Wells Fargo Bank Gives a Boost to Arc Job-Seekers

Arc Job-Seekers Join Staff from Wells Fargo at a Presentation About Successful Job Interviews

The Arc, the Rotary and Wells Fargo all think alike: more jobs for our clients means more dignity, pride and independence for all people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

This week, Wells Fargo Foundation’s Katy Johnson presented The Arc with $10,000 for our Supported Employment program. Wells’ HR Strategy Consultant, Eric Schmautz is a longtime Arc volunteer, (remember the tall smiling fellow in the chef’s hat at our Thanksgiving luncheon—that’s him!) and a big booster of more opportunities to bring clients of The Arc in to the workforce, and we thank Eric, Katy and all the Wells team for their vision and support of our mission.

As part of the Rotary “We Gotta Job” project, Wells Fargo hosted 7 client job-seekers at their downtown office, followed by mock job interviews.

The presentation included tips on how to be successful in a job interview, including a note to remember to ask for the job.

At the close of the presentation, one of our clients respectfully raised her hand and asked, "What about here? Do you have any jobs at Wells Fargo?”

Now that’s the right job-seeking attitude!

Tim Hornbecker, CEO

CDC Study Reports 17% Increase in Developmental Disabilities

Developmental disability is on the rise in the U.S. Between 1997 and 2008, the number of school-age children diagnosed with autism, ADHD, or another developmental disability rose by about 17 percent, a new study showed.
That means roughly 15 percent of kids - nearly 10 million - have such a disability.
The numbers were based on information collected from parents, who were asked whether their kids had been diagnosed with a variety of developmental disabilities, including cerebral palsy, seizures, stuttering or stammering, hearing loss, blindness, and learning disorders, as well as autism and ADHD.
Boys were twice as likely to have a developmental disability, according to the study, which was published in the June 2011 issue of Pediatrics. And except for autism, developmental disabilities were more common among children from low-income families.
"We don't know for sure why the increase happened," study author Sheree Boulet of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told Reuters. There is now a bigger emphasis on early treatment, she said, and greater awareness about the conditions among parents.
But Philip Landrigan of the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City, told USA Today that improvements in diagnosis can't fully explain the increase. Research suggests that environmental chemicals - including pesticides and the phthalates found in soft plastics - can affect kids' mental development, he said.
Whatever the cause of the increase, experts said the finding should remind parents to make sure their kids get screened. As Alison Schonwald of Children's Hospital Boston told USA Today, "It's great to diagnose them early, so we can intervene early and help them reach their full potential."
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more on developmental disabilities.
March 23, 2011 by David Freeman (CBS News Health)
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504763_162-20065315-10391704.html