Faith and Disabilities

The turkeys have been carved and the trees are going up; the holiday season is upon us. Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa or others, CeDIR has resources to help create inclusive faith communities this holiday season.

-Praying with Lior
-Including people with disabilities in faith communities : a guide for service providers, families, & congregations
-Believing, belonging, becoming
-Faith communities and inclusion of people with developmental disabilities

Support Groups

Are you looking for a support group for yourself or loved ones? The Bloomington Hospital has established several tailored to specific conditions (all phone numbers with area code 812):

Adolescent Bereavement: 353-9818
For children and teens who have lost a loved one

Adult Bereavement: 353-9818
For adults who have lost a loved one

ALS: 353-9299
For anyone with ALS and their family or friends

Alzheimer's: 353-9299
For caregivers fo individuals with Alzheimer's and other dementias

Breast Cancer: 353-5669
Support for women undergoing treatment for breast cancer

Cancer-all types: 353-5669
For individuals undergoing treatment for any cancers and their families

Celiac: 339-3424
For individuals with gluten intolerance

Diabetes: 353-9258
For individuals with diabetes

Fibromyalgia: 353-5534
For individuals with Fibromyalgia syndrome

HIV/AIDS: 353-3261
For individuals with the human immunodeficiency virus

Postpartum Depression: 337-8121
For women experiencing depression following the birth of their babies--family members welcome

RTS: 353-5482
Fr people who have experienced miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, stillbirth or newborn death

Stroke: 353-9818
For individuals who have had a stroke and their caregivers

Tobacco: 353-5811
For individuals in the process of quitting or who have quit tobacco products

Arthritis Myths

Do your bones creak because of the cold? Because you slouch? Probably not. Causations like these are largely myths, as the Harvard Medical school points out in their article "Top 10 Things that Don't Cause Arthritis". Here are some mythical reasons for joint pain:

1) Overuse. Unless you're a jack-hammer operator or professional athlete, you are not at increased risk for arthritis.

2) Cold, damp weather. This belief is common, but scientifically unsupported.

3) Medications. The type of medicine that causes bone death is very, very rare.

4) Infections and vaccinations. Infectious diseases can cause arthritis, but only a small fraction of cases can be attributed to them.

5) Diet. What you eat has almost nothing to do with arthritis--though shoveling in the pie and french fries can lead to obesity, which worsens joint symptoms.

For the full list of myths with more extensive explanations, follow the link above.

Getting Closer to a Treatment for Down Syndrome

Researchers from Stanford and the University of California San Diego have found a way to restore learning in mice with a Down syndrome-like condition.

The scientists administered xamoterol to mice who had three copies of one of their chromosomes (similar to the origin of Down syndrome). Before the tests, mice suffered neural degeneration and had difficulty learning to adapt to new environments; for example, they did not build nests when transferred to new homes and could not recognize patterns in audio tones. After the drug took effect, the nest-building and pattern recognition was restored.

The xamoterol worked by being converted by the body into norepinephrine, which is a natural neurotransmitter.

To read more about the discovery, read the press releases at the University of California or MedPage Today.

Introduction to Special Education in Indiana

An Introduction to Special Education in Indiana is a pamphlet developed by Cathy Beard at the IIDC's Early Childhood Center. The handy booklet details laws and services for parents of children in special education or burgeoning SE teachers.

The ECC is offering free copies until our stock runs low. Contact 812-855-6508 to obtain a copy. The CeDIR library also has several copies available for borrowing when the department runs out; email us if you're interested and an Indiana resident.

Make sure to check out the ECC's other publications on their site.

Special Education in Contemporary Society

Special education in contemporary society: an introduction to exceptionality is a textbook for college students by Richard Gargiulo. In addition to a comprehensive text on policies, cultural diversity, families, and specific disabilities, the book features special sections in every chapter: interviews with individuals with learning disabilities, targeted teaching strategies, and suggested learning activities.

