Input. Corporation for National and Community Service

Dear Service Leader, The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) wants your input. We are seeking the best thinking from the national service network and the public about two key topics:  a unified training and technical assistance strategy, and disability programming for all CNCS programs.  A notice has been published in the Federal Register inviting public comment on these topics. Your feedback will be used to inform our planning as we transition from a formula-based methodology to competitive processes for awarding funds.   There are several ways you can participate.  You may send your written comments to tta@cns.gov.  You may participate in a CNCS-hosted listening session at the National Conference on Volunteering and Service or conference calls later this month (see below).   You can also submit your comments via www.regulations.gov, by mail, or by fax.  Details on these methods are in the Federal Register notice. National Conference Listening Session The public input listening session will be held on Tuesday, June 19, during the National Conference on Volunteering and Service in Chicago, Ill., at McCormack Place West at 2301 S. Indiana Ave. from 8:30 -10:00 a.m.  If you plan to attend, please send an email to tta@cns.gov specifying the National Conference with your name, title, organization, and contact information.  We will follow up with a confirmation.   If you are already registered for the conference, please go to the conference website and add Session 3336 to your itinerary.  If you are not registered for the conference, you can use the confirmation we will send to attend this listening session.   If you cannot attend the listening session, a transcript will be posted on the CNCS website for review.  Conference Calls Conference Call #1:  Monday, June 25 from 4:00-5:00 p.m. ET, call-in number 888-324-4147, participant passcode: POWELL Conference Call #2:  Thursday, June 28 from 12:30-1:30 p.m. ET, call-in number 800-779-1632, participant passcode: 2116663 If you plan to join a conference call, please send an email with your name, title, organization, contact information, and which call you will be joining to tta@cns.gov. Transcripts will be available on the CNCS website following each call. Please check our Web site at www.nationalservice.gov/tta.asp for further information and updates.  CNCS will not respond to comments individually but will take input into consideration in future planning.   The comment period will close on July 6, 2012. Thank you in advance for your participation, and we look forward to your comments. The Corporation for National and Community Service

Teachers Need More Training to Handle Children’s Emotions

By Janice Wood Associate News Editor Reviewed by John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on June 8, 2012

Student teachers learn a lot about how to teach in college, but they don’t get much training in how to respond to young children’s emotions, such as frustration, anger, and excitement, according to new research.

“When teachers aren’t trained to respond to emotional outbursts in supportive ways, they often fall back on responses that reflect the way they were raised and whether they feel comfortable with their own emotions,” said Rebecca Swartz, a doctoral candidate at the University of Illinois and the study’s first author.

For the study, 24 student teachers in the university’s Child Development Laboratory (CDL) filled out self-assessments, rating their responses to hypothetical emotional situations and reporting their beliefs about the best ways to handle children’s emotions.

The students were then observed several times interacting with children in the CDL classrooms over the course of a semester. From these observations, the researchers rated how the student teachers responded to the children’s positive and negative emotional displays.

As expected, student teachers who reported more effective strategies for regulating their own emotions — for instance, thinking about a stressful situation in a different light — and who also reported more accepting beliefs about children’s emotions were more supportive of children when they had emotional outbursts, according to the researchers.

The most common nonsupportive response was not responding, the researchers add.
Swartz wants teachers to learn how to handle emotional situations in the classroom as part of their professional development. “It might be effective to bring in a mentor who could coach, consult, and reflect with teachers as occasions arise,” she said.

In the typical preschool classroom, it wouldn’t take long for a mentor to find a teachable moment, she predicted. “In a classroom for 2-year-olds, sometimes it’s just emotion, emotion, emotion.”

Instead of saying “Don’t cry” or “That’s not important,” Swartz suggests the teacher label the child’s emotion and help him learn to cope with his anger or frustration. “If a child is crying because a classmate has taken a toy, a better response would be, ‘I know you’re sad. You really want to play with that.’ Then the teacher could use a problem-solving strategy: ‘Maybe you could take turns, or you could play with another toy for now.’”

These “everyday moments” are “golden opportunities for children to learn how to manage their emotions, Swartz add. “Too often, teachers want to make negative emotions go away. Instead we need to use them as learning opportunities.”

