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Click here to download the full flyer (PDF) What: Wraparound Overview: Why High Fidelity Wraparound and Why Now? Who: State Agencies, Providers, Family Organizations, Interested Stakeholders Where:      Billings, MT 2121 Rosebud Drive, Conference Rm. C-28 When: August 31, 2011 2pm - 5pm Mountain To register or if you have questions: Contact Nancy Whitbeck-Nicholson at NWhitbeck-Nicholson@mt.gov or (406)444-4545 and provide your name, agency, email and phone number. Register early; space is limited. No cost for the training. For questions about the PRTF Waiver: Contact Laura Taffs at ltaffs@mt.gov or (406)444-1460.

There is insufficient evidence to implicate any 1 perinatal or neonatal factor in autism etiology, although there is some evidence to suggest that exposure to a broad class of conditions reflecting general compromises to perinatal and neonatal health may increase the risk. Methodological variations were likely sources of heterogeneity of risk factor effects across studies.

Click here to register for this free webinar What: Evidence-based prevention programs are attractive because research shows they can produce good results. The challenge is getting similar results when they are put into practice. Experts on two childhood programs will explain the keys to implementing evidence-based programs and achieving expected outcomes. Peggy Hill, Chief Strategic Relations Officer at the Nurse-Family Partnership National Service Office, will introduce Nurse-Family Partnership as an example of an effective home-based health promotion program during pregnancy and infancy that has been developed through rigorous research and taken to broader scale nationally. She will describe what makes an “evidence-based” program unique, what supports for implementation are crucial for assuring that research-proven outcomes can be replicated in community settings, and how policy and administrative practice can foster success. Kristy Johnson, Director of Special Projects with Invest in Kids will describe The Incredible Years program as another proven early childhood program that supports child development in classroom settings. Kristy was responsible for creating needed supports for broader scale implementation of Incredible Years throughout Colorado, and will share lessons learned from the process of working with a researcher to make a strong program accessible and available to local schools interested in improving outcomes for young children. When: Tuesday, August 30, 2011 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Mountain Contact: For questions, email rbridge@mentalhealthamerica.net or call 703-684-7722.

President Barack Obama signed a three-year extension of the Combating Autism Act Friday, the very day the law — and many of the programs it established — was set to expire. The reauthorization Obama signed calls for $231 million annually through 2014 to fund everything from autism research to prevalence tracking, education, early identification and intervention programs.

Click here to register for this event What: The purpose of this conference is to provide information and support to State staff and other interested parties in the implementation of the Part C regulations of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).   On September 6, 2011, the U.S. Department of Education announced the final regulations for the early intervention program under Part C of the IDEA.  These final regulations will help improve services and outcomes for America's infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families. The final Part C regulations incorporate provisions in the 2004 amendments to Part C of the IDEA.  Additionally, the final regulations provide States with flexibility in some areas, while ensuring State accountability to improve results and providing needed services for infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families.  The regulations focus on measuring and improving outcomes for the approximately 350,000 children served by the Part C program with the goal of ensuring that such children are ready for preschool and kindergarten. Please join staff from the U. S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services in this interactive training session! When: November 16, 2011 Where: Gaylord National Hotel & Convention Center 201 Waterfront Street National Harbor, MD Questions: Please contact Tamara Infante at tinfante@fhi360.org.

Click here to Download Flyer for This Event (pdf file)   What: This group is designed for parents who are interested in adoption, in the process of adopting, those who have newly adopted, and interested others. EQUIP is a structured, psycho-educationally based group lead by alicensed therapist. Each month, we will concentrate on a specific topic relevant to adoption and have time for both teaching and discussion. This group is designed to support those beginning the adoption journey who would like information and the camaraderie of other families at the same early stage in the process. For parents who need the support of other families in dealing with specific challenges usually encountered once their adoptees are settled in (1 year or more into the adoption), we offer the CONNECT group, also available once a month. Please contact Kate Cremer-Vogel* for more information about this option. We hope you’ll join us aswe launch EQUIP for the first season this fall 2011! We look forward to seeing you there! *Please contact Kate Cremer-Vogel at 582-5480 or by email atcremervogel@theglobal.net if you would like more information about this option. When:The second Thursday of each month, 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm  Where:Evangelical Free Church S. 19th St. Room 102Bozeman, MT

Click here to download the flyer for this event (PDF) What: Wraparound 101 Training is an additional requirement for those wishing to provide caregiver peer-to-peer services in the PRTF waiver. When: September 27-28, 2011 9:00am - 4:00pm Mountain Where: Best Western Premier Great Northern Hotel Helena 835 Great Northern Boulevard Helena, MT 59601 Trainer:  Susan Boehrer To register or if you have questions:   Contact Nancy Whitbeck-Nicholson at NWhitbeck-Nicholson@mt.gov or (406) 444-4545 and provide your name, agency, email and phone number. Register early as space is limited. No cost for the training. For questions about the training: Contact Kandis Franklin at kfranklin@mt.gov or (406) 444-6018.

