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Click here to register for this webinar What: This presentation will provide an overview of dental care for individuals with special health care needs (pediatric to adult).  The presentation will include information about unique aspects of providing dental care to individuals with special health care needs, barriers to access to care, the dental home model, as well as a presentation on dental training resources/modules.  This presentation will include an overview of the National Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center. When: September 19, 2011 12:00 - 1:30pm Mountain For more information: Contact Rebecca Carman, at Senior Program Specialist at AUCD, at rcarman@aucd.org.

Transitioning to Kindergarten: A Toolkit for Early Childhood EducatorsThe transition to kindergarten is most successful when it is carefully planned out over the entire pre-kindergarten year.  Starting as early as the first day of preschool, it’s important to make sure that children are developing the academic skills that help form a foundation of strong pre-reading and pre-writing, as well as the social and emotional skills they’ll need in kindergarten. 

The Impact on Students with LD and AD/HD The Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act of 2008 (ADAAA) was passed by Congress in December 2008 and became effective January 1, 2009. This significant piece of legislation corrected what Congress considered to be a departure from the intent of the original ADA (passed in 1990) brought about by several narrow interpretations of the law through Supreme Court rulings. These rulings weakened the law and made it difficult for people with disabilities to receive the protection the law intended.The ADAAA also has a direct and substantial impact on Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 504) -an important law that provides protections for school-age children with disabilities.   This Parent Advocacy Brief will help you understand the changes brought about by the ADAAA, how they apply to Section 504, and how these changes may impact children with disabilities, including learning disabilities, as well as other conditions such as Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD), Aspergers Syndrome, diabetes, asthma, and life-threatening food allergies.

Today, about 50 million Americans, or 1 in 5 people, are living with at least one disability, and most Americans will experience a disability some time during the course of their lives. Anyone can have a disability. Some people are born with a disability, get hurt or sick and have disability as a result, or develop a disability as they age. Some people may have a disability that lasts a short time while other people have a disability that lasts a lifetime. Different kinds of disabilities affect people in different ways. 

If you are living with a disability or provide services for people with disabilities, learn about health care and health programs to support the overall well-being of people with disabilities.

n high school cross country, there are names for people like Andrew Gerdts - gifted, dedicated and strong. But the memory of the high school junior from Le Sueur-Henderson is seared with another name: "I just dislike the word retarded, or retard," says Andrew softly. The boy with his name in lights on his school's electronic sign wishing him well on at state, has lived most of life defined by a word in a report: autism. "He was not actually diagnosed with autism until the summer after third grade," says Andrew's mother.

What does a parent do when she suspects her child has learning difficulties? How can she advocate for her child when everyone keeps telling her that her child will "just" grow out of it, that he'll learn to read when he's ready? In this article, a mother tells her story about her struggle for success-and how she found the resources to identify her son's reading difficulties, as well as the supports he needed to succeed.

A Handbook for the Inclusion of People with Disabilities in National and Community Service Programs

Created in 1993, the Corporation for National and Community Service engages more than 2 million Americans annually in improving communities through service. The Corporation supports service at national, state and local levels through: Senior Corps, a network of programs that helps Americans age 55 and older use their skills and experience in service opportunities that address the needs of their communities. Senior Corps includes RSVP,The Foster Grandparent Program, and the Senior Companion Program. AmeriCorps, whose members serve with local and national organizations to meet community needs while earning education awards to help finance college or training. Learn and Serve America, which helps link community service and learning objectives for youth from kindergarten through college as well as youth in community-based organizations.

The Southwest ADA Center is pleased to announce the availability of the Disability Law Handbook now in Spanish, as well as English. The Disability Law Handbook is written in "Frequently Asked Questions" format and answers questions about the ADA, the ADA Amendments Act, the Rehabilitation Act, Social Security, the Air Carrier Access Act, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act, and the Fair Housing Act Amendments. Free copies may be downloaded or viewed at http://www.swdbtac.org/html/publications/Spanish/gld/index.html for the Spanish version and http://www.swdbtac.org/html/publications/dlh/index.html for the English.

The Children's Clinic mission for the past 60 years has been to provide quality medical care and promote the well-being of infants, children and young adults. The providers at the clinic are excited about opening a second Westend location on June 6, 2011 at 3401 Avenue E. Check out http://www.childrensclinicofbillings.com for more information.

