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FYI Newsletter October 12, 2009
Quick Scan:
- Press Release: A National Report Revealing that One Percent of U.S. Children ages 3-17 have an Autism Spectrum Disorder
- Second Annual Susan J. Eklund Lecture
- Last Call to Speak Up About Transportation!
- Graduate Seminar (Advanced Masters and Ph.D. Levels) in Developmental Disabilities
- Mooney Receives Arc of Indiana Award
- When Your Child is Diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder Booklet in Spanish
- Library Corner
IN THE NEWS
BLOOMINGTON, IN -- A national report revealing that 1 percent of U.S. children ages 3-17 have an autism spectrum disorder points to the need for a greater investment in understanding and responding to autism, according to an Indiana University expert and Autism Society official.
“The increasing incidence of autism spectrum disorders further illustrates the importance for expanded services, training, and resources for families and individuals living with this disability,” said Cathy Pratt, Chair of the Autism Society Board of Directors and Director of the Indiana Resource Center for Autism at Indiana University Bloomington.
The report, published Monday (Oct. 5) in the Journal Pediatrics by researchers from the government’s Health Resources and Services Administration, estimated the prevalence of autism spectrum disorder to be 1 in every 91 children. This is a dramatic increase from the 1-in-150 rate previously reported.
“This national study charts a dramatic rise in the prevalence of autism in the United States and we applaud this administration’s recognition that autism is an urgent public health priority,” said Autism Society President and CEO Lee Grossman.
“But families today are asking: How high must these prevalence rates rise before the nation responds?” Grossman said. “Significant resources must be directed toward screening and diagnosis, affordable interventions that treat the whole person and comprehensive education plans to foster lifelong skill development so that people with autism will have the ability to work and live independently.”
The report, titled “Prevalence of Parent-Reported Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder among Children in the US,” was produced by the Department of Health and Human Services National Survey of Children’s Health, using data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The study was conducted via a telephone survey of more than 78,000 parents.
On a constituent call to discuss the report, the CDC reported Monday that its initial analysis of the Autism and Developmental Delay Monitoring project data, due out later this fall, confirm the 1 percent figure. This report will also contain more data on age of diagnosis, groups affected, and access to interventions.
The increasing numbers have long-term economic costs to the country, as autism is a chronic medical condition affecting people across the lifespan. “Lifespan services, particularly for adults, are typically inadequate and inappropriate,” Grossman said. “This new data should be a call to action to the government to improve and increase services and supports first.”
The Autism Society has been working with Congress on several key bills to increase funding for autism research and services. On Monday last, Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., and Congressional Autism Caucus Co-chairs Rep. Mike Doyle, D-Pa., and Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., called for passage of the Autism Treatment Acceleration Act of 2009. This bill would provide funding for applied research into effective interventions and the first ever demonstration grants on adult services. It also would create an adult prevalence study and fund family support and information networks.
For more information, contact Pratt at prattc@indiana.edu or (812) 855-6508. For more information about the Autism Society or to schedule an interview, contact Carin Yavorcik, Media Specialist, at (419) 787-8146 or cyavorcik@autism-society.org, or Marguerite Kirst Colston, Vice President of Constituent Relations, at (240) 672-4734 or mcolston@autism-society.org.
UPCOMING
SECOND ANNUAL SUSAN J. EKLUND LECTURE: Emeriti House at Indiana University is pleased to announce the Second Annual Susan J. Eklund Lecture titled Zen and the Art of Retirement, featuring Joel Savishinsky, Ph.D., Charles A. Dana Professor in the Social Sciences, Ithaca College, on Thursday, October 15, 2009 in the School of Education Auditorium.
Savishinsky is a Cultural Anthropologist and leading scholar in the anthropology of aging. His recent work, Breaking the Watch: The Meanings of Retirement in America, won the Gerontological Society of America book of the year award in 2001. This followed another award winning ethnography of nursing home life entitled The Ends of Time: Life and Work in a Nursing Home, demonstrating his sensitive field skills and compelling writing style to a broad range of students and scholars in anthropology and gerontology. Additional field research in the Canadian Arctic, the Bahamas, Great Britain and India has informed his understanding of the relationships between culture and aging, intergenerational relations, and the stresses of environment. Prior to his recent retirement, Savishinsky was named the Charles A. Dana Professor in the Social Sciences at Ithaca College, where he has been on faculty and heavily engaged in his community since 1973.
LAST CALL TO SPEAK UP ABOUT TRANSPORTATION! Nearly 700 people in Indiana have responded to the 2009 Disability Poll about transportation! The Poll will close on Thursday, October 15, 2009, so if you haven’t yet responded, please do so before then.
