General Disability Information
This page provides information and resources to help you more fully understand the characteristics of specific disabilities.
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Description: Brain Injury Awareness Month is a time for education, connection, and awareness. The More Than My Brain Injury campaign, created by BIAA, provides a platform for educating the public about the incidence of brain injury. It aims to de-stigmatize the injury, highlight the diversity of the brain injury community, and empower those who have survived. Self-Paced Online Courses The Brain Injury Association of Virginia is excited to provide our new library of self-paced online courses! ...
Description: “Traumatic brain injury” means an acquired injury to the brain caused by an external physical force or by other medical conditions, including stroke, anoxia, infectious disease, aneurysm, brain tumors, and neurological insults resulting from medical or surgical treatments, resulting in total or partial functional disability or psychosocial impairment, or both, that adversely affects a child's educational performance. Traumatic brain injury applies to open or closed head injuries...
Description: Every community is affected by traumatic brain injury (TBI). Causes as diverse as falls, sports injuries, vehicle collisions, domestic violence, and military incidents can result in injuries across a spectrum of severity and age groups. Just as the many causes of TBI and the people who experience it are diverse, so too are the physiological, cognitive, and behavioral changes that can occur following injury. The overall TBI ecosystem is not limited to healthcare and research, but includes the...
Description: BrainLine provides: TBI Basics Interactive Brain, What i a TBI? Do I have a Concussion? Newly Diagnosed. Now What? You Are Not Alone Brain Injury Topics A-Z Personal Stories and Blogs Expert Q & A Resource Directory BrainLine is a national service of WETA-TV, the flagship PBS station in Washington, D.C.
Description: This includes: RCPS Traumatic Brain Injury/Concussion Response Process - Flow Chart Concussion Symptoms and Accommodations CMT-1 CDC Concussion Signs and Symptoms CMT-2 RCPS Concussion Symptom Monitoring CMT-3 RCPS Concussion Notification to Teachers CMT-4 RCPS Concussion Academic Monitoring CMT-5 - Recommendations for Referral to Student Study Due to Long Term Symptoms CDC Traumatic Brain Injury and Concussions And more....
Description: BICSV enhances the lives of individuals affected by brain injury through cultivating connections with information, services, and resources. BICSV provides no-cost case management services for children, youth, and adults who have sustained a traumatic and/or acquired brain injury. BICSV serves the following counties: Augusta, Bath, Highland, Rockbridge, Rockingham, Page, and Shenandoah, and the cities within.
Description: This informative article, shared in the CASD CHAT E-Newsletter, was written by recent VTAC/CAR graduate, Dr. Ashley Muskett, a clinical psychologist specializing in the assessment and treatment of autism in children.
Description: This month is Dyslexia/LD/ADHD Awareness Month, and the author had the honor of sitting down with Resha Conroy, a parent of a child with Dyslexia. She is also a member of the National Center on Improving Literacy Family Engagement Advisory Board and has started her own non-profit, Dyslexia Alliance for Black Children.
Description: Self-advocacy is an important skill for even young kids to develop. But sometimes it’s hard for grade-schoolers to know what to say. Here are some sentence starters you can teach kids with dyslexia to practice so they can speak up for what they need.
Description: The Federal Emergency Management Agency has videos on personal disaster preparedness for people with disabilities. The videos give tips on how to be prepared and suggest some items to bring with you in an emergency based on your particular disability.
Description: More than a decade ago, a group of youth with disabilities requested that Virginia officially recognize October as Disability History and Awareness Month (DHAM). These dedicated youth also developed a credo: “Disability history education and awareness will promote positive attitudes in schools creating a culture of mutual respect, understanding, and equalopportunities for all.” This month, Virginians across the Commonwealth will join with others nationwide to increase awareness,...
Description: One of the ongoing challenges of helping children with autism thrive is understanding behaviors that can seem baffling.These resources may help to clear up some common misunderstandings. Autism experts explain how repetitive or self-harming behaviors may have medical causes, how sensory processing issues can trigger meltdowns, and what is behind picky eating and other mealtime challenges. And we discuss ways to help kids on the spectrum build communication skills, so they can express their own...
