PLUK News feed

Notice of Public Forum - Billings - October 21, 2009

The Montana Council on Developmental Disabilities and the Developmental Disabilities Program of the Department of Public Health and Human Services are holding a Public forum in Billings on October 21, 2009.   The purpose of the forum is to seek public input on what people consider to be the needs of the current service delivery system (see attached flyer). 

The Forum will be held utilizing Fisher Video Conferencing, located at 100 North 27^th Street, Suite 750, Billings,  Montana.  Two sessions are scheduled, from 1:00-3:00p,m in the afternoon and from 6:00-8:00pm in the evening.  Hopefully, offering two session will provide the greatest convenience for those persons wishing to share input.  There will be personnel of Fisher Video Conferencing at the location to greet and assist person who wish to share their input with us.

Deborah Swingley, ED/CEO

Montana Council on Developmental Disabilities

PO Box 526

7 West 6th Avenue, Suite 2A   (59601)

Helena, MT    59624

406/443-4371 direct

406/439-5077 cell

406/443-4192 fax

www.mtcdd.org

Transportation Conference - Missoula - October 2

"Transportation Safety for Wheelchair Riders and Children with Disabilities"

Presented by: Institute for Families and Professionals

Oct. 2, 2009 - Holiday Inn, Missoula, MT

For more information, please contact: Tamara Kittelson-Aldred, OT Access Therapy Services, LLC 406-549-9521 or (mobile) 406-370-3689

Eleanore's Project Institute for Families and Professionals - Missoula - October 2nd

Eleanore’s Project is pleased to announce our first Institute for Families and Professionals on October 2, 2009 at the Holiday Inn downtown in Missoula. The subject is “Transportation Safety for Wheelchair Riders and Children with Disabilities” and we are thrilled to have one of the foremost national experts on this subject as our speaker.

Download EPI Institute Registration Form 2009

UT Grad Overcomes Substantial Learning Disabilities To Get Degree

Link: UT Grad  History major Clayton Tauscher is achieving his goal of getting a college degree, but he's had a long list of hurdles to overcome. Clayton was diagnosed with autism at 3 years old, then later ADHD, as well as other learning and speech disorders. "All the specialists and the people that we encountered said that Clayton would never get this far, and he's gotten this far, and I'm just incredibly proud of him," Clayton's father Karl Tauscher said. Clayton started going to the Pediatric Language Clinic on the UT campus, then worked his way through several different schools. He was among the first graduates at Grace Christian Academy in 2005. Clayton is now among GCA's first students to achieve a college degree.

Abusive Restraint And Seclusion Tactics Widespread, Report Indicates

Link: Report  In more than 70 percent of cases where abusive interventions were used with children with disabilities at school, parents did not consent to seclusion and restraint tactics, according to a report released this week by the Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates (COPAA). The report is based on a national survey by the group of parents, advocates and attorneys who advocate for appropriate educational services for those with disabilities. The survey conducted in March and April 2009 uncovered 143 cases of abusive uses of restraint and seclusion. Reports included cases of children tied to chairs, locked in rooms and forced to endure pain and humiliation. Some children were physically hurt when large individuals restrained them and others were denied basic needs like using the bathroom. Most cases of abuse occurred in segregated classrooms, which only serve students with disabilities. And the overwhelming majority of students involved in such incidents did not have research-based positive behavioral intervention plans in place.

Writing Disabilities Common, Especially in Boys

Link: Writing Disabilities  Learning disorders related to writing are just as common as reading disabilities, and are especially likely to affect boys, a new study suggests. Written-language disorder, also known as dysgraphia, includes problems with handwriting, spelling and organizing thoughts on paper; it is diagnosed when a child's writing skills fall "substantially below" the norm for his or her age and IQ. In the new study, researchers found that among the more than 5,700 students they followed, between 7 percent and 15 percent developed a written-language disorder over their school career. The percentages varied depending on the criteria used to diagnose the problem. Boys were two to three times more likely than girls to be diagnosed with a writing disability, regardless of the criteria used.

Repeating a Grade: The Pros and Cons

Link: Pros & Cons Has anyone at school talked to you about retaining your child in the same grade? Have you been thinking about whether your child should be promoted on to the next grade level? This article discusses the reasons for retention, possible outcomes, the factors to consider, and alternative options to retention.

Art Program Focuses On Abilities, Not Disabilities

Link:Art Program Parents of special-education students rarely get to have those precious, scholastic coming-of-age moments, such as watching their children star in school recitals or pitch shutouts for their baseball teams. If there's a meeting at school, it's often to focus on what their children can't do and how to make the best accommodations. So there's something powerful about the annual Pastime Players performance, when parents get to see their children take the stage, regardless of mental or physical challenges, and showcase their ability to recite poetry or Shakespearean lines or to dance hip-hop or to sing "What a Wonderful World."

Young People Honored for Triumphing Over Disabilities

Link: Can-Do Attitude One, a poet, pours out his heart on his keyboard. Another, a scholar, earns almost-perfect grades. The third, an artist, speaks best in paint. All have succeeded despite an added challenge: a disability. For their accomplishments, the three young central Ohioans are among 27 winners of a 2009 "Yes I Can!" award. The national honor is bestowed annually by the Council for Exceptional Children.

Information Website on International Disabilities Campaigning by the UN Special Rapporteur

Link: Special Rapporteur Website The post of UN Special Rapporteur on Disability was created in 1993 with the unanimous adoption on the Standard Rules for the Equalization of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities. The post of Special Rapporteur is an honorary one reflecting the faith and trust of the international community in its holder. Hissa Al-Thani was appointed Special Rapporteur on Disability in June 2003 for a renewable mandate of three years. The Special Rapporteur is entrusted with the task of monitoring and assessing the implementation of the Standard Rules with the objective of enhancing and advancing the status of persons with disabilities throughout the world.