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More than doubling the number of books available to print disabled people of all ages, today the Internet Archive launched a new service that brings free access to more than 1 million books – from classic 19th Century fiction and current novels to technical guides and research materials – now available in the specially designed format to support those who are blind, dyslexic or otherwise visually impaired.

From Disability.gov, this fact sheet provides an overview of the major federal student aid grant programs. The federal government provides grant funds for students attending colleges, including career colleges and universities. Grants, unlike loans, do not have to be repaid. To access the fact sheet in English go to http://studentaid.ed.gov/students/attachments/siteresources/Grant_Programs_Fact_Sheet_04_2009.pdf A Spanish version is available at: http://studentaid.ed.gov/students/attachments/siteresources/spanish/Grant_Programs_Fact_Sheet_04_2009%28es%29.pdf

Welcome to Wheel Adventure Travel! Travel Lovers, this site is for you. It offers useful, detailed travel guides on disabled and budget travel around the world. You will find info on wheelchair accessible hotels, travel tips and advice on international travel destinations.

Click here to view the flyer for this webinar (PDF) What: This session will begin with an overview the importance of social competence for individuals on the spectrum. Strategies to teach social competence to individuals on the spectrum as well as means of assessing skills cquisition will also be provided. The emphasis will be on practical information that can be applied across settings When: Wednesday, March 16, 2011 12:30pm - 1:30pm Mountain Who Should Attend? This training is appropriate for: educators; families; human service professionals, including: front line supervisors, nurses, social workers, program coordinators, case managers, QMRPs, direct support professionals and other individuals involved in efforts to improve learning outcomes and quality of life or people with disabilities. Hosting: The Montana Autism Education Project will pay for a number of sites in each CSPD region. The webinar would need to be held in a meeting or classroom with adequate seating for staff from surrounding districts to attend and with the necessary audio equipment for everyone to hear the webinar. Contact: If you are interested in hosting a location, please contact Doug Doty at ddoty@mt.gov by February 15th.  Include information about the proposed location (seating, address, contact person) with your email. Participating sites need a speaker phone with a mute button and a computer with access to the Internet.

Welling up with emotion, Lisa DiGiallonardo explains that a new program offered by the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services is doing more than improving the life of her middle son. "The Children's Autism Waiver is saving my family," Lisa says emphatically. "Before we had access to this program, my husband and I were held captive in our home by Dominic's autism for three and a half years."

We are looking for examples of young people, age 18-30, in Montana who have a developmental disability according to the Montana definition and have creatively organized their supports to: Live in the community (on their own or with family or  friends) and/or Work in the community (including owning their own business) and/or Access inclusive education (high school, college, trade school, community classes) and/or Participate in recreation and leisure activities that are inclusive (that is, alongside people without disabilities) We want examples of supports that have been creatively organized around the person, individualized to their interests and needs.  These supports can be organized and managed by a funded adult agency or family and friends.  We are also looking for examples of creative funding such as blended services and natural supports, use of Social Security Administration work incentives, privately funded services or traded or bartered supports. Selected leaders will have their stories featured on the Montana Transition Listserv and in the annual Emerging Leader Showcase. They will also receive a monetary stipend for their time. To nominate yourself or someone you know as an Emerging Leader, visit the Rural Institute Transition Projects Website for a brief nomination form and a consent form.

Click here to register for this event | Click here to download the full brochure (PDF) When: February 26 & March 5, 2011 9:00am to 1:00pm Mountain Where: MSUB College of Education, Room 122  Billings, MT What: Google Sites is a tool that allows students and teachers to create custom web pages. You can easily create and update these pages adding content, attachments, and embedded media from many other services, including Picasa Web Albums, YouTube video, and Google Apps. A site can be created for a class, a school, or any other group that needs to quickly share information and ideas—even a team or a club. The easy-to-use editor makes it possible to build a site in minutes using templates for specific types of pages, such as announcements, dashboards, file cabinets, or lists. You also have control over who has access to the page; share with everyone, or only specific individuals. The workshop will show how you can set up and maintain your own personal website in Google Sites with knowing limited HTML. Participants must bring a laptop computer.

