Group items tagged

"Do I have a right to observe the class before agreeing (or not agreeing) to a placement for my child? The special ed director said I cannot observe the class because of confidentiality issues with the other children." Pete says: I have represented kids with disabilities since 1978. In all these years, I have never had an instance where a school denied a parent, or the parent's private sector expert, the opportunity to observe a potential placement. The school board attorneys with whom I have worked over the years have always permitted observations by parents and the parent's outside experts.   When a school administrator takes this position, it creates an appearance of two things (both bad): (1) that the program is clearly not appropriate and the parent will quickly discover this, and (2) that the school is attempting to keep important information from parents. I think many Hearing Officers and Administrative Law Judges would view a refusal to allow an observation as grounds to find that the proposed placement was not appropriate.

Bullying and cyber-bullying can leave anyone feeling hurt, angry, frightened, and even depressed or overwhelmed. Those who bully often experience their own psychological problems as well. Because bullying is so common, many people think it's normal and should be tolerated. But it doesn't have to be. By learning about why some kids bully and why others are bullied, you can help yourself or a loved one deal with bullying, and develop the resilience and self-confidence to succeed in life.

For some parents of children with special needs, separation anxiety can be an emotionally intense experience that stretches over several years and limits a family’s activities.  I know because I go through the whole process every day with my own children.  It has been helpful to me to understand the differences between typical and atypical separation anxiety – and even more helpful to find ways to work through the anxiety not only without tears, but also with increased self-confidence and independence for my children.

Davis, a 30-year quadriplegic, Missoula resident and a powerful voice for people with disabilities, died in her home on June 28 from cancer at the age of 58. She was a calming, caring voice for those struggling with their disability and a strong, confident voice when it came to testifying before the Legislature for funds to pay for home-care services.

This free online course helps parents and educators build knowledge and confidence as they become advocates for their children living with hearing loss and work with local school districts and service providers.

Fluency is a critical skill for a young reader — evidence that he is comfortable "decoding" the words on the page and can read aloud with expression. If your child is struggling with fluency, there are simple things you can do at home to help build confidence and skills.

Not long ago, most blind and visually impaired people grew up without ever playing sports; they sat on the sidelines, and kept score during gym-protected rather than included. In the 1980s, few people had ever heard of the Paralympic Games or accessible recreation. Today, promising blind athletes can receive residency at the US Olympic Training Center; runners compete for prize money and national championships, and most ski resorts offer adaptive programs throughout the year where blind people can ski, cycle, and kayak-often for free. The Paralympic movement, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and ever-increasing expectation for inclusion among the disabled have inspired an explosion of accessible sports, fitness, and recreation programs that accommodate the blind. The Encyclopedia of Sports & Recreation for People with Visual Impairments is the first consumer- focused, action-oriented guide to this new world of accessible activity, profiling the people, programs, and products that are helping move blind and visually impaired people from the sidelines into the game. This groundbreaking guide profiles every accessible blind sport and recreation activity with entries that outline how athletes (both novice and elite) got involved in the sport and how participation has shaped their life. The book also profiles major blind sports organizations and includes chapter and resource listings on camps and accessible recreation providers. Through this book, blind people will be inspired to embrace sports as the rest of society does-as a vital component of personal expression and human interaction that opens paths to adventure, confidence, and lifelong health and fitness

Co:Writer® is a word prediction app for iOS devices that provides context-sensitive word choices as one types to help students with learning disabilities write with more confidence and effectiveness. Like the Don Johnston literacy software on which it is based, the Co:Writer app presents relevant word suggestions based on spelling, grammar, and vocabulary drawn from a user's personal- and topic-specific dictionaries.

the promise of the Common Core State Standards now being implemented by all but four states is colliding with the reality that teachers are struggling to encapsulate actionable goals in an IEP. "I think the bigger issue is we struggle with access to the general ed curriculum, period," said Carol Kosnitsky, a former special education director in New Hampshire who now travels to school districts around the country to provide professional development in the common core and IEPs. "People aren't coming in confident that they know how to do this, so now it's just another layer on top of not-well-defined practice."

