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Praise and Adoration Benedictine Style
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 St. John of the Cross tells us:
For the knowledge of God is received in divine silence.
Take a moment from your busy day to visit by video this Benedictine seminary where God is adored and praised through Gregorian Chant.
Benedict of Nursia
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Delaney's Story - Watch the Video
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As we mentioned in last week's update, early intervention can, in some cases, lessen the impact of more serious disabilities. For example, studies have shown that early interventions can help children with mild to profound hearing loss improve their vocabulary skills and speech production (see the National Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center-NECTAC-for details). Intervention can also help children with autism spectrum disorder. The Thompson Center for Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders at the University of Missouri-Columbia has made a huge difference in the lives of children and their families. Watch this moving video of Delaney's story. |
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First Steps - Intervention Help for Infants and Toddlers
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 First Steps is the name the state of Missouri has given to the early intervention it provides to infants and toddlers pursuant to Part C of the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). To qualify, children must be diagnosed with a disability or learning delay or have been born with a serious medical condition, such as Down syndrome or cerebral palsy. (For more on who qualifies, see eligibility.) Over 8,800 children from birth through age 2 received First Steps services at some point during the course of 2013.
Most children receive First Steps services at home. Trained teachers and therapists work with both the parents and child on activities tailored to address the child's specific delay or disability. The plan to help the child - the Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) - is developed by a service coordinator in cooperation with the family. An early intervention team is then assembled to carry out the IFSP. A child having trouble pronouncing words might get help from a speech pathologist, while a child with movement delays might be assisted by a physical therapist.
For medical conditions like Down syndrome, or other serious disabilities, the need for intervention will be obvious at birth, but for many other delays it might be several months before the parents or someone else realizes that help is needed. The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), which is the state administrator of First Steps, has established 10 regional points of entry that arrange for an initial assessment of children. Parents can call 1-866-583-2392 toll-free to request an initial assessment of their child.
Children diagnosed with a qualifying disability, delay or medical condition are then eligible for services, which are provided under contract from a variety of agencies located around the state. In order to ensure services are of a high quality, teachers and therapists must meet specified state qualifications and DESE monitors the services provided.
The most recent review of First Steps by DESE concluded that about 70% of the children participating in First Steps improved their social and knowledge skills and acted more appropriately than they would have without intervention. However, early intervention is not a magic wand. Although milder delays and disabilities can often be addressed so that by the time the child enters kindergarten they are on par with their peers, more serious disabilities and medical conditions may require special education throughout the school years. and assistance later as adults through sheltered workshops or other programs.
Under Part C of the Individual with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), states have some discretion in determining which children will be eligible for early intervention services. Some disabilities are severe enough, such as Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, or being blind or deaf, that eligibility is never in doubt. However, most children have less serious disabilities and in these instances the state of Missouri requires at least a 50% delay before a child will be deemed eligible. Families with children with milder delays who do not qualify for First Steps may be able to get help through the Parents as Teachers program, which will be discussed in a future update.
Spending on First Steps has been stagnant in recent years. In fiscal year 2010 Missouri spent $25.7 million on direct services for children; by fiscal year 2014 that figure had increased by less than one million, coming in at $26.6 million. This level of expenditure may provide adequate services for the children presently served, but if Missouri wanted to expand eligibility to include children with milder delays, more funding would be needed. Unlike some other states that declare children eligible but then do not serve them, Missouri has been cautious in not promising what it cannot deliver. |
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NCADP Condemns Execution of Leon Taylor
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Following the execution of Leon Taylor this week, the ninth in Missouri this year, the National Coalition Against the Death Penalty (NCADP) had strong words for state officials. The NCADP director Diann Rust-Tierney said:
With the backdrop of Ferguson, it's astonishing that Governor Nixon can fail to take seriously real and justified concerns with racial fairness in Leon Taylor's execution and others that have already taken place. [the Governor] should use his office to grant clemency in a case such as this, where we can't be confident that the process was conducted with the highest integrity.
Among other concerns in this case, Mr. Taylor, an African-American, was convicted by an all-white jury, after the prosecutor was able to eliminate all prospective blacks from the jury pool.
Taylor had become an active member of the prison Christian community and a role-model to other inmates. In his final statement, Taylor again apologized to the victim's family and thanked his family for their love and support.
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Support Continues to Grow for Stopping Execution of Texas Death-Row Inmate
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National support continues to grow opposing the execution of Texas inmate Scott Panetti set for December 3. Among the groups raising alarm are National Alliance on Mental Health, American Psychiatric Association, the American Bar Association, disability groups, mental health experts, former prosecutors, legislators, Christian leaders, and murder victim family members.
Panetti, a man who has suffered from schizophrenia for over thirty years, was sentenced to death for the murder of his in-laws in 1992. Panetti has a long history of severe delusions, numerous hospitalizations, and has even received disability from the government for his mental illness. At his 1995 trial, in which he was allowed to represent himself, Panetti came to court in cowboy attire and tried to subpoena JFK, the pope, and Jesus.
Noting Panetti's severe and persistent illness, the opposition notes Texas would "cross a moral line" if this execution is carried out. They are urging the Texas Parole Board to reccomend clemency and for Texas Governor Rick Perry to grant it. |
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He's Coming...
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 Pope Francis has confirmed he will be visiting the United States in September 2015 to attend the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia. This stop is the first on what is expected to be an extensive trip to North America. For more, read this Catholic News Service story. |
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