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1. Anniversary of ADA Brings Presidential Order to Hire More Disabled Workers
   July 29, 2010, 2:53 pm
   - As the country marks the 20th anniversary of the Americans With Disabilities Act this week, the Obama administration and Congress are taking steps to give the disabled greater access to federal jobs and technology. Under a new executive order from President Obama, federal agencies will step up efforts to hire 100,000 disabled employees over the next five years.
2. ADHD Teens More Likely to Drop Out
   July 29, 2010, 2:52 pm
   - Teens with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) — the most common childhood psychiatric condition in the United States — are less likely to finish high school on time than students with other mental-health disorders that often are considered more serious, according to a national study. The study, conducted by researchers at the UC Davis School of Medicine, found that nearly one third of students with ADHD, twice the proportion as students with no psychiatric disorder, either drop out or delay high school graduation.
3. Payment Delay for Special Needs Vouchers Could Limit School Choice in Georgia
   July 29, 2010, 2:51 pm
   - A notice to private schools delaying payment of state special needs scholarships was met with criticism recently from lawmakers who said the move was a bureaucratic attempt to "kill" the voucher program. The state DOE has asked that campuses accepting Georgia Special Needs Scholarships now wait until Nov. 29 for their first tuition installment after services are rendered, as the statute requires. Some parents who have to pay up front for their tuition will be asked to foot a larger chunk of the bill and get reimbursed even later.
4. UNH Professor to Study Impact of ADHD Treatment
   July 29, 2010, 2:48 pm
   - For most teenagers, it's easy to focus on activities they like — video games, sports or watching television. But why do they lose that focus for more important things, like homework? Through a two-year, $399,000 grant from the National Institutes of Health, University of New Hampshire Professor Jill McGaughy will look closely at why this occurs, diagnosing Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and how its treatments affect normal adolescent brains.
5. Attention Disorders Can Take a Toll on Marriage
   July 22, 2010, 2:55 pm
   - An ADHD marriage? It may sound like a punch line, but the idea that attention problems can take a toll on adult relationships is getting more attention from mental health experts. In a marriage, the common symptoms of the disorder — distraction, disorganization, forgetfulness — can easily be misinterpreted as laziness, selfishness, and a lack of love and concern.
6. NC Resident Reflects as Americans with Disabilities Act Turns 20
   July 22, 2010, 2:55 pm
   - Michael Murray witnessed firsthand how the Americans with Disabilities Act could change a life. Murray grew up and attended school in Greensboro in the years after the ADA's passage. In the second grade, he was given a diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, commonly known as ADHD, and told that he had a learning disability involving reading and writing.
7. Study Finds ADHD Meds Help, but Many Parents Still Against Them
   July 22, 2010, 2:55 pm
   - Medication may be the most effective treatment for kids with ADHD but it's not a cure-all, a new Consumer Reports survey shows. Parents surveyed by the magazine reported using a variety of strategies to improve their kids' symptoms, such as hiring tutors, switching schools, modifying diets, and changing the way they spoke to their children. Consumer Reports interviewed 934 parents of children with ADHD, asking about a variety of topics, ranging from the impact of medications to the effect of complementary strategies, to which physicians provided the most help.
8. D.C. Schools Insider: New Special Education Rate Structure Delayed
   July 22, 2010, 2:55 pm
   - Heeding protests from parents and educators, District officials have put off implementation of a new rate structure for private schools that serve about 2,700 D.C. special education students at public expense. The District pays about $280 million a year in tuition and transportation for private schools. Parents of disabled children can pursue private placement if it is determined that public schools cannot provide a "free and appropriate" education as required by federal law.
9. Millions of Books Get Digitized for the Disabled
   July 15, 2010, 2:39 pm
   - For those who are blind, dyslexic or have diseases like multiple sclerosis and have difficulty turning book pages, reading the latest best seller just got easier. Brewster Kahle, a digital librarian and founder of a virtual library called the Internet Archive, has launched a worldwide campaign to double the number of books available for print-disabled people. The Internet Archive began scanning books in 2004 and now has more than 1 million available in DAISY format, or Digital Accessible Information System.
10. School Districts Slow to Tap into Federal Special Education Stimulus Funds
    July 15, 2010, 2:38 pm
    - Districts across the nation have been slow to tap stimulus money that is targeted for specific programs — particularly the money intended to bolster programs for students with disabilities or those who come from low-income households. On average, 39 percent of the $11.3 billion in special-education money for states has been claimed.

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