2010 Leadership Opportunities for Teens (LOFT)

Provide an active learning and bonding experience for teenagers who are deaf and hard of hearing and who use listening and spoken language. And, ultimately, to create a network of confident individuals who are deaf and hard of hearing and use spoken language.

Click here to download the full brochure with schedule and registration information (PDF) What: In contrast to Family Learning Weekends, Enrichment Weekends are designed to create opportunities for students who are deaf & hard of hearing to interact with their peers, rather than providing information for parents and siblings. The theme of the weekend is “Finding Yourself” and activities are implemented to build confidence and a sense of responsibility in each participant. All school aged students are welcome; activities will be modified according to each child’s age and ability. Parents are encouraged to participate activities as appropriate. When: February 25 & 26, 2011 Where: Montana School for the Deaf and Blind Campus Great Falls, MT

Half of Americans are confident vaccines don’t play a role in the development of autism, according to a new poll. The other half say they believe there’s a connection or simply aren’t sure. The results from the poll released Thursday by Harris Interactive and HealthDay indicate just how pervasive fears remain about a link between autism and vaccines.

What: The Suicide Prevention Coalition of Yellowstone Valley (SPC-YV) is supported by survivors, teachers, healthcare professionals, Native American leadership, clergy and community. With the generosity of a grant awarded through the Montana Mental Health Settlement Trust, we are hosting a Suicide Prevention Training on Friday, October 21, 2011 at the Mansfield Education Center in Billings, Montana. This is OPI approved and School District 2 has approved it for 7 hours toward MEA Trade Days. We plan to apply for Social Work, Councelor and Law CEUs as well. In addition, the training reaches out to the grassroots welcoming parents and other community members for their first time training on this issue. We are confident this will be an informative and crucial way to address the challenges of suicide in our greater community. When: Friday, October 21, 2011 Where: Mansfield Education Center Billings, Montana. Contact: Mike Yakawich spcoalitionyv@gmail.com 406-254-2445

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

New York, NY — Eleigha Love, who describes her brain as a computer, and Jared Schmidt, a teenage sky diver, are the recipients of this year's $10,000 Anne Ford and Allegra Ford Scholarships given to two graduating high school seniors with documented learning disabilities (LD) who are pursuing undergraduate degrees. Anne Ford, Chairman Emerita of the National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD), is a well-known philanthropist and author, who has been a long-time parent advocate for children with learning disabilities, starting with her own daughter, Allegra. The scholarship was created in 2001 by the NCLD board when Ms. Ford stepped down as chairman in honor of her service. In 2008, Allegra agreed to match the existing award, creating a second scholarship. Anne Ford and Today Show Host Al Roker presented the scholarships at this year's NCLD 34th Annual Benefit Dinner, emceed by Paula Zahn in New York City. Jared and Eleigha are two of more than 2.5 million students who are wrestling with learning disabilities. They are among the mere 64 percent of students with LD who graduate high school, and only 10 percent with LD that go on to a four-year college. "We received over 300 applications, and let me tell you everyone of them came from students deserving a scholarship," said Anne, handing out the awards to this year’s winners. “We hear so much about the challenges and struggles of students with LD, and it is so inspiring to see that so many are able to meet and surpass those challenges." "Our goal is to see every child with LD graduate from high school," said James Wendorf, Executive Director of NCLD. "We are still failing about 1 million children. We've seen graduation rates and classroom inclusion rise more than 15 percent over the past 10 years. But we need to continue to empower parents and teachers, reduce stigma among kids, and keep education funding on the top of the education agenda if we are going to see those numbers increase, not decrease." One of the biggest problems with learning disabilities is diagnosing them in time, before children get frustrated with the system. "To a child with learning disabilities, school can be a very isolating place, it can be a very frustrating place and frankly overwhelming," relayed CNN's Anderson Cooper at a recent NCLD lunch. "Too many kids with LD struggle to try and keep up with their peers and suffer from low confidence and self-esteem and lose their love of learning at a young age. It's hard to rekindle that once it's gone, which is why the work of this organization is so important."