Center for Disabilities Studies

Gov. John Carney recently signed legislation to attempt to reduce out-of-school suspensions by requiring Delaware schools to report their suspension rates for the past three years and develop corrective action plans if the rates are excessively high. This move follows findings from the American Civil Liberties Union of Delaware which show African American students are suspended three to four times more than their white peers and students with disabilities are suspended twice as much.

According to a study published in the journal JAMA Pediatrics, nationally, less than one third of young children aged 9 to 35 months recently received screenings for developmental delays, with large variation by state. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that all children undergo developmental screening at 9, 28 and 30 months and any time there is concern.

The 20 athletes making up Special Olympics’ Team Delaware brought home 45 medals across 14 team and individual sports. Wilmington native and Special Olympics veteran Tyler Kennedy appeared in a commercial called “Just Like you” which aired before and during the USA Games.

Disability advocates are speaking out on the recent movement to ban plastic straws across several cities and business. They note that individuals with mobility impairments may have difficulty with less flexible alternatives to plastic straws, such as ones made from silicone or metal.

A seven-year-old child with autism was reported missing from his home over the weekend. A police K-9 tracked the child’s scent for over a mile through the woods and found the child near a bridge. The child was fearful of the officers but intrigued by the K-9. The K-9’s handler allowed the child to pet him and hold his harness as they walked out of the woods. The child was returned home safely.