April 2010, Vol.10, N0.4
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April 2010, Vol.10, N0.4

AAIDD F.Y.I. 

April 2010, Vol.10, No.4

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:
       
  • New study shows that exposure to the pesticide chlorpyrifos—banned in U.S. households but still widely used in the agricultural industry—is associated with early childhood developmental delays.
  • The Supports Intensity Scale assessment tool is now in use in sixteen countries, with the Scale being available in fourteen languages.
  • The U.S. Department of Education releases a summary of state-by-state laws and regulations regarding the use of restraints and seclusion techniques in schools following a federal report last year on abuse and death of special education students.
  • Read an editorial on the rewards and challenges of cognitive neuroscience studies of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in a special issue of the American Journal on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.
  • First national study on crime against people with disabilities reveals that people with cognitive disabilities have a rate of nonfatal violent crime higher than the rates for persons with other types of disabilities. 
  • Get free tax help from the Internal Revenue Service on such special credits as the Credit for the Elderly or the Disabled.

NEW STUDY SHOWS THAT EXPOSURE TO THE PESTICIDE CHLORPYRIFOS—BANNED IN U.S. HOUSEHOLDS BUT STILL WIDELY USED IN THE AGRICULTURAL INDUSTRY—IS ASSOCIATED WITH EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENTAL DELAYS

A Columbia University study examined the association between exposure to the pesticide Chlorpyrifos and mental and physical impairments in children in low-income areas of New York City neighborhoods and found that exposure to this pesticide is associated with early childhood developmental delays. Chlorpyrifos was commonly used in these neighborhoods until it was banned for household use by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 2001. Findings of the study, “Chlorpyrifos Exposure and Urban Residential Environment Characteristics as Determinants of Early Childhood Neurodevelopment”, are available in the March 18 online issue of the American Journal of Public Health. Read an abstract. 

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In related environmental news, on February 4th, 2010, the Senate Subcommittee on Superfund, Toxics and Environmental Health held a hearing on “Current Science on Public Exposures to Toxic Chemicals”. To listen to a webcast of the event, click here. The Environmental Health Initiative (EHI) at the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD) attended this hearing. The EHI is at the forefront of examining the relationship between developmental disabilities and environmental contaminants. Learn more about the EHI at www.aaidd.org/ehi/. To sign up for updates from AAIDD on environment and developmental disabilities, send an email to Joyce Martin, JD, AAIDD Director of Environmental Health Policy at JMartin@aaidd.org.

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THE SUPPORTS INTENSITY SCALE ASSESSMENT TOOL IS NOW IN USE IN SIXTEEN COUNTRIES, WITH THE SCALE BEING AVAILABLE IN FOURTEEN LANGUAGES 

Since its introduction to the disability field in 2004, the Supports Intensity Scale (SIS) assessment tool, with its unique needs-based approach to planning services for people with intellectual disabilities, has garnered visibility in several countries. The SIS measures support needs of adults with intellectual disabilities in 85 life activities and medical and behavioral areas. Within the United States, 12 states have adopted SIS as their disability services planning tool. These include Oregon, Colorado, Pennsylvania, Missouri, Louisiana, Washington, Virginia, Georgia, West Virginia, Utah, New Hampshire, and Oklahoma. Six other U.S. States are working with the Scale in an early pilot phase. In Canada, SIS is in use in the two Canadian provinces of Ontario and Alberta. In addition, nations where SIS is being used in a native language version include Italy, Belgium, Netherlands, Taiwan, Japan, Iceland, Croatia, Catalonia, Korea, Portugal, the Czech Republic, and Spain. The original English language version of SIS is also in use in Australia and Ireland. To learn more, visit www.siswebsite.org. The SIS is published by the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD).

In other SIS news, Steven J. Mason has been hired as Director of Support Services for AAIDD and will manage the SIS program. Read read an interview with Steven at www.siswebsite.org. To send an inquiry on SIS to AAIDD, email books@aaidd.org. 

