81 posts
Standard
In a legal development that civil rights advocates are calling a profound betrayal, the federal government has agreed to a settlement that will eliminate regulatory requirements mandating that individuals with disabilities be served in community settings. The decision, approved by a federal judge late last week, brings an end to a protracted legal battle and…
Standard
Historic Wrigley Field, the legendary home of the Chicago Cubs, has officially achieved a major milestone in sports accessibility by becoming the first Major League Baseball stadium to be designated as a Certified Autism Center. The announcement, made jointly by the historic baseball franchise and the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards, marks…
Standard
October marks Dyslexia Awareness Month, providing an opportune moment to revisit an intriguing chapter in the history of neuroscience and linguistics. For centuries, the medical community grappled with a phenomenon that defied conventional logic: individuals who possessed sharp intellects and clear vision yet found themselves unable to decode the simplest of written words. What began…
Standard
For months, advocacy groups, educators, and researchers have harbored mounting concerns that the U.S. Department of Education could allow millions of dollars earmarked for special education research to lapse permanently. Now, a federal judge is stepping into the fray to demand accountability and transparency from the federal agency. U.S. District Judge Allison D. Burroughs is…
Standard
ORLANDO, Fla. — Many cinematic works draw inspiration from a filmmaker’s personal life, but few offer a glimpse quite as intimate, unvarnished, and deeply lived-in as Liz Sargent’s feature debut, “Take Me Home.” For Sargent, who grew up as one of seven children adopted by her parents alongside four biological children, the narrative feature-length film…
Standard
FORT WORTH, Texas — State agencies across Texas have unveiled a comprehensive new initiative aimed at fundamentally improving access to early childhood settings for children with disabilities and developmental delays. While the collaborative roadmap has drawn praise from advocates and families alike for finally acknowledging long-standing systemic failures, experts emphasize that a strategic plan alone…
Standard
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — After finishing a shift stocking coffee beans at grocery stores around Birmingham, 27-year-old Sarah Stewart sits down in her mother’s office chair, straps on a set of virtual reality goggles, and steps into an entirely digital world. Using a specialized program created by the digital health company Floreo, Sarah selects an exercise…
Standard
Federal health officials are rolling out a major new research effort aimed at fundamentally transforming how autism is diagnosed and treated across the United States. The ambitious program, known as Systems for Phenotypic Evaluation, Clinical Trajectories, Response, and Agency, or SPECTRA, will bring together a vast array of biological, clinical, behavioral, and real-world data alongside…
Standard
KALAMAZOO, MI — Scott Lacey does not want to be viewed as an inspiration. He wants the world to think differently. On August 9, the Kalamazoo endurance athlete gave people a profound reason to do exactly that, stepping out of the water after becoming the first known visually impaired athlete to swim around Mackinac Island.…
Standard
For much of her short life, Ruby Hobbs-Leffler experienced the world with an intensity that defied easy categorization. She was a bright, articulate girl with an expansive vocabulary, yet she found herself utterly unable to translate the overwhelming sensory onslaught of her daily existence into words. Bright lights, loud noises, and intolerable textures and tastes…
