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For some children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), the core symptoms of impaired communication, social skills and repetitive behaviors are just the beginning of the challenges that they face. An ASD diagnosis also brings an increased likelihood of receiving a secondary mental health diagnosis, such as depression, anxiety and psychotic disorders, many of which manifest in severe behaviors that can quickly escalate to a crisis situation for a child and their family.

Teenagers who have difficulty making and maintaining healthy friendships with peers at age 13 continue to struggle with relationships long after high school, according to a new University of Virginia longitudinal study. Early secondary school is well-known as the time social pecking orders are established, bullying and gossip proliferates, and kids start seriously thinking about jumping off that bridge if all their friends do. The study suggests that a student's ability to balance peer pressure with social desirability in early adolescence can predict how well they will handle social relationships in adulthood.

The success rate among the graduates of  America’s Special Education Programs has been studied and criticized for decades. In 2005, Dr. Frank Rusch of Pennsylvania State University and this writer addressed the issue related to the inability of young special education high school graduates to achieve success in employment, post-secondary education, adequate housing and community acquiescence. According to the study, Rusch and Pizzuro wrote: “Young adults with disabilities typically leave publicly funded educational institutions without a job, without being enrolled in postsecondary education, and without the security of knowing their roles in society. Fewer than 30 percent of high school leavers obtain jobs after departing mandated education and fewer than 10 percent enroll in postsecondary education. The past 25 years has witnessed continued poverty among young adults with disabilities, despite legislative reauthorizations aimed at improving educational opportunities (The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004) and employment access (The Americans with Disabilities Act).”

Click here to register!What: The 2010 ADA Accessibility Standards and the Architectural Barriers Act (ABA) Accessibility Standard apply to many types of schools in the public and private sectors, including primary, secondary, trade schools and colleges and universities . This session will provide an overview of requirements in the ADA and ABA standards for newly constructed and altered school facilities and their related elements and spaces such as student laboratories, assembly seating, assistive listening systems, and much more.When:December 1st, 201112:30 - 2:00 PM MountainWhere:Great Lakes ADA Center1640 W. Roosevelt RoadChicago, Illinois 60608 Contact:Phone: 877-232-1990

An individualized learning plan (ILP) is a tool that students in secondary school use – with support from school counselors and parents – to define their personal interests and goals related to their career and postsecondary education and to plan what courses to take and what activities to participate in during high school to further their interests and achieve their goals.

The U.S. Department of Education has proposed regulations, published today, to transition away from the so-called "2 percent rule," thus emphasizing the Department’s commitment to holding all students to high standards that better prepare them for college and career. Under the existing regulations, States have been allowed to develop alternate assessments aligned to modified academic achievement standards (AA-MAAS) for some students with disabilities and use the results of those assessments for accountability purposes under Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. In making accountability determinations, States currently may count as proficient scores for up to 2 percent of students in the grades assessed using the alternate assessments based on modified academic achievement standards.

The Department of Education is funneling millions into post-secondary programs for students with intellectual disabilities at 27 colleges and universities. The grants totaling $10.9 million will help bolster programs designed to incorporate those with special needs on college campuses through a focus on academics as well as job skills, socialization and independent living.

Please join the Southwest ADA Center at ILRU for a webinar on “The Americans with Disabilities Act, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 in education.” Cheryl A. Theis (MA), with the Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund (DREDF) will provide an overview of the rights and protections for children with disabilities under the Americans with Disabilities Act, IDEA (the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act in elementary and secondary education. During this session we will: Give an overview of the rights and protections for children under the ADA, IDEA and Section 504 laws Update participants on the latest developments under these laws Discuss how to work collaboratively and effectively with school districts under IDEA and Section 504 laws Describe some of the latest resources available

Child Health USA is an annual report on the health status and service needs of America’s children. It provides graphical and textual summaries of secondary data on over 50 health-related indicators. 

The Obama administration's blueprint to overhaul the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) will support state and local efforts to help ensure that all students graduate prepared for college and a career. Following the lead of the nation's governors and state education leaders, the plan will ask states to ensure that their academic standards prepare students to succeed in college and the workplace, and to create accountability systems that recognize student growth and school progress toward meeting that goal. This will be a key priority in the reform of NCLB, which was signed into law in 2002 and is the most recent reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA).

Indian Education for All Advocacy Institute When: June 13 - 15, 2010 Where: Hilton Garden Inn, 2520 14th Street SW Great Falls, Montana   Who should attend? Teachers, administrators, grant directors, librarians, Indian Education instructional coaches, post-secondary educators, Native language instructors…   … who have background knowledge about Indian Education for All, ... who enthusiastically integrate IEFA into their instructional practice, … who will be an IEFA resource for others in their building or district.

Visit www.msubillings.edu/cspd to register for these workshops RTI 101 January 31st or February 11th, 2011 RTI Tier 1 Interventions February 15th, 2011 Differentiated Instruction February 22nd, 2011 Advanced DI February 23rd or February 24th, 2011 Room still available in these January workshops: Para Academy: Secondary Transtion January 11th and 12th, 2011 Data, Data, Everywhere! What's a Teacher to do? January 19th, 2011

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.

What: Today, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) issued guidance through Dear Colleague Letters to elementary and secondary schools and institutions of higher education along with a Frequently Asked Questions document on the legal obligation to provide students with disabilities an equal opportunity to enjoy the benefits of technology. This guidance is a critical step in the Department’s ongoing efforts to ensure that students with disabilities receive equal access to the educational benefits and services provided by their schools, colleges and universities. All students, including those with disabilities, must have the tools needed to obtain a world-class education that prepares them for success in college and careers. Today’s guidance provides information to schools about their responsibilities under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The guidance supplements a June 2010 letter issued jointly by OCR and the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice. The June letter explains that technological devices must be accessible to students with disabilities, including students who are blind or have low vision, unless the benefits of the technology are provided equally through other means. Today’s guidance highlights what educational institutions need to know and take into consideration in order to ensure that students with disabilities enjoy equal access when information and resources are provided through technology. “Technology can be a critical investment in enhancing educational opportunities for all students,” said Russlynn Ali, assistant secretary for civil rights. “The Department is firmly committed to ensuring that schools provide students with disabilities equal access to the benefits of technological advances.” Today’s guidance is part of a larger effort by the Department and Obama administration to better serve the needs of people with disabilities. Last month, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan joined Kareem Dale, associate director for the White House Office of Public Engagement and special assistant to the President for disability policy, for a conference call with stakeholders to talk about some of the Department’s efforts. During the call, Duncan discussed the Department’s commitment to maintaining accountability in No Child Left Behind for all subgroups, including students with disabilities, and highlighted the Department’s proposal to increase funding for students with disabilities in the fiscal year 2012 budget. Ali will also join Dale for a stakeholder conference call where she will discuss today’s guidance and address the Department’s work to ensure that all schools are fulfilling their responsibilities under the federal disability laws that OCR enforces.