Different Levels of Disability Require Different Levels of Care

Jennifer is profoundly disabled

Jennifer’s IQ is 20, she is wheelchair bound, has very limited self-care ability, a vocabulary of only 6 words, and is subject to occasional seizures, requiring close-at-hand nursing care. She needs a campus setting where the speed limit is 15 MPH, where she can receive daily medications, physical therapy, and transportation to a five day a week vocational workshop.  A State Operated Developmental Center (SODC) is a good placement for her needs.  She is currently well taken care of at the Shapiro Developmental Center in Kankakee.

Less developmentally disabled people can sometimes be well-cared for in community homes, or CILAs, and those with mild disabilities can often live independently with only occasional supervision.

Providing different levels of care for this diverse population, a complete spectrum, means that no one is over-served or under-served, a humane and fiscally responsible public policy.