The Individual Program Plan Under Fire : What every Parent and Guardian Must Know

The Individual Program Plan (IPP) Under Fire: Three Things Every Parent and Conservator Must Know from Autism Society SF Bay Area on Vimeo.

I am generally critical of the ARC and its reputation nationally for imposing its ideology of full inclusion on people with disabilities and their families regardless of need or individual circumstance. This presentation, however, by Barbara Maizie, Executive Director of the ARC of Contra Costa County, California, and a member of Keeping the Lanterman Promise on the importance of the Individualized Program Plan (IPP) is the best I have ever seen. It was part of the Autism Society San Francisco Bay Area's 2015 Conference, "Let a Thousand Flowers Bloom: The Bay Area Adult Autism/DD Programs and Housing Summit." The conference took place October 23, 2015 at Santa Clara University and featured more than 50 speakers.

In Michigan, the equivalent to the IPP is the Individual Plan of Service (IPOS) required by state law for everyone receiving  mental health services through the Community Mental Health system. Her message applies here and in other states that require DD services as an entitlement under protections in their state laws.

Update on Barbara Maizie: I had never met Barbara except through this video. Sadly, she was diagnosed with a brain tumor earlier this year and died on August 13, 2016. It makes me appreciate even more the influence that one person can have.