Most people have the luxury of not having to think about the complex motor skills required to put on and tie their shoes in the morning. But for people with disabilities that impair their hands, including those with cerebral palsy or who have suffered strokes, that task can pose major challenges. Read more.

Welcoming Special Olympics athletes to a special ceremony Monday at the state Capitol, Gov. Jerry Brown called the competition “one of the ways that people of profound differences can find their common humanity.”
We know how Brown, a former Jesuit seminarian, can give substance to that soaring rhetoric about common humanity: He can grant the immediate 10 percent funding hike for developmental services for which the Lanterman Coalition, a bipartisan majority of members of the state Legislature, and this editorial board have been arguing these past several months. Read more.

A group of employees at the Fairview Developmental Center in Costa Mesa has sued, claiming the state-run facility enforces a discriminatory policy that bars workers from speaking Spanish at any time during the workday.

 Six plaintiffs, who are food service and custodial workers, allege they risk being disciplined or fired if they speak their native language even if they’re only talking to other employees.  “The policy prohibits all use of Spanish during working hours, including meal periods and rest periods,” according to the lawsuit filed in Orange County Superior Court on June 18. Read more.

If any doubt remained, a new study shows that the lack of affordable housing is a full-blown crisis, particularly for the poorest among us.

Using census and federal housing data, Urban Institute researchers found that only 28 percent of extremely low-income households nationwide were able to find affordable housing to rent in 2013.

According to a pair of small studies, a reading program that capitalizes on the strengths of students with autism both improves their comprehension and establishes new connections between areas of the brain involved in understanding language.

The two related reports appear online ahead of print in the journals Autism Research and Human Brain Mapping. Read more.

I was 25 when I flew home for my father’s last birthday. His cancer had returned and he would die three months later at the age of 57. What I remember most about that weekend was the large rectangular gift box he opened. My mother had bought him a new suitcase. Read more.

If you have questions about end of life planning, call your Service Coordinator or click here for Client Advocacy resources.

o not underestimate the power of a walk in the woods: A new study suggests that even a 90- minute stroll in a natural environment can lead to measurable changes in the brain, and may help combat depression. Previous research has shown that just a 50-minute walk in nature can improve your mood, decrease your anxiety and even improve your memory. Read more.