Matt Mokski takes his golf stance in front of the ball. “Strong legs. Soft hands. Aim for the target,” he says to himself. Lots of athletes talk to themselves, but in Mokski’s case, the repetitive exercise is more important than just self-encouragement.

The developmentally delayed 14-year-old, headed into eighth grade at Kenilworth Junior High School, has to work a little harder than most young athletes to stay focused and make his body perform well. Despite his difficulties communicating and processing information, Mokski has become an accomplished young golfer. Read more.

An increasing number of Americans with disabilities are job hunting, new government data suggests. The unemployment rate for people with disabilities ticked up last month to 10.4 percent, a rise over the 9.3 percent jobless rate reported the month prior, the U.S. Department of Labor said Friday. The unemployment rate for people with disabilities ticked up last month to 10.4 percent*, a rise over the 9.3 percent jobless rate reported the month prior, the U.S. Department of Labor said Friday. Read more.

*Internal Regional Center data suggests unemployment rates for individuals with developmental disabilities in CA are at 85%

Like most state recreation areas, Nevada County’s South Yuba River Park has plenty of trails to hike on. Unlike most others, though, it also has a path to roll on. About half of the gently sloped, 2.5-mile Independence Trail on the west side of Highway 49 has been renovated for wheelchairs, part of a statewide move to open up rivers, parks and other outdoor spaces to easier use by people with disabilities.  Read more.

One way to fight health disparities and obesity may be to turn off the TV. Food companies disproportionately target television advertising for unhealthy products like candy and sugary drinks to Latino and African American youth, new research shows. Read more.

Telehealth could be an important component of health care for special-needs children in California, according to a report released on Tuesday by the Lucile Packard Foundation for Children’s Health, in collaboration with UC-Davis Children’s Hospital, The Children’s Partnership and the Center for Connected Health Policy.

“Telehealth … has proven to be an effective tool in making the types of specialized care and coordination needed by children with special health care needs more accessible,” the report said. Read more.

States that provide Medicaid adult dental care still have high rates of dental patients who show up at hospital emergency departments, particularly in urban underserved areas, according to a study released this week. The study — by researchers at Stanford University, UC-San Francisco, Truven Health Analytics and the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality — was published in the August issue of Health Affairs.

Researchers said a dearth of dental providers who accept Medicaid patients, particularly in those urban underserved areas, has limited the effectiveness of Medicaid dental coverage in states that provide it. Read more.

The incidence and societal cost of autism has risen dramatically in recent years and will cost California about $40 billion in 2015, according to study results released on Tuesday by researchers at UC-Davis.

Nationally, the costs associated with the disorder could rise to $1 trillion by 2025, researchers said. Read more.