New York, NY — Eleigha Love, who describes her brain as a computer, and Jared Schmidt, a teenage sky diver, are the recipients of this year's $10,000 Anne Ford and Allegra Ford Scholarships given to two graduating high school seniors with documented learning disabilities (LD) who are pursuing undergraduate degrees. Anne Ford, Chairman Emerita of the National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD), is a well-known philanthropist and author, who has been a long-time parent advocate for children with learning disabilities, starting with her own daughter, Allegra. The scholarship was created in 2001 by the NCLD board when Ms. Ford stepped down as chairman in honor of her service. In 2008, Allegra agreed to match the existing award, creating a second scholarship. Anne Ford and Today Show Host Al Roker presented the scholarships at this year's NCLD 34th Annual Benefit Dinner, emceed by Paula Zahn in New York City. Jared and Eleigha are two of more than 2.5 million students who are wrestling with learning disabilities. They are among the mere 64 percent of students with LD who graduate high school, and only 10 percent with LD that go on to a four-year college. "We received over 300 applications, and let me tell you everyone of them came from students deserving a scholarship," said Anne, handing out the awards to this year’s winners. “We hear so much about the challenges and struggles of students with LD, and it is so inspiring to see that so many are able to meet and surpass those challenges." "Our goal is to see every child with LD graduate from high school," said James Wendorf, Executive Director of NCLD. "We are still failing about 1 million children. We've seen graduation rates and classroom inclusion rise more than 15 percent over the past 10 years. But we need to continue to empower parents and teachers, reduce stigma among kids, and keep education funding on the top of the education agenda if we are going to see those numbers increase, not decrease." One of the biggest problems with learning disabilities is diagnosing them in time, before children get frustrated with the system. "To a child with learning disabilities, school can be a very isolating place, it can be a very frustrating place and frankly overwhelming," relayed CNN's Anderson Cooper at a recent NCLD lunch. "Too many kids with LD struggle to try and keep up with their peers and suffer from low confidence and self-esteem and lose their love of learning at a young age. It's hard to rekindle that once it's gone, which is why the work of this organization is so important."

Click here to register for this event What:  On April 7, 2011, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) released a notice of proposed rulemaking to clarify and update the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). DQC is pleased to host this webinar featuring prominent FERPA legal expert Steve Winnick of EducationCounsel LLC to offer an initial analysis of the proposed regulations, including the extent to which they provide much-needed clarity to states to both use data for continuous improvement and protect the privacy, security, and confidentiality of student-level data. According to the notice, the public comment period for these proposed regulations will close on May 23, 2011. Only comments submitted formally, through the Department's articulated process, will be considered. The DQC will work with its partners to develop formal comments following these initial analysis. Participants are encouraged to submit their own comments as well. When: April 14, 2011 10:30-11:30am Mountain

What: This webcast will introduce information for professionals on some of the emerging trends in biomedical research and health care environments that present new opportunities for partnership, collaboration, and support, as well as: Provide an overview of translational science, e-science and health information resources in electronic health records, including the related trends and issues affecting information professionals. Identify skills that information professionals need to work with researchers, information technology professionals, clinicians and community partners in these environments. Learn about community engagement in translational science research and roles for clinicians and information professionals in this arena. Address meaningful use of health information by patients accessing their electronic health records, as required by recent legislation to facilitate quality improvement at the point of care. The discussions at these webcasts are invaluable even if you are not in a medical library.  Please contact Tori Koch at 406-238-2226 or by email at library@billingsclinic.org if you are interested in attending. When: April 20, 2011 12:00 - 1:00pm Mountain Cost: Free

On behalf of the Autism Subcommittee of the Council on Children with Disabilities, please note the current AAP autism resources for health care professionals and parents. Find more information about these items as well as additional resources at: http://medicalhomeinfo.org/about/cocwd/autism.aspx. Be sure to check out the sneak preview of the autism toolkit contents - only for AAP members (see below). Sound Advice on Autism - The AAP has developed a series of audio interviews with medical experts and parents of children with autism who answer parents' frequently asked questions. Conversations include: screening, diagnosis, treatment, alternative therapies, prevalence and causes of autism. AUTISM: Caring for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Resource Toolkit for Clinicians - A clinical resource (on CD-ROM) to assist in the recognition, evaluation, and ongoing management of ASDs. SNEAK PREVIEW for AAP Members - including samples and additional content information!! Understanding Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) - This booklet provides critical information about ASDs and answers parents' most common questions. This booklet will help to identify ASD symptoms so that an intervention program can be started as soon as possible.   Is Your One-Year Old Communicating with You? - This brochure encourages parents to share any concerns about their baby's language development with their pediatrician as early as possible. It also provides early language and social milestones checklists. 

