Two of the eight individuals to receive the Governor’s Youth Volunteer Service Awards later this month include a student who has dedicated many community service hours to disability-related organizations in Delaware and a self-advocate who started his own organization to help kids with special needs learn to ride bikes.
The Grand Opera House in Wilmington now offers sensory-friendly shows featuring small crowds, hand-held fidget toys and an accessible quiet space to reduce stimulation challenges that children on the autism spectrum may face within the entertainment setting. The Grand staff attended theaters with sensory-friendly activities and met with community leaders to develop these “relaxed performances.”
Delaware legislators are considering where to target new spending, given the state is expected to find itself with $350 million in added revenue next year. Several funding proposals include legislation to support students in kindergarten-to-third grade who receive basic special education services and a push for a funding increase for direct support professionals who care for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Hundreds of disability rights advocates, including Easterseals and Autism Delaware joined forces in Dover to advocate for legislation that would increase compensation for direct support professionals who care for adults with disabilities.
In this Delaware Public Media interview, psychologist Scott Barry Kaufman discusses how teachers and schools can assist gifted students with learning difficulties such as ADHD, autism and dyslexia.
