Enewsletter June 2009
	MCDSIG Upcoming Events  MCDSIG Drinker Brothers Meeting-Saturday, July 18th from 6pm-8pm at the PATTAN building in King of Prussia www.pattan.net.  Will and Dan Drinker are brothers who are filming a documentary about Dan, who has Down syndrome.  They will discuss their documentary and lives with us and answer questions. You can check out scenes to date at http://dandrinker.blogspot.com/.  Sorry, there will be no childcare. Click here for more details that are on our website.   Upcoming Events PECS Basic Training The Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) was developed in 1985 as a unique augmentative/ alternative training package that teaches children and adults with autism and other communication deficits to initiate communication. First used at the Delaware Autistic Program, PECS has received worldwide recognition for focusing on the initiation component of communication. PECS does not require complex or expensive materials. It was created with educators, resident care providers and families in mind, and so it is readily used in a variety of settings PECS Basic Training June 8 & 9, 2009 - Philadelphia, PA Workshop Venue: Easter Seals of Southeastern Pennsylvania 3975 Conshohocken Avenue Philadelphia, PA 19131 Telephone: (215) 879-7652 PECS Basic Training October 26 & 27, 2009 - Philadelphia , PA Workshop Venue: Holiday Inn Philadelphia Stadium 900 Packer Ave Philadelphia, pa 19148 Telephone: (215) 755-9500 Presented by Andy Bondy, Ph.D. & Lori Frost, M.S., CCC/SLP, co-creators of PECS. Participants will leave this workshop with a fundamental understanding of how to implement PECS (Picture Exchange Communication System). To register, please visit our website at www.pecs.com or call 888-732-7462. For general information or group discounts, please contact Catherine Horton. 2009 National Conference on Childhood Apraxia of Speech - July 9 - 11, 2009 The Childhood Apraxia of Speech Association of North America (CASANA) This year the Conference will take place in St. Charles, Illinois at the Pheasant Run Resort.  Pheasant Run is less than one hour from Chicago with easy access to O'Hare International Airport, as well as Midway Airport. The conference will feature nationally recognized experts in the field of apraxia and special education, who will generously donate their time to share their expertise with families and professionals.  For more information on the Conference please contact Conference Director, Kathy Bauer at 412-343-7102 or kathyb@apraxia-kids.org.   PECS Advanced Training Date November 16 & 17, 2009  Time 8 a.m.-4 p.m.  Description PECS Advanced Training The PECS Advanced Training is perfect for anyone who has previously attended the PECS Basic Training and is currently implementing PECS. Day 1 focuses on a review of the PECS training protocol, as well as solutions for common implementation challenges. On Day 2, advanced language skills and enhancing communication across the day are addressed. This day of the workshop applies to all learners, regardless of communicative modality, but is discussed within the framework of PECS. The course also explores specific programming for incorporating PECS throughout the day. To register, please visit our website at www.pecs.com or call 888-732-7462. For general information or group discounts, please contact Catherine Horton. Fee $295 professional/ $195 parent    3rd Annual DufferFest DufferFest is a music festival featuring local bands, disc jockey, children’s crafts, games for the big kids, food and drinks, dancing and good times; save-the-date attached When: June 20, 2009 Where: Duffers Tavern, Glen Mills, PA Website: www.Dufferfest.com   Free Tennis Clinic for those 5yrs and older with a Disability at Gwynedd Mercy College. Where: Tennis Courts at Gwynedd Mercy College When:  June 17 - 24 July 8 - 15 - 22 - 29 Who:  All kids with a Disability ages 5 and up Bring you rackets if you have them Time:  6:30pm - 7:45pm If you are interested in registering your child or need more information, contact Jim Holt at holt.j@gmc.edu or call 215-646-7300 x 8018   PDE Secondary Transition Conference this July 22-24, at the Penn Stater Conference Center Register online at www.pattan.net. Stakeholders can also register for the conference by mailing the registration fee payment and the conference registration form to Mary Gordon, PaTTAN, 3190 William Pitt Way , Pittsburgh , PA 15238 .   Sebastian Riding Associates First Annual Family Mini Golf Outing When: Sunday June 28, 2009 Time: 7:00 pm till approximately 9:00 pm Where: Freddy Hill Family Fun Center 1440 Sumneytown Pike, Lansdale, PA Cost: $10.00 per person-includes golf and single dip ice cream cone Awards ceremony afterwards under the pavillion To make sure you don’t miss out on this fun event, contact the office (610-489-3741) to purchase tickets!!   NDSS Times Square Photo Contest-Celebrate the 15th Anniversary of the Buddy Walk® by entering the Times Square Video Contest. The video, which showcases individuals with Down syndrome from all over the world, will air on a jumbo screen in the heart of Times Square on September 26, 2009 at 10:30 a.m.  The New York City Buddy Walk will immediately follow the video presentation at the Great Hill in Central Park . Each year, NDSS receives thousands of photo submissions for the Times Square Video Contest. Because the Buddy Walk promotes acceptance and inclusion of individuals with Down syndrome, the winning photographs feature children, teens and adults with Down syndrome working, playing and learning with friends and family. For more information, or to submit a photo, please click here.  