Join Our List

Parenting Style Has Big Impact on Kids with Disabilities

DisabilityScoop

The approach that parents take with their children who have developmental disabilities is directly tied to how cooperative and independent they become, new research suggests.

U.S. Preterm Birth Rate Continues to Drop: Report

Women'sHealth.gov

 For the fifth year in a row, the preterm birth rate in the United States has dropped.

Medicaid Should Matter to All Middle-Class Families

Timesdispatch.com

"Medicaid makes it possible for adults with disabilities and their families to live a life in the community -- a life like yours. All of us are one curve ball away from needing Medicaid too. Losing a job with health care benefits, giving birth to a child with a genetic blip, or suffering a brain injury in a car accident are just some examples of events that can swiftly change the course of a life."

Congress Urged To Create Tax-Free Disability Savings Accounts

DisabilityScoop

Disability advocates are launching a major push to pressure Congress to pass legislation before year's end that would offer a new way to save money without jeopardizing government benefits.

Common Standards Drive New Approaches to Reading

Education Week

Time isn't the only resource in scarce supply as educators put the standards into practice. There is the issue of money, as well. How will districts and states pay for the professional development teachers need to adapt their instruction to the new expectations? And will all teachers get the support they require to provide the right kinds of help to the students with the shakiest skills?

Families Exposed To High Out-Of-Pocket Costs

The Salt Lake Tribune

"Medical debt is a common burden in America, shouldered not just by the poor and uninsured, but scores of fully insured, middle-class families. It's a leading cause of bankruptcy and well-documented drag on the economy, which industry experts say is getting worse. And it's uncertain whether federal health reform will bring relief."

Senate Vote on the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

• When Congress last visited this issue in July, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted to send the U.N. Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) to the full Senate for a vote. Read the Council for Exceptional Children's article Will the Lame Duck Senate Vote on the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities?
• BlogTalkRadio.com Show by Parents and for Parents of Children with Disabilities
  Show Topic: Why Should Parents Care about an International Disability Treaty? Click Here To Listen

For more information, follow Twitter hashtag #CRPD, or visit www.usicd.org .

What's Next for Head Start?

Education Week

Will we finally find out what's going to happen in the Head Start recompetition?

Arizona to Delay Health Exchange Decision

The Republic | azcentral.com

A day before the deadline, federal health officials on Thursday gave states another month to decide whether to run their own health-insurance marketplaces. Another report on this topic is at azdailysun.com 

Arizona's essential health benefits benchmark plan for health plans to be sold through the state's health insurance exchange is the United Healthcare EPO for state employees. Enrollments in these plans will start in late 2013. Treatment limits imposed on covered benefits by other plans sold through the health insurance exchange cannot exceed the corresponding limits imposed by the benchmark plan. Read a related article in the Arizona Daily Star.

More information: Letter from Governor Brewer identifying the Essential Benefits Plan.

State Health Insurance Mandates and the PPACA Essential Benefits Provisions

Overview of Budget Requests

Children's Action Alliance issued an overview of the budget requests for Fiscal Year 2014 with these notations:

• AHCCCS Health Coverage: The request shows a mixture of costs and savings with many transitions happening in health care. Lifting the enrollment freeze for adults without children at home would bring back coverage for about 117,000 people and save the state $36 million in fiscal year 2014 thanks to federal matching funds.  AHCCCS will begin to cover children in families with incomes up to 133% of the federal poverty level, adding 21,000 children at a net state cost of $5 million next year. It is projected that process changes and the economy will lead to 26,600 more people covered through existing AHCCCS programs with a total state cost of $111 million. The budget request does not include the new health care exchange.

• Arizona Department of Education: Restoring state funding for adult education and GED programs and funding a multiyear project to replace the current student data system. No restoration of past cuts to the classroom.

A summary chart can be found here.

Childless Adults Continuation 

Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS) submitted the waiver amendment to Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) requesting continued authority to cover Childless Adults with enhanced federal matching funds.
Without CMS approval, AHCCCS will no longer have the federal authority to cover childless adults in its program beginning January 1, 2014. If the waiver is not approved, and no other action is taken, AHCCCS will have to eliminate coverage for all remaining childless adults enrolled in AHCCCS beginning January 1, 2014. More information about this request can be found here: Childless Adults Waiver.

 

Abuse Deaths Rise

The Republic | azcentral.com

"While the number of child fatalities in Arizona has decreased significantly over the past six years, the number of deaths due to maltreatment edged up last year...The community needs to come to terms with the need for better prevention. Programs to help parents tackle drug or alcohol abuse, identify mental-health problems, improve parenting skills, resolve conflicts or even balance a budget all help prevent child abuse, neglect and suicide."

Prematurity Report Card

Arizona Department of Health Services Director's Blog

Being born too soon can cause long-term disabilities in children including cerebral palsy, developmental delay, respiratory problems and vision and hearing problems.  Sadly, prematurity is also the leading cause of infant death in Arizona.  In 2011, 199 Arizona infants died from being born too soon. This year a Healthy Babies initiative was launched with a pledge to reduce prematurity 8% by 2014.  

