New NY state law requires private schools to protect against bullying (Gay City News)
NYC paraprofessionals are fighting for a $10,000 raise (Chalkbeat)
A series of tragedies exposes patterns of abuse and neglect in New Hampshire’s disability system (New Hampshire Bulletin)
This LA public defender’s office is dedicated to clients with cognitive disabilities (WBUR)
UPDATE: NC judge freezes Medicaid rates for autism treatment, blocking DHHS cut (NC Newsline)
Colorado Medicaid cuts to impact more than 40,000 individuals with disabilities (9News)
Michigan autism group rallies to save key program after state slashes $2M (Bridge Michigan)
Delaware Public Ed Funding Commission continues discussions on hybrid funding model (Delaware Public Media)
New Report: Acetaminophen use during pregnancy not clearly linked to autism, ADHD (ABC News)
For Parents of Children With Autism, There Are No Easy Answers (NYT)
States scramble to send full SNAP food benefits to millions of people after government shutdown ends (AP)
NJ files neglect charges against one of state’s largest group home operators in rare move (North Jersey)
Advocates ask to keep data collection for special ed racial disparities (K-12 Dive)
As Shutdown Ends, Ed Dept. Resumes Efforts to Downsize (The 74)
States face different special ed staffing challenges that require targeted responses (Brookings)
Safety Expert Shares Transportation Social Story Strategies for Students with Disabilities (School Transportation News)
10 Films That Do Disability Humor Right (And a Lesson We Can Learn from Each of Them) (Reel Abilities)
With the November elections, and its Democratic victories in key races, fresh in our minds, it’s a good time to look at the White House’s fight to ban mail-in voting.
Vote by mail is a critical tool for many individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities who want to exercise their right to vote. The Trump administration, however, which wants to erase the Voting Rights Act (and, with the Supreme Court’s help, is on its way to doing so), has had absentee voting in its crosshairs.
This week, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that the White House “is working on an executive order to strengthen our elections in this country and to ensure that there cannot be blatant fraud, as we’ve seen in California with their universal mail-in voting system.”
There’s no evidence of fraud in California to back up the claim. In fact, mail voting fraud is rare, and Brookings released data this week (and there’s lots more out there) to back this up: Mail voting in the US: Data points to very low fraud and significant benefits to voters.
In an effort to weaken mail-in voting, Republicans are also trying to eliminate the counting of absentee ballots after Election Day. Thirty states currently authorize that these ballots be counted, but a challenge has been making its way through the courts. Now, the Supreme Court announced this past Monday that it will weigh in on the issue: Supreme Court to decide whether states can count ballots that arrive after Election Day (Politico)
Stay tuned.
New NY state law requires private schools to protect against bullying (Gay City News)
NYC paraprofessionals are fighting for a $10,000 raise (Chalkbeat)
Everyone said it was impossible: disabled hikers in NY find freedom through off-road wheelchairs (The Guardian)
A series of tragedies exposes patterns of abuse and neglect in New Hampshire’s disability system This is one of three in an excellent series investigating the state’s disability system, and it points to the post-high school “disability cliff” as a major factor in the breakdown of care. (New Hampshire Bulletin)
This LA public defender’s office is dedicated to clients with cognitive disabilities (WBUR)
UPDATE: NC judge freezes Medicaid rates for autism treatment, blocking DHHS cut (NC Newsline)
Colorado Medicaid cuts to impact more than 40,000 individuals with disabilities (9News)
Michigan autism group rallies to save key program after state slashes $2M (Bridge Michigan)
Delaware Public Ed Funding Commission continues discussions on hybrid funding model It would see public schools prioritize low income, special education and multilingual learner students and would be among the most generous formulas in the nation. (Delaware Public Media)
No Evidence of Link Between Tylenol and Autism or ADHD, Study Confirms (Time)