Kids spend an average of more than 7 hours a day with some form of media.  As a result, they sometimes grow up having more interaction with TV, the Internet, and other media messages than people.  Media Literacy refers to the ability to access, analyze, evaluate, and create media messages of all kinds.  This interactive training will explore basic concepts of media literacy by examining TV commercials, messages and print ads, and tobacco and alcohol marketing.  We will work in small and large groups to discuss the language of persuasion, deconstruct ads, and create counter messages.  After this training, participants will have a greater understanding of media literacy and walk away with tools they can use with their learners. Objective 1: Participants will define media literacy and understand some techniques of persuasion. Objective 2: Participants will understand how media literacy education helps prevent tobacco and alcohol initiation among youth. Objective 3: Participants will learn new media literacy activities and exercises they can do with their learners. The Media Literacy Professional Development Project will assist the state's school districts in meeting the Montana media literacy content standards by offering Media Literacy Professional Development (PD) to Montana teachers.  Please note that media literacy is included in both Curriculum Arts and Health Enhancement standards. There are no fees for this taining but registration is required. Mileage reimbursement will be paid for those outside the Billings area. Scheduled Workshops (Mountain): Febraury 15, 2011 (6:00 to 8:00PM) March 14, 2011 (9:00 to 11:00AM) March 30, 2011 (9:00 to 11:00AM) Location: All workshops are scheduled at for MSUB, College of Education Building, Room 122. To Register: More information at http://www.msubillings.edu/smart/training/medialiteracy.htm Registration form at http://www.msubillings.edu/mcdregister/MediaLiteracyRegistration.htm. If you would be interested in scheduling or attending a training session on Media Literacy contact John Keener, MRESA3 Coordinator, at john.keener@msubillings.edu or call 657-1743 for more information or to schedule a training.  There is no fee for this service.

As the Technology Coach for Educational Vision Services, the program in the NYC Department of Education that serves students in our school system with visual impairments, I have been looking for a way to provide students with low-vision access to large print using the iPad. Our students are registered with Bookshare.org but it has been a stumbling block converting the DAISY formatted books into the epub format that can be read on the iPad. While there are numerous options for our students who are auditory or Braille readers, there has been a large disconnect in taking advantage of technology for our students who require large print and alternate contrast for visual reading.

What:Prentke Romich Company and AAC: The Language Behind the Device   PRC believes in providing single words for novel communication in addition to pre-programmed sentences and topic/environment specific vocabulary. This webinar will explain the unique method of organizing and accessing vocabulary for all language levels and addresses the ongoing struggle with the constant need for adding vocabulary. When: February 28, 2011 2:00-3:00 p.m. Mountain Click here to join webinar:  http://tinyurl.com/atforum10

Click here to download the flyer (PDF) What: A coordinated system of accessible community-based respite care services for family caregivers of children or adults with special needs.  This includes but is not limited to individuals with developmental disabilities, other disabilities, mental health issues, aging, illness, and child abuse. Who should attend: Representatives from state agencies, statewide organizations, community groups, respite providers, and family caregivers When: March 9, 2011 9:30am - 4:30pm Where: Great Northern Best Western Helena, MT For more information, contact: Doug Blakley, Aging Services/DPHHS at (800) 332-2272 Vicki Clear/DEAP at (800) 224-6034 Register for the Summit at http://www.arch.memberlodge.org/StateSummit

