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

DDS Hearing Update

Dear Advocates,

The Oakland DDS hearing with Terri Delgadillo, Executive Director, was attended by over 300 parents, self-advocates and advocates from the Bay Area, especially The Arcs of San Francisco, Alameda and Contra Costa. After a 2 1/2 hour wait in line in the cold wind just to get into the Federal Building for the hearing, we made our testimony. Terri Delgadillo responded to my concern that there were no details to the DDS Headquarter and Developmental Center budget cut proposed savings of 55 million dollars. She will send out a chart with the details per our request.

The Arc has supported AB171, the Autism Insurance Bill, which was not in the budget proposals but we recommend. The Arc has reserved our support for many of the proposed recommendations by DDS until they actually publish the implementation details in Trailer Bills that will be part of the Governor’s budget. The devil is indeed in the details, which hurt us in last year’s budget.

Please keep advocating. Disability Capitol Action Day will be on May 25, Wednesday, 10 AM – 2 PM. A March to the Capitol, Educational Rally, and Resource Fair will take place in front of the Capitol Building with over 3,000 advocates expected. Please contact me if you are interested in attending.

Thank you,
Timothy Hornbecker, CEO

Calling All Advocates

Dear Arc of San Francisco Advocates,

I want to make sure that you have the local hearing location and time on the proposed savings (Budget Cut) of $174 million from the Department of Developmental Services. Please attend if you can, call in, or send your comments.
See the complete DDS Proposal here.

I will be sending recommendations from The Arc California and the Lanterman Coalition hopefully by Thursday, 5/5.

WHERE AND WHEN

DDS Hearing:
Monday, May 9, 2011 - Oakland
1:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Federal Building Auditorium
1301 Clay Street, Oakland 94612
DDS Public Forum Conference Call Number: (800) 288-8968

Written input is also welcome and should be submitted by May 9, 2011, to Patti Samuel at the following address. For additional information, please contact Patti at (916) 651-1484.

Department of Developmental Services
Office of the Director
1600 9th Street, Room 240, MS 2-13
Sacramento, CA 95814

Thanks for advocating on behalf of The Arc,

Timothy P. Hornbecker
CEO

Fight to Protect Medicaid

HOW IMPORTANT IS MEDICAID TO YOU?
Then fight to preserve it!

Do you or someone you know:

* receive home and community based services from your state developmental disability agency?
* rely on Medicaid to pay for doctor's visits and other health care?
Unless we mobilize to support the Medicaid program, these critical services could disappear for many people. The U.S. House of Representatives has already voted to:
• cut Medicaid by 20% (or about $770 billion over 10 years)
• cap the amount the federal goverment spends on it. The funding would not keep up with health care inflation.
• block grant it to the states. This means that states can spend the money almost any way they like and can just cut out groups of people or services. They could even return to placing people in institutions. (Click here for more information)

Take Action

Call your U.S. Senators today and ask them to speak up and support The Arc in this fight. Contact your Senator today.

Here is what to say:
• Medicaid is a lifeline for people with I/DD and we need you to be our champion;
• Please oppose block grants or caps for Medicaid that would hurt programs that help people with intellectual and developmental disabilities live in the community; and
• Don’t risk the health and safety of people with I/DD by slashing funding for Medicaid.

New Housing, New Life for Sarah

This week, 19 new apartment units for people with developmental disabilities opened, and we're working to secure the next 14 units.

Dreams of independence (in housing that is actually affordable--and green!) are coming true at last. Check out Sarah as she gives us (and Senator Pelosi, Mayor Lee and a host of other VIPs) a tour of her new digs.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/04/26/BA761J74BO.DTL


Photo: Mike Kepka/The Chronicle

Meredith

Meredith Manning
Marketing and Community Relations Manager

Hands Across SF and CA

The Arc advocates and self-advocates joined hands this past Sunday to raise awareness of budget cuts and tuition increases (from $26 to $66 per unit) to Community Colleges across the state. Services and classes for students with disabilities have been cut by 41%! Many of our clients take computer and other classes at City College, as well as City College instructor Bob Fitch teaches classes at The Arc. Our advocates literally joined Hands Across California with other groups and celebrities, including MC Hammer, Arsenio Hall, and Ryan Seacrest! “We joined with over 200 other volunteers from the City College of San Francisco downtown campus and Paul Johnson, Department Chairperson for the Disabled Students Programs and Services”, according to Joseph F., chair of The Arc Client Advocacy Committee. Other self advocates included Clinton, Gina, Andrew, Chloe, and parents Ron Bixler, Sally Spencer, Pat Napoliello, and myself, lined up and down Market Street holding The Arc Banner and smaller signs “Why Hold Hands? To Save Our Community Colleges!”

Tim Hornbecker

Hands Across SF & CA This Sunday

Dear Advocates and Self Advocates, INFORMATION FLYER ATTACHED! Services for Disabled Students Programs and Services at our California City Colleges have been cut back 41% in the last couple of years. Now the legislature is considering further cuts to the community college and the possibility for increasing tuition fees to $66 per unit from the current $26, according to Paul Johnson, Dept. Chair, DSPS, City College of San Francisco. You are being invited to literally join Hands Across California and San Francisco this Sunday, April 17, 1:30-2:30 PM with Community College supporters across California. They hope to form a human chain across the state! I will be at Van Ness and Market in front of the Bank of America with some of the signs made by our clients at 1:30 PM. I hope that some of you can join me, and please try to get friends, family members and self-advocates to join hands and hold our signs until 2:30 PM. We want to keep having our clients attend classes at City College and continue having their college instructors at The Arc! If you have any trouble opening the attached flyer, there will be flyers at our front desk on Howard Street. Hope you can participate! Thanks, Tim Timothy Hornbecker, CEO