For Parents of Children With Autism, There Are No Easy Answers (NYT)
States scramble to send full SNAP food benefits to millions of people after government shutdown ends (AP)
Watch as medical students listen to the stories of people with disabilities (northjersey.com)
North Alabama group homes ordered to be shut down (WAFF)
Santa Ana, Calif., Joins Regional Crackdown on Problematic Group Homes (Voice of OC)
NJ files neglect charges against one of state’s largest group home operators in rare move (North Jersey)
Advocates ask to keep data collection for special ed racial disparities (K-12 Dive)
As Shutdown Ends, Ed Dept. Resumes Efforts to Downsize (The 74)
States face different special ed staffing challenges that require targeted responses (Brookings)
Safety Expert Shares Transportation Social Story Strategies for Students with Disabilities (School Transportation News)
10 Films That Do Disability Humor Right (And a Lesson We Can Learn from Each of Them) (Reel Abilities)
Special ed enforcement would be up to states under Trump plan (Stateline)
Trump Admin’s Recent Special Ed Layoffs Will Have Major Long-Term Impacts (CAP)
Trump Admin’s Latest Staffing Cuts at the Dept. of Ed Threaten Children’s Success Across the Country (CAP)
The Slow Death of Special Ed (The Atlantic)
Judge Orders Trump Admin on Thursday to Fully Fund Food Stamps This Month (NYT)
Trump admin appeals order to pay full November SNAP food benefits (USA Today)
SNAP Cuts Disproportionately Hurt People with Disabilities (Center for Economic and Policy Research)
The Nation’s Largest Food Aid Program Is About To See Cuts. Here’s What You Should Know. (KFF Health News)
Heightened AI use in special education brings elevated risks (K-12 Dive)
Lawmakers: N.Y. must modernize disability housing policies (Spectrum Local News)
New substance use treatment program in Minnesota is designed for people with autism (Minn Post)
‘I thought it was fake’: Arizona Autism staffer didn’t believe company email announcing termination (12 News)
Oregon schools boost graduation rates for students with disabilities (KEZI.com)
Strategies and Innovations in Medicaid Managed Long-Term Services and Supports (National Academy for State Health Policy)
New State-by-State Data Expose the Crushing Financial Strain of Family Caregiving (AARP)
Report: Most Housing Discrimination Complaints Were Disability Related (Weekly Real Estate News)
A Michigan town creates neuro-inclusive neighborhoods for people of all abilities (WXYZ.com)
Viscardi Center in Long Island, N.Y., cuts ribbon on nation’s only Museum of Disability History (Long Island Press)
Queens special ed teacher builds student confidence with help from some unlikely friends (CBS News)
With the Trump administration working to eliminate the U.S. Department of Education and move oversight of special education oversight to another agency, I wanted to share recent articles that serve as much as explainers as they do news.
To sum things up, the department’s workforce has been gutted, and more layoffs are likely to come. Its Office of Civil Rights, which closed about half of its 12 regional offices, has been especially hard hit. In fact, if civil rights cases remain consistent with last year, reports the Center for American Progress (CAP), “the office would have to manage almost 190 cases per employee. Larger caseloads could force slowdowns in cases that already can last for years.”
Additionally, the administration has canceled more than $30 million in special ed grants, and is working to change policies that will keep states from receiving needed funding and resources.
“Our world is on fire,” Chad Rummel, executive director of the Council for Exceptional Children, told Disability Scoop. “There’s not gonna be another red flag. We’re there.”
But opposition to these moves is getting louder. Disability Scoop notes that 60 national organizations recently wrote to lawmakers urging them to hold oversight hearings on what they say are violations of IDEA and the Rehabilitation Act, and thousands of people have participated in a nationwide call organized by advocacy groups. Also, 29 U.S. Senators have written a letter (I know, but it’s something) to Dept. of Ed Secretary Linda McMahon warning that relocating the administration of IDEA violates protocols and jeopardizes support for students with disabilities.