Description: For 57 years and counting, the Autism Society, including our nationwide network of affiliates, connects people to the resources they need through education, advocacy, support, information and referral, and community programming. Mission: We create connections, empowering everyone in the Autism community with the resources needed to live fully. Vision: Creating a world where everyone in the Autism community is connected to the support they need, when they need it.
Description: People with Autism and other developmental disabilities and their families are disproportionately impacted by the ongoing public health and economic emergency caused by COVID-19. The Autism Society of America believes that increasing vaccine confidence is a crucial step towards improving the lives of people with Autism, their families and communities as we all work towards ending the pandemic. Through its Vaccine Education Initiative (VEI), the Autism Society is committed to increasing vaccine...
Description: This guide was compiled by the Virginia Tech Autism Clinic (VTAC) & Center for Autism Research (CAR). It aims to improve the quality of life for individuals with autism and their families through intervention, education, and research directed towards effective treatments and supports.
Description: This booklet defines Special Education Terms (Birth to 22) as well as General Disabilty Terms.
Description: Digital Portfolio for Families (2022)- PEATC’s Digital Portfolio allows parents and guardians of individuals with disabilities the ability to organize personal, educational, medical, and legal information and documentation in a portable digital format. The portfolio provides users with easy access, reduced stress, no more binders, and less paperwork to store. Digital Portfolio for Military Families (2022)- PEATC’s Digital Portfolio for Military Families allows service...
Description: Autism Speaks virtual series designed for autistic people, families, care providers and anyone seeking information on how to best navigate a new diagnosis. In these recorded videos, participants can hear from parents, topic experts, self-advocates and others sharing their personal experiences and expertise.
Description: SSA’s Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program helps children with qualifying disabilities and their families. For this program, a child must meet all of the following requirements to be considered disabled and medically eligible: The child must have a medical condition, or a combination of conditions, that result in “marked and severe functional limitations.” This means that the condition(s) must very seriously limit the child’s activities. The child’s...
Description: The world's largest movie theater chain is adding onscreen captions at hundreds of U.S. locations in an effort to make moviegoing more accessible. AMC Theatres announced that 240 of its locations — in more than 100 U.S. markets — are adding open captioning to certain showings. The change took effect last week and is aimed at improving the viewing experience for people who have hearing loss and for whom English is not their first language.
Description: This self-paced tutorial has been developed for parents and professionals who are just beginning to learn about CVI. In this tutorial you will view interviews with parents, engage in web searches to expand your resources, and view presentations related to each module’s topic. Along the way, you will build an individualized action plan for your child to address Diagnosis Assessment Intervention Teamwork / collaboration IEP Development Advocacy This workshop is available in an...
Description: Ready is a National public service campaign designed to educate and empower the American people to prepare for, respond to and mitigate emergencies, including natural and man-made disasters. The goal of the campaign is to promote preparedness through public involvement. Ready asks that individuals: stay informed about the different types of emergencies that could occur and their appropriate responses make a family emergency plan and build an emergency supply kit, and get involved in your...
Description: CVI stands for Cortical Visual Impairment/Cerebral Visual Impairment. CVI is a brain-based visual impairment caused by damage to the visual pathways or visual processing areas of the brain. Learners struggle with visual attention and visual recognition resulting in a lack of access for understanding the world around them. CVI is known to be the leading cause of visual impairment in children in the United States. With CVI, the eye’s connection to and in the brain doesn’t work...
Description: Keeping children and teens healthy and safe is always a top priority. Whether you are a parent, youth sports coach, school coach, school professional, or health care provider, this site will help you recognize, respond to, and minimize the risk of concussion or other serious brain injury. What is a Concussion? Concussion Danger Signs, Concussion Signs and Symptoms, Recovery from a Concussion, Returning to School, Returning to Sports and Activities, Learn More, HEADS UP for Specific Sports,...
Description: The National Resource Center for Supported Decision-Making (NRC-SDM) builds on and extends the work of Quality Trust's Jenny Hatch Justice Project by bringing together vast and varied partners to ensure that input is obtained from all relevant stakeholder groups including older adults, people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD), family members, advocates, professionals and providers. The NRC-SDM partners bring nationally recognized expertise and leadership on SDM,...
