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The Southwest ADA Center is pleased to announce the availability of the Disability Law Handbook now in Spanish, as well as English. The Disability Law Handbook is written in "Frequently Asked Questions" format and answers questions about the ADA, the ADA Amendments Act, the Rehabilitation Act, Social Security, the Air Carrier Access Act, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act, and the Fair Housing Act Amendments. Free copies may be downloaded or viewed at http://www.swdbtac.org/html/publications/Spanish/gld/index.html for the Spanish version and http://www.swdbtac.org/html/publications/dlh/index.html for the English.

What: A Booster Shot of INCLUSIVE Energy to your Classroom! Discover how Inclusive Instructional Strategies can transform your life and the lives of your students in a powerful and fun way! Diana Pastora Carson takes simple strategies to EMPOWER teachers and energize all learners, even ones with significant disabilities:   Rhythm Music Movement Interactive Visual Aids Collaborative Projects When: Friday, April 29, 2011  11:00am-12:00pm Mountain Registration: $55 Early Registration - Until April 21st $65 - April 22nd and beyond  Register Now! Create a sense of belonging for all students Empower confidence, motivation, and achievement Inclusive ideas can facilitate a positive learning experience for all, including teachers and staff Make learning environments and curricular content accessible to a full range of students

What: PolicyLink's Ron Stief will facilitate a discussion on some of the latest and greatest practices developing communities and economies in Indian Country! This webinar will highlight two models: the Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) and Promise Neighborhoods. Our speakers include Marissa Spang, Director of the Promise Neighborhoods project in Lame Deer, Montana and Krystal Langholz, Executive Director of Hunkpati Investments in Fort Thompson, South Dakota. When: Tuesday, April 12, 2011 10:00 - 11:00am Mountain To Join: Dial 1-866-740-1260 and visit www.readytalk.com and enter: 3853940 Check out the Plains Talk website to access previous webinar recordings and to download roundtable policy reports from across the Northern Plains!

As libraries evolve to meet the needs of their information-overloaded user base, the SirsiDynix development team actively expands its offerings for on-the-go library users. Among this development is the industry-leading SirsiDynix BookMyne™ iPhone application, bringing convenient, social-savvy library functionality into your users’ everyday activities. In addition to providing mobile access to in-demand library information, holdings and services, BookMyne 2.1 offers a myriad of patron-pleasing features including: Barcode scanning capability, so library users can scan the barcode of a book at a bookstore or friend’s home and retrieve availability information on the book at the patron’s library of choice; Social recommendation engine powered via Goodreads, enabling iPhone or iPod Touch users to search library holding for friend-recommended reads; New York Times best seller list cross-referencing, enabling users to immediately cross-check the best seller list with library holdings and place holds remotely; Enhanced account interaction, including the ability for library users to view fines and fees on their Apple mobile device.

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.