The 2009 Disability Poll on Transportation is located on The Polling Place page at www.thepollingplace.org. Survey participants are asked to provide input about the types of transportation you use to get to work, to get out into the community, to shop, go to appointments, or visit friends. You’ll also have the opportunity to identify any barriers you’ve encountered with transportation. Finally, survey participants can suggest ways to improve transportation in your community. All responses are confidential and only summary data will be used in reports.
If you prefer a paper copy of the survey or need an alternative format, please feel free to contact Vicki Pappas at beheard@indiana.edu or call (812) 855-6508. The Disability Poll is an annual project of the Indiana Institute on Disability and Community, the Governor's Council for People with Disabilities, and Indiana Protection and Advocacy Services.
The Poll’s purpose is to provide a place where the voices of people with disabilities, their family members, and their advocates can be heard. Each year, a specific topic of interest is selected. The Disability Poll is being conducted by staff from the Institute’s Center for Planning and Policy Studies.
TOPICAL SEMINAR IN DEVELOPMENTAL AND SEVERE DISABILITIES JANUARY 2010
GRADUATE SEMINAR (ADVANCED MASTER'S AND PH.D. LEVELS) IN DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES: Mark your calendars for January 2010, and plan to register for a Graduate Seminar designed to address issues related to severe and chronic disability of children, that is, disabilities that are attributable to cognitive and/or physical impairment and manifest during the developmental period.
The aim of these seminars are twofold: Firstly to discuss common underlying issues in developmental disabilities by exploring commonalities and differences between specific disabilities to deepen our understanding of the challenges experienced, and secondly to enable students to develop and evaluate intervention strategies. Topics will include issues relating to information processing, receptive and expressive language, augmentative and alternative communication, literacy skills, problem behaviors and self-regulation as well as transitional planning and employment in developmental disabilities. A focus on factors impacting on the sustainability of intervention in severe and developmental disabilities, in particular those related to community-based instruction, will also be addressed.
The format of the seminar will be an introductory presentation by an expert followed by group discussions based on the required readings in the field. Experts who have already indicated their willingness to participate in this course include: David Mank (Indiana Institute on Disability and Community), Lisa Pufpaff (Ball State University) as well as Lyle Lloyd (Purdue University).
The main seminar presenter and organizer is Erna Alant (PhD), previously Director of the Center for Augmentative and Alternative Communication at the University of Pretoria in South Africa. She is newly appointed as Professor and Otting Chair in Special Education at Indiana University and has extensive experience in severe disabilities and AAC in intervention, training, and research.
Pre-requisites for the course include an intermediate level knowledge of developmental disabilities, for example, intellectual disabilities, physical disabilities, autism spectrum disorders and relevant teaching and intervention strategies are strongly recommended for the course. For further information, contact Erna Alant at ealant@indiana.edu.
KUDOS
MOONEY RECEIVES ARC OF INDIANA AWARD: The Indiana Institute’s Maribeth Mooney, Research Associate with the Center on Aging and Community, received the Outstanding Professional Achievement Award at The Arc of Indiana’s 2009 Conference and Appreciation Luncheon, held on Thursday, October 1, 2009 in Indianapolis.
The ARC’s Outstanding Professional Achievement Award recognizes an administrative or executive level professional for their outstanding contribution to the lives of people with disabilities. The nominee must demonstrate career accomplishments that embrace The Arc’s mission as well as visionary leadership that has resulted in significant improvement in integrated services for people with disabilities and their families. Congrats Maribeth!
NOW AVAILABLE IN SPANISH
WHEN YOUR CHILD IS DIAGNOSED WITH AN AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER BOOKLET: The Indiana Resource Center for Autism at Indiana University’s Indiana Institute on Disability and Community, in collaboration with Easter Seals Crossroads, Indianapolis, IN, and The Sonya Ansari Autism Treatment Center at Logan Center, South Bend, IN, announce the availability of the booklet, When Your Child is Diagnosed With an Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Resource for Families Whose Son or Daughter is Newly Diagnosed – Spanish Version. To obtain copies, contact Pam Anderson at (812) 855-6508 or email pamander@indiana.edu.
LIBRARY CORNER
NEW ITEMSs: The following new materials may be borrowed by Indiana residents from the Center for Disability Information and Referral at the Institute. To check out materials, contact the library at 1-800-437-7924, send e-mail to cedir@indiana.edu, or visit us at 2853 East Tenth Street in Bloomington.
Beane, A. L. (1999). The bully free classroom: Over 100 tips and strategies for teachers K-8. Minneapolis, MN: Free Spirit Pub.Bowman, S. L. (2005). The ten-minute trainer: 150 ways to teach it quick and make it stick! San Francisco, CA: Pfeiffer.
Kolb, L. (2008). Toys to tools: Connecting student cell phones to education. Eugene, OR: International Society for Technology in Education.
Lundine, V., & Smith, C. (2006). Career training and personal planning for students with autism spectrum conditions: A practical resource for schools. London: Jessica Kingsley.