Another interesting finding from the study was that the student teachers only sought the support of a master teacher in dealing with negative emotions, the researcher said, noting that kids need help handling happiness and excitement, as well. In those instances, teachers could say, “We can’t throw blocks in the air to show we’re excited, but we can clap or cheer instead.”

Swartz said that regulating emotions is important not only for young children, but for their long-term success as they move into higher grades.

“When you’re sitting with a long-division problem, it’s not just understanding long division that’s important, but being able to stick with it long enough to understand it,” she said. “When children are building a block tower and managing their frustration, those skills will help them later.”

The study was published in a recent issue of Early Education and Development.

Source: University of Illinois

http://psychcentral.com/news/2012/06/08/teachers-need-more-training-to-handle-childrens-emotions/39862.html

Apply for the 2012 Individual and Community Preparedness Awards today!

Have you or a program been working to make your community safer, stronger and better prepared for any disaster or emergency event? If so, the Individual and Community Preparedness (ICP) Awards application window is open through July 31, 2012 for activities taking place during the period of January 1, 2011 through June 1, 2012. Apply today!

Winners of the 2012 FEMA ICP Awards will be chosen from ten categories and will be announced in September during National Preparedness Month. They will also be FEMA’s honored guests at a community preparedness roundtable event in Washington, D.C.

At last year’s event, winners were able to share their ideas, experiences and solutions as well as their advice on how to keep their communities prepared for emergencies. For example, honoree Michael Smith, Fire Chief for the San Manuel Band of Serrano Mission Indians, helped San Manuel develop a “Send Word Now” system which provides text messaging, email and voice alerts to tribal members during emergencies.

Several of last year's honorees also distinguished themselves by involving their entire community in emergency preparedness. Herman Schaeffer, the Director of Community Outreach for the New York City Office of Emergency Management, helped oversee the New York City Citizen Corps program, which collaborated with more than 60 community organizations, government agencies, private sector organizations and volunteer programs to promote emergency preparedness.

Do you know someone who is a preparedness trailblazer like these two individuals? Send your nominations to citizencorps@fema.gov by July 31, 2012 at 11:59 p.m.!

Visit the Awards page on our Citizen Corps website for information on how to apply!

TRACE: Anti-Corruption

June 6, 2012

Taking a Degree at the University of (anti-) Corruption 

Armenia, Croatia, Georgia, Indonesia, Russia, TRACE, whistleblower • Tags: anti-corruption, bribery, bribes, corruption, higher education,university

As college students pack their bags and head home for the summer, we took a quick look at anti-corruption efforts on university campuses.  One very positive development is the growth of anti-corruption  programs at universities around the world.  The latest to join this global trend is a group of 100 universities across Indonesia.  These schools have all agreed to offer courses on integrity and anti-corruption as part of the curricula in public administration, law, Islamic studies, health, business ethics and communication.  The hope is that with a new cadre of tens of thousands of young professionals who have been made aware of corruption problems and how to combat them, Indonesia will make inroads in the fight against corruption.  Given recent statements by Indonesian parliamentarian Marzuki Alie that Indonesia’s most corrupt individuals were educated at elite universities such as the University of Indonesia and Gadja Mada University, the measure couldn’t come too soon.

Many national university systems have long been accused of corruption in the administration of admissions exams.  Social media have helped expose some of the corruption; an example of this is the scheme to inflate test scores and award study grants to less qualified medical students at aRussian university.  In Georgia  significant progress has been made toward reducing corruption in the admissions process.  Not long ago, it was common for prospective students of medicine or law to  pay unofficial fees of up to $15,000 to so-called tutors, to “prepare” them for the university’s entrance exams.  The tutors in fact served on the university’s examination committee in charge  of grading the exams.  The bribe-givers were told to include code words in their anonymous entrance exams.  Now there is hope in Georgia that such practices has been curbed.  Examples of similar practices – and fortunately, similar efforts to eradicate them – abound (Croatia, Armenia).  Other university systems still seem to have a long road ahead.  Some diplomas are not recognizedinternationally due to perceived corruption at the institutions that awarded them.  And in socially and economically troubled Greece, reform of the university administration and  admissions process has been put on hold, much to the chagrin of anti-corruption activists.

One place where students have taken things into their own hands is Uganda, where a corruption-reporting website has been set up.  The site, Notinmycountry.org, allows individuals at 34 universities to name members of the faculty and administration, and describe incidents in which the named individual requested a bribe payment, a sexual favor, etc. and for what purpose.