The deadline for submitting photos is July 15, 2009. ONE photo per individual can be submitted to the contest.  Please note that this is different than in the past.  If you send more than one photo, NDSS will only use the first submission. Winners will be contacted by a representative from NDSS via email starting the week of August 3, 2009.  You will not be contacted if your photo is not selected.  Photographs will not be returned. Click here to view the 2008 Times Square Video. For further questions about the contest, contact timessquarevideo@ndss.org.   THE POWER OF HORSES AT SADDLEWOOD FARM in Birdsboro, PA.  An Equine Assisted Counseling and Learning Center, staffed with Licensed Professional Counselors, Special Education Teachers and Equine Specialists. OPEN HOUSE on May 23 from 1-3pm for anyone who would like to see a demonstration of the activities the children will be involved in.  Offering a CHARACTER EDUCATION summer morning camp for special needs children.  They will be involved in GROUND WORK, no riding activities with the horses to work on Trust, Respect, Self Control, and other character traits.  Please visit www.saddlewoodfarm.com for more info or call 610-404-1018.   2009 Joshua O'Neill and Zeshan Tabani Enrichment Fund Application Is Now Available To date, twenty-six students have received grants from NDSS to help cover the costs of pursuing their postsecondary education and enrichment goals. Click here to download the application.   Little Wonders Inclusive Summer Camps for ages 3-12-Visit www.littlewonderscenter.com for more information.         Surveys Parents of children with Down syndrome and adult siblings of persons with Down syndrome are invited to be in a web-based, survey research study.  The purpose of this Penn State study is to learn more about needs and expectations for genetic counseling.  No prior experience with genetic counseling is necessary.  The survey takes about 30 min to complete.  If you are interested in being in the study, please, go to https://online.survey.psu.edu/downsyndrome/ For more information contact Kathy Peters, MS at 814-865-1392 or kfp1@psu.edu .    NDSC Survey One of the most critical issues facing parents and families is what will happen when their son or daughter exits high school and no longer receives education services.  In most states, students receiving special education services are eligible until age 21.  After that, the primary funding stream available for services is the federal Medicaid program.    We have created this survey to help us better advocate for adult services. Everyone is encouraged to take this survey -- not just those with an adult family member with Down syndrome.  It should take less than ten minutes to complete. Take  this  survey       Books   Designing Positive Behavior Support Plans "Replete with examples, checklists, tips, FAQs, and forms, the second edition of Designing Positive Behavior Support Plans presents state-of-the-art information on positive behavior support strategies for children with developmental disabilities. This is a user-friendly reference for schools, providers, students, as well as families." You can learn more about the book at http://bookstore.aaidd.org.   Emotions illustrated vividly in children's book When her childhood friend gave birth to a daughter with Down syndrome, Ling wrote the baby a poem, "Our Fragile Emissary," a love song that has been ...   Fox Valley authors' book celebrates siblings of residents with ... "Walk With Me," a 72-page collection of uplifting stories written by brothers and sisters of area residents with Down syndrome, has been released. ...   Inspirational Stories Norco's Horseweek people don't back down Donna Springman, of Moreno Valley, was delighted to see her son, Nevan mccoll, 9, who has Down syndrome, ride a horse. "It makes him feel good about himself ...   Craig Pearson: Andrew Banar's amazing success The 18-year-old has Down syndrome and has designed the shirts with his Rock On logo. Andrew Banar brings special meaning to the term Rock On. Though he has ...   Teenagers learn to be firefighters In a first for Essex and possibly the UK, 12 teenagers with Down's Syndrome celebrated passing a week-long Firebreak course with distinction. ...    2 young Mainers to be honored at NBA playoff game  Josh Titus of Edward Little High School, who is autistic, and Patrick Thibodeau of Greely, who has Down syndrome, will serve as honorary captains for the ...   Special Olympian has golden attitude  And despite being diagnosed with Down syndrome shortly after birth, Van Groningen said she's never felt different from anyone else. That is also, perhaps, ...   Letter: Child of God By The Capital-Journal Five years ago, we welcomed a beautiful daughter with Down Syndrome. We felt blessed and had the typical mixed emotions when learning ...   Down Syndrome champion swimmer has dream come true Andy Miyares is a world record holder Special Olympian swimmer in both the International Paralympic Competition and at the World Down Syndrome Swimming ...   It's the Little Things Keith had Down Syndrome. I knew his face and his smile, but had a chance to personally meet him back in the summer of 2003. Keith was about to have surgery ...   