Here’s more:
Special ed enforcement up to states under Trump plan Most states don’t have the resources — or, in some cases, the will — to adequately police and protect the rights of students with disabilities. (Stateline)
The Trump Administration’s Recent Special Ed Layoffs Will Have Major Long-Term Impacts on Disabled Children and Students Fewer services, fewer protections. (CAP)
The Trump Administration’s Latest Staffing Cuts at the Dept. of Ed Threaten Children’s Success Across the Country This is a good explainer that breaks down the department into its parts, including The Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, the main office overseeing federal pre-K-12 programs, the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) and the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA). (CAP)
The Slow Death of Special Ed A look at “five decades of Congress repeatedly weakening the right” to a Free and Appropriate Public Education. (The Atlantic)
Trump administration weighs future of special ed oversight and funding This commentary from back in May looks at how IDEA funding is structured and includes a look at Project 2025, the administration’s education blueprint, and its call for major shifts in how this funding would be distributed and used. (Brookings)
Judge Orders Trump Administration on Thursday to Fully Fund Food Stamps This Month (NYT)
And…you know what came later on Thursday:
Trump administration appeals order to pay full November SNAP food benefits (USA Today)
SNAP Cuts Disproportionately Hurt People with Disabilities (Center for Economic and Policy Research)
The Nation’s Largest Food Aid Program Is About To See Cuts. Here’s What You Should Know. A look at the permanent changes coming to SNAP thanks to President Trump’s “big beautiful bill.” (KFF Health News)
Heightened AI use in special education brings elevated risks Nearly 60% of special ed teachers reported using AI to develop an IEP or Section 504 plan during the 2024-25 school year. (K-12 Dive)
Opinion: Special Education Is Broken. Our New Database Can Help Spark Way to Fix It (The 74)
Lawmakers: N.Y. must modernize disability housing policies About 80% of New Yorkers with intellectual or developmental disabilities live with a caretaker older than 60. (Spectrum Local News)
New substance use treatment program in Minnesota is designed for people with autism (Minn Post)
‘I thought it was fake’: Arizona Autism staffer didn’t believe company email announcing termination A large, pediatric therapy provider announces plans to terminate approximately 2,800 employees as it braces for potential cuts to Medicaid funding. (12 News)
Oregon schools boost graduation rates for students with disabilities (KEZI.com)
‘Premature graduation’ of students with disabilities in Arizona challenged by parents, educators (Arizona Capitol Times)
NC judge pauses state-imposed Medicaid cuts to ABA autism therapy (The News & Observer)
As Time Runs Out, a Dozen Head Start Families and Providers Share Their Fears One mother in Washington state reports that the program had secured one-to-one certified nursing assistant for her son, who has cerebral palsy, is nonverbal and is fed through a G-tube: “It brings me to tears how much they’ve done for us.” (The 74)
KU expanding program to bring students with intellectual disabilities to college (KU News)
Rutgers receives $3.75M federal grant for future special education leaders (ROI-NJ)
Strategies and Innovations in Medicaid Managed Long-Term Services and Supports Takeaways from a 10-state project that provided support for states to explore, develop, and/or strengthen policies and strategies. (National Academy for State Health Policy)
New State-by-State Data Expose the Crushing Financial Strain of Family Caregiving (AARP)
Report: Most Housing Discrimination Complaints Were Disability Related (Weekly Real Estate News)
A Michigan town creates neuro-inclusive neighborhoods for people of all abilities (WXYZ.com)
Viscardi Center in Long Island, N.Y., cuts ribbon on nation’s only Museum of Disability History (Long Island Press)
Queens special ed teacher builds student confidence with help from some unlikely friends A school-yard farm started by a special ed teacher in New York City teaches work skills and builds camaraderie. (CBS News)
REPORT: The State of America’s Direct Support Workforce Crisis 2025
ANCOR’s sixth annual survey of the ways community-based providers of disability services are feeling the impact of the direct support workforce crisis is as troubling as you’d expect.
Its executive summary notes that “threats to the system of community-based supports for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) seem to be coming from all angles as of late.
“States confronting budget shortfalls due to expiring COVID-era funding have or are considering slashing resources from an already-deprived system.
“Meanwhile, states that haven’t been forced to consider cuts are likely to do so in 2026 and beyond as they prepare for nearly $1 trillion in reduced federal Medicaid funding as a result of the budget reconciliation legislation signed into law on July 4, 2025.”
For details, download the full report.
Explainer: What the Government Shutdown Means for SNAP, WIC, and Disability Programs (AAPD)
Plain Language Explainer: The Government Shutdown (ASAN)
Government Shutdown Has Disability Providers ‘Running On Fumes’ Operations including civil rights investigations at the U.S. Department of Education are at a standstill. (The New Yorker has an in-depth look at the abandonment of civil rights litigation and while it doesn’t touch specifically on special education, it’s worth a read.)
