Monthly Archives: February 2017

National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities

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Through the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act of 2000, created the State Councils on Developmental Disabilities which serves to coordinate and provide services for individuals with developmental disabilities. In the United States, there are 56 councils focusing on advocacy, systems change, and capacity building.

Alabama
Executive Director: Elmyra Jones-Banks
Phone: 334-242-3973
www.acdd.org

Alaska
Executive Director: Patrick Reinhart
Phone: 907-269-8990
www.dhss.alaska.gov

American Samoa
Executive Director: Norma Smith
Phone: 684-633-2696

Arizona
Executive Director: Erica McFadden
Phone: 602-542-8977
www.azdes.gov/addpc

Arkansas
Executive Director: Eric Munson
Phone/TDD: 501-682-2897
www.ddcouncil.org 

California
Executive Director: Aaron Carruthers
Phone: 916-322-8481
www.scdd.ca.gov

Colorado
Executive Director: Marcia Tewell
Phone/TDD: 720-941-0176
www.coddc.org

Commonwealth of the
Northern Mariana Islands
Executive Director: Pamela Sablan
Phone: 670-664-7000/1
www.cnmicdd.org

Connecticut
Executive Director: Melissa Marshall
Phone: 860-418-6160
www.ct.gov/ctcdd

Delaware
Executive Director: Pat Maichle
Phone: 302-739-3333
www.ddc.delaware.gov

District of Columbia
Executive Director: Mat McCollough
Phone: 202-724-8612
http://ddc.dc.gov

Florida
Executive Director:Valerie Breen
Phone: 850-488-4180
www.fddc.org

Georgia
Executive Director: Eric Jacobson
Phone: 888-275-4233
www.gcdd.org

Guam
Executive Director: Roseanna Ada
Phone: 671-735-9127
www.gddc.guam.gov

Hawaii
Executive Director: Waynette Cabral
Phone: 808-586-8100
www.hiddc.org

Idaho
Executive Director: Christine Pisani
Phone: 208-334-2178 or
1-800-544-2433
www.icdd.idaho.gov

Illinois
Executive Director: Kim Mercer
Phone: 312-814-2080
www.state.il.us/agency/icdd

Indiana
Executive Director: Christine Dahlberg
Phone: 317-232-7770
www.in.gov/gpcpd

Iowa
Executive Director: Becky Harker
Phone: 800-452-1936
http://iddcouncil.idaction.org

Kansas
Executive Director: Steve Gieber
Phone: 785-296-2608
www.kcdd.org

Kentucky
Executive Director: MaryLee Underwood
Phone: 502-564-7841
www.kyccdd.com

Louisiana
Executive Director: Sandee Winchell
Phone: 225-342-6804
www.laddc.org

Maine
Executive Director: Nancy Cronin
Phone: 207-287-4213
www.maineddc.org

Maryland
Executive Director: Brian Cox
Phone: 410-767-3670
www.md-council.org

Massachusetts
Executive Director: Dan Shannon
Phone: 617-770-7676
www.mass.gov/mddc

Michigan
Executive Director: Vendella Collins
Phone: 517-335-3158
www.michigan.gov/mdch

Minnesota
Executive Director: Colleen Wieck
Phone: 651-296-4018
www.mncdd.org

Mississippi
Executive Director: Charles Hughes
Phone: 601-359-6238
www.mscdd.org

Missouri
Executive Director: Vicky Davidson
Phone: 573-751-8611
www.moddcouncil.org

Montana
Executive Director: Deborah Swingley
Phone: 406-443-4332
Fax: 406-443-4192
www.mtcdd.org

Nebraska
Executive Director: Kristen Larson
Phone: 402-471-2330
www.dhhs.ne.gov/ddplanning

Nevada
Executive Director: Sherry Manning
Phone: 775-684-8619
www.nevadaddcouncil.org

New Hampshire
Executive Director: Isadora Rodriguez-Legendre
Phone: 603-271-3236
www.nhddc.org

New Jersey
Executive Director: Kevin Casey
Phone: 609-292-3745
www.njcdd.org

New Mexico
Executive Director: John Block III
Phone: 505-841-4519
www.nmddpc.com

New York
Executive Director: Sheila Carey
Phone: 518-486-7505
www.ddpc.ny.gov

North Carolina
Executive Director: Chris Egan
Phone/TDD: 919-850-2901
www.nccdd.org

