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Perspectives For Parents:
Advice & Support from Parents & Caregivers
MAC Helps Break Down Recent DESE Advisory on Transition Services
October 17, 2016
Over the summer the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) wrote about the need for making life after high school better for students with disabilities. Massachusetts Advocates for Children (MAC) help explain the DESE advisory and what it means for parents, advocates, and people with disabilities.Bill Crane, a lawyer at MAC with years of experience in…
Read moreIn 5 years, Graduation Rate for Students with Disabilities Up Almost 6%
October 17, 2016
Earlier this week the U.S. Department of Education shared the latest graduation rate data. Since the 2010-2011 school year, the graduation rate for students with disabilities has gone up almost 6%. President Obama spoke about the trend, saying “We’ve made a lot of progress... but I just want to be honest with you: We’ve still…
Read more2 New Projects for State and Local Housing Advocates
October 17, 2016
The ARC, a national advocacy group for people with disabilities, recently shared a fact sheet from the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) Housing Task Force. The fact sheet explains two new initiatives that are focusing on icreasing accessible, affordable, and integrated housing for people with disabilities. These fact sheets can help advocates keep an eye on…
Read moreMother Shares 6 Things She’s Learned Since Her Son Was Diagnosed with Autism
October 13, 2016
Parent and blogger Katie Campbell shares what it was like to hear her pediatrician tell her and her husband that their son had autism.In her blog "6 Things I've Learned Since My Son's Pediatrician Said the Word Autism" Katie talks about her initial fears, the overwhelming amount of information out there about autism, and…
Read moreVoting with Disabilities: Ruderman Family Foundation Looks at Voter Accessibility
October 11, 2016
The Ruderman Family Foundation recently took a look at voter accessibility for people with disabilities - and what they found isn't pretty.Based on their research, president of the foundation Jay Ruderman says that "It is unfair for 20% of the American voting population to face barriers to a full participation in their right to cast a vote". The…
Read moreMore Focus on Transition Services from the Education Department
October 11, 2016
California, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts and Vermont will split $39 million from the Education Department's Disability Innovation Fund. This money will help these states improve transition outcomes for students with disabilities.New projects will focus on helping people with disabilities find paid, competitive jobs, get vocational training, or go to college. Read more about these projects from our…
Read moreWhich States Have the Best Disability Services?
October 4, 2016
For the fifth year in a row, Arizona has taken the top spot in a ranking of the best states for disability services. The other states in the top five are Vermont, New Hampshire, Michigan, and Hawaii. The rankings have been provided by United Cerebral Palsy's Case for Inclusion annual report.On the other end of this spectrum, Montana, Arkansas,…
Read moreNew Training Program Helps Police Interact with People with Autism
September 27, 2016
Police interactions are always sticky situations. But for individuals with autism, they can also be intense sensory overloads.Stephanie Cooper, a former police officer and mom of a child with autism, started a program called Autism Law Enforcement Response Training (ALERT).The ALERT program helps to:train officers on how to recognize autism in peopleget police officers comfortable with certain behaviorscover…
Read moreSingle Mom Designs Glasses That Work for People with Down Syndrome
September 26, 2016
Many physical characteristics associated with Down's Syndrome make it difficult for those diagnosed to wear traditional eyeglasses. Even though more than half of the 6,000 children born with Down's in the U.S. will need glasses, most available eyeglasses for this group do not fit well. What's more—they're usually unattractive.When Maria Dellapina, a past frame buyer and optician,…
Read morePerson with Autism Shares Advice on IEP Meetings
September 23, 2016
Feeling anxious about your child's IEP meeting?If there's one thing that's certain, you're not the only one feeling that way. Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings will determine the way your child will learn, so of course you feel uneasy.This letter from Kerry Magro, a young adult with autism, offers encouragement and advice on how to keep…
Read moreStaying Positive During Hospital Stays
September 20, 2016
As a parent with a child with special needs stuck in the hospital, there is usually only so much you can do to make them feel better. But small gestures have the potential to make all the difference.Check out this list of tips written by someone who went through three hospitalizations in the past few…
Read moreRomper’s “11 Children’s Books to Understand Learning Disabilities”
September 12, 2016
Understanding diversity can be a tough concept for kids, especially if they have not met many other kids that are different. Romper.com, a news and motherhood site, recently shared their list of "11 Children's Books That Help Kids Understand Learning Disabilities". Reading these books with your children - whether they have a disability or not - can…
Read moreProgram Helps Children with Disabilities Feel More Comfortable with Flying
September 12, 2016
For many of us, flying on a plane can be a scary thing. For children with disabilities, it can be a difficult and unpredictable experience.To help make children with disabilities feel better about flying, Austin-Bergstrom International Airport is launching a new program called "Wings for All". This program lets kids practice everything needed to…
Read moreA Closer Look at Transportation Obstacles for People with Disabilities
August 30, 2016
Researchers at the Mineta Transportation Institute (MTI) at San Jose State University in California recently wrote an article titled “Improving Pathways to Transit for Persons with Disabilities”. They took a look at how people with disabilities travel in five different states: Florida, New Jersey, Tennessee, Oregon, and Washington.The goal of their research is to…
Read moreMassHealth Children’s Autism Medicaid Waiver: Open Enrollment is Coming!
August 16, 2016
The open enrollment period for the Children’s Autism Medicaid Waiver is taking place from October 17-31, 2016. A waiver is a type of support that helps people get services in their home or community.What is the Children’s Autism Medicaid Waiver?This waiver covers extra services that are meant to help children diagnosed with an autism spectrum…
Read moreRethink Discipline: Behavioral Supports for Students with Disabilities
August 9, 2016
With another school year right around the corner, the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) recently put out advice to help schools make sure they’re giving students with disabilities the behavioral supports they need.The guidelines remind everyone that under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), schools should try to keep a student in the classroom…
Read moreCivil Rights for Students with ADHD
August 2, 2016
Last week the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) put out rules for schools to follow to make sure that students with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) get an equal education. This guidance is in response to the thousands of complaints OCR received over the past 5 years about students with ADHD being…
Read moreSchool’s Out: Assessing This Year’s IEP
June 29, 2016
Another school year is behind you. You’ve been scrambling to attend end-of-the-year activities. Your child is bursting at the seams to be done with school. Now, school’s out and summer’s here!With all the excitement of summer vacation, you can quickly get too busy to set aside time and reflect on the school year gone…
Read moreNew Info About In-Home Caregiver Options Covered by MassHealth Added to Exceptional Lives Guides
June 23, 2016
With the help of parents and partner providers, we keep our eyes and ears open for opportunities to make our free Guides even more valuable for families. The latest example: we’ve added new information on paid, in-home caregiver options that you can get through MassHealth. These programs not only can save you money, they can…
Read moreTop 10 Tips: Financial Planning for Families of People with Special Needs
April 28, 2016
The financial planning process for families caring for children or adults with disabilities may seem overwhelming. We have been there both personally and professionally. To make the process easier, we break it down into what we call the Five Factors of Special Needs Financial Planning™: financial, government benefits, legal, family & support, and emotional.Touching on…
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