Interested in this book? Indiana resident? Email us!

Not an Indiana resident? Find this book at your local library through WorldCat.

Is Your Website Accessible?

This Wednesday at 2pm, ADA Online will host a webinar called "Tips and Tricks for Accessible Web Design." The event is part of the Accessible Technology audio conference series.

This event is free, but requires registration at: http://www.ada-audio.org/Webinar/AccessibleTechnology/.

Job Success for Persons with Developmental Disabilities

Job success for persons with developmental disabilities by David B. Wiegan is written for professionals in vocational rehabilitation, transition services or related work. The book describes proven methods for pin-pointing the strengths of clients with developmental disabilities, tracking down prime employment opportunities, and supporting the client after placement. Wiegan is the Executive Director of Mid-Valley Rehabilitation in McMinnville, Oregon with and has 30+ years of experience in job placement.

Interested in this book? Indiana resident? Email us!

Not an Indiana resident? Find this book at your local library through WorldCat.

Elderburbia

Elderburbia: aging with a sense of purpose in America, written by the IIDC's own Phil Stafford, is now on the CeDIR library shelves. The book examines how local environments shape the aging experience and outlines what makes a community elder-friendly. Elderburbia is especially useful to social workers, aging individuals and city planners looking to prepare for aging populations.

Also check out Dr. Stafford's blog, "Phil's Adventures in Elderburbia," http://agingindiana.wordpress.com/, for more information on elder-friendly communities.

Interested in this book? Indiana resident? Email us!

Not an Indiana resident? Find this book at your local library through WorldCat.

Family Center on Technology and Disability Discussions

CeDIR received this press release from the Family Center on Technology and Disability in Washington D.C.:

"November Online Discussion has begun!

The Family Center on Technology and Disability invites you to join national AT experts Lisa Thumann and Karen Janowski to discuss a wide range of issues associated with instructional technology.

This is an opportunity to discuss both big-picture questions and the very particular ways in which teachers, therapists, parents, and students can use established and emerging technologies in ways that have proven effective in and out of the classroom. Whether you're interested in the growing use of social media tools, the current status of Universal Design for Learning, tech-supported professional development, or technology tools that link home and school, keeping up with technology requires commitment and we salute you for making the effort!"

Their website, http://www.fctd.info/webboard/index.php, provides details on reading transcripts of discussions, requesting the Family Center's "AT Resources" CD-ROM, and registering for announcements.

When Did I Get Old?

On Thursday, November 19 at 9 pm, WFYI Public Television will present When Did I Get Old? Reflections on Aging Today — a new one-hour documentary that alternates studio discussions with aging experts and profiles of active seniors in Indiana. The special will be offered for broadcast on Indiana’s Public Television Stations.

When Did I Get Old was produced by the Emmy award-winning Gary Harrison in cooperation with the University of Indianapolis Center for Aging & Community and the Center on Aging and Community at Indiana University. The documentary focuses on Midtown Gary, Linton, Vincennes, and Bloomington, where residents attempt to improve public conditions and residents overcome personal obstacles.

For more information, contact Lori Plummer at (317) 614-0462 or e-mail lplummer@wfyi.org.

Graduate Seminar: Developmental and Severe Disabilities

Indiana University at Bloomington is offering a seminar for advanced masters and PhD students in January, 2010. Coordinators have distributed the following information:

This seminar endeavors to address issues related to severe and chronic disability of children, that is, disabilities that are attributable to cognitive and/or physical impairment and manifest during the developmental period. The association between poverty and disabilities as well as the impact of socio-cultural factors on the manifestation and outcomes of developmental disabilities will be addressed, for example, the impact of HIV/AIDS on child development.

The aim of these seminars are twofold: Firstly to discuss common underlying issues in developmental disabilities by exploring commonalities and differences between specific disabilities to deepen our understanding of the challenges experienced, and secondly to enable students to develop and evaluate intervention strategies within specific socio-cultural contexts.

