On June 11, 2018, family support researchers, policymakers, program specialists and advocates met in Washington, D.C. to attend the State of the Science Conference on Family Support Research.

The BOLD Act would recognize Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias as public health issues and develop the infrastructure necessary to combat these diseases.

The Families Special Interest Group will plan some meaningful presentations and activities for the World Congress in Glasgow August 6-9, 2019. Please keep this conference in mind for presenting your future research on family support and IDD.

The Family Support Research and Training Center (FSRTC) aims to learn more about families’ needs in supporting family members with all types of disabilities across the lifespan, as well as current promising family support practices around the country.

FSRTC and partner The Arc have just released two new research briefs/infographics on the gaps in caregiver research related to children and older adults with disabilities and findings in the literature.

Findings in this first-of-its-kind national snapshot paint a picture of friends and families facing emotional, financial, physical, and social strain with little support from outside resources.

Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experience a wide variety of health care disparities and challenges accessing health care. These disparities and challenges impact individuals with ASD, their families/caregivers, and medical providers in a variety of ways.

“This study shows that rare caregiving fundamentally alters the daily life of friends and family for many years …”

Adolescence is a time of transition and change for everyone. For families of adolescents with disabilities, these changes can be very difficult. More research needs to be done to better understand how families can be supported during this major milestone.