All in all, with scandals affecting the highest officials at universities in the UK,  Australia and elsewhere, the student body may not be a bad place to begin serious anti-corruption efforts.

http://traceblog.org/2012/06/06/taking-a-degree-at-the-university-of-anti-corruption/

Men's Health Month: Wear Blue Day.

Wear Blue Day

Plan a “Wear Blue Day” to help spread the knowledge of Men’s Health Month.

• Choose your day. Choose any day that works for your group of team.
• Choose a goal amount. Set a goal amount to raise, that way you have something to strive for.
• Choose BLUE. From blue accessories, to head-to-toe blue work attire, to an excuse to go casual, choose what works best for your group.
• Pick and choose. Your group can simply wear blue and have your group and anyone else who wants to participate, donate any amount for wearing blue.
• Sell blue prostate cancer pins to wear in support of the fight against prostate cancer.

Or, you could include an educational event, such as a men’s health presentation.

Or, make it FUN! Put together a contest for the best BLUE attire or host a bake sale to raise additional donations.

Be creative, and remember to have fun!

Men's Health Month: Men's Health Library

Contact Us MHN Support the Library

Search:
Current Category All Categories OR AND

Social Science->Fathers and Parenting
(0 subcategories, 21 items)

(1) Good Relationships = Good Health for Men
(2) Dads & Kids: 5 Things Men Can Do to Stay Involved by Armin Brott, Mr. Dad
(3) A Modern Mom’s Guide to Dads: Ten Secrets Your Husband Won’t Tell You
(4) The Dad Difference in Child Development: Men's Health Network
(5) Research on Fatherhood: Old Discoveries Seem New Again: Men's Health Network

(1) In Search of Fatherhood(R)
(2) A Modern Mom’s Guide to Dads: Ten Secrets Your Husband Won’t Tell You
(3) The Disenfranchised Father
(4) The Innocent Third Party: Victims of Paternity Fraud by Ronald K. Henry
(5) Attention Dads: Stay Involved

1. Dads & Kids: 5 Things Men Can Do to Stay Involved by Armin Brott, Mr. Dad

Mr. Brott is a spokesman for MHN. 5 Things Men Can Do to Stay Involved. Keywords: Time magazine; flyer; fathers; mothers; children; parents; marriage; divorce; men; male; women; female
Last Access: June, 7, 2012 03:16:11 PM
Hit(s): 1,716
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2. Dads & Kids: 5 Ways Women Can Help Men Stay Involved by Armin Brott, Mr. Dad

Mr. Brott is a spokesman for MHN. Keywords: Time magazine; flyer; fathers; mothers; children; parents; marriage; divorce; men; male; women; female
Last Access: June, 7, 2012 12:57:44 PM
Hit(s): 506
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3. Noncustodial Fathers Positive Influence on Kids' School Performance: NCES

National Center For Education Statistics. "Children are less likely to have ever repeated a grade or been suspended or expelled if their nonresident fathers are involved in their schools." Keywords: fathers; mothers; children; parents; marriage; divorce; custody; men; male; women; female
Last Access: June, 4, 2012 01:01:35 PM
Hit(s): 412
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4. Father Involvement and School Performance: NCES

National Center For Education Statistics. "Children are less likely to have ever repeated a grade or been suspended or expelled if their nonresident fathers are involved in their schools." Keywords: fathers; mothers; children; parents; marriage; divorce; custody; men; male; women; female
Last Access: June, 7, 2012 12:11:05 PM
Hit(s): 423
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5. Fathers Preferred as Day Care Providers: Census Bureau SIPP

Who's Minding the Kids?, Child Care Arrqangements: Fall 1991. Keywords: fathers; mothers; children; parents; marriage; divorce; custody; men; male; women; female; visitation
Last Access: May, 4, 2012 12:39:25 PM
Hit(s): 305
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6. Research on Fatherhood: Old Discoveries Seem New Again: Men's Health Network

Researchers and politicians have long known that father absence leads to a dysfunctional society. Keywords: fathers; mothers; children; parents; marriage; divorce; custody; men; male; women; female; child support; visitation
Last Access: June, 7, 2012 07:38:51 AM
Hit(s): 720
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7. Parenting Time Statutes and Enforcement: Texas