North Dakota
Executive Director: Julie Horntvedt
Phone: 701-328-4847
www.ndscdd.org

Ohio
Executive Director: Carolyn Knight
Phone: 614-466-5205
www.ddc.ohio.gov

Oklahoma
Executive Director: Ann Trudgeon
Phone:  405-521-4984
www.okddc.ok.gov

Oregon
Executive Director: Jaime Daignault
Phone: 503-945-9941
www.ocdd.org

Pennsylvania
Executive Director: Graham Mulholland
Phone: 717-787-6057
www.paddc.org

Puerto Rico
Executive Director: Myrainne Roa
Phone: 787-722-0590
www.cedd.pr.gov/cedd

Rhode Island
Executive Director: Kevin Nerney
Phone: 401-737-1238
www.riddc.org

South Carolina
Executive Director: Valarie Bishop
Phone: 803-734-0465
www.scddc.state.sc.us

South Dakota
Executive Director: Arlene Poncelet
Phone: 605-773-6369
www.dhs.sd.gov/ddc

Tennessee
Executive Director: Wanda Willis
Phone: 615-532-6615
www.tn.gov/cdd

Texas
Executive Director: Beth Stalvey
Phone: 512-437-5432
www.tcdd.texas.gov

Utah
Executive Director: Claire Mantonya
Phone/TDD: 801-533-3965
www.utahddcouncil.org

Vermont
Executive Director: Kirsten Murphy
Phone: 802-828-1310
www.ddc.vermont.gov

Virgin Islands
Executive Director: Yvonne Peterson
Phone: 340-773-2323 Ext. 2137
www.dhs.gov.vi/disabilities

Virginia
Executive Director: Heidi Lawyer
Phone: 804-786-0016
www.vaboard.org

Washington
Executive Director: Ed Holen
Phone: 360-586-3560
www.ddc.wa.gov

West Virginia
Executive Director: Steve Wiseman
Phone: 304-558-0416
www.ddc.wv.gov

Wisconsin
Executive Director: Beth Swedeen
Phone: 608-266-7826
www.wi-bpdd.org

Wyoming
Executive Director: Shannon Buller
Phone: 307-777-7230
www.wgcdd.wyo.gov

 

Good Communication Can Make Medical Visits More Successful For Patients With Autism

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Hospital, Doctor, Nurse, Medical, Health, Professional
Source: (News Medical)

Doctor visits can be a challenge for patients with autism, their families and health care providers. Kristin Sohl, associate professor of child health at the University of Missouri, offers several steps providers and families can take to make medical visits more successful. She says that all of them require good communication between the provider and parent before, during and after medical visits.

Before a Visit

“Parents or caregivers should call ahead to the provider’s office to discuss individual accommodations that the patient might need during the visit, such as a comfort item or a distraction toy,” Sohl said. “Tell the office staff if there have been prior negative experiences—or successful ones—so the office can provide a supportive environment and avoid triggering anxiety in the patient.” Click here to read the rest of the story.

What’s the Difference Between High and Low Functioning Autism?

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Teacher helping student in classroom
Source: (Very Well)
Author: Lisa Jo Rudy

People with autism are often described as being “high functioning”  or ” low functioning” But there are no such diagnoses in the diagnostic manual.

In 2013, new diagnostic criteria for autism were created to describe three levels of autism. These levels are supposed to describe the level of support each individual requires.  But there is nothing in the criteria that describes which strengths or challenges would slot an individual into a particular level.

And of course the level of support required by any individual varies based on the situation and setting.

So what is meant by these terms? The answer isn’t obvious. Click here to read the rest of the story.

30 Must-Know ADHD Teaching Resources

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Studies show that in the United States, 6.4 million children between the ages of 4-17 have been diagnosed with ADHD. The average age of ADHD diagnosis is 7. Males are almost three times to be diagnosed with ADHD than females.

30-adhd-teaching

The DSM-V defines ADHD as a persistent pattern of attention and or hyperactivity-impulsivity that interferes with functioning of development. Inattention symptoms include the following:

  1. often fails to give close attention to details
  2. often has difficulty sustaining attention in task or play activities
  3. often does not listen when spoken to directly
  4. Often does not follow through on instructions
  5. Often has difficulty organizing task and activities often avoids, dislikes or is reluctant to engage in task that requires sustained mental effort.

