Center for Disabilities Studies

A Salt Lake City police officer shot Linden Cameron, a 13-year-old boy who has autism, multiple times after his mother Golda Barton called the police requesting a crisis intervention team. Linden, whom Barton says has severe separation anxiety, was having a “mental breakdown,” according to reporting. Barton says she gave instructions explaining Linden was unarmed but might scream and yell. He is currently hospitalized. The investigation of the shooting was handed over to an outside unit.

A research study published in the journal Autism found that reading Sesame Street’s educational webpage about autism reduces bias among parents of children without autism towards children on the spectrum. Sesame Street created the webpage five years ago alongside the introduction of Julia, a muppet character who has autism. Julia was developed with the help of CDS focus group research involving family members of individuals with autism.

Read Aloud Delaware, an organization dedicated to improving early childhood literacy, is partnering with a company that makes a “talk pedometer” which gives parents and caregivers information on how many words from various sources their children are hearing. LENA, the nonprofit that created the talk pedometer, will offer free, remote classes to participating families on increasing interactive talk with children. Inclusion in conversation has been demonstrated as one of the most effective ways to raise literacy.

With physical therapy, chiropractic and massage therapy offices closed or serving a reduced number of clients during the pandemic, many who need to rehab after surgeries or have musculoskeletal conditions that cause chronic pain are in danger of losing progress toward recovery or exacerbating their conditions. While telehealth options have proved workable for exercise-based physical therapy, other treatments are difficult or impossible to conduct remotely.

The new Sussex Consortium for students ages 3–21 with special needs or educational classifications of autism will open Sept. 16. The school’s amenities include an indoor pool for therapy and swim lessons – which will also be home to the local Special Olympics swim team; two gyms; a small theater; a library; an occupational wing for job skills training; and a 600-square-foot apartment for independent living skills practice. Initially, about 200 students will attend remotely or in person.