Description: LEND program provides interdisciplinary training to professionals, family members and self-advocates with an aim to provide integrated services to families and children with disabilities. The purpose of the LEND training program is to prepare trainees from diverse professional disciplines to assume leadership roles in their respective fields and by ensuring high levels of interdisciplinary clinical competence. Providing an interdisciplinary training the...
Description: The purpose of these guidelines is to provide resources and suggestions to enhance the provision of services to students who are deaf and hard of hearing in order to support their educational goals. These guidelines are written for special and general education administrators, teachers of students who are deaf and hard of hearing (referred to by Virginia teacher licensure regulations as HI teachers and generally referred to as teachers of the deaf and hard of hearing-TODHH), general educators,...
Description: Lucy Beadnell from The Arc of Northern Virginia reviews the Basics of DD and CCC Plus Medicaid Waivers in Virginia. Lucy describes what Medicaid Waivers are, eligibility, services, applications, and waiting lists and takes questions from families. (Recorded March 3, 2021)
Description: ASD & Regulation: The Brain, Meltdowns, and Evidence-Based Practices Part 1 The majority of learners on the spectrum experience self-regulation and sensory issues that can lead to meltdowns. This escalating sequence seems to follow a three-stage cycle: (a) rumbling, (b) rage, and (c) recovery. This sequence can be problematic as many children and youth with ASD often endure the cycle unaware that they are under stress. This session will overview the issues related to self-regulation and...
Description: The Technical Assistance Center for Children Who Are Deaf and Hard of Hearing is funded by the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) to provide training and technical assistance in the area of deafness and hearing impairment. Assistance is available to local public school systems as well as state-operated programs including early intervention through the Virginia Network of Consultants for Professionals Working with Children Who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing (VNOC) in areas such...
Description: Looking for a brain injury service or program in your area? Search this database for support groups, therapists, rehabilitation providers, attorneys and more. You can search by keyword, category, and/or address.
Description: Conference Session Resources View Session Recordings and Get Handouts Access Additional Resources See Presenter Bios
Description: VCU-ACE has resources for families about raising and supporting young children with ASD. They also have resources for educators and providers as they learn more about ASD and how to use evidence-based practices. For Parents: Raising a child diagnosed with ASD can be confusing and overwhelming. Many times, parents and family members struggle to understand the diagnosis, how to support their child's success, and how to problem-solve through challenges. Information from our seminars, webcasts, and...
Description: Celebrate differences and disability awareness in your school. Picture book readings for young children celebrate differences and the importance of including everyone. Videos for older students highlight how people turned their experiences with isolation into inclusive opportunities. These resources encourage inclusive practices that make everyone at school feel welcome.
Description: More than 800,000 children in America are missing each year – one child every 40 seconds. Yet, when the National Child Identification Program began; less than two percent of parents had a copy of their child’s fingerprints to use in case of an emergency. The National Child Identification Program is a community service safety initiative dedicated to changing these statistics, by providing parents and guardians, with a tool they can use to help protect their children. The ID Kit allows...
Description: Parents can obtain ID cards for their children under age 15 at any DMV customer service center. The cost of a child ID card is $2 per year (minimum $10; maximum $16). In addition to serving as an identity document, the child’s photograph is stored in DMV’s database. If the child becomes missing, DMV can retrieve the image from the database and transmit it to law enforcement anywhere in the U. S. Child ID cards will expire on the last day of the customer’s month of birth in a...
Description: The Brain Injury Association of Virginia is a nonprofit organization devoted to serving individuals with brain injury, their families and those who care about them. One of the main components of our mission is to advance educationand support to people impacted by brain injury.
Description: ASHA is the national professional, scientific, and credentialing association for 204,000 members and affiliates who are audiologists; speech-language pathologists; speech, language, and hearing scientists; audiology and speech-language pathology support personnel; and students. Audiologists specialize in preventing and assessing hearing and balance disorders as well as providing audiologic treatment, including hearing aids. Speech-language pathologists identify, assess, and treat...
