Money for the developmentally disabled left on the table in California, an AI model that seems pretty darn good at predicting early autism, and more developmentally disabled news for the week ending Aug. 23, 2024.

Spotlight: Neurodiversity

It’s been extraordinary seeing Gus Walz, the 19-year-old neurodiverse son of Minnesota Governor and Democratic VP nominee Tim Walz, in the public eye. His presence helps normalize developmental disabilities (DD) and shows how people with DD are well, ordinary, the same as you and I.

I was especially moved by this short video clip from the AP. In it, the Walz family tears up as Tim Walz recounts the story of his and wife Gwen’s infertility struggles. As Walz says to his children, “Hope, Gus and Gwen, you are my entire world, and I love you,” his son, Gus, stands up to applaud, tears streaming. And here’s the article the AP posted a couple of days later: Sudden fame for Tim Walz’s son focuses attention on challenges of people with learning disabilities.

Additionally, the New York Times posted My Son and Gus Walz Deserve a Champion Like Tim Walz, an opinion piece from none other than Tina Brown, who writes that “Gus Walz has, according to his parents, a nonverbal learning disorder, A.D.H.D. and an anxiety disorder, all of which they regard not as a setback but as his ‘secret power,’ that makes him ‘brilliant’ and ‘hyperaware.’ I know exactly what they mean. One of the joys of my life in the social churn of New York is living with a son whose inability to read the room makes him incapable of telling anything but the truth.”

Also this week, MSNBC posted What anxious parents of neurodivergent children can learn from Tim and Gwen Walz. “The Walz family’s words and their embrace of their son may seem utterly unremarkable,” it reads. “But that’s the point.” The Washington Post, USA Today and NBC News also gave Gus and neurodiversity the spotlight treatment. Many other smaller outlets posted articles asking and answering, “What is a neurodivergent learning disorder?” Can’t say I mind seeing neurodiversity as a trending topic. In fact, it’s pretty fantastic and I hope they keep on coming.

New York

Mercy U, BloomBoard address special education teacher shortage The program provides an on-the-job pathway for Mercy’s Bachelor of Science in Teaching Students with Disabilities. (News 12 Long Island)

New Yorkers with disabilities still fighting MTA over large subway gaps (amny)

Rochester teen creates website to share stories of people with disabilities “Living Beyond Limits,” created by a teen with cerebral palsy, hopes it will be a platform to show that having a disability doesn’t limit one’s potential to achieve their goals and dreams. (kttc.com)

Outside of New York

Boulder police raise awareness about interactions with people on the autism spectrum The idea came from parents who approached the department. (cpr.org)

Rutgers club in N.J. helps young adults with autism gain independence. Now it could go national The Nexus program, which kicked off at Rutgers’ Newark, N.J., campus, is said to be garnering interest from other institutions. (northjerseys.com)

Illinois bans corporal punishment in all schools Studies show that the hitting of students is disproportionately administered to Black males and students with disabilities. (AP)

Parents of severely disabled children beg Oregon to expand paid parent care program It’s a nationwide crisis. (katu.com)

Mass. system is failing young adults with autism after they turn 22 Also a nationwide crisis. (wgbh.com)

Nearly $1 billion in funds left unspent by centers for disabled Californians They were ultimately returned to the state, even as some people with disabilities and their families said they needed more help. In part, this is due to yet another nationwide crisis: Providers are unable to find workers to fill jobs. (Los Angeles Times)

Autism

AI Model Predicts Early Autism With Surprising Accuracy Researchers have developed a machine-learning model, AutMedAI, capable of predicting autism in children under two with nearly 80% accuracy. (SciTechDaily)

Education

Nationwide Shortage Of Special Educators Plagues Districts A new report from the U.S. Department of Education shows that 39 states and Washington, D.C., have a shortage of special ed teachers. (Disability Scoop)

Rich Men Behaving Badly

Elon Musk Under Fire for Using Anti-Disability Slur on X  He went there — Musk used the “r” word. (Yahoo, via Daily Beast)