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June 2011, Vol. 11, No. 6

AAIDD F.Y.I.
June 2011, Vol.11, No.6
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:

• Centers for Disease Control reports a 17 percent overall increase in the prevalence of developmental disability among children in the United States between1997-2008.
• New edition of the States of the States in Developmental Disabilities captures trends in U.S. developmental disability services and spending from 2007-2009, a time of extensive budget shortfalls in America.
• U.S. researchers find that environmental disease in children can cost up to $76.6 billion a year; Study author to conduct a workshop at the AAIDD annual meeting next week in Minnesota.
• Canadian study examines the frequent use of the emergency department by people with intellectual disability and mental illness, pointing to the need for better primary care.
• Have you visited the AAIDD podcasts page lately?

CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL REPORTS A 17 PERCENT OVERALL INCREASE IN THE PREVALENCE OF DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITY AMONG CHILDREN IN THE UNITED STATES BETWEEN 1997-2008
A study of children ages 3 to 17 years from a nationally representative sample of U.S. households from 1997–2008 revealed that the prevalence of developmental disability increased from 12.84% to 15.04% over 12 years, with a total 10 million children in the United States reported to have a developmental disability. Autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and other developmental delays increased, while moderate to profound hearing loss showed a significant decline. Also, boys had a higher prevalence overall and for a number of select disabilities compared with girls.

NEW EDITION OF THE STATES OF THE STATES IN DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES CAPTURES TRENDS IN U.S. DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITY SERVICES AND SPENDING FROM 2007-2009, A TIME OF EXTENSIVE BUDGET SHORTFALLS IN AMERICA
An new 2011 edition of the States of the States in Developmental Disabilities study by noted researcher David L. Braddock provides a detailed analysis of developmental disability spending in each U.S. state and DC from 2007-2009. The 2011 edition adds to the data included in the seventh edition of the book, which covers a 30-year analysis of developmental disability spending through year 2006. Historically, the State of the States study has provided detailed, hard-to-find data that helps decision makers develop strategic plans, and make system changes and budget appropriations. The study is arguably best known for its 4-page report card on each state’s expenditure on developmental disability programs and services, including the following information: Trends in Spending; Trends in Revenue; Intellectual and developmental disability revenue sources in 2006; and Federal intellectual and developmental disability Medicaid revenue.

Download a table of contents from the 2011 edition of the State of the States. Purchase the book. Learn more about AAIDD.

U.S. RESEARCHERS FIND THAT ENVIRONMENTAL DISEASE IN CHILDREN CAN COST UP TO $76.6 BILLION A YEAR; STUDY AUTHOR TO CONDUCT A WORKSHOP AT THE AAIDD ANNUAL MEETING NEXT WEEK IN MINNESOTA
After analyzing the costs of conditions such as lead poisoning, childhood cancer, asthma, autism, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder associated with exposure to toxic chemicals, Leonardo Trasande, MD, and his colleagues at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine found the annual cost of these diseases in the United States to be an estimated $76.6 billion, representing 3.5 percent of all U.S. health care costs in 2008. The cost breakdown includes $50.9 for lead poisoning, $7.9 billion for autism, $5.4 billion for intellectual disability, and $5.1 billion for exposure to mercury pollution, $5 billion for ADHD, $2.2 billion for asthma, and $95 for childhood cancer. The findings are captured in three studies published in the May issue of the journal Health Affairs. Read a press release on the study.

Dr. Leonardo Trasande, along with his colleagues, will address this issue of costs of environmental disease at an all-day workshop on June 9 titled “Healthy Lives, Healthy Minds” at the annual meeting of the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD) in St. Paul, Minnesota. Learn more about the workshop. Download an agenda for the workshop. The “Health Lives, Healthy Minds” workshop comes of the Environmental Health Initiative at AAIDD. Learn more.

In other breaking environmental news, the World Health Organization finds that radiation from cell phone use is a potential carcinogen. Read a press release from WHO. Read a press release from the Environmental Working Group

CANADIAN STUDY EXAMINES THE FREQUENT USE OF THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT BY PEOPLE WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY AND MENTAL ILLNESS, POINTING TO THE NEED FOR BETTER PRIMARY CARE
In a study of 43,549 adults with intellectual and developmental disability done in Ontario between date April 1, 2007 and date March 31, 2009, researchers from the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES) and the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) found that 55 percent of adults with intellectual and developmental disability and mental illness visited the Emergency Department at least once in a 2-year period and 15.6 per cent visited at least 5 times. “The concern with this population is that their health needs are being met in the Emergency Department so they use it more frequently. This indicates the need to improve primary care and social services in the community," says Paul Kurdyak, Adjunct Scientist at ICES and psychiatrist in the Emergency Department at CAMH.

Read a press release on the study.

HAVE YOU VISITED THE AAIDD PODCASTS PAGE LATELY?
Visit /content_5349.cfm?navID=332 to hear from the experts in the field of developmental disabilities on such issues as end-of-life care and training the next generation of supervisors in developmental disability. These podcasts are developed by the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD) and can also be downloaded via iTunes.

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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