY 2010
AAIDD Executive Director Doreen Croser moderates this month’s webinar, Competence and Compassion: Critical Qualities in Effective Supports for Individuals with Dementia, on Wednesday, October 21 from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. Eastern time. This is the second in a free webinar series on aging and end-of-life. Speaker Genny Pugh, MA, LPA, FAAIDD, Executive Director, Turning Point Services, will explore practical approaches to creating environments, individual supports, and relationships aimed at preserving functional skills and promoting wellness and quality of life for those with dementia. The series is hosted by AAIDD and the RRTC on Aging and Developmental Disabilities at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Each webinar is free, but registration is required. To register, go to https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/481066657.
For more about future topics and speakers, go to /CONTENT_276.cfm.
A NATIONAL STANDARDS REPORT PROVIDES COMPREHENSIVE OVERVIEW OF THE SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE IN SUPPORT OF THE MANY EDUCATION AND BEHAVIORAL TREATMENTS CURRENTLY AVAILABLE FOR PEOPLE WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDERS
The National Autism Center has released its National Standards Report, which it describes as “the most comprehensive analysis of treatments of children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders ever published.” The report identifies 11 “established” treatments that are known to be effective for individuals on the autism spectrum, as well as 22 “emerging” treatments that have shown some evidence of effectiveness, but not enough to be confident they are truly effective. Finally, the report describes five “unestablished” treatments “for which there is no sound evidence of effectiveness… [and] no way to rule out the possibility these treatments are ineffective or harmful.”
The goal of the survey is to give families and professionals better tools for making treatment decisions to meet the needs of individuals with autism spectrum disorders.
Read more in National Autism Center’s news release at http://news.prnewswire.com/DisplayReleaseContent.aspx?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/09-22-2009/0005098108&EDATE.
For information on downloading the report, go to http://www.nationalautismcenter.org/affiliates/reports.php.