The Rest of the Story  COLORADANS STRUGGLING TO PAY HOME HEATING COSTS STILL HAVE TIME TO APPLY FOR LEAP BENEFITS Applications accepted through April 30 The Low-income Energy Assistance Program (LEAP) encourages Coloradans in need of financial assistance with home heating bills to take advantage of the program and apply for LEAP benefits before the April 30, 2012 deadline. LEAP is a federally funded program that provides cash assistance to help families and individuals pay a portion of winter home heating costs. The program pays the highest benefits to those with the highest heating bills and lowest incomes by family size. Potential program applicants may obtain an application by: · Calling 1-866-HEAT-HELP (1-866-432-8435) to have an application mailed. · Visiting any county department of social/human services across the state. To locate your county's office, visit the program's website. · Downloading and printing an application. To find out if you qualify for LEAP, call toll free 1-866-HEAT-HELP (1-866-432-8435) or visit the website to view the most current program application requirements. Listen to the archived radio show Autism Today with Betty Lehman, Executive Director of the Autism Society of Colorado, and Dr. Patrick J. Rydell from the Rocky Mountain Autism Center via Voice of America's Health and Wellness Option. The interview is based on topics selected by Dr. Pat. Denim Day began in the late 1990s in reaction to a ruling by an Italian judge that stated that the rape of a young girl could not have happened because her jeans were so tight that she would have had to have aided her attacker in removing them prior to the sexual assault. People were so outraged in Italy and elsewhere that they wore jeans in response to this ruling, and thus, Denim Day was born. Denim Day has become a worldwide event that calls to community members and elected officials to stand with survivors of sexual assault to wear denim in protest of what happened in Italy in 1997. This is a time to raise awareness about sexual assault, and its myths and misconceptions, in order to support survivors and bring an end to this crime. The Colorado Coalition Against Sexual Assault's Denim Day Fashion Show is coordinated in collaboration with the current MS. U.S. NORTH AMERICA, Lori Krout, and will feature original denim designs made by Colorado-based fashion designers out of re-purposed denim donated by the arc Thrift Stores. The designs will be worn in this event by survivors of sexual assault in order to raise awareness about the myths and misconceptions that surround this crime. The event supports CCASA's work. People with Autism Have Higher Perceptual Capacity Research published in the Journal of Abnormal Psychology suggests that people with autism have a greater than normal capacity for processing information and are better able to detect information defined as 'critical.' "Our study clearly shows that people with autism can do better than typical adults in tasks involving rapid presentations of a lot of information. . . . There are clearly careers, such as in IT, that can benefit from employing people with high-functioning autism spectrum disorders." The Special Ed Advocate, March 20, 2012 Stress Less this IEP Season: When IEP Services are NOT Delivered There is nothing in IDEA or the federal regulations about "missing services." If your child's IEP specifies related services, the school district must provide these services. Related services must be at no cost to the parent, even if the school system contracts with outside providers to make up for personnel shortages or extended absences of school staff. This issue of the Special Ed Advocate explains the steps parents can take both to enforce their child's IEP and to obtain compensatory services to make up for missed or lost services. The article includes tips for checking on service delivery and scheduling therapy services. In this issue: 1. New! When IEP Services are NOT Delivered 2. Does the District Need to Make-Up Therapy Sessions? 3. TIP from Wrightslaw: All About IEPs 4. Missed Sessions: Denial of FAPE? SPEAKout Newsletter The latest edition of Peak Parent Center's SPEAKout newsletter includes ideas that will help you to document successes of this school year; tips for Extended School Year Services (ESY); an IEP resource for families available in both English and Spanish; and highlights from Peak's 2012 Conference on Inclusive Education! Interesting and useful video regarding mammography for women with disabilities. New Federal Data Shows Autism on the Rise The prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) is rising, according to new data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC is reporting that one in 88 children has autism or a related disorder. The Arc released a statement last month expressing concern that this rapid rise in the prevalence of autism comes at a time when Congress is proposing to cut hundreds of billions of dollars from the Medicaid program. According to the CDC, medical costs for children with ASDs are estimated to be six times higher than for children without ASDs. The Arc urges the CDC to continue to not only try to figure out causes of but also life solutions for people with autism. Read the full statement on The Arc's blog. Earth Day Electronic Recycling Event and Document Shredding April 21, Saturday, Noon - 3PM, in the parking lot at Western Centers in front of Bicycle Village, 2892 S. Havana St., Aurora, 80014. Electronic items that plug in will be accepted for safe recycling; documents for shredding should be in boxes or bags. Clean Out Your Medicine Cabinet on National Prescription Drug Take Back Day. Saturday, April 28, 10AM - 2PM, 13001 E. 17th Place on the Anschutz Medical Campus. Go to www.dea.gov for additional information.
Kids With Autism Bullied Three Times More
In the largest look ever at autism and bullying, new research shows that children on the spectrum are significantly more likely than other kids to be bullied.
