President Trump signed into law a bill to fund the federal government which includes a $400 million increase in funding for special education and more modest increases for several other disability programs such as University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities – including CDS – and Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities.
The Delaware Foundation Reaching Citizens, which supports programs for people with disabilities, recently donated funds to help Kent-Sussex Industries (KSI) upgrade its computer lab. KSI, a nonprofit offering vocational rehabilitation and other employment-related services, uses the lab to educate program participants on computer skills as well as enable job searches.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recently issued a report on autism summarizing 12 years of research and clinical activity. One of the most crucial takeaways, said the report’s coauthor, is that parents and clinicians should not wait for a confirmed diagnosis to seek treatment if they suspect a child has autism. Overwhelming evidence indicates that early treatment improves long-term health outcomes.
Anjana Bhat, a UD physical therapy professor and core faculty member in CDS’s Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (LEND) program, has been researching the therapeutic value to children with autism of creative motion, music and robotics. Her findings show that participants demonstrate more social and communication skills after engaging in activities that involve movement and interaction with others.
