Behind Schedule

By Rachel Patterson
Association of University Centers on Disability (AUCD)
Sibling Leadership Network- D.C. Chapter

I’ve set out to write this post about 20 times. Those at the Bethesda Institute Blog know that this post is far behind schedule. When they first contacted me back in April, I promised them a post within a matter of weeks. But every time I sat down to write, I found a reason to avoid it. I had much more pressing work to accomplish, or other tasks to complete. I was too tired or stressed to write well.

Everyone Has Barriers to Learning – So What Do You Do?

By Ellen Hierl

Recently, the Bethesda Institute presented its first webinar, Teacher Growth Series: Who Are The Learners? Part 1. This webinar focused on assisting teachers in serving people with intellectual disabilities. For this first session, we addressed several common barriers to learning and how to teach when these barriers are present. As I prepared for my presentation on limited learning capacity it struck me again that I have much more in common with the people we support than I have differences.

Advocacy for Change

By Gretchen Block

Change…change…more change. Why is it that things always seem to be changing? Who decided that a change was needed again? Can’t we ever slow down? We just get used to something and then there we go, changing things again. So this time, it’s a new employment opportunity for people that choose Bethesda as a provider?  Hmmm…

Bethesda is in the process of filling six new positions in our organization – Advocacy Mentors.

Just tell me how many!

By David Morstad

Occasionally, I have the chance to speak to people about developmental disabilities and the people who have them. “How many people have a developmental disability?” is among the most basic questions. People deserve a good answer and it would be helpful to provide a simple percentage upon which everyone agrees. Unfortunately, that’s just not as easy as it sounds.