Massachusetts Developmental Disabilities Council

2013 Barbara Wilensky Gopen Memorial Fellowship

Applications are now being accepted for the 2013 Barbara Wilensky Gopen Memorial Fellowship.  This is a wonderful opportunity for a person with a developmental disability to spend a year gaining knowledge and professional work experience in the disabilities field.  The Gopen Fellow works 20 hours per week on a self-designed project of interest.  The Fellow works primarily at the Institute for Community Inclusion (ICI) in Boston, and spends two days per month at the Massachusetts Developmental Disabilities Council (MDDC) in Quincy.  

The deadline to apply has been extended to Tuesday, May 7, 2013.   The one year Fellowship will begin on July 1, 2013.  

The Gopen Fellowship is sponsored by the Massachusetts Developmental Disabilities Network:  Institute for Community Inclusion (ICI), Massachusetts Developmental Disabilities Council (MDDC), Eunice Kennedy Shriver Center and Disability Law Center (DLC).  

For additional information, refer to the attached Gopen Fellowship notice and application instructions.   Gopen Fellowship 2013 

The Massachusetts Autism Commission released its long awaited report on March 28, 2013.  The Commission, comprised of self-advocates, parents, members of the legislature, state agency heads, educators and autism experts, worked for over two years to investigate and study existing supports and services, identify the many gaps and make recommendations for developing appropriate, collaborative and timely supports and services.  The report identifies thirteen priorities and numerous recommendations for improving the Commonwealth’s efforts to meet the needs of individuals on the autism spectrum across the lifespan.

For a copy of the Summary Report… Autism Commission Report - Summary 

For a copy of the Full Report with appendices…  Autism Commission Report - Full Report  file size 1MB

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that 1 in 88 children in America have an autism diagnosis, and these rates continue to rise. Seven years after high school graduation, one in three young adults with autism have no paid job, college or technical school experience, and another 500,000 children with autism will reach adulthood in the next decade.

The MDDC has submitted its state plan to the Feds with the 2012-2016 goals and objectives. Under federal law, each DD Council receives funds to carry out systems-change, capacity-building and advocacy initiatives. Through these activities, DD Councils improve and expand opportunities for the independence, productivity, inclusion and integration of people with disabilities in their communities.

The MDDC supports the proposed amendments put forward by the Department of Developmental Services (DDS) to prohibit the use of aversive (Level III) behavioral interventions on a prospective basis. Read the testimony here

Massachusetts Advocates Standing Strong (MASS) bestowed the Craig Smith Spirit Award to Sandy Houghton for her Leadership with Self-Advocacy training at their 13th Annual Self-Advocacy Conference in Sturbridge on Saturday, November 20, 2010.