I won’t make a habit to report on the progress of individual bills, but many BMGers helped me to advocate for this important reform for many families and individuals in Massachusetts. I am pleased to report that Governor Patrick has signed H4252 into law. “An Act Providing For A Definition Of Intellectual Disability Consistent With The American Association Of Intellectual And Developmental Disabilities” is now chapter 433 of the Acts of 2012. Thank you to everyone who put our partisan differences aside and did the right thing for our intellectually disabled citizens. We should do it more often.
Please share widely!
Thanks to you for your efforts.
Fenway’s motion – congrats!
that require DDS to base determinations of intellectual disability on an independent clinical authority are an important first step. Thank you Rep. Winslow and thanks to all who testified and advocated for this.
The next battle will be to bring people with other types of developmental disabilities, including many forms of autism, into consideration for care. There are an untold number of people who may not be considered intellectually disabled, but who nevertheless are unable to cope or adapt successfully in society and yet are not getting services.
This is a huge problem and one which has implications for our safety, among other things.