From the Editor

Fall Greetings!

Cooler and shorter days... A painter's palate of color everywhere we look. Sweaters.  The smell of fireplace smoke in the air. Withered garden plants.  All signs that election day draws near for our country and that the annual meeting (and movie) draws near for Arc of Aurora members.

The Arc of Aurora Director of Systems Advocacy Hanni Raley has this reminder for us about the election:

On November 8th you will be asked to cast your ballot to elect a President, Congressperson, and local Legislators along with voicing your opinion on school district bond issues and ballot Initiatives. There has never been a more important time to be sure your voice is heard! You may register to vote in-person on the day of the election, now by visiting the Secretary of State's website, or  by texting "Colorado" or "CO" to "2Vote" (28683) on your smartphone. The Secretary of State's website is a good place to confirm that you are registered, too. If you plan to vote by mail, be sure to send your ballot early. Lastly, if you encounter ANY issues with coercion or barriers to voting, contact Disability Law Colorado at 303-722-0300. We have a right AND responsibility to be a part of this election; "see" you at the polls!

After voting, plan to attend The Arc of Aurora's annual meeting on November 12.  The short business meeting will be followed by a showing of the 2016 version of The Jungle Book.  As is always the case, movie snacks will be served!  Check out the Hot Topic section below to register now. Space is limited.

Lots of great information included here --- let me know what you find most helpful.

Happy fall!

Jean Solis

Editor and Director of Marketing and Development

[email protected]   ---   720.213.1420

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It's 2016 Annual Meeting and Movie Time!

On Saturday, November 12, The Arc of Aurora will host its annual business meeting followed by a showing of the 2016 film,  The Jungle Book. All are welcome (RSVPs required) -- no charge! Details, including a link to register your family, are in the Hot Topic section below.  

Your Donation Goes Further on Colorado Gives Day!

Do You Love to Bowl and Are You 16+ Years Old?

Then you can join The Arc of Aurora's Sunday Get Together Bowling League! The group meets at the AMF Aurora Lanes, 16700 E. Mississippi Avenue, Aurora 80017, on Sunday afternoons. Practice begins at 12:45PM, games at 1PM. Cost is $9/week for 3 games and shoes. Use a wheelchair? No problem! Supervision is NOT provided. Got questions? Call Dottie at 303.337.5540.

Is Your Arc of Aurora Membership Current?

The Arc of Aurora's membership calendar is July 1 - June 30.  Thus, it's time to confirm that you have renewed your Contributing Membership for 2016-'17. In addition to access to advocacy support, Contributing Members are eligible to apply for annual scholarships offered by The Arc of Aurora (other criteria must also be met) and receive a 15% discount card for arc Thrift Store shopping throughout the year.  Click here to renew your Membership online or check in with your Arc of Aurora advocate for a printed form and payment by check or cash.

Make Volunteering a Regular Part of Your Life

Aktion Clubs are service clubs for people with developmental disabilities and are supported by local Kiwanis Clubs.  A metro area club is starting up, and you are invited to join!  The next meeting is Tuesday, November 1 from 1-2:30 PM at Englewood Library, 1000 Englewood Parkway, in the Perrin Room. Questions on Aktion Club may be addressed to Jean at [email protected], or 720-213-1420.

Colorado Miss Amazing Program

Miss Amazing is a nationwide program that provides opportunities for girls and women with disabilities to build self-confidence. The Colorado program happens in January, 2017. For more information about the program, click here.

Parents Encouraging Parents (PEP) Conferences 2016-2017

The Colorado Department of Education (CDE) is hosting its fall Parents Encouraging Parents (PEP) conference in Vail from October 27 - 29 at no cost to attendees. The conference is designed to promote family and school partnerships for Coloradans who have children with disabilities. Click here to see the flyer in English, or click here for Spanish.

Paid Research Study Opportunity

The University of Denver is conducting a paid research study which will involve 3 visits to the DU campus for 4 hours of testing, caregiver interviews, and survey completion. Participants must be ages 6-25 and have a diagnosis of intellectual disability. Participants will receive compensation for their participation, as well as a feedback session on cognitive test results from a licensed school psychologist. For more information, contact Jeanine Coleman at 303-871-2496.

Autism IMMUNOe Paid Research Study

This 14-week research study is recruiting children ages 3-8 who have been diagnosed with autism, and who weigh more than 28 pounds. Qualified participants will receive compensation for time and/or travel. Click here to see the flyer.