HighPointe is a new adult services program for individuals with developmental disabilities located in Centennial. It provides a wide variety of programs including adult enrichment programs, summer high school and transition programs, Friday evening social clubs and weekend outdoor adventure trips. Hoopla at HighPointe summer program is for high school and transition age participants ages 16 to 21. Hoopla runs 8 weeks from June 4th through August 3rd with a week off over the 4th of July. It meets Monday through Friday from 9AM to 3PM at the HighPointe Center in Centennial. Attendees may participate one or both 4 week sessions for 5, 3 or 2 days per week. Questions on and more information about Hoopla at HighPointe -- call Ken Ziel, Executive Director, at 303-221-3222 or ken@highpointecenters.org.
FRIENDLY-TO-A-FAULT, YET TENSE: PERSONALITY TRAITS TRACED IN BRAIN Scans reveal how genes alter circuit hub to shape temperament -- NIH study A personality profile marked by overly gregarious yet anxious behavior is rooted in abnormal development of a circuit hub buried deep in the front center of the brain, say scientists at the National Institutes of Health. They used three different types of brain imaging to pinpoint the suspect brain area in people with Williams syndrome, a rare genetic disorder characterized by these behaviors. Matching the scans to scores on a personality rating scale revealed that the more an individual with Williams syndrome showed these personality/temperament traits, the more abnormalities there were in the brain structure, called the insula. Williams syndrome is caused by the deletion of some 28 genes, many involved in brain development and behavior, in a particular section of chromosome 7. Among deficits characteristic of the syndrome are a lack of visual-spatial ability -- such as is required to assemble a puzzle -- and a tendency to be overly-friendly with people, while overly anxious about non-social matters, such as spiders or heights. Many people with the disorder are also mentally challenged and learning disabled, but some have normal IQs. Evidence suggests that genes influence our temperament and the development of mental disorders via effects on brain circuits that regulate behavior. Yet direct demonstration of this in humans has proven elusive. Since the genetic basis of Williams syndrome is well known, it offers a unique opportunity to explore such effects with neuroimaging, reasoned the researchers. "Our findings illustrate how brain systems translate genetic vulnerability into behavioral traits" explained researcher Berman. The Affordable Care Act and Children and Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Other Developmental Disabilities Children and youth with autism spectrum disorder and other developmental disabilities (ASD/DD) require a comprehensive array of medical, behavioral and developmental health services that are often inadequately covered under the current system of health coverage. This leaves children at risk for missed or delayed care and their families with significant financial burdens. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) is designed to increase health coverage, improve benefits, and provide important new insurance protections for all Americans. Many of the law's provisions will impact children, including those with ASD/DD, and will be implemented over time. This report, developed by The Catalyst Center at the Boston University School of Public Health, offers a brief description of selected provisions in the ACA that have implications for children with ASD/DD. It also describes how state Title V maternal and child health (MCH) programs can maximize opportunities under the ACA to develop and strengthen systems of care for children and youth with ASD/DD. #19 - 4/3/12 "Issues from PAD-CO" -- Where is our Silo? We circled the silos in our old handicapped-equipped van. There were many, each with a label on the side. Some were large, some smaller. We immediately noticed that none of the silos were connected by a pipe or other device to move its contents to any other. Each was separate. The first silo was labeled "Salaries." It was full of money, but there were workmen at the top of the silo frantically adding additional layers of red bricks, as it was getting full and more space was needed for the money for the salaries.... Click here to read the rest of this allegory. In honor of March being Developmental Disability Awareness Month, the Colorado Coalition Against Sexual Assault asked The Arc of Aurora Executive Director Darla Stuart to highlight the unique challenges and barriers faced by people with developmental disabilities who are survivors of sexual violence. Darla's post Although All Victims Suffer Equally ... Not All Victims Are Treated As Equals is a glimpse into one survivor's experience of victimization and the issues that surrounded it. COVA's 2012 NCVRW Event On Monday, April 23, 2012, from 11:30am-1:30pm the Colorado Organization for Victim Assistance (COVA) will recognize National Victims' Rights Week (NCVRW). All are welcome to join COVA in the Atrium of the Wellington Web Building, 201 West Colfax, Denver. COVA's annual event to observe NCVRW features remarks by victims/survivors of crime and the Victim Remembrance Tree Ceremony where the audience is invited to honor a victim by writing his/her name on a leaf and pinning it to the Remembrance Tree quilts. The event will include information and resource tables for community agencies' programs and services. The Colorado Developmental Disabilities Council's Spring 2012 newsletter is available on the Council's website. April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Visit the website for the National Sexual Violence Resource Center for more information. Prevalence of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Much Higher than Previously Estimated The National Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (NOFAS) reports on a comprehensive new study published in the journal Developmental Disabilities Research Reviews finds that Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) in populations of younger school children may be as high as 2-5% in the United States. This further confirms that the prevalence of alcohol-related birth defects is at least as significant as autism-related disorders, and FASD, by a considerable margin, is the leading preventable developmental disability. Hammer Travel offers financial assistance to individuals interested in traveling on group trips with them. Limited resources are available for financial assistance; therefore, not everyone will be able to receive a travel scholarship. Hammer Travel has a variety of scholarship levels and recipients are selected by an independent voluntary committee. Recipients will be selected based on financial need, travel history and desired destinations. Recipients may receive scholarships to cover 25%, 50%, 75% or 100% of a trip cost. | 