SNAP
Democratic AGs and governors sue USDA for suspending SNAP benefits (NPR)
What You Need to Know About SNAP and WIC if the Government Shutdown Continues (The Arc)
Federal government shutdown threatens SNAP food aid as several states scramble to help State responses have been mixed and temporary solutions are not expected to make up for the shortfall. (AP)
Choosing to let kids go hungry (Popular Info)
Cornell’s new interactive map shows ‘sobering’ impact of federal cuts on New York State (NY State of Politics)
“Largest Medicaid fraud scheme ever prosecuted” NY couple accused of stealing nearly $3M (CBS6)
NY school students restrained, put in time out over 20K times last year The state required public schools to report incidents for the first time last year. (Times Union)
Increase in restraints for Pa. students with disabilities sparks concerns Schools have been restraining children with disabilities at rates that the State Department of Education Secretary considers alarming. (NBC10)
Alabama Medicaid Gaps Leave Dentists Overwhelmed and Patients in Pain (Governing.com)
NJ’s health system has a huge gap in care for people with disabilities on Medicaid (Northjersey.com)
‘Broken’ and inequitable Michigan special education funding needs an overhaul, report says (Chalkbeat)
Mississippi opens long-term pediatric medical center for youth with complex medical conditions (AP)
America’s Caregiving Crisis Is Getting Worse Research from the National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP finds that 63 million Americans, nearly one in four adults, now serve as family caregivers. An increase of 20 million from 2015 to 2025. (Next Avenue)
A caregiver’s survival guide: Advice from people who’ve been there (NPR)
American Academy of Pediatrics group recommends against routine use of leucovorin for autism It cites a lack of evidence on the treatment’s benefits and risks. (Reuters)
Trump offers new warning on Tylenol for pregnant women (The Hill)
Texas Sues Tylenol Makers, Claiming They Hid Autism Risks (New York Times)
Covid in pregnancy tied to autism, developmental issues, study says (Washington Post)
Teachers Are Using AI to Help Write IEPs. Advocates Have Concerns (Education Week)
At least 25 states plan to cut off SNAP in November (Politico)
SNAP recipients told to buy shelf-stable food or go to food banks as funding deadline looms (NBC News)
The Trump Administration Has the Power and Legal Obligation To Pay SNAP Benefits During the Shutdown (Center for American Progress)
How Will Ed Dept’s Latest Layoffs Affect Students With Disabilities? (Inside Higher Ed)
Ed Dept. ‘exploring’ ways to move special education elsewhere (K-12 Dive)
Is RFK Jr. about to get the special ed portfolio? Trump admin mulls a change (USA Today)
N.Y. state Sen. James Skoufis discusses investigation into CDPAP transition (Spectrum Local News)
Focus on NYC’s vulnerable students: Mamdani pledges to boost special education (Chalkbeat)
Los Angeles County Expands Tracking Program for Residents With Cognitive Disabilities (Governing.com)
Chicago Public Schools HSAT technical issues impact students with disabilities, English learners (Chalkbeat)
Waitlist for disability services in WV climbs to more than 1,000; mostly children waiting for help (West Virginia Watch)
Ohio expands 911 database to better aid people with disabilities (State Scoop)
Two years after Maine passed a paid parent caregiver law, experts say it’s inaccessible (Central Maine)
SPOTLIGHT: SNAP
At least 25 states plan to cut off SNAP in November They include California, Arkansas, Hawaii, Indiana, Mississippi and New Jersey. The Trump administration reportedly would have to find more than $8 billion to keep SNAP afloat if the shutdown continues. (Politico)
SNAP recipients told to buy shelf-stable food or go to food banks as funding deadline looms The recommendation comes from some state leaders. But food banks say it will be impossible to fill the gap. (NBC News)
‘Uncharted territory’: Ongoing shutdown threatens food aid for 42 million people “If the SNAP program shuts down, we will have the most mass hunger suffering we’ve had in America since the Great Depression.” (NPR)
The Trump Administration Has the Power and Legal Obligation To Pay SNAP Benefits During the Shutdown (Center for American Progress)
How Will Ed Dept’s Latest Layoffs Affect Students With Disabilities? A look at what the consequences would be across colleges and universities should the gutting of the Education Department go ahead. (Inside Higher Ed)
OPINION: ‘Educational Exile’: How Trump’s Layoffs Threaten Students With Disabilities What’s at stake if we lose federal enforcement of IDEA. (Education Week)
