Steven Perlman, DDS, MScD, DHL (hon): “Thinking about this month’s theme of ‘Don’t be a bully’, we are all aware of the current crisis and alarming rise of bullying children and adults with disabilities. Bullying has also been a problem within our healthcare system for decades, but only in the past few years has this phenomenon been acknowledged as a very serious problem. “

Rick Rader, MD, FAAIDD, FAADM, Editor-in-chief, Helen Journal: “Growing up in the 60’s, every guy wanted to be ‘cool.’ We had several role models to emulate.  First there was ‘Kookie’ played by Ed Byrnes. Byrnes was best known as Kookie in the private detective series ‘77 Sunset Strip,’ which ran from 1958 to 1964. Byrnes played a hip parking attendant at a Hollywood nightclub who helped out with cases. He was known for his hipster lingo, including the catchphrase ‘Baby, you’re the ginchiest!’ He was the personification of cool.”

David A. Ervin, BSc, MA, FAAIDD and Douglas Golub, BA, MS, SHRM-CP, DrPH(C): “This is the fourth of a five-part series on artificial intelligence (AI) and its emerging role in healthcare and community-based services for people with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (IDD). In this installment, we explore what people with disabilities think about AI, their hopes, fears, and renewed demands for inclusion.”

James T. Brett: “When thinking about the ADA, accessibility is often top of mind. The law requires that public spaces, including buildings, transportation, schools, sidewalks and streets, parks and recreational areas, be made accessible for people with disabilities. Today, in many places in the country, it’s difficult to imagine a time when the community routinely faced obstacles to board a train, go to work, cross the street, or sit by the shore. While much work remains, the law has been transformative.”

Matthew P. Janicki, PhD. ‘As people with intellectual disability live longer, they are increasingly affected by age-related conditions once uncommon in this population—including all-cause dementias. This shift has created an urgent need for care models that go beyond default older-age skilled nursing institutional admissions, which often lack the familiarity, continuity, and specialized support necessary for individuals with lifelong cognitive disabilities.’

Eric Horowitz, MD, MHA, RD, FAAP:”There is no ‘right’ answer, just the path taken – some musing of a neonatologist. When people talk about medicine, one often thinks of the science that informs the art of navigating the complexities that is human health within the gray of no absolutes. From this idea I often reflect on the notion that there is no such thing as a bad thing, just too much of a good thing. And I will ask you to ponder what this means to you as I share my following musings.”

StopBullying.org: “Children with disabilities—such as physical, developmental, intellectual, emotional, and sensory disabilities—are at an increased risk of being bullied. Any number of factors— physical vulnerability, social skill challenges, or intolerant environments—may increase the risk. Research suggests that some children with disabilities may bully others as well.”

THE DISABILITY RIGHTS MOVEMENT has always faced KEY ISSUES.  Some have been resolved, some  still remain, and some are a work in progress.  HELEN’s latest feature showcases "older" articles that are still relevant and have focused on these key issues. They are "classic concerns" that continue to challenge us. We invite HELEN readers to review, revisit and reconsider them.  HERE is a piece for KEY ISSUES: Barriers to the Access of People with Disabilities to Health Services: A Scoping Review.

EDITOR’S NOTE:  There are literally thousands of journals published around the world that relate to the disability community.  It is virtually impossible to capture even a fraction of them. HELEN receives "stacks" of journals and selectively earmarks what we feel are "must read" articles of interest for our readers. It's a HELEN perk!

This month: “There are at least four distinct subtypes of autism, a new study finds, helping to explain the various trajectories of individuals on the spectrum and offering a path toward more targeted treatments.”