Strong Center for Developmental Disabilities

09/23/2025

The Strong Center for Developmental Disabilities values the lives of autistic people. In doing so, we reiterate and support the statement from Society for Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics. We stand with families, scientists, and clinicians to emphasize that messaging about the causes of autism must be rooted in unbiased scientific findings.

Decades of research shows that autism has complex causes involving both genetics and environmental influences working together. Autism is not caused by anything that parents did or did not do. There is no strong evidence showing a direct relationship between appropriate use of acetaminophen (Tylenol) during pregnancy and harmful effects on fetal development.

Autistic people and people with other disabilities should be valued, not vilified. Unscientific, overly simplistic, and premature assertions about causes and treatments are a distraction from the real needs of the autism community.

09/15/2025

The University of Rochester is using technology to understand stress in kids with autism and their parents.

Who can participate?
- Children between ages 5-12 with an autism diagnosis
- One parent or guardian

What will you do?
- You and your child wear a watch for days
- You fill out an app telling us about your day

What do participants get?
- $50 compensation each for both adult and child

Click on this link to get started! https://redcap.link/stress-pilot-interest

09/05/2025

💰 Benefits Webinar – Your Benefits, Your Future

Did you know working doesn’t mean losing all your benefits? Learn the facts about SSI, SSDI, Medicaid Buy-In, and more at our FREE benefits webinar on September 18th 6-8 PM!

Register: https://tinyurl.com/4YourBenefits

09/05/2025

RAEN Professional Development Training – Disability Employment Law

Creating inclusive workplaces starts with understanding the law. Join us for Disability Employment Law Training on September 18th at 1PM as we learned from Cornell’s Matt Saleh. Don’t miss practical strategies for HR pros, employment specialists, and community partners!

Register: https://RAENPD2.eventbrite.com

07/09/2025

The early time doesn't work for you or your kids?

Everyone who registers will be sent links to video recordings of the class to view later!

07/07/2025

Celebrate summer with this fully online inclusive adaptive yoga class for kids! Classes start July 10!

Registration: https://urmc.zoom.us/webinar/register/4317417284597/WN_S1zkggd_TtmNjl-xpNFL4A

07/02/2025

Happy Disability Pride Month! Disability Pride celebrates all disability identities as a valuable part of human experience. It is also an opportunity to recognize and remember the fight for disability rights and justice. The Americans with Disabilities Act was signed on July 26, 1990 and continues to provide key support for inclusive practices.

Learn more about Disability Pride Month and the flag, and let July be the kickoff of year-round recognition for disability justice!

July is Disability Pride Month.

06/05/2025

The NYS Council on Developmental Disabilities (CDD) is looking for input on their 2027-2031 State Plan!

Please share your thoughts through a survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/8ZMZCSG

Feedback will help shape CDD’s priorities and goals over the coming years. This survey should take about 5-10 minutes to complete and is available in English, Spanish, Bengali, Simplified Chinese, and other languages upon request.

Take this survey powered by surveymonkey.com. Create your own surveys for free.

06/02/2025

See these exciting new inclusive recreation resources!

Virtual Canalway: https://shorturl.at/GeTPW
Print social stories: https://shorturl.at/uQxmj
Video social stories: https://shorturl.at/IDeMH
Join the Canalway Challenge! https://shorturl.at/HqI7m

04/28/2025

The Strong Center for Developmental Disabilities will be attending! Come say hello!

Make plans now for next week's Family Resource Fair: April 28, 2-6:30 pm at the BOCES 2 PD Center on Big Ridge Road. Get information, make connections, meet the community, learn about services and opportunities for folks with disabilities - plus, Scholastic Book Fair and yummy food trucks. Get more details at https://www.monroe2boces.org/SEPTOEvents.aspx

04/23/2025

Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics (DBP) at URMC/Golisano Children’s Hospital represents an interdisciplinary group of clinicians, researchers, educators, and people with lived experience in the intellectual and developmental disability (IDD) space.

DBP supports the science on autism and related disabilities. We strongly support the scientific evidence on what we know and what we do not know about autism and IDD. The evidence shows that there is no simple explanation for why some people are autistic and some are not. Good science reaffirms that vaccines and autism are not related. We remain committed to high-quality science conducted by qualified professionals, and we support IDD services that optimize healthy growth, development, and flourishing in the community.

Autistic people participate in and contribute to society in diverse and meaningful ways. Blanket statements that perpetuate negative stereotypes and myths about autistic people are harmful and untrue. As always, we recognize disability as part of natural human variation, and we value the lives and experiences of people with disabilities.

04/22/2025

Sensory Friendly Sunday returns to The Strong on April 27 from 8–10 a.m. and is now FREE to museum members. This event provides guests with sensory needs the opportunity to visit the museum before it opens to the general public. For tickets, visit https://store.museumofplay.org/webstore/shop/viewItems.aspx?cg=Strong1&c=SFS