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READ AN EDITORIAL ON THE REWARDS AND CHALLENGES OF COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE STUDIES OF PEOPLE WITH INTELLECTUAL AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES IN A SPECIAL ISSUE OF THE AMERICAN JOURNAL ON INTELLECTUAL AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES

Cognitive neuroscience holds considerable promise for explaining the causes and potential avenues of interventions for many challenges facing people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. A new special issue of the American Journal on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AJIDD) features six studies on the cognitive neuroscience of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. “Research employing cognitive neuroscience methods has not traditionally been published in AJIDD and so, this is an important new day for the Journal. I am pleased we are able to share these exciting methods and findings with our readers”, says AJIDD Editor Dr. Leonard Abbeduto.

Read the editorial from this issue by Guest Editor Tony J. Simon of the M.I.N.D. Institute at the University of California, Davis. Learn more about AJIDD.

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THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION RELEASES A SUMMARY OF STATE-BY-STATE LAWS AND REGULATIONS REGARDING THE USE OF RESTRAINTS AND SECLUSION TECHNIQUES IN SCHOOLS FOLLOWING A FEDERAL REPORT LAST YEAR ON ABUSE AND EVEN DEATH OF SPECIAL EDUCATION STUDENTS

As a follow up to the U.S. Government Accountability Office report last year on Seclusions and Restraints: Selected Cases of Death and Abuse at Public and Private Schools and Treatment Centers (Click here to see reference in June 2009 AAIDD F.Y.I.), U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan sent a letter to the states and territories urging them to review and revise their state policies to ensure that students are protected from being unnecessarily restrained or secluded. Now a summary of state laws, regulations, policies, and guidelines regarding the use of restraint and seclusion techniques in schools is available at http://www.ed.gov/policy/seclusion/seclusion-state-summary.html. 

In the past several years, positive behavior support (PBS) strategies have emerged as the method of choice for managing difficult behavior in special education settings. Designing Positive Behavior Support Plans by Bambara and Knoster outlines some of the tips and techniques in PBS for professionals in school and provider settings. The book is published by the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD). 

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FIRST NATIONAL STUDY ON CRIME AGAINST PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES REVEALS THAT PEOPLE WITH COGNITIVE DISABILITIES HAVE A RATE OF NONFATAL VIOLENT CRIME HIGHER THAN THE RATES FOR PERSONS WITH OTHER TYPES OF DISABILITIES

The first national study on crime against persons with disabilities by the United States Justice Department reveals that in 2007, persons ages 12 or older with disabilities experienced about 716,000 nonfatal violent crimes, including rape or sexual assault (47,000), robbery (79,000), aggravated assaults (114,000) and simple assaults (476,000). They also experienced about 2.3 million property crimes during the year.  The risk of violence was higher for young and middle-age persons with a disability than those of similar age groups without disabilities. Violent crime against females with a disability (35 per 1,000 persons age 12 or older) was almost twice the rate for females without a disability (19 per 1,000 persons age 12 or older). More than half of violent crimes against people with disabilities were against those with more than one type of disability. Persons with cognitive disabilities had a rate of nonfatal violent crime higher than the rates for persons with other types of disabilities.  Read a news release on the launch of the report. Read the report. 

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GET FREE TAX HELP FROM THE INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE ON SUCH SPECIAL CREDITS AS CREDIT FOR THE ELDERLY OR THE DISABLED 

The IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program (VITA) and the Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) Program offer free tax help for taxpayers who qualify. Through these programs, trained community volunteers help with special credits such as the Earned Income Tax Credit, Child Tax Credit, and Credit for the Elderly or the Disabled. To locate the nearest VITA site, call 1-800-829-1040. Learn more. Download a Publication 524 or Credit for the Elderly or the Disabled form.

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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 /content_14.cfm?navID=13.  
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