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Reynaldo Thompson stood before a large crowd of public officials, mental-health workers and mental-health clients under the vaulted, heavy-beamed ceiling of Bozeman’s newest mental-health facility Tuesday afternoon and thanked those in attendance.

The crowd -- which included a state senator and representative, city and county commissioners, a District Court judge, attorneys, public-safety officials and mental-health workers -- had gathered to celebrate the opening of the Hope House and the Dorothy Eck House.“I am totally blessed today,” Thompson, a client of Gallatin Mental Health Center, said.

“I came from a place where I thought Warm Springs would be my home,” he said, referring to the state psychiatric hospital. “But now I’ll be living independently.”

I used to envy my friends who had children with learning disabilities and Asperger Syndrome. I watched their sons and daughters move from special education classes to regular classes--some even landed in our school district's gifted and talented program. My understanding at the time was that since these kids were on the "graduation track", they would likely go to college, enter the work force and go on to live independently. I would later learn that academics alone are not enough.

A New Concept in Accessible Mapping

If a blind or deafblind traveler wants to visit a new environment, such as a city park, mall, train station, or bus transit center, with independence, the options or methods that have been available to travelers to "learn about" such environments have been limited.

On the Spectrum Jonathan Mitchell is a writer from Los Angeles. He wrote a novel about his life experience with Asperger's syndrome, an autism-spectrum disorder. Independent producer Tamar Brott met Mitchell in a writing class a few years ago.

Blythe Corbett Autism researcher Blythe Corbett explores the connection between autism and creativity. She addresses the controversies surrounding autism, including the debunked link to vaccinations and the emerging neurodiversity movement among adults, which says that autism isn't worse - just different.

Every kid should be able to look back on summer camp as a memorable time spent having fun, making friends, and gaining new skills and independence. Yet, as if the process of finding the right camp isn’t baffling enough, parents of children with special needs come to the search process with an additional, and often complex, set of concerns. To get at the heart of some of parents’ most important questions, New York Family spoke with Gary Shulman of Resources for Children with Special Needs, who assures parents that, in the end, it’s worth the effort to find a program both you and your child will love.

Decide early in the process what type of program you want for your child. Camp should be fun, relaxing, and healthy. Camp should offer positive and rewarding experiences that foster independence and self-esteem. Some camps are for military children. Some camps are free. Some camps offer scholarships. Some camps are specifically for children with special needs.

The Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (AG Bell) School-Age Financial Aid program is for students ages 6 to 21 years who are registered or currently enrolled in a parochial, independent or private school in a mainstream setting. Awards can be used to reduce educational costs such as tuition, room and board, books, equipment, auditory and speech language support services, academic tutoring, transportation, and other school-related expenses. This award is not applicable for students who are being homeschooled, or those who attend public school, or are in college.

In many states, determining whether or not an adult with a disability qualifies for significant assistance comes down to one factor: IQ score. Trouble is that IQ and ability don’t always match up. The conundrum is particularly pronounced among individuals with autism and mental illness who often have normal intellectual intelligence, but have significant social or emotional needs that prohibit them from living independently, advocates say.

This fund offers financial assistance to young adults with Down syndrome who want to enroll in postsecondary programs or take classes that will help them with employment, independent living and life skills. To date, over thirty students have received grants from the National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS) to help cover the costs of pursuing their postsecondary education and enrichment goals.  More information is available at http://www.ndss.org/

APPLICATION DEADLINE: JULY 16, 2010

This project explores the life stories of thirteen leaders in the self-advocacy movement and their perspectives on key issues and leadership challenges. Part of the broader disability rights movement, the self-advocacy movement is unique in that it has been led and informed by the individual and collective experiences of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Despite its widespread existence nationwide and internationally, few works have explored the rich history, culture, and significance of the self-advocacy movement. To help fill this void, Joe Caldwell, Ph.D., Department of Disability and Human Development, University of Illinois at Chicago, undertook this life history project and donated transcripts to The Bancroft Library for its Disability Rights and Independent Living Movement collection. More about Self-Advocacy Movement oral history project.

When: Monday evenings starting February 7th,  5:30 – 7:00., through the end of April Where: Romney Gym at MSU, 3rd floor (if you need directions, please let me know)  Why: To teach our special needs kids a few basic dance steps in preparation for the Prom. Please let me know if your child is interested. I am hoping we will have at least 6-12 kids interested in this special program.  I have enlisted the assistance of a college friend of mine who has arranged this entire class at no charge to any of us.  She is using the dance studio where she teaches other classes and will be receiving credits for this independent learning class.  If it all goes well, we can maybe do it again next Spring.  I think dance is a great socializing event and there are opportunities to use these skills later in life. Contact: Ellen Ross at 406-539-1728

“Despite some identified gains in disability rights, people with developmental disabilities continue to face considerable barriers to full integration, maximum independence and self-determination,” Jonathan Young, chairman of the National Council on Disability wrote in a letter to President Barack Obama that accompanies the report.