Description: What You'll Learn: How to Talk About Coronavirus With Kids What We’re Talking About School Closings and Learning at Home At-Home Activities, Schedules, and More Disability Issues at Work
Description: On World Autism Awareness Day, we recognize and celebrate the rights of persons with autism. This year’s observance takes place in the midst of a public health crisis unlike any other in our lifetimes — a crisis that places persons with autism at disproportionate risk as a result of the coronavirus and its impact on society. Persons with autism have the right to self-determination, independence and autonomy, as well as the right to education and employment on an equal...
Description: GMSA is a strong organization because it is run by and for self-advocates. We have created resources and training materials that should only be presented by people with developmental disabilities. We encourage staff, teachers, parents, and allies to support self-advocates in teaching this material. However, our resources and trainings cannot be presented or used without self-advocates leading the way. If you have questions, contact us! We are happy to help you learn how to support people with...
Description: Microsoft Accessibility includes resource for: Learning: Our applications for people living with learning disabilities can help increase focus, concentration, and understanding—and include tools to improve reading and writing skills. Mobility: Our suite of products helps people living with arthritis, quadriplegia, spinal cord injuries, and other mobility issues to navigate the digital world in non-traditional ways. Mental Health: Learn more about assistive technologies for people living...
Description: Shaken Baby Syndrome/Abusive Head Trauma (SBS/AHT) is a term used to describe the constellation of signs and symptoms resulting from violent shaking or shaking and impacting of the head of an infant or small child. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) describes SBS as a subset of AHT with injuries having the potential to result in death or permanent neurologic disability. Can Tossing My Baby in the Air or Rough Play Cause SBS? SBS is a form of child abuse that happens when an infant or small...
Description: The film clips on this DVD were designed to introduce or review specific techniques or concepts on the following topics: Actions Speak Louder Than Words, Little Room Adaptations, Materials for Active Learning, and Literacy and Deaf-Blindness ("effective practices").
Description: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disability that can cause significant social, communication and behavioral challenges. CDC is committed to continuing to provide essential data on ASD, search for factors that put children at risk for ASD and possible causes, and develop resources that help identify children with ASD as early as possible. What is Autism Spectrum Disorder? Screening & Diagnosis Treatments Materials & Multimedia Research & Tracking Data &...
Description: Aging, Fatigue and Brain Injury: Living with Head (Brain Injury) (My Story and An Open Book) TBI is a much more manageable injury today than it has been in the past, but it remains a major health problem. As people with TBI continue to live longer and face the challenges of aging with TBI, it will be our duty to provide better education and long-term programs and services. We all have brains; let’s continue to use them — injured or not — to support TBI prevention, research, and...
Description: The National Clearinghouse on Autism Evidence and Practice (NCAEP) is conducting a systematic review of the current intervention literature targeting individuals on the autism spectrum. NCAEP is a continuation of the evidence review that was completed by the National Professional Development Center on Autism Spectrum Disorders (NPDC) which included research published through 2011. We will review research studies published in the last six years (2012-2017) which examine the impact of behavioral,...
Description: This guide is offered as a free resource for attorneys who may work with people with developmental disabilities in the justice system. Our aim is to assist attorneys in understanding the possible presence of a disability in a client, how to fully identify that disability, and offer some ideas on appropriate ways to defend that person in a criminal prosecution. Cases are so individualized that this guide could never hope to be fully comprehensive, but it is meant to offer a solid foundation. The...
Description: Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs) are a group of conditions that can occur in a person whose mother drank alcohol during pregnancy. These effects can include physical problems and problems with behavior and learning. Often, a person with an FASD has a mix of these problems. Cause and Prevention FASDs can occur when a person is exposed to alcohol before birth. Alcohol in the mother’s blood passes to the baby through the umbilical cord. There is no known safe amount of alcohol during...
Description: FASD United supports individuals, families, and communities living with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) and other preventable intellectual/developmental disabilities and works to prevent prenatal exposure to alcohol, drugs, and other substances known to harm fetal development by raising awareness and supporting women and their partners before and during their pregnancy. FASD United supports individuals and families living with FASD through referrals, advocacy, training, information...