Health Care Accessibility Survey

The Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition (CCDC) and the Civil Rights Education and Enforcement Center (CREEC) are gathering information about medical providers with barriers to people with disabilities through this survey here.

CCDC Medicaid Billing Questionnaire

CCDC's Legal Program is investigating Medicaid bills being sent to collections. If you have had a medical bill sent to collections, and you were covered under Medicaid at the time of service, click here to fill out this survey.

Survey to Collect Data Regarding School Failures

Extended School Year (ESY) Disability Law Colorado is collecting data regarding the failure of schools to individualize Extended School Year (ESY) services. If your child has received ESY services in the past, fill out this survey here in English or here in Spanish.

Published Research (NEW!)

The Association Between Parental Attributions of Misbehavior and Parenting Practices in Caregivers Raising Children with FASD

Limited research has focused on parenting practices used by caregivers raising children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). The current study hypothesized that parental attributions of children's misbehavior would relate to the parenting strategies caregivers utilize with children with FASD.

Neurobehavioral Disorder Associated with Prenatal Alcohol Exposure

This article outlines clinical implications and guidelines for pediatric medical home clinicians to identify, diagnose and refer children regarding neurobehavioral disorder associated with prenatal exposure.

Challenging Sleep-Wake Behaviors Reported in Children with FASD

Sleep complaints are clinically expected in children exposed to alcohol during pregnancy. This article aims to reveal patterns of association among sleep-wake behaviors that are challenging in the life of children with FASD.

Other Information

First Cohort of Colorado Students with Down Syndrome Starts College this Fall

The legislature this year passed a law that allows people with intellectual disabilities, including Down Syndrome, to enroll in college even if they don't have the SAT or ACT scores or high school courses to gain admittance.

With a Change in State Law, Crimes Against the Elderly and Intellectually Disabled are on the Rise

In the time since Colorado made it mandatory to report abuse, neglect and exploitation of the elderly, the number of cases has jumped 50 percent across the state to a total of 17,743 cases reported. In July, it became mandatory to report the abuse of adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Colorado was among the last three states in the country to enact a mandatory reporting law.

Denver Housing Project Specially Designed for People with Disabilities

A $17 million housing project in the Baker neighborhood of Denver is specially designed for people with disabilities. There will be 60 accessible, integrated housing units for about 100 residents both with and without special needs, and the four-year plan is about halfway complete at this time.

Aurora's Two School Districts to Test for Lead in Water

Both the Cherry Creek School District and Aurora Public Schools plan to test water in schools for lead contamination this school year, according to district officials. As first reported by education news website Chalkbeat Colorado, Aurora's two public school districts are in the process of buttoning up plans to test old pipes in schools for dangerous levels of lead, following similar moves made by a wave of other Front Range districts.

'Accountability Clock' is Ticking Down for a Dozen APS Schools

The accountability clock was designed to provide additional oversight for chronically struggling schools. About a dozen schools in the Aurora Public School district are expected to move on or off the state's "accountability clock" next summer.

U.S. Supreme Court Will Hear Douglas County Student with Disabilities Case

The U.S. Supreme Court will hear a groundbreaking case brought by a Douglas County couple who claims, since 2010, that their autistic son was not provided with an adequate education in the public school system as required by law. The high court's ruling on the case could have substantial implications for students with disabilities across the country in terms of the standard school districts will be required to meet when providing instruction and services.

U.S. Education Department Releases Guidance on Education of Children with Disabilities Attending Public Virtual Schools

On August 1, 2016, the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) issued guidance regarding the requirements in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) that apply to public virtual schools. Over the last decade, there has been a proliferation of educational models involving varying degrees of in-person and online instruction and practice. This letter addresses the state's general supervision responsibilities and the applicability of IDEA's child find provisions to children attending public virtual schools, and the states' responsibility to provide a free appropriate public education (FAPE) to children with disabilities.

A New Path: 2016 PCPID Report to the President Now Available

The President's Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities (PCPID) 2016 report is now available online. The report, Strengthening an Inclusive Pathway for People with Intellectual Disabilities and their Families, recognizes the "great strides" made since President John F. Kennedy established a blue-ribbon panel to address the needs of people with intellectual disabilities and their families, and PCPID chairman Jack Brandt notes that, "despite these advances, the trajectory for a person with an intellectual disability remains limited." Click here to read the report.

