A look at Gov. Hochul’s commitment to people with developmental disabilities, a quarter of teens with autism may be undiagnosed and more news to know for the week ending Jan. 13, 2024.
Spotlight
Hochul touched on several things, but not the critical need to raise the salaries of Direct Support Professionals. Maybe if people make enough noise, it will make its way into her actual budget proposal.
According to this article, she did mention plans to ensure people with disabilities are living as integrated as possible, issuing an executive order focused on improving employment and expanding transitional and specialized mental health housing. (WXXI News)
Related: Officials prepping legislative agenda to aid New Yorkers with disabilities (From December 2023, Spectrum Local News)
New York
NYC Says Not Moving Forward With Tens of Millions of Dollars in Cuts to Programs for Students with Significant Disabilities, but Messaging Unclear The planned cuts totaled roughly $97 million across District 75. (Chalkbeat)
ABLE Accounts
IRS Raises ABLE Account Limit The Internal Revenue Service said that the federal gift tax exclusion increases $1,000 to $18,000 effective at the start of this month. (Disability Scoop)
Autism
A Quarter Of Teens With Autism May Be Undiagnosed Most of the teens without a diagnosis had a milder level of impairment, according to recent findings. (Disability Scoop)
Should we tell our family and friends about our son’s autism diagnosis? A mother asks a parenting columnist about her high-functioning son with ASD. The short answer: Don’t wait too long to disclose the diagnosis. (Washington Post)
Supreme Court
Can parents file civil suits over corporal punishment? SCOTUS declines to answer Had the Supreme Court agreed to hear the case, it would actually not have decided on the constitutionality of corporal punishment in schools. (k12dive.com)
Tech
Assistive technology is AI’s next billion-person market Several companies showed off new products at this year’s CES in Las Vegas. (Axios)
Words
What Is Ableism? A Social Psychological Perspective A look at a term that’s gaining momentum. (Psychology Today)
Nice Things
Texas A&M Cavalry Horses Help Riders With Disabilities A free program at Texas A&M uses the connection between horses and humans to help participants lead more confident and independent lives. (Texas A&M Today)