Webinar - All About Apps for Education: Just the Apps and Nothing but the Apps Thursday, May 5, 2011, 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. Mountain – Web-Based Training, register Discover the wonderful world of apps for education. This webinar will help you navigate and maximize your use of the iPod/iPad. The presenters will take you on an app adventure and share a variety of apps in such categories as early childhood, literacy, autism, communication, organization, and more. Funding for this webinar is made possible by a grant from the Minnesota Department of Education. The source of funding is from federal award, Grants to States-Special Education CFDA 84.027, P.L. 108-446 Individuals With Disabilities Education Act. Basic Vocabulary Organization in PRC Devices Monday, May 16, 2011, 5:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Mountain – PACER Center, Bloomington, MN, register This free workshop is for parents and professionals to learn more about Unity vocabulary organization included in all Prentke Romich Company PRC Communication or AAC Devices.  Participants will be introduced to the vocabulary options available.  This workshop will be held in the PACER computer lab where participants can bring their own device or use computer emulation software (Vantage Lite PASS software version 5.02).  The training will include hands-on experience to become familiar with how Unity supports creation of spontaneous novel communication, and to teach basic device operations such as customizing messages, changing icons, hiding keys, and backing up the device. The presenter is PRC Regional Consultant Helen Canfield.  The workshop is limited to 20 participants. Classroom Suite Version 4 Foundations Wednesday, May 18, 7:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Mountain - PACER Center, register This workshop is designed for educators, SLPs, OTs, AT specialists, paraprofessionals and parents who are new to (or have limited experience with) Classroom Suite V.4. The goal of the Foundation Workshop for Classroom Suite V.4 is to enable educators to use Classroom Suite to teach early concepts, reading, writing, and math to students struggling because of learning difficulties or access issues. This workshop is sponsored by Cambium Learning Technologies. Registration fee $225. Kurzweil 3000 Version 11 Foundations Thursday, May 19, 7:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Mountain - PACER Center, register This workshop is designed for educators, SLPs, OTs, AT specialists, paraprofessionals and parents who support students with learning disabilities and are new to (or have limited experience with) Kurzweil 3000. This workshop is sponsored by Cambium Learning Technologies. Registration fee $225.00. Putting LAMP (Language Acquisition through Motor Planning) to Work: AAC Strategies to Promote Communication Friday, May 20, 2011, 8:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Mountain – PACER Center, Bloomington, MN, register Language Acquisition through Motor Planning (LAMP) is a therapeutic approach based on neurological and motor learning principles.  The goal is to give individuals who are nonverbal or have limited verbal abilities or speech a method to independently and spontaneously express themselves.  This workshop is for parents, professionals, and SLPs and will give an overview of the LAMP treatment approach, discussion of the components of LAMP and how and why children with autism would benefit from using a voice output AAC device, and discussion of features that are beneficial for teaching language to children with autism and other disabilities.  Lunch will not be provided.  A one hour lunch break will be taken and maps to area restaurants will be provided.  This free workshop will offer 0.5 ASHA CEUs.

What: This webcast will introduce information for professionals on some of the emerging trends in biomedical research and health care environments that present new opportunities for partnership, collaboration, and support, as well as: Provide an overview of translational science, e-science and health information resources in electronic health records, including the related trends and issues affecting information professionals. Identify skills that information professionals need to work with researchers, information technology professionals, clinicians and community partners in these environments. Learn about community engagement in translational science research and roles for clinicians and information professionals in this arena. Address meaningful use of health information by patients accessing their electronic health records, as required by recent legislation to facilitate quality improvement at the point of care. The discussions at these webcasts are invaluable even if you are not in a medical library.  Please contact Tori Koch at 406-238-2226 or by email at library@billingsclinic.org if you are interested in attending. When: April 20, 2011 12:00 - 1:00pm Mountain Cost: Free

I prepared by: Bringing him when the salon was empty Explaining his autism to the hair stylist ahead of time Providing lots of reinforcers especially those that were on deprivation (removing access to something he loves for two weeks and saving it for the haircut).

The LRE (Least Restrictive Environment) Community of Practice offered a series of webinars on inclusion over the past year. They are now making the recorded archived webinars available to the public. Please click here to download the full list of webinars with instructions on how to access them (PDF)

What: Montana Digital Academy announces live math help in May, 2011 aimed at K-8 students in Montana. Montana Digital Academy's Direct Academic Student Help desk, or DASH, has been providing live, one-on-one tutoring in math and other subjects since October, 2010.  We are expanding DASH's mission in May to experiment with ways that we can utilize our University of Montana students to help struggling students throughout Montana. Starting May 2, DASH will run two weeks of live, after school tutoring sessions with our staff to try our remote tutoring model.  We will provide access through GoToMeeting, an excellent online tool for bringing people together in different locations. For a flyer to share with your students, click here. For our live session page or to get more information, go to our Math Help Live Wikispaces page here.

What: 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. Objectives: Participants will define media literacy and understand some techniques of persuasion. Participants will understand how media literacy education helps prevent tobacco and alcohol initiation among youth. 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. OPI Renweal Units are available. There are no fees for this taining but registration is required. SCHEDULED WORKSHOPS: May 6, 2011 - (9:00 to Noon) May 11, 2011 - (9:00 to Noon) May 17, 2011 - (9:00AM to Noon) All workshops are scheduled at for MSUB, College of Education Building, Room 122. TO REGISTER: For further information go to http://www.msubillings.edu/smart/training/medialiteracy.htm To register go to http://www.msubillings.edu/mcdregister/MediaLiteracyRegistration.htm

For more information about the Montana State University Billings WIPA project please contact: mark.williams1@msubillings.edu or cal toll free: 888-866-3822 What: The Montana State University Billings/Montana Center on Disabilities WIPA project is part of the Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act that was established in 1999. The goal of the Work Incentives Planning and Assistance (WIPA) project is to help Social Security Disability beneficiaries understand and utilize employment supports and work incentives so they can achieve their employment/ vocational goals.The Community Work Incentives Coordinator travels throughout Montana to make these services more accessible for consumers in their local areas.