Click here to register for this event What: This three hour training is designed for counselor/administrator teams to work together to learn the basic principles of the Montana School Counseling Program Model.  The training will include roles and responsibilities of counselors and administrators within the program and steps for implementation of the Model.  Participants will have an outline of an implementation plan and be able to begin the implementation process. The goal is to provide high-quality, Level I training for Montana school counselors and administrators. Participants will learn the tools to: establish a school counseling program as an integral component of the school?s academic missions; ensure students have access to counseling services; identify and deliver the knowledge and skills acquired in the Academic, Career, and personal/Social Domains; promote specific guidelines and strategies to engage culturally different students/parents in counseling and the educational process; and, sponsor a culturally appropriate approach to counseling that is aligned with the spirit and intent of IEFA. Where: Montana State University - Billings College of Education Building, Room 122 Billings, MT Scheduled Trainings: March 11, 2011 9:00am-12:00pm April 1, 2011 9:00am-12:00pm April 13, 2011 9:00am-12:00pm Cost: http://www.msubillings.edu/smart/training/schoolcounseling.htm There are no fees for this training but registration is required.  Mileage reimbursement will be paid for those outside of the Billings area.

ZoomReader is an iPhone app that combines the iPhone’s camera with high quality OCR, flexible reading options (magnification, contrast, etc.), excellent text-to-speech, and even voice recognition for commands. Aisquared is to be commended for putting all of this together for only $20.  They’re not only making accessibility simple, they’re making it affordable!

Click here to register for this event What: The AG Bell Listening & Spoken Language Symposium is the premier professional development event dedicated to the fastest growing trend—the desire of families to seek a listening and spoken language outcome for their children who are deaf and hard of hearing.  Hearing health professionals and educators of the deaf need better tools and new strategies to help families make the most of these advances. Professionals face new challenges and opportunities in meeting the needs of multiple cultures and generations, and in early diagnosis of additional learning or physical challenges.

Symposium highlights: Six short courses that will build your knowledge on best practices for listening and spoken language skill development. 15 Workshop sessions that will provide research and innovative strategies to guide professional practice. Access to products and technologies to support the families and children that you serve. Networking opportunities with other listening and spoken language professionals. Who should attend? Certified Listening and Spoken Language Specialists (LSLS Cert. AVTs and Cert. AVEds) Candidates for LSLS certification Teachers of the deaf Audiologists College and university professors in teacher/clinician training programs Early interventionists Speech-language pathologists Supervisors and administrators of listening and spoken language programs and public schools

To learn more and to access the online survey, go to http://ehhs.kent.edu/link/ What: Steve Bagnato, John Neisworth, and Kristie Pretti-Frontczak are inviting those who work with young children from birth to age eight to participate in a consumer rating of early childhood assessment measures. Results will expand upon LINKing Authentic Assessment & Early Childhood Interventio, by Stephen Bagnato, John T. Neisworth, & Kristie Pretti-Frontczak, 2010. The survey takes about 10 minutes per assessment. The website will be open until March 18th.  Input is being sought from teachers, family members, paraprofessionals, administrators, related service providers, therapists, consultants, social workers, school psychologists, child care providers, nurses, or others who have familiarity with early childhood assessment measures to participate. For questions or concerns: Contact Dr. Kristie Pretti-Frontczak at 330-672-0597 or kprettif@kent.edu. Information about Kent State University's rules for research can be obtained from Dr. John West, Vice President and Dean, Division of Research and Graduate Studies 330-672-2851.

Click here to download the full brochure with registration information (PDF) What: This course is designed to help you develop a more integrated approach, working within the classroom, educators and therapists collaborating to develop therapeutic intervention programs that can be implemented within students’ daily schedules. Participants will: Develop a tool kit of classroom based inter-vention strategies to support students within general education classrooms Discover the three components in class-rooms that have the greatest impact on student learning Uncover simple, movement based strategies to facilitate whole brain learning Decrease unnecessary referrals with a pro-active screening process Learn practical strategies to make visual media more accessible everyday for stu-dents who struggle with maintaining atten-tion How to introduce motor learning labs for reading and writing that can be easily intro-duced with core curriculum Learn strategies for positioning to enhance student performance at near point and far point learning tasks Receive an extensive resource handbook with dynamic intervention strategies Who should attend: Occupational Therapists OT Assistants Physical Therapists PT Assistants Special Education Teachers Regular Education Teachers School Psychologists Speech and Language Pathologists School Administrators When: October 20-21, 2011 Where: Hampton Inn Great Falls 2301 14th Street. SW Great Falls, Montana 59404 Contact: Deb Davison by email at deb_davison@gfps.k12.mt.us

