A new report says between 2011 and 2022 the number of people diagnosed with autism climbed by 175%, the top 5 ways Project 2025 would hurt people with disabilities, and more developmental disability news for the week ending Nov. 1, 2024.
SPOTLIGHT: VOTING
‘We Need to Do Better’: Voters With Disabilities Make Their Voices Heard
The Boost has been sharing its Developmental Disability Voter Guide, and we’d also like to share the above link from YAI, a comprehensive agency for people with I/DD.
It includes this quote: “Politicians every year make decisions about how much funding our programs receive, about the wages that direct support professionals are paid, and about the services that people with I/DD are entitled to. We must empower people with I/DD to show up to the ballot box so they can choose who is making those decisions.”
New York
Two-Year Wait for Manhattan Access-A-Ride Assessment Center Ends New Yorkers with disabilities who live in Manhattan no longer have to travel as far as the South Shore of Staten Island for Access-A-Ride eligibility screenings. (The City)
Teams with disability nonprofit compete to build the most creative scarecrow The annual contest is held by Warren, Washington and Albany Counties ARC. (Times Union)
Feds urged to hold NYC Department of Education accountable for the lack of special needs services (CBSnews.com)
With more seats added, a student with special needs finally gets to attend preschool For years, the city has failed to provide enough special education seats in its early childhood program. (ny1.com)
Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program
Opinion: Do not ignore NY’s rush to a single fiscal intermediary The CEO/exec director of Bridges in Nyack on the need for a minimum of two years for the transition to a single FI for the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program. (lohud.com)
Outside of New York
A school for children with autism in southern Vermont is under state investigation Four educators say they were forced out of the I.N.S.P.I.R.E. School for Autism in Brattleboro after raising concerns about student mistreatment. (Vermontpublic.org)
Texas is slashing $607 million in Medicaid funding from program for students with disabilities School district officials and special ed advocates are “bewildered” by the sudden changes. (Texastribune.org)
An Indiana licensing program is ‘putting a dent’ in the shortage of special educators with 600 licensed so far It allows current teachers, including those on emergency permits, to get fully licensed in special education at no cost. (Chalkbeat.org)
In South Carolina, Clemson University fraternity embraces student in intellectual disability program (CBSNews.com)
Hidden Disabilities
Sesame Place Philadelphia joins Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Program This is a terrific program (when done right) that has been offered for some time now at a growing list of airports. (Bucks County Herald) Read more about the program here: Travel Better with the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Program at New York-Area Airports.
Autism
Autism diagnoses rising among U.S. children, adults Incredibly large surges in new autism diagnoses among young adults, as well a rise in diagnoses for girls and young women, have driven a near-tripling of U.S. autism cases in just over a decade, researchers report. (medicalxpress.com)
Autistic Children’s Fascination with Letters Offers Learning Clues A large-scale study from the University of Montreal has some interesting findings. (neurosciencenews.com)
Election
The Top 5 Ways Project 2025 Would Hurt Disabled People The Center for American Progress, an independent nonpartisan policy institute, has analyzed The Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025, designed for a far-right presidential administration, and concludes it “will radically harm disabled people across the United States.” (American Progress)
Census
Convening on Disability Measurement A look at the meeting the U.S. Census Bureau had with advocates concerned about the potential for a severe undercount. (Census.gov) Additionally, this Opinion piece from Stat published in September, 2024, Millions of people are missing from U.S. disability data, has some great context.
Essay
Not everything happens for a reason Louise Kinross, who writes the wonderful Bloom blog, discusses how the new book Fluke, helped her “understand why we assume women have so much control over the health of their unborn child.” (Bloom)
