One of the main objectives of this site is to allow parents, friends and people with developmental disabilities to connect with one another, share information, and support and learn from each other.
To encourage an open and honest dialog, KTLP will never share your personal information with anyone and will not include any identifying personal information in any posting. The law also protects the confidentiality of any information you provide about services. KTLP hopes to be able to share people’s real-life stories and experiences so that the larger community can see and understand what is really happening to people and their services.
To that end, we invite you to participate by filling out the form below and sharing your story. The information and stories you provide will help us shape this website and will inform and guide the conversation about the future of The Lanterman Act and services for people with developmental disabilities.
You can also stay connected with KTLP by engaging with one of our Featured Bloggers. Give us your opinions and we will give you ours. Topical blogs are found below and exchange of information is the key objective. Watch here for the addition of new blogs.
KTLP – Helping you stay informed and up-to-date on state-wide, regional and local issues pertaining to the rights and entitlement to services of individuals with intellectual and other developmental disabilities.
Ask Dr. Nora – Nora Baladerian, Ph.D. has over 30 years of clinical experience with individuals with intellectual and other developmental disabilities. Here she writes about sexuality, abuse, sex education, bullying, restraint, seclusion and other related issues. Ask her a question or comment on her views and observations.
Special Education – Answers to your questions about your family member’s IEP and other classroom and school issues will be covered here. Moderator Mary Gaborko steers the conversation and stimulates interaction.
Take Our Pledge of Support
The Preamble
The Lanterman Act is the best and most comprehensive piece of legislation ever enacted for people with intellectual and other developmental disabilities. It was put in place by courageous family members and compassionate legislators led by Assemblyman Frank D. Lanterman. It was signed into law by Governor Ronald Reagan in 1969. Now it is in serious jeopardy.
As the community of people with intellectual and other developmental disabilities — their families and friends — we are grateful and in awe of those who came before us who had the boldness and the vision to enact this law. We now realize it is up to us to restore and defend The Lanterman Act and the contract at its core – the Individual Program Planning Process (IPP). This IPP process was designed not only to guarantee self-determination for individual consumers and their families, but also to assure the system would evolve into the future, based on the needs and choices of consumers and their families. The IPP process in The Lanterman Act created a powerful consumer and family driven system.
No Sacramento politician, state bureaucrat or professional working in the field can supersede the crucial role that family members and friends play in the lives of people with intellectual and other developmental disabilities. For too long we have allowed the IPP/IFSP process to be compromised. For too long we have allowed policy-makers to determine the direction of this service system in California. We have abdicated our power at the policy-level in Sacramento. It is time for this to change.
The Pledge
We, the community of people with intellectual and other developmental disabilities, their families, and friends, in order to assure the future for ourselves and our children, to become part of our communities, to have equal access to justice and equal opportunity, to promote the general welfare of the State of California, and to secure these blessings for ourselves and for posterity, pledge to help restore, preserve, and defend the promise of The Lanterman Act as it was established in state law and upheld by the Supreme Court of the State of California.
