Heritage Behavioral Services Blog

Abuse and neglect of people with developmental disabilities is a public health problem because Abuse and Neglect 4-10 times more in DD population   Citizens with developmental disabilities are likely to be: victimized at a much higher rate (4-10 times more frequently than other citizens;  at higher risk for re-victimization;  frequently severely abused and for longer periods of time;  most frequently victimized in their residences by persons they  know and who may be responsible for their services and supports; and   inadequately educated and supported to recognize, resist, and seek alternatives to abusive situations. 10 tips on how to recognize and report Abuse and Neglect:  read more

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common childhood brain disorders and can continue through adolescence and adulthood. Symptoms include difficulty staying focused and paying attention, difficulty controlling behavior, and hyperactivity (over-activity). These symptoms can make it difficult for a child with ADHD to succeed in school, get along with other children or adults, or finish tasks at home. Treatments can relieve many symptoms of ADHD, but there is currently no cure for the disorder. With treatment, most people with ADHD can be successful in school and lead productive lives. Researchers are developing more effective treatments and interventions, and using new tools such as brain imaging, to better understand ADHD and to find more effective ways to treat and prevent it.

By ELIZABETH RENZETTI ELIZABETH RENZETTI Sylvia Quinn is 78 years old, and even though her four sons are grown, she worries about what will happen to them when she’s gone. Mainly, she worries about Sean, who is 44 and lives in a group home: He has Fragile X syndrome and autism, and cannot live on his own. Ms. Quinn, a widow, brings him home once a week, on a day he calls “happy Sunday.” Sean Quinn’s diagnosis places him in the middle of a tangle called “developmental services.” And developmental services, in the province of Ontario, is a chronically underfunded, busted system. An estimated 21,000 people needing help – young people and adults with challenges ranging from autism and fetal alcohol syndrome to intellectual disabilities – languish on waiting lists. You might not hear much about them, because they don’t have the facility to write petitions or demonstrate at Queen’s Park, and often their families don’t either. The families are struggling just to make i...

Woman with Down syndrome symptomatic of problem with housing system By Christy Gutowski, Chicago Tribune reporter Monica Lanskey Born with Down syndrome 65 years ago, Monica Laskey spent nearly half her life thriving on the campus of Misericordia, but the Chicago nonprofit told her family in October she required too much care after injuring her hip to return to her independent-living apartment. And the charity serving people with developmental disabilities said it had no other openings for her. So for nearly six months, as a relative searched for housing, Laskey was forced to live at a rehabilitation nursing home, though she didn't need convalescent care. She spent most of her time sitting in a dark room with a gravely ill roommate. Laskey would turn out to be one of the lucky ones. Two weeks ago, she moved into a private, 16-bed group home. Her ordeal in finding that space, though, is reflective of the challenges families are increasingly facing as they s...

Down Syndrome "Don't limit Me" by Megan   Down syndrome is a genetic condition that causes delays in physical and intellectual development. It occurs in one in every 691 live births. Individuals with Down syndrome have 47 chromosomes instead of the usual 46. It is the most frequently occurring chromosomal disorder. Down syndrome is not related to race, nationality, religion or socioeconomic status. The most important fact to know about individuals with Down syndrome is that they are more like others than they are different. .........more facts about Down Syndrome

New support programs and federal funds can help students with intellectual disabilities.  by Jessica Califati  Unlike students who pull all-nighters and cram before exams, Mount Aloysius College student Katie Apostolides has been working diligently in preparation for midterms since her first day of class. She starts papers and projects the day they are assigned, meets weekly Katie Apostolides: College Bound with a different peer tutor for each of her classes, and knows to take short breaks throughout her studying in an effort to stay focused and on task. These and other strategies help Apostolides learn at a collegiate level in spite of her Down syndrome, an intellectual disability. If Apostolides passes her classes this semester, she will receive her associate's degree. But Apostolides's success in college is the exception rather than the rule for students with Down syndrome and other intellectual disabilities. According to preliminary results of an ongoing ...

 by MICHELLE DIAMENT Georgia Ranks 4th in DD Services An annual ranking of states offering the best services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities reveals a familiar but evolving landscape. The analysis of disability services in all 50 states and the District of Columbia being released Thursday by United Cerebral Palsy finds top performers spanning the map. In previous years, the best services were largely clustered in the Northeast and West. Arizona claimed the number one slot in the ranking for the third year in a row. Also rounding out the 10 best on this year’s list are Michigan, Hawaii, Georgia, New York, South Carolina, Maine, Massachusetts, Ohio and Missouri.