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The toolkit offers best-practice tools and information regarding specific medical and behavioral concerns of adults with IDD, including resources for patients and families. The website is divided into four categories: General Issues; Physical Issues; Health Watch Tables; and Behavioral and Mental Health Issues.

What can teachers, family members, friends and employers do to prepare students for success in the adult world? Identifying students’ strengths and preferences is crucial to developing their skills. Cultivating support at school, on the job and in the community while increasing students’ social competence is also vital.

Carter and Hughes describe inclusive methods that treat people with disabilities as competent and increase their independence and self-determination in tandem with social support and acceptance among the general population. Students learn to make their own choices, set goals, speak up for themselves and carry out their own plans, a shift from now-disfavored programs that isolated adolescents and young adults with disabilities.

Students with disabilities face several longstanding challenges accessing services that may assist them as they transition from high school into postsecondary education or the workforce—services such as tutoring, vocational training, and assistive technology. Eligible students with disabilities are entitled to transition planning services during high school, but after leaving high school, to receive services that facilitate their transition they must apply as adults and establish eligibility for programs administered by multiple federal agencies. Students with disabilities may face delays in service and end up on waitlists if these programs are full. In addition, while all five states GAO contacted have taken steps to coordinate their transition services and assist families with the transition process, officials said that it is still difficult for students and their parents to navigate and for providers to coordinate services across different programs. Officials and parents GAO spoke with also noted a lack of sufficient information or awareness of the full range of service options available after high school on the part of students with disabilities, parents, and service providers. In addition, state and local officials said students with disabilities may not be adequately prepared to successfully transition to life after high school. This may be due, in part, to limited opportunities to engage in vocational and life skills training or obtain work experience while in school.

What:The LIFFT youth and young adult peer group (students in grades 6 up to college age) is looking forward to beginning a new year having fun and working on developing the self-confidence and skills necessary to live happy, healthy, productive, and independent lives.This youth and young adult peer group is currently scheduled to meet on the fourth Thursday of each month during the winter and spring. Each meeting will include one hour of discussion on a topic relating to growing up with a disability and an hour of social/recreational activities.When:All sessions 2:00 to 4:00 pmFebruary 23, 2012March 22, 2012April 26, 2012May 24, 2012Where:Billings LIFFT Office3333 2nd Ave NorthContact:Brent Morris, Jed Barton, Jennifer NancePhone: (406) 259-5181

GREAT FALLS - A new loan program is bringing almost $1 million worth of financial services to Montanans with disabilities and on Tuesday, the National Disability Institute trained local credit counselors for the program. With one in five US adults living with a disability, and those adults being three times more likely than their peers to live at or below the poverty line, providing them with financial services is crucial to opening up the doors to more opportunities.

First Hate Crimes Case of Its Kind in the Country Also Charges Murder Linda Weston, her daughter and three co-defendants are charged in a 193-count indictment, unsealed today, with racketeering, murder in aid of racketeering, hate crimes, sex trafficking, forced labor, theft, fraud and other crimes.   The indictment alleges that Weston and her associates carried out a racketeering enterprise that targeted victims with mental disabilities as part of a scheme to steal disability payments from the victims and the Social Security system.   As part of the scheme, Weston persuaded each victim to make her the designated recipient of their Social Security disability payments in exchange for the promise of a comfortable place to live.   Once appointed as the designated recipient of disability payments, Weston, aided by the co-defendants, subjected the victims to subhuman conditions of captivity.  

Every child, regardless of income, race, background, or disability can learn and must learn. And, our system of education—spread across 50 states, 15,000 school districts, and 95,000 schools—must embrace this core belief every day in every possible way. If our children are not learning, then we, as adults, have failed. That is why educators, advocates, parents, and policymakers need to make sure that students with disabilities have access to the general curriculum and are held to the same, high standards as their non-disabled peers. We can work toward this by: creating a culture of high expectations; ensuring students with disabilities have full access to college- and career-ready learning opportunities and assessments; and supporting students with disabilities so that they may excel in the general curriculum for college and career success.

Parents of children with learning disabilities (LD) and children and adults with LD still face huge misunderstanding about what learning disabilities are…and what they’re not. When you hear an uneducated remark from a neighbor, colleague, coach, relative, or even from someone at the grocery store, how do you deal with it?

We’re pleased to share this video blog from Friends of Quinn, an online community that offers resources and support for young adults with LD and the people who love them. This video features Connor, a young web development manager in Colorado who was diagnosed with dyslexia in elementary school. Connor, along with his parents, share how dyslexia affected his ability to read and write as a young child. Despite his challenges, Connor has always worked hard and learned how to cope with his learning disability eventually finding success as a young adult. Watch his inspiring story below.

Click here to register!What:The Autistic Self Advocacy Network, in conjunction with the Petrie-Flom Center for Health Law Policy, Biotechnology and Bioethics, the Harvard Law Project on Disability and the UNESCO Bioethics Chair American Unit, is proud to invite you, to join us on December 10th for a Symposium on Ethical, Legal and Social Implications of Autism Research at Harvard Law School. The free event will run from 9 AM to 3 PM at the Harvard Law School campus, Hauser Hall, Room 105. Topics covered will include prenatal testing, community participation in research methodologies, appropriate and inappropriate intervention goals and much more. This symposium will serve a unique role in shedding light on ethics and values issues within the autism research community. By bringing together self-advocate and researcher participants, we hope this will serve as a starting point for meaningful dialogue between those conducting research on autism and the community of Autistic adults and youth. Confirmed participants include Administration on Developmental Disabilities Commissioner Sharon Lewis, ASAN President and IACC Public Member Ari Ne'eman, National Institute on Child Health and Human Developmental Director Alan Guttmacher, Harvard Law Professor Michael Stein, Paula Durbin-Westby, Emily Titon, Liz Pellicano, David Rose and many more.   This event is open to the general public without charge and is made possible by a grant from the Administration on Developmental Disabilities.When:Saturday December 10, 2011 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM ESTWhere: Harvard Law School, Hauser Hall Room 1051563 Massachusetts AvenueCambridge, MA 02138 Contact: Ari Ne'eman Autistic Self Advocacy Network 202.596.1056 info@autisticadvocacy.org

Date: January 18, 2011, Tuesday Time: 7:00 – 9:00 pm Description: Dyslexia and Other Learning Differences Deciphered Event Type: Public Lecture Presenter: Elsie Johnson Location: Bozeman, MT Sponsor: Learning Options LLC Email:  elsie@thelearningoptions.com Contact: Elsie Johnson Telephone: 406-282-7416 Website: www.thelearningoptions.com Additional Information:  A free seminar entitled:  Dyslexia and Other Learning Differences Deciphered will be held at the Bozeman Public Library, 626 East Main Street in the small conference room on Tuesday, the 11th of January 2011 from 7:00 – 9:00 pm. This seminar will introduce the finding of recent research on learning, and effective methods available to correct learning disabilities involving reading, writing, math, and attention focus skills.  This seminar is intended for parents of learning disabled children, adults who currently or in the past  struggle with learning differences, or anyone who wants to better understand the root cause of learning disabilities. Pre-registration required. Call or email to reserve seating and materials.