Task:

Read the case study about a person with a disability (far beyond what a general classroom teacher would need to know --but brainstorm anyway) and dialogue about the following:

-What information did you find that is important in determining which funding sources would be appropriate for Karen's AT needs?

• Karen has Down Syndrome.
• She has difficulty communicating with her teachers and peers in school.
• She has very limited communication abilities. She is able to speak but her utterances are limited to short, 2-4 word phrases.
• Her reading, writing, and math skills are very limited.
• Karen's parents would like Karen to attend a regular 3rd grade class.

Karen would benefit from Intellikeys and Boardmaker
to help her communicate without having to use long
sentences. Intellikeys can be used as a communication board. Boardmaker is a graphics database containing over 3,000 Picture Communication Symbols (from the PCS Communication Book) in bitmapped clip art form. Karen would greatly benefit from the multiple paths to comprehension provided by Intellikeys and Boardmaker's visual-print format.

-Which of the funding sources would be the best potential funding sources for Karen's AT Devices and Services? (i.e., from your readings).

Karen's parents can write to The Lions Club organization to request funds as the person in the 'Funding Success Story' (http://www.prentrom.com/funding/success.html). In addition, there are a number of sources that can provide funding to Karen depending on the state she lives in. For example, if she is living in Maryland, the Maryland Transition Initiative can help Karen and her family identify new resources, combine existing resources, and implementing systemic change for a more efficient delivery system. Other funding sources are:

STATE PROGRAMS *
Maryland Technology Assistance Program
http://www.mdtap.org/
DDA Developmental Disabilities Administration
http://www.dhmh.state.md.us/dda_md/
Maryland Assistive Technology Co-op
http://www.matcoop.org/
Learning Disabilities Association of Maryland
http://www.ldaamerica.org/Affiliates/MD/md.html
Division of Rehabilitation Services
http://www.dors.state.md.us/
Maryland State Department of Education
http://www.msde.state.md.us/
Special EducationMaryland State Department of Education –click on appropriate links http://www.msde.state.md.us/
DHMD Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
http://www.dhmh.state.md.us/
Emergency health Coverage (scroll to MD) http://www.gwu.edu/~chsrp/Fourth_Edition/GSA/Subheads/gsa115.html
Maryland Medicaid/Medicare/Health Choice
http://www.dhmh.state.md.us/mma/mmahome.html
Maryland Long-Term Care Services
http://www.dhmh.state.md.us/mma/longtermcare/
MD Early Periodic Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment (EPSDT)
http://temp.peoples-law.org/health/gov-ben/epsdt.htm
MD Autism Waiver
http://www.howard-autism.org/waiver/waiver.html
The Kaiser Commission on Medicare and the Uninsured
http://www.kff.org/medicaidbenefits/state-MD.cfm?RenderForPrint=1
MD Schools for the Deaf and Blind (scroll to Maryland)
http://www.ris.sdbor.edu/sdsd/copyschools.htm
Maryland Department of Insurance
http://www.mdinsurance.state.md.us/
http://www.matcoop.org/

FEDERAL PROGRAMS *
Multi-agency health web portal
http://www.health.gov/
Administration for Children and Families
http://www.acf.dhhs.gov/
Department of Health and Human Services GrantsNet
http://www.hhs.gov/grantsnet/
HIV/AIDS Bureau http://hab.hrsa.gov/
Veterans Benefits and Services
http://www.appc1.va.gov/health_benefits/
Department of Health and Human Services
http://www.os.dhhs.gov/

PRIVATE NON-PROFIT PROGRAMS
MD/DC Easter Seal Society
http://nca-md.easter-seals.org/site/PageServer?pagename=DCMD_homepage
Healthy Vision 2010
http://www.healthyvision2010.org/exams/preschool.htm
MD Resources for Deaf and Hard of Hearing
http://www.linc.org/reshear.html
Way Station, Inc.
http://www.onestoptoolkit.org/profile_Maryland.cfm
Family Net Works
http://family-networks.org/assistive.cfm
United Support Foundation
http://www.usfonline.org/students/assistivetech.asp

* This list is compiled by Davina Pruitt-Mentle.