Since 1987, March has been designated Developmental Disabilities Month. This is an opportunity for communities to raise awareness of the many ways people with developmental disabilities contribute to our society. The Administration on Intellectual and Developmental disabilities works to advance the concerns and interests of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities through an array of programs funded under the Developmental Disabilities Act.

April is Autism Awareness Month, and April 2 is World Autism Day. Nearly one in 68 children has been identified with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD), according to estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a group of developmental disabilities that impacts multiple life areas, such as social skills, communication skills and behavior. Individuals with ASD may require individualized services and supports to lead self-determined lives in the community.

Each year, during the month of May, we honor and recognize our older family members, neighbors, and friends for their important service and sacrifice to our country. This year marks an important milestone in the history of how our country supports its older citizens. Since 1965, the Older Americans Act (OAA) has provided programs that allow millions of older Americans to receive the services and supports they need to continue living and thriving in their homes and communities for as long as possible.

On Tuesday, Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia M. Burwell highlighted the importance of addressing racial and ethnic health disparities on the HHS blog. In Minority Health Month: Making Progress on Health Disparities, Secretary Burwell began by noting that April is National Minority Health Month and stating:

On Sunday, April 12, Dateline NBC presented an hour-long special on the experiences of two young adults with autism as they turned 21 and lost their eligibility for school-based services and supports. The program vividly illustrates the challenges adolescents with autism and other developmental disabilities often face during their transition to adulthood.

The 2020 Federal Youth Transition Plan: A Federal Interagency Strategy outlines how the partner agencies will enhance interagency coordination through the identification of a shared vision, compatible outcome goals, and policy priorities, ultimately leading to improved outcomes for youth with disabilities by 2020. The Plan was developed by The Federal Partners in Transition (FPT) with representatives from four federal agencies, the Departments of Education, Health and Human Services, Department of Labor, and the Social Security Administration.

Each March, we celebrate National Nutrition Month® to highlight the importance of proper nutrition in promoting wellness. Along with promoting physical health and well-being, ACL’s nutrition program creates a positive ripple effect on the personal and social lives of older people.

The Administration for Community Living joins President Obama in recognizing American Heart Month.

For many years, state courts have routinely assigned guardians to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities as they became adults. Older adults with dementia-related disorders also frequently have been assigned guardians.

The New Year Brings New HCBS Settings Rules … but NOT immediate changes in services! As states and stakeholders across the country assess their Medicaid-funded home and community-based settings for compliance with the 2014 regulations, many people with disabilities and their families have asked whether their current services will change immediately, due to the regulation. In other words, they want to know: If a state determines that a current HCB setting is not compliant with the new regulation, does it have to stop providing services in that setting immediately?