Hard work overcomes obstacles A film that explores Down syndrome. Another personal story, another story from the heart. Ms. Perkins' third child was born with Down syndrome and a ...   Friends make prom dream come true for student  For Tiffany Perez, a 21-year-old Penn Manor High School student with Down syndrome, prom night Friday was simply magical. Back in early spring, ...   An exceptional crew of jewelry makers Some have Down syndrome and have trouble with fine motor skills. All need direction and accommodations, yet here they are working diligently and earnestly ...    Jon Mark Beilue: 'Other' parents take a bow Patton, a child with Down syndrome in Clarendon, is learning to read in first-grade inclusion classroom. Somewhere among the seats of the Clarendon High ...   I've got Down's. So what?' - Sara Pickard Actress Sara Pickard has never let her Down's Syndrome get in her way, living a far fuller life than most adults. LYDIA WHITFIELD caught up with her “I've ...   Young Mesquite man with Down syndrome becomes Eagle Scout In short, Adam, who has Down syndrome, doing everything a regular Boy Scout does. On Sunday, Adam, 20, received the organization's highest honor – he was ...   Sun and 'super-speed' The veteran of the Metro Parks Tacoma Panthers, who has Down syndrome, liked his chances on the track. Was he exhausted after taking first in the shot put?   Elementary students pen book, written and illustrated to shed ... "The students decided on a non-fiction book about the boy with Down Syndrome for a couple of reasons," said Project Coordinator and Reading Specialist ...     Using appropriate terminology when discussing Down syndrome People do not 'suffer' from Down syndrome A comment was made that the center helps children who "suffer" from Down syndrome. What? I didn't know you could "suffer" from that. Down syndrome does not ...   Prenatal  Canister Donates Down Syndrome Guides to American College of ... Design agency Canister (www.canisterco.com) has donated 50 copies of their uniquely balanced and professional books about Down syndrome for the American ...   Genetics news brings mixed feelings But testing of this sort is routinely done for Down's syndrome these days, so why not for Asperger's syndrome too? If I wasn't born 35 years ago, ...   http://www.disabilityscoop.com/2009/05/05/diagnosis-questions-answered/3 Finding peace after a diagnosis   Sensory Processing Disorder News  “Getting kids moving in school” – Sensory diet in the classroom Good Morning, America - April 8, 2009   "Autistic-Like": A family's mission to help a son when doctors aren't sure of his diagnosis Good Morning, America - April 1, 2009   Dear Abby - Readers offer advice to "Frustrated Mom" Education Inclusive Education  http://inclusiveschools.org/about-isn   The U.S. Department of Education has posted a new resource -- Using American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) Funds to Drive School Reform and Improvement -- on a Recovery web site at http://www.ed.gov/recovery/. According to the Department of Education, every district and school should be considering how to use these funds to improve student outcomes over the next two years and to advance reforms that will have a long-term impact. Students with disabilities should be included in all reform efforts but some specific examples include:   Provide professional development for special education and general education teachers on evidence-based school-wide strategies in reading, math, writing, science, and other subject areas, and positive behavioral supports to improve outcomes for students with disabilities. Use technology to improve teaching and learning.  Purchase and train teachers to use instructional software, technology-enabled white boards, and other interactive technologies that have been shown to be effective aids for instruction, particularly for English language learners, students with disabilities, and both struggling and advanced learners.  Expand the availability and range of inclusive placement options for preschoolers with disabilities by developing the capacity of public and private preschool programs to serve these children. To read the entire guide, go to:  http://www.ed.gov/policy/gen/leg/recovery/index.html. Use of Restraint and Isolation in schools http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/05/18/siu.schools.abuse/index.html Court Weighs Funding for Special Education http://www.washingtonpost.com/ wp-dyn/content/article/2009/ 04/26/AR2009042602249.html? hpid=topnews Wrightslaw's Special Ed Advocate --  Advocacy Skill Building; Answers to Your IEP Questions http://www.wrightslaw.com/ nltr/09/nl.0414.htm Wrightslaw's Special Ed Advocate --  Behavior & Discipline; Can the School Expel My Child? http://www.wrightslaw.com/ nltr/09/nl.0428.htm    Newsletter: "Wrightslaw's Special Ed Advocate -- Accomodations and Rights for College Students with Disabilities" http://www.wrightslaw.com/nltr/09/nl.0519.htm    Research  Articles: Research reveals Down syndrome could hold keys to treating cancer Reuters: http://nz.news.yahoo.com/a/-/technology/5582182/downs-syndrome-reveals-one-key-to-fighting-cancer/ Detroit Free Press: http://www.freep.com/article/20090520/FEATURES08/90520062/1001/rss01 WebMD: http://www.webmd.com/cancer/news/20090520/down-syndrome-yields-key-cancer-clue?src=RSS_PUBLIC US News & World Report: http://www.usnews.com/articles/science/2009/05/20/how-down-syndrome-works-against-cancer.html