Current preparation status in AAC: perspectives of special education teachers in the United States.

Special education teachers are essential team members in the provision of services to students with complex communication needs. Professional competencies related to augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) practices have been outlined for special education teachers as part of their professional standards. Yet, it is unclear to what extent these professionals have knowledge and skills in this area.

Training Healthcare Professionals to Work With People With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.

This study assessed 155 healthcare providers, from nine disciplines, who work professionally with people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Using a national, web-based survey, respondents rated their experience, comfort, and competence in treating individuals with different disability types and preferred methods of continuing education; respondents also provided suggestions for attracting others to work with the IDD population. Findings revealed that experiences, comfort, and competence were all higher concerning persons with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and intellectual disability (ID), lower for those with deaf-blindness.

The Sibling-in-Law: Understanding an Unknown Member of the Disability Community.

Little attention has focused on siblings-in-law, the spouses of siblings of people with disabilities. Using an online survey, 102 siblings-in-law provided information concerning themselves, their spouses, in-law family, and experiences. Overall experiences were rated as positive (51.

A population-based examination of maltreatment referrals and substantiation for children with autism spectrum disorder.

Children with disabilities experience elevated rates of maltreatment, but little is known about the interaction of children with autism spectrum disorder with child protection systems. A population-based dataset of 24,306 children born in 2008 in Tennessee, which included 387 children with autism spectrum disorder identified through the Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring network, was linked with state child protection records. Rates of maltreatment referrals, screening for further action, and substantiated maltreatment were examined for children with versus without autism spectrum disorder.

Who Helps? Characteristics and Correlates of Informal Supporters to Adults With Disabilities.

This study examined who provides informal (or unpaid) supports to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Participants included 657 adult siblings of people with disabilities who responded to a national survey about informal supports in the areas of recreation, employment, and housing. Results indicated that most people with IDD received informal supports, with parents and sibling respondents most often providing those supports.

Deaths among children, adolescents, and young adults with Down syndrome.

Background: Although life expectancies in Down syndrome (DS) have doubled over the past 3-4 decades, there continue to be many early deaths. Yet, most research focuses on infant mortality or later adult deaths.

Materials And Methods: In this US study, hospital discharge and death records from the state of Tennessee were linked to examine 2046 hospitalized individuals with DS (85 died) in three age groups: children (1-9), adolescents (10-19) and young adults (20-29).

Predictors of future caregiving by adult siblings of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

With the growing life expectancy for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, siblings will increasingly assume responsibility for the care of their brother or sister with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Using a 163-item survey completed by 757 siblings, the authors identified factors related to future caregiving expectations. Siblings expected to assume greater caregiving responsibility for their brother or sister with disabilities if they were female, had closer relationships with and lived closer to their brother or sister with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and were the lone sibling without a disability.

Subsequent births in families of children with disabilities: using demographic data to examine parents' reproductive patterns.

The authors determined family reproductive patterns after the birth of a child with (vs. without) a disability. Using Tennessee birth records, the authors examined families of children with Down syndrome (N  =  1,123), spina bifida (N  =  368), and population group (N  =  734,189).

Adult female and male siblings of persons with disabilities: findings from a national survey.

In this study, the authors used a national, Web-based survey to examine female and male siblings of individuals with disabilities. More than 1,160 adult siblings completed a 163-question survey about themselves, their siblings, and their sibling relationships. Most respondents reported fairly close contact with their siblings and positive sibling relationships, good health, and benefits from being a sibling to a brother-sister with disabilities.

Testing structural models of DSM-IV symptoms of common forms of child and adolescent psychopathology.

Confirmatory factor analyses were conducted of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) symptoms of common mental disorders derived from structured interviews of a representative sample of 4,049 twin children and adolescents and their adult caretakers. A dimensional model based on the assignment of symptoms to syndromes in DSM-IV fit better than alternative models, but some dimensions were highly correlated. Modest sex and age differences in factor loadings and correlations were found that suggest that the dimensions of psychopathology are stable across sex and age, but slightly more differentiated at older ages and in males.

Divorce in families of children with Down syndrome: a population-based study.

In this study, we examined the nature, timing, and correlates of divorce in families of children with Down syndrome (647), other birth defects (10,283) and no identified disability (361,154). Divorce rates among families of children with Down syndrome were lower than in the other two groups. When divorce did occur in the Down syndrome group, however, a higher proportion occurred within the first 2 years after the child's birth.

Using an epidemiological approach to examine outcomes affecting young children with Down syndrome and their families.

In this paper, we utilise an approach drawn from the field of epidemiology to explore what is known and unknown about young children with Down syndrome and their families. After describing what we mean by an epidemiological approach, we review basic findings for children with intellectual disabilities, as well as challenges to performing such research. In considering the epidemiology of Down syndrome, we note that most studies to date have focused on prevalence, mortality-life expectancy, and rates of diseases and syndrome-related health-physical problems, while neglecting many other important issues.