Brian Russell, a 27-year-old Peruvian with Down syndrome, is running for national office on a platform of raising awareness about developmental disabilities and opposing corruption. According to the Global Down Syndrome Foundation, he may be the first person with Down syndrome to run for public office anywhere.
The American Academy of Pediatrics issued their first report in 12 years with recommendations for pediatricians regarding autism in young children. The guidance includes suggestions on conducting developmental and behavioral surveillance, developmental screenings and autism-specific screenings. It also makes clear that autism can be diagnosed before age two.
None of the almost 120,000 Delawareans receiving food stamps – one-third of whom are people with disabilities or family members – is in danger of losing eligibility due to a recent federal rule change. While the Trump administration tightened states’ ability to waive work requirements for a certain group of recipients, Delaware never applied for such a waiver.
Junior Achievement of Delaware, an organization serving students with developmental disabilities and several other groups, is partnering with the Citi Foundation’s Pathways to Progress to provide career exploration activities to its students. These include paid internships and part-time employment at Junior Achievement for 42 young people ages 16–21.
An Emory University study finds that the supply of certified applied behavior analysis (ABA) providers is insufficient to meet the needs of children with autism in nearly every state. Only Massachusetts meets the benchmark set by the ABA credentialing board, which is eight ABA providers per 100 children with autism. Delaware averages one provider per 100 children with autism.
