Thursday, October 08, 2009

AAIDD F.Y.I. October 2009


Dear AAIDD Friends and Colleagues:

*The new definition and classification manual of Intellectual
Disability by the American Association on Intellectual and
Developmental Disabilities is here.


Intellectual Disability: Definition, Classification, and Systems of
Supports, the new 11th edition of the definition and classification system by the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental
Disabilities (AAIDD) is now published. This is the first official AAIDD
definition manual with the terminology Intellectual Disability
(formerly mental retardation). To learn more about this progressive
system of diagnosing and classifying the condition of intellectual
disability, visit http://www.aaidd.org/intellectualdisabilitybook/. To
purchase the Manual, visit http://bookstore.aaidd.org/.

Written by a committee of 18 experts over seven years, the AAIDD definition system is based on the global notion that intellectualdisability is not a static life-long trait, but a condition that can beenhanced with the provision of proper supports. The 11th edition of themanual was based on a synthesis of current information and best practices regarding intellectual disability; numerous reviews and critiques of the 10th edition of the AAIDD definition manual; and feedback from the field regarding a series of articles published by the Committee.

*Nearly two-thirds of the 36 children who have died due to the H1N1 flu between April and August experienced a form of developmental
disability, CDC report says
.

CDC reported that of the 36 children died due to the H1N1 flu betweenApril 2009 to the first week in August, 22 had neurodevelopmentalconditions such as developmental delay or cerebral palsy. Thirteen ofthose children had more than one neurodevelopmental diagnosis, and ninehad both neurodevelopmental and chronic pulmonary conditions. Read more:http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5834a1.htmThe mortality figure has since risen. By mid-September, CDC reported atotal of 49 children had died from H1N1 flu, four of those since August30. CDC posts weekly flu surveillance reports onhttp://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/index.htm#MS

*The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
presents for public comment a report highlighting among other
issues, areas of future expansion in the field of intellectual and
developmental disability research.


In this report by an expert panel on the current work and futuredirections of the NICHD's IDD Branch, the group supported a paradigmshift in IDD research to integrate the IDD field more broadly, ratherthan focus on individual, rare disorders. The panel felt this shiftcould encourage investigators to rethink the IDD field from theperspective of shared paths of investigation, systems approaches, andinterrelated networks, "with the goal of developing interventions thatmay generalize across many conditions. This would promote development of interventions for a wider population of individuals with IDD.The comment period ends October 16.The panel supported work in several directions:Research on therapeutic interventions for IDDEarly identification and diagnosis via newborn screeningResearch on adolescent brain developmentHealth disparities and health promotion research related to IDDTraining initiatives in the IDD fieldThe draft is available at
http://www.nichd.nih.gov/news/releases/upload/DRAFT_IDD_Branch_Council_Report_Sept_2009.pdf


*Join a series of free aging and end-of-life webinars from experts around the country through February 2010.

AAIDD Executive Director Doreen Croser moderates this month's webinar,Competence and Compassion: Critical Qualities in Effective Supports forIndividuals with Dementia, on Wednesday, October 21 from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. Eastern time. This is the second in a free webinar series on aging and end-of-life. Speaker Genny Pugh, MA, LPA, FAAIDD, Executive Director, Turning Point Services, will explore practical approaches to creating environments, individual supports, and relationships aimed at preserving functional skills and promoting wellness and quality of life for those with dementia.The series is hosted by AAIDD and the RRTC on Aging and DevelopmentalDisabilities at the University of Illinois at Chicago.Each webinar is free, but https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/481066657 For more about future topics and speakers, go tohttp://www.aaidd.org/CONTENT_276.CFM


*A National Standards Report provides comprehensive overview of the scientific evidence in support of the many education and behavioral
treatments currently available for people with Autism Spectrum
Disorders
.

The National Autism Center has released its National Standards Report,which it describes as the most comprehensive analysis of treatments ofchildren and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders ever published.The report identifies 11 established treatments that are known to beeffective for individuals on the autism spectrum, as well as 22emerging treatments that have shown some evidence of effectiveness, butnot enough to be confident they are truly effective. Finally, the reportdescribes five unestablished treatments for which there is no soundevidence of effectiveness [and] no way to rule out the possibility thesetreatments are ineffective or harmful.The goal of the survey is to give families and professionals better tools for making treatment decisions to meet the needs of individuals with autism spectrum disorders. Read more in National Autism Center's news release at HTTP://NEWS.PRNEWSWIRE.COM/DISPLAYRELEASECONTENT.ASPX?ACCT=104&STORY=/WWW/STORY/09-22-2009/0005098108&EDATE For information on downloading the report, go tohttp://www.nationalautismcenter.org/affiliates/reports.php

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