Consult with an attorney for current interpretation. Examination of this state's unique custody, unwed parent, and visitation statutes giving noncustodial parents 40+% time with the child. This is not legal advice and is current as of 1999. Keywords: access; possession; visitation; joint custody; child support; courts; family law; NCP; CP; mother; father
Last Access: May, 8, 2012 08:12:07 AM
Hit(s): 228
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8. The Dad Difference in Child Development: Men's Health Network

Excerpted by Edward M. Stephens, M.D., from American Psychiatric Association-APA Committee on Mental Health in Schools. Kyle D. Pruett, M.D.; Fatherneed; empathy; self-control; paternal; father; mother; children; parent; marriage; divorce; custody; flyer
Last Access: June, 7, 2012 01:21:17 PM
Hit(s): 742
REPORT BROKEN LINK

9. In Search of Fatherhood(R)

Not a MHN publication. In Search of Fatherhood(R) is a quarterly international male parenting journal which facilitates a Global Dialogue on Fatherhood and provides Men from all Walks Of Life throughout our Global Village with an uncut and uncensored forum to explore issues directly and indirectly related to Fatherhood.
Last Access: June, 7, 2012 12:21:09 PM
Hit(s): 207
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10. A Modern Mom’s Guide to Dads: Ten Secrets Your Husband Won’t Tell You

MHN book review by Raquel Gonzalez. Keywords: father; children; mother; baby; parenting; marriage, pregnancy, couples, family, relationship; birth, sex, Hogan Hilling; Jesse Jayne Rutherford; Gold Award.
Last Access: June, 7, 2012 12:20:56 PM
Hit(s): 847
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11. The Disenfranchised Father

Dr. Robert E. Fay discusses the issues of father child relationships. Keywords: fathers; children; divorce; mothers; baby; nurture; custody; visitation; child support; Robert Bork; parenting; unwed; Dr. Mom; Wallerstein and Kelly; stepfathers; stepparents;
Last Access: June, 8, 2012 04:20:17 AM
Hit(s): 449
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12. The Innocent Third Party: Victims of Paternity Fraud by Ronald K. Henry

2006 journal article on paternity fraud. Keywords: fathers; mothers; children; unwed; child support; courts; custody; default judgments; Bradley Amendment; Kirk Kerkorian; welfare
Last Access: June, 5, 2012 06:50:29 AM
Hit(s): 186
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13. Attention Dads: Stay Involved

Parenting brochure from Armin Brott, Mr. Dad. Keywords: fathers; mothers; children; diapers; breastfeed; divorce; mediation; child support; single father; quality time
Last Access: June, 7, 2012 11:34:29 AM
Hit(s): 465
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14. Fathers as Care Providers: CPS P70-59 - September 1997

Current Population Reports, Household Economic Studies: “My Daddy Takes Care of Me!” It is undisputed among researchers and policy pundits alike that fathers’ involvement is extremely important for children’s proper social and emotional development.
Last Access: May, 4, 2012 12:55:52 PM
Hit(s): 269
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15. The Price of Fatherhood-a Father's Reply to Ann Crittenden: by Glenn Sacks

Reprinted with permission of the author. Sacks examines the contributions that fathers make to the family and to their children.
Last Access: June, 4, 2012 11:06:48 AM
Hit(s): 310
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16. Divorce, Parenting Time, and Children's Development

From Prof David Garrod. "In summary, 30% of the children in the present study experienced a marked decrease in their academic performance following parental separation... Access to both parents...was associated with better academic adjustment..."
Last Access: June, 5, 2012 12:54:31 PM
Hit(s): 309
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17. 1998 Census Report on Single Fathers

1998 Census Report on Single Custody Fathers & Fathers as Child Care Provider
Last Access: December, 9, 2011 01:15:56 PM
Hit(s): 261
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18. Child Support: As It Ought To Be: Congressional Testimony of Ronald K. Henry

Keywords: fathers; mothers; children; parents; marriage; divorce; custody; men; male; women; female; child support; visitation
Last Access: March, 5, 2012 02:56:11 PM
Hit(s): 369
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19. Growth of Single-parent Families, Headed by Fathers

Census Bureau, December, 1998. Keywords: fathers; mothers; children; households; custody; housing unit; householder; African-American; black; Hispanic; Latino; Latina
Last Access: May, 25, 2012 03:08:29 PM
Hit(s): 237
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20. Good Relationships = Good Health for Men

Flyer. Tips from James Sniechowski, PhD. Keywords: men; males; women; females; couples; partners; masculinity; love; relationships; intimate relationships; intimacy
Last Access: June, 7, 2012 06:45:14 PM
Hit(s): 9,429
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Attending FEMA EMI Higher Education Conference. June 4-7th

From June 4-7, 2012 Attending FEMA EMI Higher Education Conference in Emittsburg, Maryland.