Click here to register for this webinar What: The Representational Portfolio was originally developed as a marketing tool for job developers to represent job seekers to employers. Portfolios are also used by youth to introduce themselves at their IEP meetings and to develop self-advocacy skills. During this webinar, you will learn how Portfolios can be an important piece of the health care transition for young adults. Through a Portfolio's concise text and photos, individuals with disabilities can describe the impact of their disability; list current medications and side effects they are experiencing; discuss seizures (what type, how often, etc.); introduce and explain medical equipment; share information about helpful accommodations and supports; and articulate what they want and need from their medical provider. Younger children can use Portfolios to learn to describe their own health care needs at an early age. Presenters will also share links to health care transition resources such as toolkits, web sites, and iPad apps that attendees may wish to explore. When: Tuesday, September 20. 2011 1:00pm - 2:30pm Mountain

Practice Guides Especially for Parents

Infants        Toddlers        Preschoolers

Literacy Learning Experiences

This knowledge path about caring for children and youth with special health care needs has been compiled by the Maternal and Child Health Library at Georgetown University. It offers a selection of current, high-quality resources that analyze data, describe effective programs, and report on policy and research aimed at developing systems of care that are family-centered, community-based, coordinated, and culturally competent. A separate section lists resources for families. The final part of the knowledge path presents resources that address specific aspects of care and development, such as advocacy, early intervention and special education, financing services, rehabilitation, screening, and transition. This knowledge path for health professionals, program administrators, policymakers, educators, researchers, and families will be updated periodically.

Best Beginnings Childcare Scholarships The Early Childhood Services Bureau offers “Best Beginnings” child-care scholarships to qualified low-income families whose child attends a licensed child care center, registered group or family child care home, or legally unregistered child care provider. Each family participates in the cost of that care by making a co-payment based on a sliding fee scale.

Are you worried that your child isn’t developing like other children? Has your child been diagnosed with a developmental delay or disability? You are not alone. We are here to help you find answers to your questions. Other parents and therapists are here with you.

Three minutes is all it takes to find out if a student needs extra help with reading.

Librarians and media specialists are secretly saying "I told you so" about the Walt Disney Company’s decision to issue a full refund on the Baby Einstein videos that parents have bought by the millions over the last five years.

Since the early days of the digital era, assistive and instructional technologies (AT/IT) have evolved along with other technologies, producing tools that can dramatically increase learning gains by children with and without disabilities. Still, getting that technology into the hands of those who need it the most remains a struggle in many schools and districts.

Long-awaited legislation to replace three federal reading programs—Early Reading First, Reading First, and Striving Readers—was introduced Nov. 5 by U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., and would authorize $2.35 billion in funding to improve reading and writing in kindergarten to 12th grade.

In the early 1970s, it was rare for a student to see a child with a disability in the hallways of their school. The disabled were invisible; their education was provided in isolated programs that rarely allowed them to access what every other child enjoyed. The landmark legislation, Education of All Handicapped Children Act (1975) and the subsequent revisions, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, dramatically changed the face of public education.

Kelly Camel comes to a halt, and the halls of the Adams Center fall silent. Stretching his arm toward a poster on the wall, he points at a member of the 1996 men's basketball team. "J.R.," he says, in his rudimentary speech.  It's the legendary J.R. Camel, whose athleticism and leaping abilities as a Grizzly were without parallel. His uncle. Kelly can't be like J.R.  He can't run.  He can't jump.  He can't make a shot or pass to a teammate.   But he spends every men's basketball game tucked at the end of the bench. He cheers for the team. He yells at referees. He mimics the gestures of head coach Wayne Tinkle. "He is like a little Energizer Bunny for us," junior forward Derek Selvig said. And although the basketball season is finished, the team's proudest fan is just getting started. Soon, Montana's biggest and most beloved supporter, known to all by his first name, will make fandom his business, opening his own company called Kelly Gear. Kelly was born on Jan. 3, 1978, 3 1/2 months early. He weighed 1 pound, 6 ounces. His chances of survival were one in 100.

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

In honor of World Autism Awareness Day, the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) has released its Summary of Advances for 2010. Twenty articles that were published in 2010 were selected across each of the five areas of focus on the IACC strategic plan. Autism Speaks’ Chief Science Officer, Geri Dawson, Ph.D.,  is a member of the committee and was pleased to see advances across the range of autism research and said, “It is encouraging to see the diversity of scientific advances that were made in 2010.“ Dawson noted, “studies that were deemed especially noteworthy included environmental research, genetic discoveries, new early intervention approaches, and assessment of medical conditions such as GI problems and mitochondrial dysfunction.”