August 23, 2021
- According to a new article in the Tennessee Lookout, families who have a special needs member are having a hard time securing home-based care services. Not only is the state encountering a shortage of workers to fill these positions, but the two different agencies that provide caregivers are experiencing pay disparities. Due to these employment difficulties, the Tennessee Justice Center has filed a lawsuit against the Tennessee Department of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, alleging that the state has violated two federal acts and discriminated against people with intellectual disabilities.
- Research from Hong Kong shows that children with autism have unique gut microbiome characteristics that are unrelated to diet. The study’s authors also discovered that bacteria associated with neurotransmitter activities were substantially lower in children with ASD.
- Tricare, the military’s health insurance, has recently cut advanced behavior analysis services outside the clinical settings. Due to this change, behavior technicians can no longer facilitate community setting outings like dental appointments or sporting events unless determined “clinically appropriate” by the child’s treatment plan. Parents are balking at these recent changes, citing that the cut will not help their children address their behaviors in real-world environments.
- A new study published in JAMA Internal Medicine showed that the use of antipsychotics during pregnancy did not have a significant developmental impact on babies. The research analyzed more than 300,000 mother-child pairs and determined that children of mothers who were taking antipsychotic medications during pregnancy showed no increased risk for ADHD, autism, or being born small for gestational age.