USA Today: http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2009-05-20-down-syndrome-cancer_N.htm?csp=34 Products  Rock On! Tshirts For Sale "Andrew Banar is almost 18 years old and has Down syndrome and packs a lot of fun into his life. He goes to school at Cardinal Carter Secondary in Leamington, Ontario, he's in a bowling league, takes drum lessons, and is an after-school volunteer at the Leamington Hospital. Andrew was talking to his mom about his cousin who recently went to college. Andrew said he wanted to go too and got an idea to raise some money. He originally wanted to make a lemonade stand, but then his mom noticed one of Andrew's recent rock & roll drawings. (Andrew is a serious fan of music and playing the drums.) Andrew's mom thought it would be neat if Andrew sold t-shirts with one of his cool drawings. She helped him get some shirts, and have them printed. They turned out really cool and have became a hit. Andrew is having a great time and meeting lots of new people, and he donates part of the proceeds to various groups." To learn more about Andrew or to buy a cool shirt, visit the web site at: http://www.grouphugapparel.com/   Ready-to-use See and Learn Language and Reading kits are now available to order online from Down Syndrome Education International. Effective support for early language development The See and Learn Language and Reading programme provides instructions, materials and checklists to help families effectively support their child's early language development. Step-by-step activities The first three steps in the programme teach early vocabulary using carefully structured activities. The activities present visual language teaching techniques using clear pictures and written words. These evidence-based techniques help children with Down syndrome to learn language more successfully. Evidence-based visual teaching methods The activities in the See and Learn Language and Reading programme are based on research showing significant benefits from visual approaches and the use of early reading to teach language. Early language and reading activities can improve spoken speech and language, memory, literacy, wider cognitive development and later academic achievement. They have been developed by expert professionals with many years of experience teaching young children with Down syndrome. Freely available online Down Syndrome Education International's See and Learn programmes are freely available online at www.see-and-learn.org. Convenient, ready-to-use kits Ready-to-use See and Learn kits offer the convenience of premade guides, checklists, picture and word cards, reading books and other teaching materials in a plastic storage box. The resources are printed in full, high quality colour, with materials printed on card and cut ready for use straight out of the box. Three kits are available: See and Learn First Word Pictures - the first step in the See and Learn Language and Reading programme teaches the first 60 words using pictures and matching and selecting activities See and Learn First Written Words - the second step in the  See and Learn Language and Reading programme uses reading as a support to language development introducing 16 written words and 34 two key word phrases See and Learn More Word Pictures - the second step in the  See and Learn Language and Reading programme teaches a further 55 words using pictures and matching and selecting activities Each kit is available separately, or all three kits can also be purchased in a convenient, cost-saving See and Learn Language and Reading First Steps At Home set. Find out more about the See and Learn Language and Reading kits.. Legislation   From NDSC Governmental Affairs Newsline Email David Tolleson, NDSC Executive Director attended a briefing on disability issues with senior White House officials on Wednesday, April 15, 2009. Among the topics that were covered included disability policy, the recovery plan, budget, and other key areas.  The briefing including information on employment, health care reform, civil rights, and appointments to disability positions in the Administration.   Susan Goodman attended a meeting held by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in which Jeff Crowley, Senior Advisor for Disability Policy at the White House presented on the Administration's plans for efforts in the area of health care reform, including funding for adult long-term support services.   Long-Term Supports and Services   Senator Max Baucus (D-MT) and Senator Edward Kennedy (D-MA) have written a letter to President Obama stating that they intend to have a health care bill this summer.  Currently the Senate is holding roundtable discussions on issues of how to better manage health care for people with chronic diseases, changing payment systems, and increasing the role of primary and preventive care.   NDSC is strongly advocating for the inclusion of community-based long-term supports and services in health care reform legislation.  NDSC is supporting two bills currently introduced addressing this issue.  