Great Falls residents are promoting mental well-being around the community - one step at a time. The Center for Mental Health held a team captain kickoff luncheon on Wednesday for the annual Beautiful Minds Walk. The event aims to help improve the lives of those living with mental illness.

The longest study of its kind shows that an early education program for children from low-income families provides benefits that last well into adulthood.

What: In order to help keep you more informed, we are hosting monthly calls to update you on various disability issues as well as to introduce you to persons who work on disability issues in the Federal government. This call is open to everyone, and we strongly urge and ask that you distribute this email broadly to your networks and listservs so that everyone has the opportunity to learn this valuable information. If you received this email as a forward but would like to be added to the White House Disability Group email distribution list, please visit our website at http://www.whitehouse.gov/disability-issues-contact and fill out the contact us form in the disabilities section or you can email us at disability@who.eop.gov and provide your full name, city, state, and organization. We are excited to announce that Dr. Jill Biden will be speaking on our next call that will take place on Monday, June 27 at 10:30 AM Eastern. We apologize for the early time, but due to the time difference in Greece, this was necessary. When: June 27, 2011 8:30am Mountain Conference Call information: Dial in for listeners: 800-230-1951 Title: White House Disability Call (use instead of code) This call is off the record and not for press purposes.

Click here to register for this event What: The Center for Autism and Related Disorder will host a CARD Montana Autism Conference on Saturday, November 19, 2011 at the University of Montana. The one-day conference will take place from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm in the University Center Theater, located at 32 Campus Drive in Missoula. The conference is free and designed especially for parents, caregivers, students and practitioners. Attendees will learn about applied behavior analysis (ABA) and how it can be used to effectively to treat individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), as well as strategic and effective treatment programs for children with ASDs. Attendees also have the opportunity to meet Joe Mohs, who has recovered from autism and is living proof that recovery is possible. Where: University Center Theater 32 Campus Drive Missoula, MT When: Saturday, November 19, 2011 8:30 am to 5:00 pm Mountain Contact: For questions, contact Marcia Kmetz at drkmetz@hotmail.com.

Click here to register for this webinar What: Going to college is both an exciting and scary step for everyone. If you are a young adult who happens to have a disability or chronic health condition, that transition can add a whole other list of things to think about- but it doesn’t mean that you can't have a great experience!  Tune into this episode of Got Transition Radio as hosts Mallory Cyr and Eileen Forlenza offer their insight about what high school students- with and without special health needs- might think about as they begin the college transition process. During the show, they will be asking their listeners to share personal lessons learned as well as taking their comments and questions. Don't miss this chance to hear and share your own adventures with college transition. When: Wednesday, October 26, 2011 1:00 - 1:30pm Mountain

A technology originally developed to locate stolen vehicles will now help Flathead County law enforcement agencies locate missing Alzheimer’s and dementia patients as well as children with autism and Down syndrome. In a press conference Friday at the Flathead County Sheriff’s Office, Search and Rescue Coordinator Brian Heino unveiled the local introduction of Project Lifesaver. The project, established in 1999 by the 43rd Search and Rescue Company of the Chesapeake Sheriff’s Office, uses radio transmitter bracelets manufactured by LoJack to locate those at-risk individuals who have wandered off from families or caregivers.

Are current drug policies failing? According to Dr. Hart's book, yes. He explains why with his landmark, yet controversial studies of race, poverty,, and drugs as well as the relationship between drugs and pleasure, choice, and motivation, both in the brain and in society. Hart relates his own story that started in a tough Miami neighborhood and resulted in a career as a neuroscientist and Columbia University's first tenured African American professor in the sciences.