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January 2010, Vol. 10, No. 1

AAIDD F.Y.I.
January 2010, Vol.10, No.1
Visit www.aaidd.org/FYI/ to access current and past issues of this monthly newsletter. Subscribe at http://www.responsetrack.net/aaidd/sign_up.

Dear AAIDD Friends and Colleagues:

• Study indicates that maternal responsivity predicts language development in young children with Fragile-X Syndrome.
• CDC study shows one in every 110 eight-year-old Americans classified with autism spectrum disorder.
• The Lancet notes marginal position of intellectual disability in health care and research.
• Deadlines approach for research grants in intellectual and developmental disabilities.
• Available now: The new definition and classification manual of the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.
• Study findings:  Extra copies of one gene may cause more severe disability; another gene found possibly to be associated with wide range of intellectual disabilities.
• FBI records show intellectual disability is the target of more hate crimes than physical disability (but still much lower than other targets).

STUDY INDICATES THAT MATERNAL RESPONSIVITY PREDICTS LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT IN YOUNG CHILDREN WITH FRAGILE-X SYNDROME
Results of a 36-month study of 55 children with fragile-X syndrome and their mothers indicated that maternal responsivity is associated with four important language development outcomes by the time the child is 36 months old. The study appears in the January 2010 issue of the American Journal on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. Read full article.

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CDC STUDY SHOWS ONE IN EVERY 110 EIGHT-YEAR-OLD AMERICANS CLASSIFIED WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER
One in every 110 eight-year-old Americans is classified as having an autism spectrum disorder (ASD), according to a Surveillance Summary published in the Centers for Disease Controls and Prevention (CDC) Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report of December 18. The report reflected data gathered in 2006 and showed a substantial increase in ASD prevalence from the 2002 survey. The survey involved more than 300,000 children in 11 states, or 7.9 percent of all U.S. eight-year-olds in 2006. Read full report or summary article.

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THE LANCET NOTES MARGINAL POSITION OF INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY IN HEALTH CARE AND RESEARCH
In its November 28 issue, The Lancet comments that in most countries, intellectual disability receives little or no attention during medical training, and there is a large gap between the needs of affected individuals and the availability of services. Further, there is a gap between research on intellectual disability and research on other neuropsychiatric disorders. Several articles in the issue discuss these findings. Read summaries.

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DEADLINES APPROACH FOR RESEARCH GRANTS IN INTELLECTUAL AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISABLITIES
The Association of University Centers on Disabilities has announced funding for research topics including health surveillance of adults with intellectual disabilities and early identification of warning signs of developmental delay and autism spectrum disorder among underserved population groups. Deadline for submitting letters of intent is February 8. Read more. 

Also, the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development is inviting applications for Center Core Grants designed to advance the diagnosis, prevention, treatment, and amelioration of intellectual and developmental disabilities. Deadline for applications is January 24. Read more.

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AVAILABLE NOW: THE NEW DEFINITION AND CLASSIFICATION MANUAL OF INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY BY THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION ON INTELLECTUAL AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES
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 available. Learn more or purchase the Manual. Also on AAIDD’s Website, three co-authors describe several facets of the Manual, including legal and educational aspects. Watch video interviews or read Q&As based on the transcripts.

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STUDY FINDINGS: EXTRA COPIES OF ONE GENE MIGHT CAUSE MORE SEVERE DISABILITY; ANOTHER GENE FOUND POSSIBLY TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH WIDE RANGE OF INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES
Findings published in the December 2009 issue of the American Journal of Human Genetics: (1) Researchers in Flanders, Belgium, have found that excess copies of the GCI1 gene, located on the X-chromosome, may be associated with more severe of intellectual disability in males. Normally, there is only one copy of the gene on the chromosome. Read article in Science News. (2) Scientists at Ontario’s Centre for Addiction and Mental Health may have identified a gene, TRAPPC9, as being associated with non-syndromic types of intellectual disability, which cause up to 50 per cent of intellectual disability worldwide. In the same issue, two other international research teams independently confirm the findings. Read news release.

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FBI RECORDS SHOW INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY IS THE TARGET OF MORE HATE CRIMES THAN PHYSICAL DISABILITY (BUT STILL MUCH LOWER THAN OTHER TARGETS)
The hate crime statistics of the FBI’s Uniform Crime Report for 2008 show that 0.9 percent of all reported hate crimes involved bias against a disability. A total of 85 individuals were victims of hate crimes due to this bias.  Of these, 57 were victims of bias against intellectual disability and 28, against physical disability. See FBI report/table.

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