For more information about the Montana State University Billings WIPA project please contact: tkelker@msubillings.edu or jennifer.belcher@msubillings.edu or call toll free: 888-866-3822 What: The Montana State University Billings/Montana Center on Disabilities WIPA project is part of the Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act that was established in 1999. The goal of the Work Incentives Planning and Assistance (WIPA) project is to help Social Security Disability beneficiaries understand and utilize employment supports and work incentives so they can achieve their employment/ vocational goals.The Community Work Incentives Coordinator travels throughout Montana to make these services more accessible for consumers in their local areas.

Bookshare is happy to announce that Read2Go, the accessible e-reader app for the Apple iOS, is now available for purchase for $19.99 on the Apple App Store! Now your child can enjoy all their favorite Bookshare books on cool Apple devices like the iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch (4th generation versions). Read2Go allows readers to easily find, download and read Bookshare books all in one place with great features: listen to books with high quality text-to-speech voices see and hear words read as they are highlighted adjust reading speed, font size, and colors for highlights and background contrast connect and read with Braille displays via bluetooth and more! Go to the Apple App Store to purchase Read2Go today! Are we having fun yet? We hope your families are having a great summer. One group that surely is are the participants in the "Bookshare Everywhere" Summer Contest. Over 350 students are reading an incredible amount of books this summer, improving reading skills, and may be on their way to winning awesome prizes like an iPad 2! There's still plenty of time to play, so have your child join today!

Click here to register for this webinar What: The rapid growth in adoption of "Response to Intervention" across the nation's public schools, sparked in large measure by changes to IDEA's identification procedures for specific learning disabilities, is raising issues of compliance with IDEA's Child Find mandate.   Specifically, under IDEA (2004), school districts are no longer required to use a discrepancy model when determining eligibility, but instead, may use alternative means (e.g., response-to-intervention (RTI) or processing deficit approaches) to identify students. Consequently, significant variability among states in the SLD identification criteria now exists. The implementation of new criteria - particularly RTI - may result in delay or failure to properly identify students as eligible for IDEA services.   This Webinar will present the latest information on RTI adoption across states and the use of RTI for SLD identification. It will review recent challenges, including litigation, and provide guidance on an array of practical advocacy options that can be used to capitalize on the RTI process-to help struggling students regardless of whether they are suspected of having SLD-and deal with the delay or denial of access to special education potentially posed by RTI.  Time will be provided for questions from participants. When: Wednesday, November 2, 2011  12:00pm - 1:30pm Mountain

Jamie Barnes, fourth grade teacher at McKinley Elementary School, and her son Cole Barnes, 16, a Billings Senior freshman with cerebral palsy, have received a $10,000 grant to make their home more accessible for Cole's wheelchair.

There was an amazing moment at Indianapolis today, as quadriplegic driver Sam Schmidt drove a specially outfitted car nearly 100 miles around the Indy 500 racetrack.

New gadgets and mobile apps introduced in the past few years are making reading, writing and math more accessible to students with learning disabilities.

Mental health issues like depression, anxiety and substance abuse often start in adolescence, then peak in young adulthood. But for young people who don't have steady jobs or stable paychecks, getting help can be tough. A popular provision of the Affordable Care Act that took effect in 2010 aimed to make it easier for young adults to get access to health care, by allowing them to stay on their parents' insurance until they turn 26. So, are more young adults getting help with mental health issues because of the provision? Maybe, suggests a study published in the September issue of Health Affairs.

Most children with autism get diagnosed around age 5, when they start school. But signs of the developmental disorder may be seen as early as 1 year old. Yet even if a parent notices problems making eye contact or other early signs of autism, some doctors still dismiss those concerns, a study finds, saying the child will "grow out of it." That can delay diagnosis and a child's access to therapy.