Hyperactive symptoms include:

  1. trouble paying attention
  2. restlessness
  3. excessive talking
  4. loud interaction with others
  5. frequent interventions
  6. may have a quick temper

The following links provide tools, resources and information for parents and special education educators on providing support to children diagnosed with ADHD.

Accommodations

Information on classroom accommodations including teaching techniques, learning style, schedule, environment, material, assistance and behavior management.

8 easy classroom accommodations for students with ADHD( Blue Mango)

10 ways to support students with hyperactivity and attention needs  (The Starr Spangled Planner)

Accommodations for ADHD students (ADDCoach4U)

Classroom accommodations for ADHD(Understood)

Every 504 plan should include these ADHD accommodations (ADDitude)

Top 20 ADHD accommodations and modifications that work (Promoting Success Blog)

Classroom Tips and Strategies

The following links are tips and strategies that are specific to teaching techniques and helpful information on behavior approaches, rewards, eliminating distractions and seating arrangements

15 strategies to help students with ADHD (Student Savvy)

30 ideas for teaching children with ADHD (Kelly Bear)

50 practical strategies for teaching ADHD without drugs (ASCD Edge)

ADHD and piano lesson teaching strategies (Teach Piano Today)

ADD/ADHD in the classroom: Tips for teachers and parents (hsana.org)

ADHD Teaching Strategies for the Classroom( Promoting Success Blog)

Classroom interventions for ADHD (pdf)

Classroom rules that keep student’s attention on learning (Additude)

Helping the student with ADHD in the classroom (LDonline)

How can teachers help students with ADHD (Education World)

Ideas and strategies for kids with ADD and learning disabilities (Child Development Institute)

Setting up the classroom (ADD in Schools)

Supporting students with ADHD (Free Spirit Publishing)

Teaching students with ADHD: Instructional strategies and practice (U.S. Department of Education)

Tips for teaching students with ADHD(ADHD Kids Rock)

Concentration

Tips and information from websites on helping students concentrate in the classroom.

5 simple concentration building techniques for kids with ADHD (Empowering Parents)

5 ways to improve your child’s focus (Understood)

17 ways to help students with ADHD concentrate (Edutopia)

Ways to improve concentration in kids with ADHD (Brain Balance)

Executive Functioning

Executive functioning helps students analyze a task, planning, organization, time management and finishing a task. The following links provide articles on understand executive functioning and its relationship to ADHD.

Classroom strategies for executive functioning (Understood)

Executive functioning explained and 20 strategies for success (Minds in Bloom)

Executive function skills (CHADD)

Executive Functioning Issues (Understood)

Handwriting for kids with ADHD (Look! We’re Learning)

Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

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February 13th is the first day of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Awareness Week. Here are some facts on Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy:

  • It is one of the nine types of muscular dystrophies
  • Duchenne muscular dystrophy was first described by French neurologist, Guillaune Benjamin Amand Duchenne in the 1860’s.
  • It is an inherited disorder
  • It is caused by an absence of dystrophin, a protein that bonds the muscle cell
  • It is characterized by progressive muscle degeneration
  • It occurs in about 1 out of every 3,600 male infants
  • Risks include a family history of Duchenne muscular dystrophy
  • Symptoms start appearing between the ages of 3-5.
  • By the age of 12, most males affected may lose their ability to walk
  • Breathing difficulties and heart disease usually start by the age of 20
  • Very rare are females affected by the disease.
  • Early symptoms include muscle weakness in the hips, pelvic area, thighs and shoulders.
  • By teen years, the heart and respiratory muscles are affected.
  • Duchenne muscular dystrophy carriers are females with one normal dystrophin gene on one x chromosome and an abnormal dystrophin gene on the other x chromosome
  • Most carriers do not show any signs or symptoms.
  • Affected children may have delayed motor skills including sitting, standing and walking.
  • Survival into the early 30’s is becoming more common due to advances in cardia and respiratory care.
  • Duchenne is associated with a heart disease that weakens the cardiac muscle
  • Between 400 and 600 boys in the United States are born with these conditions each year.
  • there are a few cases which results from new mutations in affected males
  • steroid drugs can slow the loss of muscular strength
  • There is no known cure for Duchenne muscular dystrophy