Dr. Janice Ryan, OT, HSDP: “Joyful activities are increasingly incorporated into services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, as their benefits to human well-being are widely recognized globally. Research has shown that joyful activities calm anxious nervous systems and elevate depressed moods by activating the parasympathetic nervous system. This has become a team-approach for treating people with sensory processing challenges at Orange Grove Center (OGC) in Chattanooga, TN.”

Erica Dayton: “On March 1, 2025, the Golisano Training Center at Nazareth University in Rochester, New York, transformed into a vibrant hub of celebration and support. The Festival of Inclusion, now a highly anticipated annual tradition, welcomed more than 2,500 attendees of all abilities and 90+ community organizations for a day devoted to accessibility, connection, and fun.”

Craig Escudé, MD, FAAFP, FAADM: “Margaret Elizabeth Zaso, who goes by Liz, is a case manager with The Arc of North Carolina whose passion for supporting people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) shines through with every story she tells. She works in the Charlotte, North Carolina, area, supporting people by helping ensure they receive the benefits they qualify for, assisting with prior authorizations for medical services, and facilitating clinician visits, among many other things…”

May is American Stroke Month: “Every year, 15 million people around the world are affected by stroke. Of those, it is estimated 50% will live with permanent or chronic disability. The physical and mental effects of surviving a stroke can significantly impact a survivor’s chances of recovery, mental wellbeing, and future life plans such as going back to work, traveling,” and more.

NIH: “The National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) today announced a landmark partnership to enable NIH to build a real-world data platform enabling advanced research across claims data, electronic medical records, and consumer wearables.”

Steven Perlman, DDS, MScD, DHL (hon), PAOH President: “When I began my career 53 years ago, access and the ability to receive oral healthcare services was the number one healthcare problem people with intellectual, developmental, and physical disabilities faced.”

Rick Rader, MD, FAAIDD, FAADM, Editor-in-chief, Helen Journal: “When I was growing up in Brooklyn in the 1950’s, we had a time-honored ritual for rainy Saturday afternoons. A bunch of us went to the movies for the Saturday matinee. Typically, they either had a marathon of cowboy movies or horror movies. It was the original model of “binging.” Unlike today, back then, it was an all-afternoon affair.”

POSITIVE EXPOSURE is introducing 3 new FRAME films, in celebration of Mental Health Awareness Month, addressing the stigma of mental health challenges and the power of the arts to support healing, inspire new perspectives, and foster dignity and understanding.

HELEN Journal’s Mental Health Awareness Issue: COVER CREDITS - POSITIVE EXPOSURE FRAME Film series in Collaboration with…

David A. Ervin, BSc, MA, FAAIDD and Douglas Golub, BA, MS, SHRM-CP, DrPH(C): “The following is the first in a five-part series on artificial intelligence (AI) and its emerging use in healthcare and in community-based services to people with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (IDD). There are a great many exciting opportunities for AI to change the ways in which healthcare and community supports are delivered to people with IDD. And, there are a great many ethical considerations that cannot be overlooked.”

Ley Linder, MA, M. Ed, BCBA and Craig Escudé, MD, FAAFP, FAADM: “Daniel is a 33-year-old man with a diagnosis of mild intellectual disability. He does not have any chronic medical conditions but does take sertraline (Zoloft) for anxiety, which has been effective for him for the past two years. Daniel can independently complete most daily tasks, including personal hygiene, medication management, and laundry. ..”

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…

READ the original 1943 article by Leo Kanner on the first description of a patient with "autism”

Timothy Shriver, PhD: “As we come to the end of Autism Awareness Month, we want to join with self-advocates and friends and family members around the world in celebrating the gifts of people with autism. We have been reminded again and again that people with autism can and will continue to be wonderful children, brothers and sisters, and members of families.”