2010 TASH Summer Internship Program TASH is now offering summer internships at its national headquarters in Washington, D.C. The internship program is designed to provide undergraduate and graduate students the opportunity to gain experience and learn about TASH and its work in human rights advocacy, education access, community living, employment and full inclusion. The deadline for submitting applications is March 31, 2010. A complete information packet can be downloaded here: 2010 Summer Internship Application

TASH is now offering summer internships at its national headquarters in Washington, D.C. The internship program is designed to provide undergraduate and graduate students the opportunity to gain experience and learn about TASH and its work in human rights advocacy, education access, community living, employment and full inclusion. The deadline for submitting applications is March 31, 2010. A complete information packet can be downloaded here: 2010 Summer Internship Application

Hopefully this web site will  help you  to quickly grasp the basics of the law, explain my understanding of the philosophy driving that law, and help you attain basic skills that will enable you to be an equal member of the team directing your child's education. From my experience as a parent of children with disabilities, from many years of working with educators, and from experience as a volunteer parent advocate, I have  a fair amount of insight into the education process, and the advocacy tools that work. 

Students should have ready and easy access to their resumes, career portfolios, videos of work experience, task sequencing and scheduling methods, communication, and more. Learn what handheld devices and apps are being utilized to assist students as they successfully move from school to work and community. Emphasis will be on built in features, and generic and specialized apps which promote independence, communication, productivity, and inclusion. Hear what Leaving School With 21st Century Technology projects are accomplishing and how Learning Cohorts are teaching each other and spreading the word. Marsha will share stories of how school programs and the employment agencies they interact with, are interfacing and providing seamless serve delivery, using handheld devices to leverage preferred employment outcomes, independent living, and community connection.

The updated regulations that govern the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act will become effective in March 2011. Significant changes are included in these regulations and they are likely to have a significant (and positive) impact on those with learning disabilities (LD).   This podcast features a conversation with attorney Jo Anne Simon on how, specifically, these new rules will impact students with LD. Ms. Simon has over 30 years of experience working with the disability community and has helped create the field of post-secondary disability services by working at the grassroots and organizational level. Ms. Simon has worked for effective implementation of the federal Americans with Disabilities Act since its enactment in 1990, and before that with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.

Click here to download the flyer for this event (PDF) What: This is the fifth in a series of webinars for State Advisory Panel members, SEA staff in charge of the Advisory Panel, Parent Center staff, Lead Agency staff in charge of the Interagency Coordinating Council (ICC), ICC members, and other interested parties. The focus of the webinar will be a follow-up presentation to the OSEP Mega Conference on the new direction of the IFMS. The webinar will include a discussion of the Results Work and experiences of an Interagency Coordinating Council (ICC) and a State Advisory Panel (SAP) in the OSEP verification process, including the new Results part of CIFMS. When: Friday, August 19, 2011 12:00pm Mountain Registration: To assess the Webinar on August 19, you will need the following information: To Join: http://tadnet.adobeconnect.com/sap/ Call-in Number: 1-888-447-7153 Participant Code: 734277

When: Monday June 21, 2010 · 1:00-2:30pm Mountain What: This webinar will provide an in-depth presentation of the five-year postsecondary education experience of Micah Fialka-Feldman, a 25 year old student with an intellectual disability, at Oakland University, through the OPTIONS Program. Micah, along with Dr. Shea Howell, one of Micah's college professors, his mother Janice Fialka, and one of Micah's friends and peer tutors will discuss this journey through postsecondary education from each of their unique perspectives. The webinar will present and discuss a range of practical strategies and supports used to enhance Micah's active participation in the classroom, course work, student activities, and dorm living. Critical components which contributed to a successful experience will be shared, such as: the immediate and inclusive participation of Micah on the campus in all domains of student life and learning, the intentional engagement of other students in planning with and supporting Micah, the creation of opportunities for Micah to participate in student activities, and others.

