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February 2007, Vol.7, No.2

AAIDD F.Y.I.
February 2007, Vol.7, No.2

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:

• New User’s Guide discusses contemporary relevance of the AAIDD definition of intellectual disability in clinical, special education, and policy settings.
• Folic acid consumption during pregnancy reduces occurrence of cleft lip and palate in baby, new study finds.
• State of Colorado adopts the Supports Intensity Scale.
• New study examines why only 28% of people with intellectual disabilities in the United States use cell phones.
• Major developmental disability groups reveal legislative goals for the 110 th Congress.
• Researchers discover a fourth, completely new genetic clue on the occurrence of Alzheimer’s disease.

NEW USER’S GUIDE DISCUSSES CONTEMPORARY RELEVANCE OF THE AAIDD DEFINITION OF INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY IN CLINICAL, SPECIAL EDUCATION, AND POLICY SETTINGS 
The much-awaited User’s Guide on how to implement a supports-based definition system of intellectual disability in special education, clinical, and policy settings, is now available through the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (formerly AAMR). The User’s Guide supplements the 2002 definition manual published by AAIDD, and discusses various contemporary issues ranging from how the AAIDD definition ties in with IDEA mandates to conducting retroactive diagnoses of intellectual disability such as in the Atkins v. Virginia case.

To purchase a copy of the User’s Guide, please visit http://bookstore.aaidd.org ordownload a book order form to mail, phone, or fax in your order. To see a list of other publications by AAIDD, download a 2007 catalog here.

Click here to learn more about the AAIDD definition system. Click here to download a chapter excerpt from the definition manual.

FOLIC ACID CONSUMPTION DURING PREGNANCY REDUCES OCCURRENCE OF CLEFT LIP AND PALATE IN BABY, NEW STUDY FINDS
While it is well-established that consumption of folic acid among women of childbearing age reduces the risk of neural tube defects, a team of scientists at the National Institutes of Health have discovered that consuming 400 mcg of folic acid a day also reduces by one third, the baby’s risk of isolated cleft lip (with or without cleft palate), a common birth defect.

Read more about the discovery at http://www.nih.gov/news/pr/jan2007/niehs-26.htm.

STATE OF COLORADO ADOPTS THE SUPPORTS INTENSITY SCALE 
After a rigorous analysis of ten national and state tools that could potentially yield a robust mechanism for determining support needs and allocating resources to its citizens with intellectual disabilities, Colorado announced the adoption of the Supports Intensity Scale. The SIS is a planning tool that measures support needs of a person with an intellectual disability so that services can be determined accordingly.Click here to read more about SIS in Colorado.

The SIS was developed by the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. In other news on the Supports Intensity Scale, click here to read more about a new addition to the SIS training program offered by AAIDD.

NEW STUDY EXAMINES WHY ONLY 28 PERCENT OF PEOPLE WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES USE CELL PHONES 
A new study published in the February issue of the journal Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (formerly Mental Retardation) finds that expense, lack of perceived need, and difficulty in use are the main factors why only 28% of people with intellectual disabilities in the United States use cell phones. The national use of cell phone use in the United States is 60%.

Click here to read “ Cell Phone Use by Adults With Intellectual Disabilities” by Diane Nelson Bryen, Allison Carey, and Mark Friedman.

Click here to learn more about Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.

MAJOR DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITY GROUPS REVEAL LEGISLATIVE GOALS FOR THE 110 TH CONGRESS 
Five disability groups, including the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities have published critical goals to be accomplished with the 110^th Congress of the United States on behalf of persons living with a developmental disability. Click here to download Legislative Goals for the 110^th Congress.

RESEARCHERS DISCOVER A FOURTH, COMPLETELY NEW GENETIC CLUE ON THE OCCURRENCE OF ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE 
Variations in a gene known as SORL1 may be a factor in the development of late onset Alzheimer's disease, an international team of researchers has discovered. The research was mainly funded by the National Institute on Aging and the National Human Genome Research Institute. Most people with Down syndrome are particularly prone to forms of dementia such as Alzheimer’s disease. Down syndrome is commonly known to be associated with an intellectual disability. Click here to learn more about the new discovery.

To read a fact sheet on dementia and intellectual disabilities by the Alzheimer’s Disease International, visit http://www.uic.edu/orgs/rrtcamr/dementiaid.pdf.

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.

Subscribe for free at http://www.responsetrack.net/aamr/sign_up.

Access past issues of AAIDD F.Y.I. at www.aaidd.org/FYI/.

© Copyright 2007 American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD)

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