Community Shares | July 1st 2024
This week’s articles: A new study has investigated factors influencing the age at which mothers first became concerned about their child’s development and the subsequent time it took to start services for children with autism; A systematic review has recently evaluated the association between cannabis use during pregnancy and the risk of long-term neuropsychiatric issues in offspring; The American Institutes for Research’s Center for the Analysis of Longitudinal Data in Education Research (CALDER) has just released an analysis revealing that approximately 8,500 fewer K-5 students in Washington state were identified for special education services during the pandemic, representing a 20-23% drop from typical rates; Documenting Hope is presenting a unique dual-conference event at the upscale Omni ChampionsGate in Orlando, Florida, from November 15-17, 2024.
Nonprofit Organization Invests $4M into Early Identification Initiative During COVID
To ensure that children with suspected developmental disabilities don’t fall through the cracks during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Association of University Centers on Disabilities has invested over $4M in their Act Early Network to help identify cases of autism. The Act Early Network has organized specific Act Early COVID-19 Response Teams throughout the country. The goal of these teams is to not only diagnose at-risk children but to strengthen their resilience skills, improve their behaviors, and provide resources to their families.
U.S. Department of Ed Issues Documents Reminding Schools of IDEA Duties
With an unparalleled school year in full swing, the U.S. Department of Education recently issued new documents to school districts spelling out the legal rights of students with disabilities through the coronavirus pandemic. The first document was issued from the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services’ Office of Special Education Programs. The main message of their document to educators does not mince words.
IACC Fails to Meet for 15 months
The Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee, also known as IACC, has long been tasked with organizing the federal government’s response to the autism crisis. The committee, made up of federal officials and members of the autism community, is now under scrutiny for failing to assemble since July 2019. Additionally, IACC has no future meeting date on the horizon.
COVID-19 Shuts Down Portions of Important Autism Research
In mid-March 2020, Spectrum Autism Research News alerted the autism community to a troubling new problem with potentially long-term consequences. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, scientists across the nation began to scramble figuring out ways to either continue or alter their research projects as colleges and universities were shutting down, sending their students home in order to transition to remote learning. These actions, intended to slow the spread of COVID-19, established situations where autism research was either halted or hindered, setting back promising projects including clinical trials.