In relation to new state licensure requirements, we will be offering supervision training for experienced Class 6 School Psychologists in the Spring of 2011. Successful applicants will have at least three years full-time experience and be willing to offer supervision to Class 5 school psychologists holding an alternative license who are completing their formal internships within districts. Training will be provided with the support of the Office of Public Instruction and two applicants from each CSPD region will be welcome to attend. The two-day course will be based on an NASP format and taught by staff from the University of Montana, Missoula, and members of the MASP Competency Review Board. Training will be held in Helena on March 18 and April 15, 2011,  and will include both group work and independent study.  A small stipend will be offered to psychologists who plan to offer supervision within their region. Office of Public Instruction recertification credit will be available or one continuing education credit from the University of Montana, based on a minimum of 15 hours attendance. For more details and an application form, please contact Ann Verploegen by e-mail at annsnp@yahoo.com.

How can parents prevail at due process? You must learn how to use letters, documents, and independent witnesses to prove your case.

Click here to register for this event What: Telling Our Stories is a monthly webinar series that hosts people with disabilities sharing their stories of success and challenge. This month our guest speaker is Anthony Tusler, author and disability advocate. Guest Speaker: Anthony Tusler is a writer, consultant, trainer, and advocate on disability issues related to technology access and policy, alcohol and other drug policy and training, and disability culture. He was the Coordinator of the Technology Policy Division at the World Institute on Disability for three years and the founding Director of the Disability Resource Center at Sonoma State University. He helped to start the Institute on Alcohol, Drugs, and Disability and Community Resources for Independence ILC in Northern California. He has taught at Sonoma State University and Santa Rosa Junior College.He is the author of the book, How to Create Disability Access to Technology: Best Practices in  Electronic and Information Companies. His web site AboutDisability.com is the home for The New Paradigm of Disability Bibliography. When: Tuesday, March 15, 2011 12:30 PM –  1:30 PM MST

Click here to download the flyer for this event (PDF) What: Transitioning from life after high school is a big process. You are not alone! Come meet other youth, parents, teachers and professionals to see all the resources that are waiting to work with you. Transition Teams are encouraged to attend. Topics covered: Youth and Adult/Professional Tracks Resource Fair with vendors for independent living, Employment/ training, Recreational, Benefits planning, and more! When: November 9-11, 2011 Where: Heritage Inn Great Falls, MT For registration and additional conference details: www.montanayouthtransitions.org

Dick Swanson has super powers. He's got perfect pitch, always has. He'll start singing Led Zeppelin's "Kashmir" and even nail that "da-da-da" guitar part at the beginning. He'll burst out with a deep baritone rendition of a '70s classic like Neil Diamond's "September Morn," astonishing bystanders. He knows shadows. He checks the Missoulian every day, in print, to get the times for sunrise and sunset, and from there he knows where and when a certain triangle will fall across a wall or a tree trunk will become a diagonal across a sidewalk.

Skylehr Stiles, a 20-year-old Belgrade man with cerebral palsy.Today, July 24, is "Skylehr Stiles Appreciation Day," proclaimed last week by Bozeman Mayor Jeff Krauss."Skylehr Stiles is an inspiration for people with intellectual disabilities to strive to live independently," the mayor's proclamation states.

Click here to download the Sponsorship Letter (PDF) Click here to download the Registration Form (PDF) The 4th annual MYTransitions Conference will be held at the Heritage Inn in Great Falls, MT on November 9-11, 2011. The conference organizers, MYTransitions, is a non-profit committee of various agencies and individuals in Montana who are dedicated to working with youth with disabilities to establish meaningful and diverse transitions into adulthood. This year's conference will be focused on the needs and interests of individuals with disabilities and their families, and will include a Real Life Fair and various workshops related to community services and independent living options. We are committed to helping Montana's youth reach their full potential and want to make this opportunity available to as many individuals and families as possible. Your donation toward scholarships or conference expenses will help make that goal possible. To help defray the travel costs for youth with disabilities and their families and/or the costs of the conference, please complete the attached application and return it to MYTransitions, 1617 Euclid Ave., Helena, MT 59601 or as an attachment to mylfjuneh@bresnan.net. For questions or for more information, please feel free to contact June Hermanson at Ph. 406-442-2576. For conference registration information, go to www.montanayouthtransitions.org. Thank you for your partnership and investment in Montana's future.