Last month the nation reacted to a video showing a school resource officer putting an eight year-old child’s biceps in handcuffs. There was an outpouring of dismay, outrage and disbelief all across the country.
As the mother of a young man with high-functioning autism, my mission each school year has been to make sure my son avoids being restrained. With my son being in the general education population since first grade, this has been a special challenge.
View the Article – Life Without Restraint: Problems and Solutions Regarding Restraint Use
For the millions of Americans who have physical, medical, sensory or cognitive disabilities, emergencies such as fires, floods and acts of terrorism present a real challenge. The same challenge also applies to the elderly and other special needs populations. Protecting yourself and your family when disaster strikes requires planning ahead.
This booklet will help you get started. Discuss these ideas with your family, friends and/or your personal care attendant, or anyone else in your support network and prepare an emergency plan. Post the plan where everyone will see it, keep a copy with you and make sure everyone involved in your plan has a copy.
View the Guide – here
Transportation plays an important role in enabling people with disabilities to travel and live independently. Depending on where you live, your destination and your physical needs, transportation choices might include paratransit, accessible taxis, public transportation or volunteer drivers from nonprofit organizations or local government agencies.
Website: https://www.disability.gov/resource/disability-govs-guide-transportation/
Many people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) look forward to the satisfaction and independence that come with being employed. Unfortunately, the majority of people with ASD struggle to get hired. One reason is that employers aren’t educated about the abilities and skills autistic job seekers possess. Another is that successfully navigating the job search process can be challenging for someone with ASD if they don’t have the right guidance and assistance.
Website: http://www.hloom.com/career-assistance-for-people-with-autism/
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines autism spectrum disorder (ASD) as “a group of developmental disabilities that can cause significant social, communication and behavioral challenges.” According to the CDC’s Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network, about 1 in 68 children has been identified with ASD. ASD poses unique challenges for engaging children in physical activity due to sensory, motivational, and motor function issues. With appropriate strategies and tactics unique to the individual child, physical activity can become a fun and engaging activity for nearly every child with ASD.
Website: http://www.saveonpoolsupplies.com/landing/aquatic-therapy-for-children-with-autism.aspx
Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is the application of the principles of learning and motivation.
Website: http://cc103.wazisolutions.com
More than 21 million US adults 18 – 64 years of age have a disability. These are adults with serious difficulty walking or climbing stairs; hearing; seeing; or concentrating, remembering, or making decisions. Adults with disabilities are three times more likely to have heart disease, stroke, diabetes, or cancer than adults without disabilities. Aerobic physical activity can help reduce the impact of these chronic diseases, yet nearly half of all adults with disabilities get no leisure time aerobic physical activity.
View the Article – Increasing Physical Activity among Adults with Disabilities.
Dr. John Madigan is part of a research team at the University of California, Davis that is examining samples from 80 children, some with autism and others without it.
But Madigan’s specialty isn’t autism or even humans. He is a professor of veterinary sciences.
He became involved in autism research after noticing some autistic-like behaviors in newborn horses and discussing his findings with colleagues at Davis.
View the Article – Horses May Provide Clues to the Origin of Autism