They are:  The Community Living Assistance Services and Supports Act (CLASS Act) which would create a national, voluntary disability insurance program under which both full and part-time employees could be covered for long-term supports and services, depending on the level of disability. The Community Choice Act which establishes a program of community-based attendant services and supports for people with disabilities, regardless of age or disability. This bill would allow the dollars to follow the person, and allow eligible individuals, or their representatives, to choose where they would receive services and supports. There are about 300,000 individuals with disabilities on waiting lists around the country for home and community based support services, including many individuals with Down syndrome.   For more information on either of these bills, please contact Susan@ndsccenter.org.   Best Buddies Program - Opportunities for Peer Relationships   The House of Representatives is expected to approve the Best Buddies Empowerment for People with Intellectual Disabilities Act of 2009 (H.R. 1824) sponsored by Majority Leader Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD).   The bill authorizes the Secretary of Education to award grants to Best Buddies to carry out activities to promote the expansion of the Best Buddies program, including activities to increase the participation of people with intellectual disabilities in social relationships and other aspects of community life, including education and employment.  The bill authorizes $10 million in funding.    Best Buddies is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization founded in 1989 by Anthony Kennedy Shriver.  Best Buddies programs engage participants in each of the 50 United States.    The Best Buddies programs are described as: Best Buddies Citizens matches people with intellectual disabilities in one-to-one friendships with individuals in the corporate and civic communities. Best Buddies High Schools matches students with intellectual disabilities with other high school students and creates one-to-one friendships between them. Best Buddies Colleges matches people with intellectual disabilities with college students and creates one-to-one friendships between them. e-Buddies® creates respective e-mail friendships between people with and without intellectual disabilities. Best Buddies Jobs is a supported employment program. Its goal is to secure competitive, paying jobs for people with intellectual disabilities. For information about a Best Buddies program in your state, go to: http://www.bestbuddies.org/choose-your-state.     NDSS Policy Center Update-In April the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) continues to be a focus for the NDSS National Policy Center as the Department of Education and other agencies are deciding how the stimulus money should be spent. Recently, an alert went out from NDSS, NDSC and the Linda Crnic Institute for Down Syndrome to encourage members of Congress to co-sign a letter from Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers to NIH requesting that Down syndrome research be among the priorities funded by NIH with the stimulus funds. There have also been a number of actions taken to move the implementation of Universal Design for Learning forward. The National UDL Task Force, which is lead by NDSS, has been expanded to include 31 national general education and disability organizations. The Task Force website is www.udl4allstudents.com. In addition UDL fact sheets for policymakers, educators, administrators and families have been developed. Click here to view the fact sheets. As part of the ongoing work of the Taishoff Early Childhood Inclusion Project, NDSS organized a joint effort with other organizations to share serious concerns with the Office of Management and Budget and the U.S. Department of Education regarding plans for collecting data on preschool inclusion for OSEP monitoring that could negatively effect the way services are provided. Click here to see the joint comments. Staff from the NDSS National Policy Center has also been working on the implementation of the Higher Education Opportunity Act. NDSS led a successful effort to include provisions in Act for  the development and expansion of high-quality, inclusive model comprehensive transition and post-secondary programs and the establishment of a coordinating center for technical assistance, evaluation, and development of recommendations for model accreditation standards. Other provisions will allow students with intellectual disabilities, for the first time, to be eligible for Work Study Jobs, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants, and Pell Grants. However, before students can start applying for financial aid, a negotiated rulemaking process must take place and final regulations published. Stephanie Smith Lee, NDSS Senior Policy Advisor, is on a team of the Negotiated Rulemaking Committee, which is working intensively to address issues involving students with intellectual disabilities. To see more click here. Click here to link to the NDSS Policy Center   Implementation of the Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) NDSS led a successful effort to include provisions in the reauthorization of the higher education act that will allow students with intellectual disabilities, for the first time, to be eligible for Work Study Jobs, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants, and Pell Grants. Additional appropriations are not needed before students with students with intellectual disabilities will be eligible. However, before students can start applying for financial assistance, a negotiated rulemaking process must take place and final regulations published. NDSS, supported by other national organizations, nominated Stephanie Smith Lee, NDSS Senior Policy Advisor, to be a negotiator on this team and Madeleine C. Will, NDSS Vice President for Public Policy, to be an alternate negotiator.   