Topics will include issues relating to information processing, receptive and expressive language, augmentative and alternative communication, literacy skills, problem behaviors and self-regulation as well as transitional planning and employment in developmental disabilities. A focus on factors impacting on the sustainability of intervention in severe and developmental disabilities, in particular those related to family-centered intervention and community-based instruction, will also be addressed.

The format of the seminar will be an introductory presentation followed by group discussions based on the required readings in the field. Experts who have already indicated their willingness to participate in this course include: David Mank (Indiana Institute on Disability and Community), Lisa Pufpaff (Ball State University) as well as Lyle Lloyd (Purdue University).

The main seminar presenter and organizer is Erna Alant (PhD), previously Director of the Center for Augmentative and Alternative Communication at the University of Pretoria in South Africa. She is newly appointed as Professor and Otting Chair in Special Education at Indiana University and has extensive experience in severe disabilities and AAC in intervention, training and research in Africa and beyond.

Pre-requisites for the course: Intermediate level knowledge of developmental disabilities, for example, intellectual disabilities, physical disabilities, autism spectrum disorders and relevant teaching and intervention strategies are strongly recommended for the course.

For further information - please contact: Erna Alant (ealant@indiana.edu)

Mental Health Parity Act

Whether the proposed federal health plan goes through or not, US citizens will reap the benefits of a health insurance law passed by Congress last year: the Mental Health Parity Act. As of January 1st, 2010, all insurance plans covering more than fifty people will be required to provide the same amount of service for mental health as they do for physical. This helps ensure that individuals with depression, bipolar disorder etc. have equal access to care.

Make sure to review your insurers new regulations for 2010 to see how the changes will affect you, your charges and family members. Visit the New York Times article for a summary of the pros and cons of the new law. For more resources on mental health, look through our previous posts on the subject.

Textbooks for Students with Disabilities

Hundreds of American colleges are joining up with a Georgia-based program which gives students with disabilities easier access to class materials than ever before. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution highlighted the growth of AccessText Network, an online database that allows students with visual impairments, dyslexia, and other reading difficulties easy access to special textbooks. AccessText contains donations from the following publishers:

* Bedford/St. Martin's, W.H. Freeman, Worth Publishers
* Cengage Learning
* CQ Press
* McGraw-Hill Education
* Pearson Education
* Reed Elsevier Inc.
* John Wiley & Sons
* W.W. Norton

To take advantage of this resource, students should contact the disability services at their universities to inquire whether they are part of the AccessText network.

Researching with Children and Young People

Researching with children and young people: research design, methods, and analysis is written by E Kay M Tisdall, John M Davis, and Michael Gallagher. The book covers every step of the research process for undergraduate and graduate students of Early Childhood Studies, Education, etc. The authors walk students through designing research processes, choosing from modern methods of investigation, and analysis.

Interested in this book? Indiana resident? Email us!

Not an Indiana resident? Find this book at your local library through WorldCat.

Teaching Infants, Toddlers, and Twos

Teaching infants, toddlers, and twos with special needs is written by Clarissa Willis, PhD, a former associate professor of Special Education at East Tennessee State University. Her book covers environment, eating, play, communication, and other essential issues teachers and administrators face when working with children with developmental delays.

Interested in this book? Indiana resident? Email us!

Not an Indiana resident? Find this book at your local library through WorldCat.

Alzheimer's Awareness Month

Check out these resources at the CeDIR Library for Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Month:
-Learning to speak Alzheimer's: a groundbreaking approach for everyone dealing with the disease by Joanne Koenig Coste
-The Alzheimer's advisor: a caregiver's guide to dealing with the tough legal and practical issues by Vaughn E James
-What if it's not Alzheimer's? A caregiver's guide to dementia by Lisa and Gary Radin
-I'm still here: A breakthrough approach to understanding someone living with Alzheimer's by John Ziesel
-Alzheimer's disease: facing the facts [PBS Video]