Heritage Behavioral Services Blog

Avonte Oquendo, the 14 year old with autism was declared missing on Oct. 14 2013 from his school in New York.  A school video camera captured him walking out of the school in Long Island City, NY last fall.  That was the last evidence of him seen alive. Our hope that he could be found alive  Search and Rescue Team ended last week when the DNA of remains found on the shores of a river in Queens confirmed all of  our worst fears. Our hopes for the best became our worst nightmare. Avonte would not be coming home . In the midst of this tragedy, what is/are our take home lesson(s). We are all downcast by this tragedy and overwhelmed by a sense of failure.  This is the appropriate time to take a critical look at what could be down differently to stave this type of preventable tragedy. It is also the wrong time to blame each other for what we did wrong. That is for later.  We must own up to our mistakes and take responsiblity for what went wrong. A review...

Georgia Crisis Response System was instituted by the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities to provide treatment and support services to people with mental illnesses and addictive diseases, and support to people with mental retardation and related developmental disabilities during crisis. The system is staffed by mental health clinicians and the service is provided 24/7. Objective: To resolve behavioral crisis promptly and professionally and to minimize hospitalization for non-medical issues in Individuals with developmental disabilities. FACTS: Any behavioral crisis that poses a safety threat to the acting out person with developmental disability or to others that cannot be resolved by caregiver must be referred to the Georgia Crisis Response System for Assistance. The calls to the center and the services are free. Structured clinical interviews are obtained by clinicians during phone calls to determine needs.  Crisis resolution is ofte...

The need for proactive and effective services for all Individuals with Developmental Disabilities cannot be over emphasized.   From Adam Lanza in Newtown, Conn. to Deborah Clark in California, the need for adequate   support system and resources for  the service Deborah Clark, center, with her father. providers to meet the challenges, have all the more brought the urgency to the forefront.   Service Providers need all the supports and the resources for the safety and the successful community placements of our citizens with special needs.  We need to be cognizant of the co-occurrence rates of developmental disabilities and mental health needs. The statistics reflect the fact that people with IDD are at a significantly higher risk of mental illness. The prevalence is conservatively estimated at 33%, with some sources reporting much higher rates. These populations susceptibility is increased by biological and social factors. However, effective mental h...

Autism and ADHD co-morbidity is around 50% With advanced societal education and awareness the increased incidence of developmental disabilities among the population is understandable.  This is the trend with other clinical conditions. The increased awareness and diagnosis will often lead to early interventions and support.  This will ultimately lead to decrease in failed community placement and integration. In the US between 1997 and 2008, the number of school-age children diagnosed with autism, ADHD, or another developmental disability rose by about 17 percent, a new study showed. That means roughly 15 percent of kids - nearly 10 million - have such a disability.The numbers were based on information collected from parents, who were asked whether their kids had been diagnosed with a variety of developmental disabilities, including cerebral palsy, seizures, stuttering or stammering, hearing loss, blindness, and learning disorders, as well as autism and ADHD.  CBS Ne...

Aggressive Behaviors are common in Autism "Aggressive behaviors in developmental disabilities are mostly learned behaviors that are used to communicate needs.  This is more common in population with limited communication and social skills. Such needs may be social, medical or psychological. Punitive interventions do not address the underlying needs......"  More than half of kids and adolescents with autism are physically aggressive and new research suggests that sleep, sensory and other underlying issues may be responsible for the behaviors. In a   study   of 1,584 children with autism ages 2 to 17, researchers report in the journal Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders that about 53 percent were aggressive.  writes George Olarewaju; Be havior Specialist

A Dedication to Developmental Disabilities in Georgia since 2003 Trending: State of Georgia: Report finds  Improvements in Quality of Services for the Special Needs. Heritage Behavioral Services, a non-profit advocacy organization is dedicated to non-traditional, trailblazing and evidence-based behavioral support services for the population with developmental disabilities in the State of Georgia. Our programs are person-centered premised on the individual's functional and psycho-social needs. Our services are consumer-driven with active family inclusion. Happy New 2014  At Heritage Behavioral Services, we extend our sincere appreciation to  all the service providers in the State of Georgia during the past year for superior services and wish you all Happy 2014.  The State of Georgia is one of the leading providers of quality services in the Nation.  This could not happen without the passion of professionals like you that places the interest ...