New regulations for financial assistance: The Negotiated Rulemaking Committee, Team V, has met for six days, with subcommittee meetings specifically on issues involving students with intellectual disabilities. The committee is wrestling with difficult issues including: substantiating that a student meets the definition of "a student with intellectual disabilities" and the process an institution of higher education (IHE) must go through for a program to gain approval as a "comprehensive transition and postsecondary education program for students with intellectual disabilities". Part of the challenge is to provide protections for students and federal funds, while avoiding an approval and accrediting process that is far too onerous for IHEs to attempt. Issues involving accreditation are particularly difficult and sensitive. This is compounded by the current lack of model accreditation standards for programs for students with intellectual disabilities.   Further complicating the issues are the different "worlds" of postsecondary education, higher education, and special education, with different terminology, rules, and bureaucracies. For instance, the term "program" has a very different meaning in postsecondary education than it does in special education. A "program for students with intellectual disabilities" in postsecondary education could consist entirely of individualized supports and services, while "program" has a different connotation in special education. At the request of NDSS, the Negotiating Rulemaking Committee, Team V, agreed to invite a group of experts we recommended to a day-long meeting with the Intellectual Disability Subcommittee. These experts came from across the country on short notice, at their own expense, to assist the Subcommittee and Department in addressing these complex issues. Currently the Committee is considering draft regulatory language and will meet again in May.   Appropriations for model projects and coordinating center: The reauthorization also authorizes the development and expansion of high-quality, inclusive model comprehensive transition and post-secondary programs and the establishment of a coordinating center for technical assistance, evaluation, and information dissemination. This center will address model accreditation criteria, standards and procedures for such programs, analyze possible funding streams, and develop model memoranda of agreement between institutions of higher education and agencies providing funding for such programs. NDSS collaborated with several other national organizations to organize a grass roots effort to encourage Members of the House of Representatives to sign on to a "Dear Colleague" letter to the House Appropriations Committee urging them to fund the model demonstration projects and coordinating centers at a level of $15 million for Fiscal Year 2010. See the letter  HEA Disabilities FY 2010 Final Letter   Report on Abuse of Students with Disabilities in Schools Available   PLEASE NOTE:  The report deals with the use of aversive interventions in schools.  This information is important to share, but it is also disturbing to read.   On May 5, 2009, the Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates (COPAA) released a report entitled Unsafe in the Schoolhouse: Abuse of Children with Disabilities.  This report, which details 143 incidents of the use of abusive interventions against children with disabilities in school, asks Congress to stop the use of restraints, seclusion, and aversives in schools.  It also suggests legislative remedies to stop this abuse.   COPAA is a national nonprofit organization of parents, advocates, and attorneys who work to protect the civil rights of children with disabilities and ensure that they receive appropriate educational services. NDSC has worked with COPAA and other disability organizations in a coalition called The Alliance to Prevent Restraint, Aversive Interventions and Seclusion (APRAIS) which includes the ARC/UCP,  Association of University Centers on Disability (AUCD),  Autism National Committee, Autistic Self-Advocacy Network, Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law, Children and Adults with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD), Family Alliance to Stop Abuse and Neglect, National Association of Councils of Developmental Disabilities (NACDD), National Disability Rights Network,  National Down Syndrome Society, National Alliance on Mental Illness, RespectABILITY Law Project, and TASH.    According to the COPAA news release, almost every disability category was represented: Autism/Asperger's Syndrome (cited by 68% of the survey respondents), ADD/ADHD (27%); Developmental Delay, Emotional Disturbance, Intellectual Disability and Speech/Language Impairment (14%-20% of respondents); Specific Learning Disabilities (11%), and others. Many parents also indicated that their children had Down syndrome, epilepsy, Tourette Syndrome and other specific conditions. The U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Education and Labor will be holding hearings on this subject as a result of the attention brought to the issue on a national level.   The full report is available at http://www.copaa.org/news/unsafe.html