Ed Dept. ‘exploring’ ways to move special education elsewhere While no official plan is in place yet, Education Secretary Linda McMahon’s goal is to shut down the department. (K-12 Dive)
Is RFK Jr. about to get the special ed portfolio? Trump admin mulls a change The Dept. of Ed is in the early stages of recruiting another agency to help oversee federal special education programs. (USA Today)
OPINION: Ed Tech Can Unlock STEM Potential of Students With Disabilities — If It’s Funded The National Assessment of Educational Progress — better known as the nation’s report card — recently released 2024 science scores for eighth graders and math scores for 12th graders. It found that three-quarters of students with disabilities scored below NAEP basic, the lowest-performing subgroup. (The 74)
N.Y. state Sen. James Skoufis discusses investigation into CDPAP transition Skoufis and state Sen. Gustavo Rivera push for more information regarding how Public Partnerships LLC was chosen as the single fiscal intermediary for New York’s CDPAP program. (Spectrum Local News)
Center for Disability Services New York dropping psychiatry services Psychiatrists are retiring and it’s difficult to find ones trained in developmental disabilities. Plus, Medicaid payments have stayed flat since 2007, while costs rise every year. “These problems are happening across the country, not just at CFDS.” (Spectrum Local News)
Focus on NYC’s vulnerable students: Mamdani pledges to boost special education (Chalkbeat)
Los Angeles County Expands Tracking Program for Residents With Cognitive Disabilities GPS-enabled smartwatches and radio transmitters aim to help locate missing residents with dementia, autism or other conditions. (Governing.com)
Chicago Public Schools HSAT technical issues impact students with disabilities, English learners At least 1,000 students experienced technical problems while taking the High School Admissions Test earlier this month. (Chalkbeat)
Waitlist for disability services in WV climbs to more than 1,000; mostly children waiting for help (West Virginia Watch)
Ohio expands 911 database to better aid people with disabilities (State Scoop)
Two years after Maine passed a paid parent caregiver law, experts say it’s inaccessible (Central Maine)
Can Nonprofits Restrain Trump’s Autism Agenda? (Nonprofit Quarterly)
Tylenol maker urges FDA to reject request for an autism warning (NBC News)
In a small Alabama town, a dentist weighs whether to stop treating kids on Medicaid Dentists in many states won’t see Medicaid patients because they’re paid too little for providing care. (Stateline)
Mother speaks out after teen with disabilities mistakenly arrested in immigration raid (PBS)
The United Nations isn’t doing enough on disability A look at the UN’s evaluation of its 2019 Disability Inclusion Strategy (UNDIS). A key finding: a disconnect between policy change and the experience of disabled people, and progress to meeting ambitions on disability rights is ‘extremely slow’.” (Disability Debrief)
Judge temporarily blocks Trump administration from firing workers during government shutdown (AP)
What the Shutdown Means for SNAP & Other Programs (AAPD)
Jefferson Parish in Louisiana to install cameras in all special ed classrooms under new law (Nola.com)
Disability groups urge against assessment and accountability waivers
KFF Tracking Poll on Health Information and Trust: Tylenol-Autism Link and Vaccine Policies
Debunking 3 claims about Tylenol after White House links drug’s use in pregnancy to autism (ABC News)
A Furious Debate Over Autism’s Causes Leaves Parents Grasping for Answers (New York Times)
RFK Jr. suggests circumcision is linked to autism. Here’s what experts say. They say “no.” (CBS News)
Autism Is Not a Single Condition and Has No Single Cause, Scientists Conclude (Wired)
NYS education leaders say more supports after high school needed for students with disabilities (WXXI News)
Debating New York’s CDPAP changes (Rochester Beacon)
Oregon is the first state to be ‘Accessibility Verified’ by platform for travelers with disabilities (KLCC Oregon)
‘Accessible’ Playgrounds Not Always Inclusive Enough in Maryland (Disability Scoop)
Idaho Medicaid cuts could force disability providers to close. The state wants to exempt services. (Idaho Capital Sun)
‘Catastrophic’ service cuts for Arizona kids with disabilities on hold (ABC 15)
Supreme Court To Weigh How Intellectual Disability Is Defined (Disability Scoop)
OPINION: Seniors with Disabilities: Caring for a Unique Population (Healthcare Business Today)
When the shutdown, which will extend into next week, started on Oct. 1, the Trump administration announced mass reductions in force (RIFs), or layoffs, of the federal workforce.