Charles D. Sharp
Chief Executive.  Founder
Black Emergency Managers Association

Maryland Health Enterprise Zones.

The DHMH Office of Minority Health and Health Disparities urges Marylanders to become involved.  READ message below and visit the website shown at the end of the message.

>>> hez 6/1/2012 3:39 PM >>>

The Maryland Community Health Resources Commission (CHRC) and Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DHMH) are excited to provide an update on the state's continued work to eliminate racial and ethnic health and health care disparities under the Maryland Health Improvement and Disparities Reduction Act of 2012.

 

The new Health Enterprise Zones (HEZ) program, spearheaded by Lt. Governor Anthony G. Brown and passed by the General Assembly earlier this year, will direct health resources to areas in the state that are most in need.  Funds will be available to community nonprofit and government agencies to implement innovative health care programs, along with tax incentives for health care providers to practice in the HEZ.  The state will devote $4 million in fiscal 2013 to two-to-four geographic areas in Maryland that will be established through a competitive application process.

 

Public forums on the application process will be held this summer and applications will be accepted and reviewed this fall. The first HEZs are expected to be designated by the end of the year.

 

The Maryland Health Resources Commission and the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene are working together to launch this new program.  Please visit http://dhmh.maryland.gov/healthenterprisezones for more information or email Hez@dhmh.state.md.us with your questions.  

FINAL CALL: Autism - Missed diagnosis, missed opportunity

By Saeed Shabazz  -Staff Writer- | Last updated: May 24, 2012 - 9:32:51 AM

Parent, advocates fight racial disparity in services, care for Autistic children

Eight-year-old Carl Woody suffers from autism. His mother, Claire Woody, is a member of Family Voices of D.C., which advocates on behalf of Black and Latino children who have the behavioral disorder. Photo courtesy of Claire Woody

(FinalCall.com) - For 20 years Lisa Alexander, of Stafford, Va., has been fighting for her son Reginald who is autistic. She has battled school administrators, doctors and law enforcement officials—anyone who she feels has hindered getting services her son needs.   
    
“I did not know the word ‘Autism.’ They kept telling me at the beginning of his formative years about Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and saying I should put him on medication which I did not do,” Ms. Alexander told The Final Call.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, Autism is a group of developmental brain disorders, collectively known as “Autism Spectrum Disorder.” The term “spectrum” refers to the wide range of symptoms, levels of impairment or disability and skills children with the disorder may have.

“Some children show signs of autism in early infancy. Other children may develop normally for the first few months or years of life but then suddenly become withdrawn, become aggressive or lose language skills they’ve already acquired. Though each child with autism is likely to have a unique pattern of behavior,” according to an article posted on www.mayoclinic.com.

The behaviors may be related to social skills, such as failing to respond to his or her name, poor eye contact, appearing not to hear at times, resistance to cuddling and holding, an apparent lack of awareness of others’ feelings, seeming preference to play alone (retreat into his or her ‘own world’), to language difficulty, such as talking later than age two other developmental delays, losing previously acquired ability to say words or sentences, not making eye contact when making requests, speaking with an abnormal tone or rhythm (may use a singsong voice or robot-like speech), inability to start a conversation or keep one going, repeating words or phrases verbatim, but doesn’t understand how to use them, said the article.

Physical behaviors may include performing repetitive movements, such as rocking, spinning or hand-flapping, developing specific routines or rituals, becoming disturbed at the slightest change in routines or rituals, constant movement, fascination with parts of an object, such as the spinning wheels of a toy car, may be unusually sensitive to light, sound and touch and yet oblivious to pain, said the mayoclinic.com article.
“As they mature, some children with autism become more engaged with others and show less marked disturbances in behavior. Some, usually those with the least severe problems, eventually may lead normal or near-normal lives. Others, however, continue to have difficulty with language or social skills, and the adolescent years can mean a worsening of behavioral problems,” it continued.

