Link: Gallaudet
More than a year after Gallaudet University was rocked by student protesters and placed on probation by accreditors, the college for students with hearing impairments will get a second chance, officials said. Enrollment has dropped, but President Robert Davila said the university is better for the changes it has been forced to introduce.
Link: Negotiations
Senate and House negotiators said Sunday that they had agreed on a framework for a compromise bill that would provide health insurance to four million uninsured children while relaxing some of the limits on eligibility imposed by the Bush administration.
Link: Autism Coverage
Coverage for the therapies and treatment associated with autism is limited in most states. But a growing number of states are mandating more complete coverage for this condition. South Carolina just passed a law requiring greater coverage. Three mothers of autistic children joined together to write the bill and push it through the legislature, over the governor's veto.
Link: School of Shock
In 1999, when Rob was 13, his parents sent him to the Judge Rotenberg Educational Center, located in Canton, Massachusetts, 20 miles outside Boston. The facility, which calls itself a "special needs school," takes in all kinds of troubled kids—severely autistic, mentally retarded, schizophrenic, bipolar, emotionally disturbed—and attempts to change their behavior with a complex system of rewards and punishments, including painful electric shocks to the torso and limbs.
Link: TBI
The Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center (DVBIC) provides education to: (1) improve care for TBI patients, (2) give support to families, and (3) increase public awareness of the effects of TBI. This 29-minute video, introduced by General Colin L. Powell, USA (Ret.), offers an introduction to TBI, a health issue affecting at least 1.4 million Americans each year. It features the recovery journeys of several service personnel and their families.
Link: Homelessness and Mental Illness
This is an outstanding resource to help those that are homeless. Special event web casts, Social Security and Medicaid 'helps' at your fingertips. Once you get to the website, http://homeless.samhsa.gov/ , click on knowledge base, events, or subscribe to the newsletter. Remember, "shelter alone will not end homelessness" but this website goes a long way to help.
Link: When You Wish
Cheyannne Coxen smiles as she is touched on the face by Snow White during her Make-A-Wish Foundation-sponsored trip to Disneyland. Coxen, who has a rare disease and has been given six months to two years to live, says she enjoyed the four-day visit to California.
http://www.thestrengthcoach.com/
Award winning radio host Greg Smith has created "The Strength Coach" radio show, website, and weblog to bring motivational support, news, views and personal insights to listeners. The show airs every Sunday night at 11pm ET on the Radio America Network. Hear Greg's post-Katrina show, listen to interviews with celebrities and coaches, and "roll the dice" to change your life with other listeners nationwide. Listen to "The Strength Coach" radio show online at http://www.thestrengthcoach.com/.
By Charles Lane and Lori ArataniWashington Post Staff Writers
Tuesday, November 15, 2005; Page A01
In
a case involving the Montgomery County schools, the Supreme Court ruled
yesterday that parents of special-education students disputing proposed
instructional plans for their children have the burden of proving why
the plans are inadequate.
The case, brought by a Potomac couple displeased with an education plan
for their son, had been closely followed by educators and parents
across the nation. The 6 to 2 ruling maintains Montgomery County's
practice of putting the onus on parents, which is the practice in most
states. But the decision could overturn the District's rules, which had
required the school system to prove the adequacy of its
special-education plans when challenged by parents.
Link: Children's Monitor Online: View Issue.
Children's Monitor Online A Public Policy Update from the Child Welfare League of America
Vol. 18, Issue 41: 10/24/2005
HeadlinesOutpouring of Opposition Forces Congress to Delay Votes to Deepen Budget Cuts
House Tries to Include TANF in Budget Reconciliation
Senate to Consider FY 2006 Annual Spending Bill for HHS
House Passes Bill to Protect World Orphans Affected by HIV/AIDS
Casey Report Examines Medicaid Use for Children in Foster Care
Kaiser Family Foundation Releases "State of Medicaid" Report
Key Upcoming Dates for Congress