Nicole's son began having seizures before kindergarten. Upon entering school, Dalton had difficulties adjusting to the classroom environment. "He was in intervention all the time, but it was due to behavior that we did not see at home."

The family was puzzled by Dalton's behavior. "When my son first entered school, I went through the IEP process in the dark. I was thinking the school was going to help me with whatever he needs."

Dalton was placed in the most restrictive environment available. As his behavior continued to escalate Nicole reached out for help. "Raising Special Kids helped me to understand special education. With that assistance, my next IEP meeting was the most successful one I'd ever had. Collaborating with the IEP team was a new experience for me--it was so refreshing to work with a team that heard me out."

"We finally addressed the issue that a less restrictive environment had never been tried for him. Now he is doing really well. He is more comfortable with his program, and he is making progress," reported Nicole. "I think of the training I received as 'Education for Parents!' Now I can continue to acquire more knowledge, and it is comforting to know I have a place to go to for help."

Raising Special Kids needs your help to serve more families like the Nicole's.  Please make your donation today through our secure online system. Thank You!

Events and Activities

Meeting on Legislative Issues

The Arizona Autism Coalition Legislative Council is hosting a meeting that is open to the community with special guest, Brian Hummell, Director of AZ Government Relations, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, Inc. We will be discussing a variety of topics including but not limited to:

• election wrap-up and where energy should be focused in late 2012, early 2013
• DDD updates including rates and any impending changes 
• health care exchange updates 

Date: November 20, 2012

Time: 10am

Location: Disability Empowerment Center, 5025 E. Washington Street, Phoenix, AZ

Vision Rehabilitation and Assistive Technology Expo

Featuring technology and services that promote independence and quality of life for those with vision loss and combined vision/hearing loss.

Free to attend and open to the public.

Friday, November 30, 2012

9am - 4pm

The Shriners Auditorium, 552 North 40^th St., Phoenix, AZ 85008

Complimentary shuttle service available from 38^th St. and Washington Light Rail stop - call to make a reservation: 480-994-0163.

Who should attend: anyone with vision loss or combined vision and hearing loss, and the friends, family and professionals who support them. More information: www.vrate.org

"Sensitive Santa" for Children with Sensory Sensitivities

Families will have the opportunity to have their child's picture taken with Santa in a calm, less-intimidating environment than the mall setting. This event is free and is for children who have sensory sensitivities, and who otherwise may not be able to have a picture taken with Santa at the mall.

Touchstone Behavioral Health locations

• Mesa Location: 2150 S. Country Club Drive, Suite #36, Mesa AZ 85210
  December 10, 2012 from 10am

• Phoenix Location: 15648 N. 35th Ave. Phoenix, Arizona 85053
   December 12, 2012 from 10am0in
  December 15, 2012 from 10am0in

For details call Traci or Elizabeth 602-732-4967.

Twitter Chat on Family Health History

Join a Twitter chat with U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. Regina Benjamin, on Tues. 11/20 at 11am AZ Time. Discussion about how completing a family health history can help give babies a healthy start in life. National Family History Day is part of the Surgeon General's Family Health History Initiative. Understanding your family health history is important for everyone, but it's especially important for pregnant women, new moms or couples thinking about starting a family. Knowing both parents' family health histories can help identify risk for genetic conditions, birth defects, or preterm birth.

Follow the chat using #familyhealthhistory and join the conversation by following on Twitter, @marchofdimes or @SGRegina.

Previously Listed in Monday Memo:

Survey on Advocacy and Resilience

For parents of children with special needs

Parents' participation is requested in an online, anonymous survey about advocacy and resilience in parents of children with special needs. The survey is expected to take about 20 minutes. The research is being conducted by Dr. Sarah Taylor at California State University, East Bay, and Dr. Amy Conley Wright at San Francisco State University.

To participate, please go to http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/spclneedsadvocacy. If you have questions about this research, contact Dr.Taylor at sarah.taylor@csueastbay.edu, Dr. Amy Conley Wright at acw@sfsu.edu or the CSU East Bay Institutional Review Board at 510-885-4212.

Free Dental Clinic Event

The Central Arizona Dental Society will be hosting its first Mission of Mercy event December 6-9, 2012 at the Arizona State Fairgrounds. Mission of Mercy is a dental clinic with portable dental stations set up in a large public arena. Dental screenings and services are provided on a first-come, first-served basis, at no charge to those who attend.

• Clinic doors open at 4:00 am.
• Treatment will be performed from 6 am - 6 pm on both days.
• No appointments will be taken or are necessary.
• Patients are seen on a first come - first serve basis.
• The number of patients seen will be limited by clinic capacity.

Provider Fair

Saturday, January 26, 2013

10 am - 2 pm

Steele Indian School Park, Phoenix

For families and individuals seeking services through the Division of Developmental Disabilities. This fair provides opportunities to connect face to face with providers from the Valley.