Psychologists across the country agree that a key element of self-care during the quarantine and isolation periods associated with the COVID-19 pandemic is staying connected to one another. Most disability service centers that normally provide adult day programs, support groups, recreational activities, and events have had to shut down in order to maintain the safety…
Individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DDs), cerebral palsy (CP), hearing and vision difficulties, and other disabilities can struggle with communication. They may have difficulties with problem-solving skills. They can also have difficulty following rules and obeying laws (1). They may struggle with interpersonal relationships, social responsibility, and general social skills. Or they may just…
Reiter & Walsh P.C. talks with University of Michigan Best Buddies Club President, Sarah Erpenbeck, about her love for the cause, her relationship to the Buddies, and the expected growth of the Michigan chapter in the upcoming year. What is Best Buddies? Best Buddies is an international nonprofit 501(c)(3) that serves individuals with intellectual and…
Children with disabilities often are severely underrepresented in movies, books, and pop-culture. If they are featured, the portrayal can often be inaccurate and the character is often played by a person who does not have an intellectual, developmental, or physical disability. In recent years the film and television industry has been making strides towards more…
A recent report from the Lucile Packard Foundation for Children’s Health found that kids in the California Children’s Services (CCS) program often have to wait months or years for important pieces of equipment such as wheelchairs, shower chairs, and hospital beds. These long waits can cause pain and pressure sores, make existing health problems worse,…
The STAR Institute for Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) defines sensory processing as “the way the nervous system receives messages from the senses and turns them into appropriate motor and behavioral responses” (1). SPD occurs when these sensory signals are not detected by the brain or are not matched with the correct responses. This can cause…
Going to the movies can be stressful for children with autism, sensory processing disorders, or developmental disabilities. Things like theater lighting, the volume of the movie, and having to sit still quietly may cause distress. This often causes families with children with developmental disabilities to leave a movie early or decide against going to the…
There are 102,000 children in the U.S. foster care system waiting to be adopted. Children with special circumstances (whether they are older children, are siblings, have disabilities, or they have complex medical needs) have an average wait of nearly 4 years in the foster care system. We are going to focus on those children with…
Section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), a section which was written in 1938 law, permits employers to pay subminimum wages to workers who have disabilities. This section of the FLSA states that employers must apply to the Department of Labor for a waiver to do so, with the caveat that subminimum wages…
One of the major risk factors for cerebral palsy (CP) is damage to the brain’s white matter. In preterm infants, white matter damage often stems from asphyxia (oxygen deprivation), but in term infants the cause of damage may occasionally be difficult to determine. However, new research by Arne Jensen and Bert Holmer, published in Obstetrics…
