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March 2010, Vol.10, No.3

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AAIDD F.Y.I.

March 2010, Vol.10, No.3

Visit www.aaidd.org/FYI/ to access current and past issues of this monthly newsletter. Subscribe at http://www.responsetrack.net/aaidd/sign_up.

The American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Board of Directors appoints Margaret Nygren as new Executive Director. View news release.

Dear AAIDD Friends and Colleagues:

• New biomonitoring study finds the presence of 61 chemicals in the bodies of 12 adults, including two persons with an intellectual disability; study is the first to target the developmental disability community.
• New data reveals that the incidence of cerebral palsy is on the rise in the United States.
• New (and free) iPhone app launched for creating Individual Education Programs (IEP) checklist.
• An estimated 65.7 million people have served as unpaid caregivers to adults and children, reveals a new report; study includes caregivers of children with special needs with ten percent of survey respondents say they provide care to a person with an intellectual disability or a developmental delay.
• Benefits outweigh risks associated with newborn screening for disorder, new study finds.
• Save the date! “Imagining the future, celebrating the past”: The Annual Meeting of the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities will take place in Rhode Island from June 9-11, 2010.

NEW BIOMONITORING STUDY FINDS THE PRESENCE OF 61 CHEMICALS IN THE BODIES OF 12 ADULTS, INCLUDING TWO PERSONS WITH AN INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY; STUDY IS THE FIRST TO TARGET THE DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITY COMMUNITY
Autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, dyslexia, intellectual disability, lowered IQ, and other disorders of learning, development, and behavior are highly prevalent today among American children. Chemical contamination in our bodies has also increased. The Mind, Disrupted: How Toxic Chemicals May Change How We Think and Who We Are, a unique biomonitoring project, studies the role of environmental toxins on the brain and nervous system. Twelve leaders and self-advocates from the learning and developmental disability community were tested for the presence of a set of known or suspected neurotoxic or endocrine disrupting chemicals. Sixteen chemicals were identified in every participant and a total of 61 chemicals (out of 89 tested) were found in the twelve participants. Each participant was found to harbor at least 26, and as many as 38 of the tested chemicals in their bodies. Learn more about the project. View full report.

Laura Abulafia, MPH, Director of Education and Outreach for the Environmental Health Initiative (EHI) at the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD), is one of the individuals tested. For questions on EHI or the Mind, Disrupted: How Toxic Chemicals May Change How We Think and Who We Are, email Laura at laura@aaidd.org.

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NEW DATA REVEALS THAT THE INCIDENCE OF CEREBRAL PALSY IS ON THE RISE IN THE UNITED STATES
Cerebral Palsy has increased in infants born prematurely in the United States, according to data presented by researchers from the Loyola University Health System. Cerebral Palsy is a disorder that impairs movement due to brain damage. More than 500,000 Americans have Cerebral Palsy, and it is one of the most common causes of chronic childhood disability. These findings were reported at the 30th Annual Meeting of the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine in Chicago. They also were published in the latest issue of the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology. View news release. Read article (free access) titled “Does peripartum infection increase the incidence of cerebral palsy in extremely low birthweight infants?” in the American Journal on Obstetrics and Gynecology.

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NEW (AND FREE) IPHONE APP LAUNCHED FOR CREATING INDIVIDUAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS (IEP) CHECKLIST
The Parent Educational Advocacy Training Center (PEATC) has launched an iPhone App designed to help families and teachers plan for educational services for students with disabilities. The IEP Checklist iPhone App was developed in response to the rising need for families with children with disabilities to have on-the-spot intelligent assistance working with schools to develop Individual Education Programs (IEPs). The App can be downloaded from the PEATC website www.peatc.org or by entering "IEP Checklist" into the iTunes store search bar. The App is free, and is compatible with the iPhone and iPod Touch.

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AN ESTIMATED 65.7 MILLION PEOPLE HAVE SERVED AS UNPAID CAREGIVERS TO ADULTS AND CHILDREN REVEALS A NEW REPORT; STUDY INCLUDES CAREGIVERS OF CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS WITH TEN PERCENT OF SURVEY RESPONDENTS PROVIDING CARE TO A PERSON WITH AN INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY OR DEVELOPMENTAL DELAY
Based on telephone interviews with 1,480 caregivers nationwide, the National Alliance for Caregiving along with the AARP has published a report on family caregivers today in America. According to Caregiving in the U.S., an estimated 65.7 million people have served as unpaid caregivers to adults and children. More than 3 in 10 (31.2%) households report that at least one person has served as an unpaid caregiver in the past 12 months leading to an estimated 36.5 households with a caregiver present. Ten percent of respondents say they provide care to a person with an intellectual disability or a developmental delay. Caregivers of children with special needs help their family members in 5.6 out of 9 Caregiving Support Activities.

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BENEFITS OUTWEIGH RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH NEWBORN SCREENING FOR DISORDERS, NEW STUDY FINDS
From an economic perspective, the benefits of diagnosing a newborn through screening outweigh the stress of false positives or treatment for the disorder, which can cause an intellectual disability or death, according to new research from the University of Michigan published in the February issue of the journal Pediatrics. View abstract of “Projected Costs, Risks, and Benefits of Expanded Newborn Screening for MCADD”.

View press release from the University of Michigan.

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SAVE THE DATE! “IMAGINING THE FUTURE, CELEBRATING THE PAST”: THE UPCOMING ANNUAL MEETING OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION ON INTELLECTUAL AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES WILL TAKE PLACE IN RHODE ISLAND FROM JUNE 9-11, 2010
Stay tuned to more information on workshops and seminars to be held at the 134th Annual Meeting of the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD) in Rhode Island from June 9-11, 2010.

Download an exhibitor prospectus.
Learn about sponsorship opportunities.
Registration opens in March. View conference rates.

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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.