Series Outlines State Boards' Opportunities to Address Challenges of At-Risk Student Populations

The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) gives state policymakers new responsibility and increased flexibility to improve and align policies that accommodate specific student populations, including migrant youth and English language learners. ESSA provides opportunities to act on behalf of five at-risk student populations: students with disabilities, migrant youth, students in the foster care system, English language learners, and homeless youth. A new series of National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE) policy updates suggests strategies that state boards of education can use to address the challenges and inequities facing some of the most disenfranchised, at-risk student populations in the country. Click here for the policy update regarding disabilities.

Problems Plague Vocational Rehabilitation

Studies have shown that people with disabilities benefit even more than the general public from having a college degree, in terms of employment and getting out of poverty - people with disabilities with a bachelor's degree are almost 50% more likely to have a job than those with just a high school diploma. Yet, while 76% of people with disabilities have high school diplomas, only 12% have college degrees.

Complaint: Early Dismissal Shortchanging Students in Special Ed

Portland Public Schools is discriminating against students in special education by loading them onto school buses 5 to 15 minutes before school ends, costing them hours of classroom time over the course of an academic year.

Colorado's New Medicare-Medicaid Advocate

Arapahoe County Officials Deny Request for Audit from Parents of Disabled Adults

Arapahoe County officials have denied a request from parents of adult children with developmental disabilities for an audit of the community agency that manages their benefit money. The group of parents wants the county to hire an auditor to review $98 million in mill levy funds from Arapahoe County taxpayers to Developmental Pathways since 2002. DP determines who is eligible for state and federal Medicaid dollars, as well as the county mill levy funds.

Judge Blocks Effort to Remove Kids from Nursing Homes

A federal judge in Florida has tossed out of court a lawsuit filed three years ago by the US Department of Justice which claimed that Florida health administrators had acted with "deliberate indifference to the suffering" of children with disabilities who were staying in nursing homes for lack of more appropriate accommodations with family members or in the community.

Congress Eyes Changes to ABLE Act, Special Needs Trusts

Legislation advanced in both houses of Congress that would make small, but meaningful changes to how people with disabilities can save money.

Proposed Changes to ABLE Act Draw Opposition

More than 80 disability advocacy groups say they will oppose legislation that would enhance options for individuals with disabilities who are currently eligible for ABLE accounts. That is, unless lawmakers also act to increase the eligibility age for the new savings vehicle.

Pass It On: A Collaborative Video for FASD Awareness Month

Watch the NOFAS-produced collaborative video, "PASS IT ON!" with more than 100 Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) advocates from around the world. Individuals living with FASD, family members, advocates, researchers, public officials and others from all over the world took part, including Colorado's own Governor Hickenlooper. Click here to see the 20 minute video.

Bullying Often Triggers Fight Response in Kids with Disabilities

Children with disabilities are more likely than other kids to respond aggressively to bullying, researchers say.

Education Department Aims to Improve Transition Outcomes

Federal officials are funneling millions of dollars towards efforts to better prepare students with disabilities for post-secondary education and competitive employment.

Ranking Names States with Best Disability Services

The best Medicare service systems for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities are found in Arizona, Vermont, New Hampshire, Michigan, and Hawaii, according to an annual report by United Cerebral Palsy.

For Kids on the Spectrum, Drug May Keep Weight Gain at Bay

New research suggests that a common diabetes drug, Metformin, may counteract the unwanted side effect of weight gain from many medications taken to address autism symptoms. 

Autism Genes Vary, Even Among Siblings

Roughly 11% of families affected by autism have more than one child on the spectrum. While it seems logical that shared genetic variations would be responsible, researchers found otherwise. Their study involved an analysis of genetic data collected from 1,532 families of those with autism. In 80% of families in the study, multiple members had the developmental disorder.

Study: Autism Moms Face Greater Risk of Heart Disease

Raising a child with autism may take a deeper toll than previously thought with new research suggesting that such moms face a heightened risk of heart disease. Mothers of kids on the spectrum who have chronic stress were more likely than less-stressed moms of neurotypical children to experience cardiovascular risk factors.

Waiting List Placements May Violate ADA

In a statement of interest filed in August, the Justice Department said that if individuals with developmental disabilities are not receiving services in the community, they may assert a claim that their rights have been violated.