LETTERS 04/30/08

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Nan Lorenz

Kansas City

Congratulations to KU for the creation of the new Kansas Center for Autism Research and Training (4/27, Local). This is a huge step toward the diagnosing of the autism spectrum disorder and training for families and teachers. Autism spectrum disorders affect 1 out of 150 children.

Last year the Kansas Legislature did the right thing and funded an autism waiver allowing for early invention to children under age 5 with autism. This waiver funded 25 children. It’s estimated that with early intervention and treatment the program will reduce the need for expensive long-term services and would save Kansas more than 40 times that over the life of each of these children.

Now that legislators are back to work to finalize the state’s budget, I urge Kansas legislators to fund an additional $1.1 million for the autism waiver. There are more than 100 children statewide who are desperately waiting for intervention and treatment.

By working together, families, KU and the Kansas Legislature could help make a profound difference for children with autism.

Lurena Mead

Overland Park

Thanks for The Star’s recent profile of a Kansas City resident making compassionate food choices (4/23, Food, “Vegan diet is a tribute to the Earth”).

More and more people are looking for humane-minded alternatives to factory farm animal products as a way to address both environmental and ethical problems.

Caring people are right to object to the way animals are mistreated on factory farms. It’s abusive to confine pigs, hens and calves in cages so small they can hardly move. No personal choice, including the type of car we drive, has as much impact on the environment as our food choices do.

Humanesociety.org/recipes has more information about adding more healthy and delicious animal-friendly foods to your diet.

Mary Prewitt

State director, The Humane Society

of the United States

Lawrence

We wish to clear up misunderstandings that some people have regarding SB756 and HB1627/2076. Both bills would remove the words “mental retardation” from the title of the Division of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities. Most of Missouri understands this is a simple name change, though some opponents have some misinformation.

One misunderstanding is that mental retardation is distinctly different from a developmental disability. In reality, mental retardation is one of a variety of developmental disabilities.

Another misunderstanding is that this would somehow remove people with that diagnosis from services or eligibility. In fact, a name change would not change the mission, those eligible for services or those receiving services from the division or contract providers. The legislation clearly states that.

Advocates have been working to get this legislation passed for more than 10 years. The words have come to carry a negative connotation in Missouri and across the nation. Missouri is one of just a few states that still use “mental retardation” in state business.

It is time to implement this simple change to respond to the requests of the people served by the division, their families and supporters.

Shelly Shetley

Chair, Missouri Planning Council

for Developmental Disabilities

Kansas City

Well, the 2008 draft has come and gone. Some say the Chiefs had a fantastic first day with their two first-round picks. The second round wasn’t exactly shabby, either. First-rate players.

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