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Perspectives For Parents:
Advice & Support from Parents & Caregivers
Voting 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 moreBoston Children’s Hospital SPARK for Autism Research
October 4, 2016
Lisa Prock, MD, MPH is the co-Principal Investigator of SPARK at Boston Children’s Hospital (BCH). Dr. Prock is the Clinical Director of the Translational Neuroscience Center and the Associate Medical Director of the Division of Developmental Medicine at BCH.What is SPARK? SPARK is an online research partnership with the mission of speeding up research…
Read moreProviding Disability Benefits for 60 Years
September 27, 2016
August 1, 2016, marked the 60th anniversary of the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) program, signed into law by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1956. Originally, the program was limited to individuals who were age 50 or older. It also had a six-month waiting period, and there were no benefits payable to spouses or…
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 more5 Tips for Finding a Babysitter for your Child with Special Needs
September 26, 2016
Finding a babysitter for your child with special needs can be nerve-racking. I know, I’ve been there! I also know how empowering it can be for you and your child to be able to spend time on your own and bring someone into your home that you trust. Over the past three years I…
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 moreWorking on SSI: Social Security’s PASS Program
July 12, 2016
This week’s blog is part of a Q&A series with Kristen Alberino, veteran public affairs specialist with the Social Security Administration (SSA) in Quincy. They're based on actual parent questions about SSI (Supplemental Security Income) we’ve fielded at Exceptional Lives.Q: "Right now my daughter with a disability receives SSI. She just finished high school…
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 moreGood Sports Lead to a Good Life
May 26, 2016
At Special Olympics Massachusetts, we believe in the power of sports. We see how playing on a team has a positive impact on athletes with intellectual disabilities. Whether through a Special Olympics program, town recreation league or the local YMCA, we highly recommend team sports as part of an active lifestyle – for both physical…
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