The layoffs, reports the AP, are part of a politically motivated effort by the Trump administration to exert more pressure on Democratic lawmakers as the government shutdown continue. They’re also in keeping with the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025, which Trump is closely following, and which aims to align the government with far-right values and consolidate presidential power. One of its missions is to shut down the Department of Education.
Judge temporarily blocks Trump administration from firing workers during government shutdown In good news, a federal judge has issued a temporary restraining order. In not good news, it’s likely to be appealed. (AP)
What the Shutdown Means for SNAP & Other Programs November SNAP benefits might be delayed or interrupted, and “people will go hungry, including people with disabilities and their families.” (AAPD)
What happened before the temporary restraining order, and what could still happen:
White House Guts Education Department With More Layoffs The Office of Special Education Programs, the principal government arm overseeing billions of dollars that support about 10% of the nation’s school-aged children, has been decimated. It will have fewer than a half-dozen employees, a reduction of about 95% since the start of the year. The Office for Civil Rights in the department was also slashed. (NYT)
Education Department layoffs hit offices that oversee special education and civil rights enforcement (Chalkbeat)
Jefferson Parish in Louisiana to install cameras in all special ed classrooms under new law Every classroom for students with disabilities in Louisiana must have microphone-equipped cameras up and running by February 2026. The law also requires districts to update their seclusion and restraint policies. (Nola.com)
MORE SPECIAL ED
Disability groups urge against assessment and accountability waivers Concerns are being raised about states and districts waiving K-12 accountability and assessment requirements, saying these standards help set high expectations for all students, including those receiving special ed services. (K12 Dive)
KFF Tracking Poll on Health Information and Trust: Tylenol-Autism Link and Vaccine Policies The poll’s key findings show how HHS head Robert F. Kennedy Jr., is sowing confusion with his false claims that pregnant women using acetaminophen (brand name Tylenol) and vaccines cause autism.
Debunking 3 claims about Tylenol after White House links drug’s use in pregnancy to autism (ABC News)
A Furious Debate Over Autism’s Causes Leaves Parents Grasping for Answers (New York Times)
RFK Jr. suggests circumcision is linked to autism. Here’s what experts say. They say “no.” (CBS News)
Autism Is Not a Single Condition and Has No Single Cause, Scientists Conclude (Wired)
700 times, boy with autism ran from class. He wandered one final time from home. More children with autism died in 2024 after wandering away — 82 — than in any other year since the National Autism Association began tracking cases over 20 years ago. (Washington Post)
NYS education leaders say more supports after high school needed for students with disabilities (WXXI News)
Debating New York’s CDPAP changes (Rochester Beacon)
N.J. is worst in America at putting kids with disabilities in regular classes. Here’s why that may change. A state special education advisory group has pledged to examine the issue. (nj.com)
Renewed accessible parking protections are headed to Delaware. For some, it’s long overdue (Delaware Online)
Oregon is the first state to be ‘Accessibility Verified’ by platform for travelers with disabilities There are a handful of platforms handing out accessible or “autism certified” designations. (KLCC Oregon)
‘Accessible’ Playgrounds Not Always Inclusive Enough in Maryland With the “Playgrounds for All” initiative, the state set out to increase inclusive playgrounds. (Note: If you hit the Disability Scoop paywall, this report was originally published on The Baltimore Sun’s website; I was having trouble with the link so couldn’t attach it.) (Disability Scoop)
Idaho Medicaid cuts could force disability providers to close. The state wants to exempt services. (Idaho Capital Sun)
‘Catastrophic’ service cuts for Arizona kids with disabilities on hold (ABC 15)
Supreme Court To Weigh How Intellectual Disability Is Defined You can find more on the case on Scotus Blog. Just scroll down until you hit “A death penalty case asks who is intellectually disabled.” (Disability Scoop)
OPINION: Seniors with Disabilities: Caring for a Unique Population Americans 60 and older living with an intellectual or developmental disability occupy a unique community within the I/DD and senior-care field, and one that remain largely overlooked. (Healthcare Business Today)
Who Deserves an Organ? The Dilemma of Severe Mental Illness. While the focus here is mental illness, it raises obvious questions about the impact on people with I/DD. (New York Times)
The Best Smart Assistive Devices for People With Disabilities (Wirecutter/NYT)
Senate GOP leaders are expected to call for another vote today, Friday, on the House-passed stopgap bill that funds federal agencies through Nov. 21, NPR reports, with leaders still discussing plans for possible weekend votes.