“Most children with autism are slow to gain new knowledge or skills, and some have signs of lower than normal intelligence. Other children with autism have normal to high intelligence. These children learn quickly yet have trouble communicating, applying what they know in everyday life and adjusting in social situations. A small number of children with autism are ‘autistic savants’ and have exceptional skills in a specific area, such as art, math or music,” the article noted.

“If a Black child twitches in a chair, they say he has ADHD. The problem is there is very little culturally-aware literature or programming available for Black and Latino parents who have an Autistic child,” said Jay Coleman, a District of Columbia school teacher with a Masters in Special Education, specializing in emotional and behavioral disorders.

“The system will use your ignorance against you,” Mr. Coleman continued. The bottom line is access to resources, Mr. Coleman said, adding, “That is why it is important to emphasize the need for the right literature for Black and Latino parents.” He has put together a grassroots entity SlickFish LLC, available online at www.slickfish.org and on Facebook, SlickFish Education and Therapy.

Medical professionals say three-years-old is the latest a child should be diagnosed for a utism. “When I asked why it took so long for the right diagnosis, I was told my son had simply slipped through the cracks,” Ms. Alexander said. Many Black families lose out by not getting a correct and timely analysis, she added. She formed a grassroots online movement, “A Voice for Neli,” to focus attention on the plight of families facing Autism service disparity.

Doreen Hodges, executive director of Family Voices of the District of Columbia, Inc., told The Final Call there are 16,032 children in the District of Columbia diagnosed with special health care needs from A to Z: “However, we find most of the Black and Latino boys are diagnosed as having ADHD.”

Ms. Hodges shared plans for a rally the first week of June at city hall. The purpose is to call attention to the need to provide grassroots’ counseling for families with autistic children on how to access public services, such as early intervention testing.

“White children are diagnosed as early as 18 months; but for most of our families the children are normally diagnosed at eight- or nine-years-old,” explained Ms. Hodges.
The delay in diagnosis leads to greater challenges for families, more stress and anxiety, and poorer developmental outcomes, she added.

Ms. Hodges said her five-year-old was observed by someone riding the subway and who helped point her in the right direction to get him help. “And it still took me 250 phone calls before getting the right agency to provide the Intense Behavior Analysis to stop him from doing things that were harmful,” she recalls laughing.” He was four-years-old at the time.

Family Voices plan to use the rally as a means to convince the D.C. City Council, and the city’s Dept. of Health to spend some of the over $2 million available for grassroots grants on a health leadership program. “The money must be spent by September and we need the grant money to form a support group that informs Black and Latino families on where to access the information on available services for their Autistic children,” Ms. Hodges said.

“Later interventions result in a poorer developmental outcome that can have a lasting impact on the child’s and the family’s quality of life,” notes Dr. Martell Teasley, associate professor at the Florida State University at Tallahassee College of Social Work. “No one is advocating for African American children nationally; it is widely known that our children are getting the later diagnosis for autism,” he told The Final Call.
There are no subjective criteria for diagnosing a utism; only brain scans can truly provide appropriate diagnoses, “because we are dealing with biological and chemical imbalances in the brain,” explained Dr. Teasley. Dr. Teasley co-authored a study that examines the disparity, “About one in every 110 children is diagnosed with autism. There is no racial disparity in the rates in which Black and White children are diagnosed,” The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education noted a short reference to Dr. Teasley’s study.
The answer to the disparity is forming grassroots self-help advocacy groups “because the national advocacy people don’t care about the African American child,” Dr. Teasley stressed.

The Final Call contacted Autism Speaks, which promotes itself as the nation’s largest Autism science and advocacy organization, for their view on Autism service and diagnosis disparity. “Children and parents of higher socio-economic status are in general diagnosed earlier,” Autism Speaks admitted in an e-mail.
“Differences in the age of diagnosis among ethnic groups may be due to differences in access to health services, including diagnostic services,” it continued. “Autism Speaks has launched a new initiative aimed at better understanding the barriers that families of diverse ethnicities experience when trying to access autism services,” the e-mail said.

The Autism advocacy organization said its goal was for more families “to identify Autism earlier and to receive intervention services earlier.”

