News
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A Community Already Leading: Lessons from Autism Advocacy in Ecuador
When Haley Hintz and Dr. Myrabeth Bundy began working with the autistic community in Ecuador, they were surprised at how engaged the community already was. But when they arrived in Tena and started working with the Kichwa community there, they found local clinicians and families had already built a strong network dedicated to supporting families. …
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TIP Launches with Impact: Exploring Immersive Technology and Inclusive Employment
During the first TIP Lunch and Learn session, guest speaker Matthew Chaussee told the story of Romin, an employee with Vanna Adventure Vans. Vanna Adventure Vans is a company that builds custom camper vans and mobile medical units while also working to hire a strongly neurodivergent workforce. Romin, who has bipolar disorder, was one such…
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A successful year for the HDI Seminar Series
The 2025-2026 HDI Seminar Series is coming to a close, but those curious haven’t missed their chance to learn. The last seminar of the series, Demystifying Autism Assessment and Diagnosis, will be held April 15 and all previous seminars from the fall and spring are accessible on HDI’s website. It’s free to attend and all…
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Sheppard-Jones leads Training Innovation Project
When rehabilitation staff help people with disabilities find jobs, they need to know how to work with both the business community and the disability community. Those rehabilitation staff might be pleased to know that HDI is working on a project that will make it easier for them to walk in both those worlds. The Training…
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Governor Beshear declares March Developmental Disabilities Month
It’s officially Developmental Disabilities Month in Kentucky, as per a proclamation signed by Governor Andy Beshear March 12. Beshear was joined by the Kentucky Developmental Disabilities Network and its partners as he officially declared March Developmental Disabilities Month and stressed the importance of accessibility and inclusion of individuals with disabilities. “As a person of faith,…
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HDI CATS Expands Independence Through Assistive Technology Across Kentucky
The goal of HDI CATS (Center for Assistive Technology Services) is to help increase people’s independence using Assistive Technology (AT) across all life areas, such as daily living tasks, work, education, and participation in the community. CATS has a lending library that allows people to check-out equipment that will help them be more independent at…
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Dinah Miller receives 2026 Shouse Award
It’s not common that Dinah Miller is left at a loss for words, but hearing that she’d won the Shouse Service Award did the job. The Jacki Shouse Service Award honors an HDI support staff member who consistently has excellent job performance, contributes to the organization in a way that improves efficiency, provides better services,…
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Beyond Social Myths: The Sensory Reality of Autism
Bev Harp also contributed to this article. When most people think of autism, they probably think of the social components, but that’s just one part of what autism is like. I think one of the underrepresented aspects is the sensory experience – the way that sounds, tastes, visuals and feelings that wouldn’t bother someone who…
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Living with Seasonal Affective Disorder and ADHD: Becky shares her story
Becky Barnes always gets anxious as the cool weather starts setting in because she knows it can be an especially difficult time of year for her. Barnes is one of many people with Seasonal Affective Disorder, a type of depression where seasonal changes in weather have a drastic effect on mood and energy. According to…
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Living What You Believe: Jason Jones’ Lasting Influence
By Christina Espinosa Jason Jones. Try to find someone in our world who doesn’t know that name. He let me call him J. People are sharing so many wonderful stories and tributes about Jason and his impact in their lives, and they’re all so familiar. There is truly nothing I can say that anyone who knew…