It's Time for School: Building Quality Education Programs for Students with ASD Wed, Mar 20, 2013 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM PDT School Districts across the country are struggling to meet the needs of students with ASD. Budgets are tight making it is hard to think about being proactive when there are not enough dollars to even cover day-to-day operations. However, districts have found that developing quality education programs for students with autism can actually result in substantial savings. During this presentation Dr. Leaf will discuss factors that contribute to the development of classrooms that provide effective educational for students with ASD. Dr. Leaf will share what he has found to be indicators of a "good" school district, teacher and classroom. Dr. Ronald Leaf is a licensed psychologist who has over thirty-five years of experience in the field of autism; he worked with Ivar Lovaas while receiving his undergraduate and doctorate degrees at UCLA. He is co-author of: A Work in Progress; Building Quality ABA Educational Programs for Students with ASD; Sense and Nonsense in the Behavioral Treatment of Autism and Crafting Connections. Dr. Leaf has consulted nationally and internationally with families and school districts; he is Director of Autism Partnership.

On any given day, the feeds of my social media accounts are brimming with resources, stories, and motivation about disabled people: parenting tips, educational advice, how to work with someone who has a disability, etc. About us, but too often not including us. There are countless communities geared towards supporting parents, family members, and professionals, sharing words of encouragement on how to be the best advocates for the disability community. And while I understand such support networks are usually well intentioned, in many cases, they take the power out of the hands of the people who know themselves and their needs best: people who are actually disabled. Don’t get me wrong – allies, or what I refer to as advocate-allies, are incredibly important to advocacy efforts. “Ally” implies being supportive, while “advocate-ally” paints a more accurate picture of people who join in along with self-advocates. And true advocate-allies deserve the utmost respect. But a real advocate-ally is someone who doesn’t overshadow the voices and efforts of the people who experience being disabled every single day. Of course, as a disabled child is just beginning life, parents and professionals have a responsibility to play a key role as advocates. Obviously, a four-year-old wouldn’t be able to discuss medical procedures or know what kind of environmental access modifications are needed, so we can hope that parents will make sound and informed decisions on their child’s behalf. But as disabled children grow older, if they can communicate effectively in any way, then the primary goal should be to embrace the child’s form of communication, working with them to develop their own voice for advocacy. It can become problematic if parents or professionals are reluctant to relinquish their positions of authority and move to the role of advocate-allies, advocating alongside, instead of on behalf of, disabled people. Therefore, as important as it is to step up as advocates, it’s more important to know when to step down.

BOZEMAN, MT - Teaching someone to ride a horse isn’t always a simple process. You can’t just hand them the reins, tell them to kick the horse to go, tug the reins to turn and pull back to stop. If the rider’s to have a safe, fun and educational experience, there’s more to the process, especially if the rider has special needs. And, while most riding instructors spend years honing their horsemanship and teaching skills, those working with special-needs riders must know other skills, such as various ways to safely mount riders onto the horse and volunteer management. When working with special-needs riders, there may be one to three volunteers per rider, one person leading the horse and a sidewalker on each side of the horse to provide rider support.

The National Resource Center for Permanency and Family Connections (NRCPFC) is pleased to announce our 2010 Teleconference Series. Each teleconference is designed to provide a forum for participants to share their experiences in implementing improved child welfare practices and to learn about national trends and research findings. These teleconferences are now open to anyone working, involved, or interested in the field of child welfare.

Amazon is making some enhancements to its Kindle electronic reader, aimed at improving the reading experience for people who are blind, visually impaired, or dyslexic.

What: Are you wondering how to implement curriculum with fidelity? Are you unsure what fidelity means and what your responsibilities are? Implementing your curriculum with fidelity can be the difference for your students. Join Gwen Poole to learn more about curriculum fidelity and how implementing curriculum with fidelity can squeeze the most from programs that your school is using. During this presentation participants will : Learn what fidelity is and what it is not Be introduced to fidelity checklists Understand the roles and responsibilities regarding curriculum fidelity Where: College of Education Building, Room 122 MSU-Billings Campus, Billings MT When: March 25, 2011  from  9:00 am to 4:00 pm Registration 8:30-9:00 About Presenter: Gwen Poole is a passionate Montana educator. She has fourteen years of teaching experience which includes Kindergarten, First grade, and Title 1 (K-5). During that time she has also been a Response to Intervention Facilitator and worked with several schools in their implementation of RtI. Most recently, Gwen joined the Instructional Innovations Unit at OPI where she works with schools toward improvement as well as building professional development opportunities for schools through the Instructional Innovation Website. More information: Workshop Brochure and online registration available soon on the Region III CSPD website, www.msubillings.edu/cspd/events.htm. For more information about CSPD contact Debra Miller, Region III CSPD Coordinator, at 657-2072, or e-mail at dmiller@msubillings.edu.