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What:Kevin Honeycutt takes a fun look at the exciting things that happen when educators step outside their boxes and try new tools. He reinforces the importance of relationships while encouraging teacher to become learners again through positive examples of student success.Julie Cajune, Executive Director of the Center for American Indian Policy and Applied Research Center at Salish Kootenai College, recently completed a three-year project developing tribal history materials funded by the Montana State Legislature. Julie will share her findings in her Wednesday keynote presentation: “History Matters” and in her session “Montana Tribal Histories and Governments”.When:June 5-8, 2012Where:MSU BillingsBillings, MTRegistration: Early Bird registration: $150.00 (through 5/14/12Late Bird registration: $170.00 (after 5/14/12) Register for college credit and CEUs by calling MSUB at 896-5890.Contact:Montana Center on DisabilitiesPhone: 657-2312 Website: http://www.msubillings.edu/summerinstitute/

We are now accepting applications for travel grants to send a limited number of parents of children with autism, individuals with autism, special education teachers, and other stakeholders to attend the International Meeting for Autism Research (IMFAR). This year the conference will be held in Toronto, Canada from May 17-19.

A host of one-stop centers tasked with helping people with disabilities access support services are getting more federal assistance. Some $12.5 million is heading to Aging and Disability Resource Centers across the country, officials from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said. The funding will help support counselors who aid people with disabilities and their caregivers in accessing long-term services and supports.

The White House is warning that special education will face more than $1 billion in cuts and millions more will be trimmed from other federal programs for people with disabilities next year unless lawmakers act. In a report sent to Congress Friday, the Obama administration painted a stark picture of what’s to come, detailing the impact of more than $100 billion in automatic spending cuts that are scheduled to take effect Jan. 2.

In New Hampshire, Medicaid pays for in-home care for nearly all of its residents with developmental disabilities. For frail elders, the opposite is true. Most wind up in nursing homes. To remedy this imbalance, New Hampshire is taking advantage of Affordable Care Act funding for a program aimed at removing existing barriers to providing long-term care in people’s homes and communities. Known as the Balancing Incentive Payments Program, it is one of several ACA provisions designed to keep as many people as possible out of costly institutions. Arkansas, Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Ohio and Texas are also participating in the $3 billion incentive program.

A week after announcing that the federal government will pay for tracking devices for kids with autism, officials are offering more details about how families can access the technology. Police departments nationwide will be able to make the tracking devices available to children in their communities who are at risk of wandering using money available through the Justice Department’s Byrne grant program, officials at the federal agency said.

MISSOULA - A not so ordinary playground will be ready for students when they return to class at Jefferson School next week. Members of the Rotary Club of Missoula Sunrise spent Tuesday working on the new playground, which they've funded and built. Jefferson is the only Missoula school that serves pre-school age students and is a peer model school with both special needs and non-special needs students.

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA) of 2004 makes significant and controversial changes to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Two very significant changes in this law are provisions that (a) allow school districts to spend up to 15% of their IDEA Part B funds on early intervening services in general education settings and (b) prohibit states from requiring that school districts use discrepancy formulas to determine if students are eligible for special education services in the category of learning disabilities. Additionally, Congress recommended that school districts use a response to intervention procedure in both early intervening services and for the identification of students with learning disabilities. In this article we first describe two significant reports that recommended that Congress abandon the current eligibility system in special education for students with high-incidence disabilities. Second we explain how Congress and the U.S. Department of Education changed the special education eligibility system for learning disabilities in the IDEIA and the regulations that implemented the IDEIA. Third we review due process hearings and court cases that have addressed response to intervention. Fourth we offer recommendations to teachers, administrators, and teacher trainers to ensure that they meet the letter and spirit of these new requirements of the IDEIA.

People with type 1 diabetes who used a bionic pancreas instead of manually monitoring glucose using fingerstick tests and delivering insulin using a pump were more likely to have blood glucose levels consistently within the normal range, with fewer dangerous lows or highs. The full report of the findings, funded by the National Institutes of Health, can be found online June 15 in the New England Journal of Medicine .

A 20-year retrospective study, funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and published in the July 2015 issue of the American Journal of Public Health, suggests that kindergarten students who are more inclined to exhibit “social competence” traits—such sharing, cooperating, or helping other kids—may be more likely to attain higher education and well-paying jobs. In contrast, students who exhibit weaker social competency skills may be more likely to drop out of high school, abuse drugs and alcohol, and need government assistance. This brief provides an overview and major findings from this study and implications for further action.

This video illustrates how essential early childhood inclusion is for all children, including those who cannot be in close proximity to other children because of health concerns. In this video, Kate Mathany describes how her daughter Getty virtually attends a typical preschool classroom every day using a VGo. In the first part, Kate introduces us to Getty and describes how the idea to use the VGo came about. In the second part, Kate is joined by Eileen Sedilko, Getty's preschool teacher, as they illustrate how Getty's school day works from both home and classroom perspectives. They discuss a range of topics including preschool inclusion, parent leadership, the use of adaptations, collaboration, teamwork, the benefits of inclusion for all children, families, and teachers. This video has important messages for families with children who cannot attend a preschool because of health reasons who are looking for solutions, for all those interested in early childhood inclusion, and for current and future early childhood educators. A presentation of the Desired Results Access Project, Napa County Office of Education, funded by the California Department of Education, Special Education Division. Produced by Larry Edelman.

Play has crucial and wide-ranging benefits to children and the people around them. When children of all abilities play together, kids learn to appreciate the differences between people and respect the perspective of others. Playing together connects our community and creates fun, happy memories we call all share.  These programs are designed to allow people with and without disabilities to recreate together. Give us a call to discuss inclusiveness options in our other recreation programs.  Please contact Meg Rogosienski at 552-6271 or email Meg. McCormick Park is home to Silver Summit, a new, universally-accessible playground. The All-Abilities Playground Project continues to raise funds to expand the playground.  Learn more at The Playground Project. 

What: Ron Hager from the National Disability Rights Network will present information on the variety of funding sources available to preschool students needing AT.  One of the most important is the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).  Part C of the IDEA, the early intervention program for infants and toddlers, covers children with disabilities from birth through age two.  The school-age provisions of the IDEA, Part B, cover students beginning at age three. This session will look at meeting the AT needs of infants and toddlers under Part C, as well as selected issues for preschoolers under Part B.  To connect to the webinar visit: http://conference321.com/masteradmin/room.asp?id=rs0e572c05aff0 .  When: 1:00-2:15 pm Mountain

Kentucky's public teachers and principals would see their yearly evaluations tied partly to their students' performance, under a proposal that state education officials hope will boost the state's chances of receiving up to $175million in federal education funding, according to a draft obtained by The Courier-Journal.