The Centers for Disease Control’s Science Office was also contacted and e-mailed a response: “Data from the CDC’s Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network has been used to document racial and ethnic disparities in identification of children with Autism. The data points to the need for greater provider education and awareness of Autism spectrum disorders in minority populations, and more studies to better understand the source of the disparities, such as socioeconomic factors affecting access to services,” said the federal agency.

Brenda Eason of Norfolk, Va., has firsthand knowledge of the importance of getting the early diagnosis. “I had my daughter, Zaamiya, diagnosed at the age of three, and after the diagnosis, I wanted to know all I could to help her get better,” she said.

Ms. Eason advises parents not to become discouraged at the first signs that a child is having a hard time adjusting to everyday life. “Do not be in denial—use the Internet—go online and find other parents with the same issues, reach out,” Ms. Eason stressed.

Los Angeles attorney and Autism advocate Areva Martin, a mother with an Autistic child, did not allow Black and Latino parents in California to become discouraged after the L.A. Times revealed in a series of December 2011 articles that there was racial disparity in spending on services for autistic children.
The newspaper noted that the state Developmental Services Agency spent $11,723 per White child compared to $6,593 per Black child, and for the Latino child, age three to six, $7,634. “In January we launched Equality for Our Kids, a campaign to get the message out that there was a need to look closer at the disparity in spending. We sent a letter from our organization, the Special Needs Network, to the governor demanding an immediate end to the discrimination,” Ms. Martin told The Final Call.
The next step was to push for a hearing hosted by the state’s Committee on Autism, according to the author of the 2010 book “The Everyday Advocate: Standing Up for the Autistic Child.”

“At the hearing we called for legislators to provide greater accountability on how funds for people with developmental disabilities were being spent,” Ms. Martin said.

One thing discovered was that these political entities do not like revealing how they spend money in Black communities, Ms. Martin offered. “We did get a commitment from the committee chairman for better transparency,” she said, adding, “And the L.A. Board of supervisors said they would set aside $1.8 million for Black and Latino families with autistic children. I guess you can say we led the charge; but we are not done, just getting started.”

Related link:

 Autism Resource Directory (TheAutismResource.com)

Please help Focusing Our Resources for Community Enlightenment (FORCE) win $8,500 by voting daily for FORCE CNY85 Giving Project

Greetings Bema Members!

Please help Focusing Our Resources for Community Enlightenment (FORCE) win $8,500 by voting daily for FORCE CNY85 Giving Project.

To vote visit www.cny85.org.

In the Search Project or Organization box please enter: Ready Syracuse or FORCE

In celebration of its 85-year anniversary, the Central New York
Community Foundation is hosting The CNY85 Giving Project. The project
will award grants to deserving nonprofit organizations working to
improve the quality of life in Central New York. The project that
receives the most public votes at the end of the voting period will
receive $8,500.

Individuals can vote once a day beginning today, June 1, 2012 until
June 30, 2012.

Our Project: Educating Vulnerable Communities in Emergency Preparedness

Here are some tips to help us collect votes for our worthy project:

- Email your donors, clients and vendors with a link to cny85.org.
- Share on your social networks. (Don't forget to include #CNY85 in  your Tweets!)
- Encourage your employees, friends and family members to vote each
day. Ask them to pass the message along to their contacts as well.
- Put a link to CNY85.org on your organization's website.

We appreciate you support.  Thank you.

Keith Muhammad
Emergency Preparedness Coordinator
Focusing Our Resources for Community Enlightenment

Reformed Church of Syracuse (Rear)
1228 Teall Ave, Suite 105
Syracuse, NY 13206
315-214-5110

www.forcecny.org

BEMA "I CARE..." Campaign

Join the Black Emergency Managers Association in their on going 'I CARE..' campaign, and taking an active role in caring about health, family, and our communities.

"I Care....about my health."

"I Care...about my family."

"I Care...about my community."

Two words, "I Care..." and apply it to your family, friends, job, church, and community.

"I Care.....because you care."

Sincerely,

Charles D. Sharp

Charles D. Sharp 
Chief Executive.  Founder
Black Emergency Managers Association

 bEMA

"One of the true test of leadership is the ability to recognize a problem before it becomes an emergency."       Arnold H. Glasgow

www.blackemergmanagersassociation.org