Mount Pleasant, N.Y., escalates its fight with a controversial residential treatment center, another “not-in-my-backyard” housing fight, Happiness Falls, a new novel featuring a non-verbal autistic character gets glowing reviews, and more news for the week ending Nov. 4, 2023.

Spotlight

25 Migrant Children to Stay at JCCA Residential Treatment Center and School in Westchester County The highly controversial center for children and teens with severe behavioral, emotional and educational challenges set off an uproar with the news. (Examiner News and News12.)

New York

Disability service center opens in Albany The Willamette Vocational and Resource Community is a private not-for-profit. (Albany Democrat-Herald)

Organization for disabled adults opens second location at Shames JCC in Tarrytown The Extended Family launched in 2017 with four participants. (Hudson Independent)

NYC families push for special ed open houses as high school admissions season heats up Information ranging from what types of special ed classes are typically offered to building accessibility can be difficult to come by. (Chalkbeat.com)

Advocates demanded $1.25 billion to make NYC schools more accessible. They got $800 million. (Chalkbeat.com)

Other States

Disability-focused housing in Florida town approved, despite neighbors’ anger A commissioner who voted for the housing said, “Pinellas County is a county for all. That means it’s a county that includes our developmentally disabled population, and they deserve to have a place to live as well.” (Tampa Bay Times)

Georgia Allegedly Asked Judges to Consider Detaining Foster Kids with Disabilities The State said this would just be until they found a placement for them, a move that the judge said would violate the law. (Disability Scoop)

Autism Action Partnership provides Omaha, Neb., police with sensory kits These particular kits have communication cards, fidget toys, sunglasses and noise-canceling headphones. (ketv.com)

Why a Texas School District is Opening a Health Clinic for Students on Medicaid It’s mind-boggling to me, but some parents have grooming and indoctrination concerns about the care option. (The74million.org)

Fair Wages

Justice Department Warns Sheltered Workshops May Violate ADA The department issued similar guidance in 2016 under the Obama administration, but it was rescinded by the Trump administration. (Disability Scoop)

Autism

Can Autistic Children Be Securely Attached? This writer says it’s time to reframe attachment behaviors as a unique expression of different wiring and not a deficit. (Psychology Today)

Books

‘Happiness Falls’ is a heart-tugger as well as a page-turner This new novel has a non-verbal main character with a double diagnosis of autism and Angelman syndrome. (Washington Post)