The goal of iAdvocate is to share and develop specific strategies with parents for working collaboratively with a school team to improve their children’s education. iAdvocate uses problem-based learning strategies, simulations, and provides contextual access resources to build parental advocacy skills and knowledge. iAdvocate provides parents with both information and most importantly, strategies in regards to their educational rights and getting their child’s needs met. The goal of iAdvocate is to share and develop specific strategies with parents for working collaboratively with a school team to improve their children’s education and to provide the most inclusive and meaningful educational environment for students with disabilities.

Click here to register for this event What: Identifying intervention strategies and applications for persons with complex communication needs remains a challenge. Multimodal approaches to AAC intervention within naturalistic environments provide significant opportunities for cultivating intentionality and supporting language acquisition. This series of webinars will aid in gaining insight into utilization of symbols for teaching and shaping behaviors that function as meaningful and appropriate communication. Participants will learn strategies for employing symbols and technology to support the four main purposes of communication: expressing wants and needs, developing social closeness, exchanging information and fulfilling social routines. Course 1 - June 21, 2011 - Unleash the Power of Augmentative and Alternative Communication Your AAC users are not talking with their peers, use few communicative functions and are unmotivated to communicate. What can be done to nourish functional, generative communication? This course will address using a variety of technologies and strategies to stimulate use of meaningful and appropriate communication. Learner Outcomes: The participant will be able to identify the meaning of functional communication and the requisites for communication. The participant will be able to describe six strategies for supporting the development of communication skills using single message devices. The participant will be able to explain 12 ways to utilize sequencers to encourage functional communication in a variety of settings. When: Webinar begins at 10:00am Mountain time. Session sign in begins 15 minutes prior. This session requires you to call in to access the audio. Certificate of Attendance will be available at completion.

Click here to register for this event What: Early childhood is often when a child and the family first receive a diagnosis while in the hospital or outpatient setting. This course will explore the basics for introducing assistive technology devices to the family while in the hospital setting/outpatient setting. Learner Outcomes: Participants will identify criteria to determine when to introduce assistive technology to the child Participants will become familiar with the basic features of assistive technology assessment Participants will receive an overview assistive technology devices appropriate for a new diagnosis involving motor, sensory and cognitive issues. When: Webinar begins at 10:00am Mountain time. Session sign in begins at 15 minutes prior. This session requires you to call in to access the audio. If applying for Individual Continuing Education Units (one hour of instruction) registered attendance and successful completion of this educational program is required and must be applied for with the payment of $16 being made directly to RESNA. Submission application will be provided.   Certificate of Attendance will be available upon completion.

RCT Demonstrates the Efficacy of the LEAP Model of Early Intervention for Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Research on Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and the development of interventions for children with autism have expanded greatly in recent years, though most comprehensive interventions have not received systematic, scientific evaluation. One of the few exceptions is LEAP (Learning Experiences�An Alternative Program for Preschoolers and Parents), a comprehensive intervention for preschool children with autism, developed by Phillip Strain in 1981, that uses a variety of science-based learning techniques. Although LEAP had been shown to improve child outcomes in a prior evaluation, the developers recently implemented a new experimental evaluation comparing full LEAP implementation to a reduced model based only on access to materials. With funding from the National Center for Special Education Research, principal investigator Phillip Strain and his research team conducted a randomized controlled trial (RCT) comparing classroom implementation of LEAP with training and mentoring by LEAP staff to classrooms in which teachers were only provided with the usual LEAP training manuals and materials. They found that providing preschool teachers with LEAP training and mentoring resulted in greater fidelity of implementation and more positive child outcomes when compared to teachers who were only given the training manuals and materials.