Federal officials are delaying enforcement of a new mandate aimed at helping people with disabilities experiencing issues accessing Medicaid home and community-based services.
The post Long-Awaited Safeguards For Medicaid Home And Community-Based Services Put On Hold appeared first on Disability Scoop.
In most states, the party who files a due process complaint — typically parents — must prove the school is in the wrong. But a growing number of states are shifting that burden from parents to districts.
The post States Increasingly Want Schools To Justify Their Placement Of Students In Special Ed appeared first on Disability Scoop.
A new BLOOM for spring
lkinross
Thu, 04/16/2026 - 08:47
Apr 16, 2026
By Louise Kinross
Please read our April BLOOM issue.
Here are some quotes to draw you into the content:
-From the mother of a 12-year-old son with autism. ‘I’ve had friends who have denounced me… Some of my friends have called me a jinx. And we are not invited to any birthday parties or baby showers, and they don’t even want to declare their pregnancies to me. They think I might put my dark shadow on them. I don’t have friends who call me up and ask me: “How are you doing?” None of that happens.’ (see A Family Like Mine)
-From a scientist who did her PhD in rehab sciences here: ‘For my thesis I worked with children diagnosed with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy and their families. And it made me rethink time and the way we’ve valued time in contemporary society.’ (See Research Hits)
-From the father of a child with round-the-clock medical needs: ‘Our lives are threaded from supports that many families never get access to. When those supports are strong, [my partner] Rachael and I are strong. When a nurse cancels or funding gets cut or a family member can't come, we absorb the cost, and it shows up in the space between us.’ (See Parent Talk).
Like this content? Sign up for our monthly BLOOM e-letter or take our short BLOOM survey
New article from Special Needs Jungle:
It has taken time to work through the government’s SEND reform proposals in detail. As both a parent and foster parent of children with special educational needs and disabilities, I …
The post SEND reforms: Where are care-experienced children? appeared first on Special Needs Jungle.
Renata Watts
ⓒ Special Needs Jungle 2008-2025 All Rights reserved
Netflix is committing to another season of its beloved autism dating show amid big changes for many of its cast members.
The post ‘Love On The Spectrum’ Renewed As Drama Surrounds Cast Members appeared first on Disability Scoop.
New article from Special Needs Jungle:
SEND has been in the spotlight in Parliament once again this week. The Education Select Committee spent Tuesday morning having a look at the Government’s proposed SEND reforms in order …
The post The SEND reform reality check: Why experts’ and policymakers’ concerns are growing under scrutiny appeared first on Special Needs Jungle.
Catriona Moore
ⓒ Special Needs Jungle 2008-2025 All Rights reserved
A federal jury found that a Hobby Lobby store discriminated against a man with intellectual disabilities when he was thrown out and then pepper-sprayed.
The post Hobby Lobby Discriminated Against Man With Intellectual Disabilities, Jury Finds appeared first on Disability Scoop.
New article from Special Needs Jungle:
Hope is not a luxury in the SEND system. It is what keeps families going through years of assessments, exclusions, appeals, and meetings that too often feel adversarial. Hope is …
The post When hope has been drained, families struggle to trust promises to fix SEND appeared first on Special Needs Jungle.
Sharon Smith
ⓒ Special Needs Jungle 2008-2025 All Rights reserved
New rules dramatically expanding the purview of the ADA are supposed to start taking effect later this month, but now disability advocates are worried that federal officials might be considering a delay.
The post Deadline Nears For New ADA Requirements appeared first on Disability Scoop.
Florida's unwillingness to provide in-home care has caused scores of children with severe disabilities to be institutionalized in nursing homes generally reserved for elders, some since they were babies.
The post Federal Appeals Court Rebukes State For Institutionalizing Kids appeared first on Disability Scoop.
Shariece Simbahon and Coltin Sisk didn't want their daughter's constant movement and stimming to disturb others while eating out, so they created a safe dining space for families like theirs.
The post This Inclusive Restaurant Offers Trendy Foods, A Neurodivergent-Friendly Space appeared first on Disability Scoop.
Today, my freshman boy started a new school. A school just for kids like him. Autism is the norm there. Not the exception. I feel like it’s taken a hundred years to get to today. That’s how it is with autism though. It takes time. And waiting. And hoping and praying. And lots of decisions. Today was the day though. We said goodbye to public school and started something new. The morning didn’t feel much different. I woke him up. I dressed him. We giggled about deodorant. I prepared his…
The post A School For Kids Like Him appeared first on Finding Cooper's Voice | Welcome to the Secret World of Autism.
There was a time before we knew it was autism.I call it the in between space. And often say that the not knowing was harder than knowing. We lived in that place for three short years. A blip really in his fifteen years.I knew something was different with my sweet boy. Possibly even from the second he was born. But I hoped. And I prayed that I was wrong.And these two, they were my benchmarks.My bestfriend’s kids.I grew up with their moms. 35 plus years we’ve been friends.Our babies will…
The post Before We Knew Autism appeared first on Finding Cooper's Voice | Welcome to the Secret World of Autism.
Family and friends provide billions of hours of mostly unpaid care for adults with disabilities and other conditions across the U.S. A new report finds the value of such care tops all Medicaid spending.
The post Family Caregivers Provide Over $1 Trillion In Care Annually appeared first on Disability Scoop.
New article from Special Needs Jungle:
This is Part two of yesterday's article about EOTAS, the out of school EHCP package that's been completely ignored in the SEND proposals of the Schools's White Paper. One of …
The post Part 2: The Invisible Lifeline: Why EOTAS is Non-Negotiable for the ‘Sanctuary Cohort’ appeared first on Special Needs Jungle.
Save Our Children’s Rights
ⓒ Special Needs Jungle 2008-2025 All Rights reserved