“‘Programs like Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security will continue to be funded because they are mandatory programs. But the vast majority of disability programs, including all of those funded by the Administration for Community Living, are discretionary programs that would be impacted by a shutdown,’” Alison Barkoff, who led the Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Community Living under the Biden administration, told Disability Scoop.
Jill Jacobs, exec director of the Natl. Assn. of Councils on Developmental Disabilities, also spoke to the news site, saying, “The president’s threat to fire additional federal workers … only increases the insecurity faced by people with disabilities who rely on these staff to administer the annual appropriations for disability programs such as the state councils on developmental disabilities.”
Chalkbeat’s daily National Newsletter notes that in the education world, “a lot will continue as usual — at least for now. … But 87% of the Education Department’s staff are on furlough, which means programs won’t be monitored and states and schools generally won’t get answers to their questions during the shutdown. The Office for Civil rights is pausing all reviews and investigations of civil rights complaints.”
More:
Federal Government Shutdown: What People with Disabilities Should Know (The Arc)
New N.Y. task force looking at options for older individuals with developmental disabilities (Spectrum News)
NYS’s Gov. Hochul Announces $25 Million to Expand Access to Health Care for People With Developmental Disabilities (Gov. Press Office)
Changes to developmental disabilities assessment mean AZ families will lose caregiving funds (KJZZ)
Kansas disability service providers say conflict of interest rule could cause ‘massive’ problems Kansas is out of compliance with the rule and stands to lose $350 to $400 million in federal funding if changes aren’t made. (Kansas Reflector)
5 Key Facts About Medicaid Coverage for People With I/DD Just a good overview. (KFF)
Federal report on Georgia suggests implementing Medicaid work rules will be expensive Georgia spent twice as much to administer the country’s only Medicaid program with work requirements than it did to provide health care to enrollees. (Stateline.org)
How Calif. families are already bracing for looming Medicaid cuts The spotlight here goes to one family scrambling to figure out how to care for a child with cerebral palsy should his benefits go away, but it’s also a good look at the broader issues. (Los Angeles Times)
Should the Autism Spectrum Be Split Apart? The diagnostic expansion of autism has become a flashpoint in a long-running debate over how autism should be defined. (New York Times)
Why it’s time to rethink the notion of an autism ‘spectrum’ A look at research suggesting the American Psychiatric Assn.’s diagnostic manual dividing autism into three “levels” are vague and inconsistently applied. (The Conversation)
Tylenol, Autism and the Perils of Basic-Level Literacy When most Americans lack the reading skills to judge competing claims in critical debates, they are at the mercy of others. (The 74 Million)
Ed Dept takes a preliminary step toward revamping its research and statistics arm (Hechinger Report)
Only 18 states differentiate compensation for special ed teachers (K-12 Dive)
Ed Dept. brings back mental health grants Some are concerned the focus is only on school psychologists and does not include school counselors and social workers. (K-12 Dive)
School systems are remaking the old yellow bus into a high-tech machine FYI, research suggests that students with disabilities are disproportionately affected by school bus delays. (Stateline.org)
What schools stand to lose in the battle over the next federal ed budget Congress and the White House have released three competing funding visions for fiscal year 2026. Researchers warn that two of those proposals — from the White House and House Republicans — would impose steep cuts on some of the most vulnerable students and disadvantaged school communities. (NPR)
Report: Home care industry to face 6.1M job openings by 2034 as low wages fuel turnover Home care workers earn an average annual income of $22,429, with 60% receiving public assistance. Medicaid payments constitute 68% of the $312.9 billion spent on HCBS annually. (Home Health Care News)
US will not enforce Biden wheelchair passenger protection rule The U.S. Transportation Dept, said it will not enforce key provisions of a rule issued by former President Biden’s administration. (Reuters)
Fox News’ Brian Kilmeade says comment about killing mentally ill homeless people an ‘extremely callous remark’ Increasingly, those on the far right feel empowered to denigrate and “other” the vulnerable. (CNN)
Special ed teacher empowers students with coffee carts (WTNH)