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June 2007, Vol.7, No.6

AAIDD F.Y.I.
June 2007, Vol.7, No.6

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

Dear AAIDD Friends and Colleagues:

ARIZONA HAS THE TOP-PERFORMING MEDICAID PROGRAM FOR PEOPLE WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES IN THE U.S., WHEREAS MISSISSIPPI RANKS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE LIST, ACCORDING A NEW REPORT PUBLISHED BY UNITED CEREBRAL PALSY
It does not matter if a state is large or small, rich or poor, or has high or low taxes in order to best serve people with intellectual and developmental disabilities through Medicaid programs. What matters is how a state acts and what is achieved, concludes a comprehensive report by United Cerebral Palsy on the performance of state Medicaid programs in the United States. Each state’s program was evaluated for its effectiveness in promoting independence; tracking quality and safety; keeping families together; promoting productivity; and reaching those in need. Nationwide, Medicaid serves almost 545,000 individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and Medicaid is often the chief funding source for people with intellectual disabilities.

Click here to download The Case for Inclusion: An Analysis of Medicaid for Americans with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. Access individual state rankings athttp://www.ucp.org/medicaid/.

SUPPORTS INTENSITY SCALE TRAINING SCHEDULED TO BE HELD IN BALTIMORE IN FALL 2007
Training on the Supports Intensity Scale (SIS) planning tool for people with intellectual disabilities is scheduled to be held in the Baltimore, Maryland area in Fall 2007. The workshop is open to a small group of professionals and it is an opportunity to get an in-depth orientation on the Scale from AAIDD senior trainers. Participants will learn how to administer SIS in an accurate and reliable manner. Since
its publication, training has repeatedly proven to increase the reliability of scores obtained from a SIS assessment, ensuring fair and equitable allocation of resources to people living with a developmental disability. The SIS is currently in use in several U.S. states as well as the Netherlands, Iceland, China, and other countries abroad.

Due to the small size of the workshop, please write immediately to books@aaidd.org if you are interested in attending this training session. To learn more about SIS training, visit www.siswebsite.org/Training.

NEW NATIONAL PARTNERSHIP FORMED TO RAISE PUBLIC AWARENESS OF CRIMES AGAINST PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES; RECORDING OF FIRST TOWN-HALL MEETING HELD NOW AVAILABLE
From the little data available on crimes against persons with disabilities in the United States, we know that children with a disability are 68 percent more likely to be victims of maltreatment, women with developmental disabilities are at a 4 to 10 times greater risk of sexual assault, and 15,000 to 19,000 people with developmental disabilities are raped each year in the United States. To foster greater public awareness about crimes to victims with disabilities, a partnership has been formed between the National Council on Disability (NCD), the Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD), and the National Center for Victims of Crime (NCVC), and a web-based “town hall” meeting was held on May 30 to launch this initiative.

To read a joint statement released by the NCD, AUCD, and NCVC, click here.

To listen to an audio recording of the May 30 meeting titled “Breaking the Silence on Crime Victims with Disabilities in the United States,” click here.

To read a transcript of this meeting, click here.

WHAT ARE THE BIG IDEAS CONTAINED IN THE NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND ACT AND THE IDEA LEGISLATION AND HOW DO THEY BENEFIT YOUR CHILD? FIND OUT IN A NEW PUBLICATION FROM THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
No one cares more about a child than parents. Two of the U.S. government’s biggest public investments are in laws pertaining to the education of children—the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) and the Individuals with Disabilities Education (IDEA) legislation. Now find out what the big ideas are behind NCLB and IDEA, and how exactly children can benefit from them through a new booklet published by the U.S. Department of Education at http://www.ed.gov/parents/needs/speced/learning/index.html titled,Learning Opportunities For Your Child Through Alternate Assessments.

TWO-YEAR FELLOWSHIP IN FAMILY MEDICINE WITH FOCUS ON DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES NOW BEING OFFERED BY BOSTON UNIVERSITY
Boston University is seeking applicants for a two-year Academic Family Medicine fellowship with a primary focus on developmental disabilities. The fellowship involves obtaining a Masters degree in Epidemiology and Biostatistics or in Health Services Research from Boston University’s Department of Public Health and includes clinical experience in providing health supports to people with intellectual and physical disabilities. To find out more on the application process, stipend, and deadlines, email Mary Cerreto at Mary.Cerreto@bmc.org.

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. For more information on becoming an AAIDD member, visit /Membership/index.shtml. To purchase AAIDD products, visit http://bookstore.aaidd.org.

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