News & Updates

Socialization and Autism

November 26, 2015 12:25 pm

Why Quantity Might Be as Important as Quality If you are on the Autism spectrum or have a family member who has been diagnosed on the spectrum, then you have probably been inundated by people stressing the importance of socialization for people with Autism.  You may also have been overwhelmed by people disagreeing about what type of socialization is appropriate... View Article

The ABLE Act

November 19, 2015 12:24 pm

How Planned 2016 Changes Could Impact Financial Planning for People with Special Needs Financial planning is a serious concern for most families with a member with special needs.  In order to qualify for many state and federal aid programs, the individual cannot have individual financial resources.  However, depleting individual resources can often leave a person financially vulnerable as they age. ... View Article

Learning “Normal” Socialization

October 29, 2015 4:15 pm

It is About Removing Distress, Not Changing the Individual If you have Autism or have a family member with Autism, you may have found socialization to be challenging.  The social cues that form part of the typical behavior patterns in broader society tend to be difficult for people with Autism to grasp, and can make a person with Autism appear... View Article

Financial Planning

October 22, 2015 4:14 pm

Planning for the Future for an Adult Child with Special Needs One of the realities of having a child with special needs is that those special needs might greatly impact the child’s ability to earn a living, making him or her financially dependent, to some degree.  Since most children outlive their parents, the parents of children with special needs often... View Article

Working in the Community

September 29, 2015 4:13 pm

Working in the Community: Real Stories of People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Doing Paid Work in Their Community  If you have a family member with a disability, you may have already confronted a problem many people do not want to discuss: the lack of safe employment options for individuals with disabilities.  This is a shame because it ignores the... View Article

A Letter to a Daughter

September 15, 2015 4:27 pm

How a Father’s Letter Helped Spark Awareness  By now, you have probably heard of Paul Daugherty and his 25 year old daughter, Jillian.  Like any proud father of the bride, Paul was full of emotion and he penned a special letter to his daughter to share his hopes for her on her wedding day.  However, Jillian is considered an unusual... View Article

Helping the Person with Special Needs

August 20, 2015 1:00 pm

Making Everyday Life a Little Easier  At Mt. Bethel, we provide an assisted living environment for individuals with special needs.  We separate our special needs community from our senior living communities for a few reasons.  One is to make sure that people in our special needs community have same-age peers and age-appropriate activities to enrich their lives.  However, the other... View Article

What is Down Syndrome Understanding Trisomy 21

August 18, 2015 12:55 pm

What is Down Syndrome? Understanding Trisomy 21  If you, a family member, or relative has recently given birth to or adopted a child with a Down syndrome diagnosis, you may find yourself wondering what exactly Down syndrome is and what that diagnosis means for the immediate health and long-term health of that child.  This primer will help you understand the basics... View Article

Understanding Traumatic Brain Injuries

August 13, 2015 2:00 pm

An Introductory Guide There is a simple definition to traumatic brain injuries (TBI): a brain injury caused by a dramatic force, usually from outside of the head. However, while that definition explains what a TBI is, it does not explain what a TBI does to the individual or help define the expectations that friends, family members, and caregivers should have... View Article

Does Bill Gates Have Autism Does it matter

August 7, 2015 12:54 pm

Does Bill Gates Have Autism? Does it matter? If you have autism or have a family member with autism, then you have undoubtedly searched the internet for information about autism.  In searching the internet, you have probably run across articles stating that Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft, one of the richest men in America, and an icon of what it... View Article