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September 2010, Vol.10, No. 9
AAIDD F.Y.I.
September 2010, Vol.10, No.9
Visit www.aaidd.org/FYI/ to access current and past issues of this monthly newsletter. Subscribe at http://www.responsetrack.net/aaidd/sign_up
Dear AAIDD Friends and Colleagues:
THE SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION PROPOSES REVISION OF MEDICAL CRITERIA FOR EVALUATING MENTAL DISORDERS; LATEST AAIDD DEFINITION SYSTEM OF INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY IS CITED WITHIN PROPOSED RULES
The definition system of intellectual disability as cited in the 11th edition of Intellectual Disability: Definition, Classification, and Systems of Supports, the definition manual of the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disability (AAIDD), is now part of the Social Security Administration’s Revised Medical Criteria for Mental Disorders as it appears in the Federal Register on August 19, 2010.The intent of the proposed changes is to update the criteria for eligibility for benefits under titles II and XVI of the Social Security Act (most notably Social Security Income and Social Security Disability Insurance) so that applications will be evaluated based on the most current diagnostic criteria, assessment strategies, and understanding of the course of the disability. Read more. Learn more about Intellectual Disability.
In related news, register for a free webinar on “Individualized supports planning in special education: Applications to students with intellectual disability” to be held on September 27th at 3:30 pm US EST. Content is based upon best practices in intellectual disability as presented in Intellectual Disability: Definition, Classification, and Systems of Supports (Eleventh edition).
GROUNDBREAKING RESEARCH SHOWS THAT AUTOMATED ANALYSIS OF CHILD’S VOCAL RECORDINGS CAN PREDICT WHICH TODDLER HAS AUTISM
Researchers discovered a groundbreaking method to obtain measures of early speech development through an automated analysis of extensive day-long audio recordings collected in children's homes. An analysis of these recordings can not only provide a monitoring system for vocal developmental patterns, but also help distinguish typically-developing children from those with disorders such as autism or language delay. The method is totally automated, with no human intervention, allowing efficient sampling and analysis at unprecedented scales. It is anticipated that such an automated analysis should soon be able to contribute to screening and diagnosis procedures for early disorders. The average of a child detected with autism in the United States is 6 years and early intervention techniques such as these help diagnose a developmental delay much earlier and hence tremendously change the prognosis of a child. “Automated vocal analysis of naturalistic recordings from children with autism, language delay, and typical development” by D.K. Oller et al., is published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). This is one of the most-read articles on PNAS in the month of July 2010.
LATEST ISSUE OF THE AMERICAN JOURNAL ON INTELLECTUAL AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES INCLUDES SPECIAL SECTION ON EVIDENCE-BASED STUDIES IN INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY: STUDIES IN COMMUNICATION INTERVENTION RESEARCH AND BEHAVIORAL INTERVENTIONS FOR CHILDREN WITH AUTISM ARE HIGHLIGHTED
The field of intellectual disability has a strong tradition of research designed to inform practice and promote evidence-based treatments, and evidence-based practice is an emerging standard for therapeutic interventions and services in the fields of psychology, medicine, and education. Two studies in evidence-based practices are highlighted in the September 2010 issue of the American Journal on Intellectual Disabilities (AJIDD). In “Twenty Years of Communication Intervention Research With Individuals Who Have Severe Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities,” Snell et al., apply the standards set for the 2002 National Research Council report on the standards for educational research to more than 10 studies of communication interventions that include people with significant intellectual disability. In “Using participant data to extend the evidence base for intensive behavioral intervention for children with autism” Eldevik et al.,review data from 16 group design studies of behavioral intervention for children with autism. Read an editorial on “Introduction to Special Section on Evidence-Based Practices for Persons With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities” by Ann P. Kaiser and Laura Lee McIntyre.
The AJIDD is published by the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. Visit the newly re-designed journal website at www.aaiddjournals.org.
RESEARCHERS AT TUFTS UNIVERSITY CONNECT THE APC PROTEIN TO AUTISM AND INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY
A clue to the causes of autism and intellectual disability lies in the synapse, the tiny intercellular junction that rapidly transfers information from one neuron to the next, according to researchers at Tufts University. A protein called APC (adenomatous polyposis coli) plays a key role in synapse maturation, and APC dysfunction prevents the synapse function required for typical learning and memory. The findings are published in the August 18 issue of The Journal of Neuroscience. Read the abstract of “The Postsynaptic Adenomatous Polyposis Coli (APC) Multiprotein Complex Is Required for Localizing Neuroligin and Neurexin to Neuronal Nicotinic Synapses in Vivo” by Madelaine M. Rosenberg.
REPORT FROM THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF STATE DIRECTORS OF DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES SERVICES HIGHLIGHTS APPROACHES AND LESSONS LEARNED FROM STATES THAT HAVE MADE EFFORTS TO CREATE SYSTEMS THAT SUPPORT PERSON-DIRECTED SERVICES
The National Association of State Directors of Developmental Disabilities Services, Support Development Associates, and Virginia Commonwealth University have published a report, which is the first in a series of a systems change collaborative with state developmental disability agencies in Georgia, North Carolina, Oregon, South Dakota, Tennessee, and Virginia. The report shows how agencies in each location have made efforts to create systems that support person-directed services, detailing their approaches and lessons learned. Read Becoming a Person Centered System by Michael E. Smull et. al.
NEW EEOC REPORT SHOWS THAT PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES IN THE FEDERAL WORKFORCE FELL FAR SHORT OF THE 2% GOAL IN FY 2009
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) released its Annual Report on the Federal Work Force for Fiscal Year 2009. The report assesses the state of equal employment opportunity throughout the federal work force, including trends in the composition of the workforce, and data concerning complaints of employment discrimination in the federal sector. It also includes practical tips for agencies to improve their performance. For the first time since FY 1995, the percentage of people with “targeted disabilities” in federal jobs held steady, halting a 13-year decline. However, despite a modest net gain of 236 employees in FY 2009 over FY 2008, people with targeted disabilities still remain below one percent (0.88 percent) of the total work force. “Targeted disabilities” include deafness, blindness, missing extremities, partial or complete paralysis, convulsive disorders, intellectual disability, mental illness, and distortion of the limb and/or spine.
Read a press release on the report’s publication.
AAIDD F.Y.I. is compiled by Anu Prabhala, Editor, and is published by the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (Formerly AAMR). Please submit comments, suggestions, tips, and news to anu@aaidd.org. To learn about AAIDD products, visit http://bookstore.aaidd.org. For more information on becoming an AAIDD member, visit /content_14.cfm?navID=13.
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