Group items tagged

About the Autistic Self-Advocacy Network Mission Statement: The Autistic Self Advocacy Network seeks to advance the principles of the disability rights movement in the world of autism. Drawing on the principles of the cross-disability community on issues such as inclusive education, community living supports and others, ASAN seeks to organize the community of Autistic adults and youth to have our voices heard in the national conversation about us. In addition, ASAN seeks to advance the idea of neurological diversity, putting forward the concept that the goal of autism advocacy should not be a world without Autistic people. Instead, it should be a world in which Autistic people enjoy the same access, rights and opportunities as all other citizens. Working in fields such as public policy, media representation, research and systems change, ASAN hopes to empower Autistic people across the world to take control of their own lives and the future of our common community. Nothing About Us, Without Us!

There’s been someone pretty special on the sidelines at Red Bank Middle School football games this season. It’s not a standout football player, though there are surely a few of those on the team. And no, it’s not the girl who twirls flaming batons at half time, though she certainly wows the fans. No, this year it’s a 12-year-old girl who is creating sideline chatter and warming plenty of hearts in the process. Though Anna Frierson has plenty of school spirit and has always dreamed of being a cheerleader, some might not have expected to see her on the squad. She has Down syndrome, a genetic chromosomal disorder that slows mental and physical development. And though Anna’s short stature and cute face clue most folks to her differences, fellow cheerleaders say Anna’s spirit is all they notice.

The Power of the Parent Voice: Secretary Arne Duncan's Remarks at the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) Leadership Mega Conference August 3, 2010 Related Resources Conference website Good morning. When President Obama s

But one thing is absolutely essential—and that's parent involvement. Parents of students with disabilities are some of the most determined advocates. Parents are key partners in policymaking and practice, pushing for greater access and better outcomes for their own and others' children. I want to applaud you for your dedication to children with disabilities—and their parents. I also want to say I wish it wasn't necessary for parents to be such fierce advocates. I understand that parents are compelled to advocate because they see that their sons and daughters aren't getting the free, appropriate public education that federal law guarantees them. President Obama and I believe that every child deserves a world-class education. When we say every child, it is not just rhetoric—we mean every child, regardless of his or her skin color, nationality, ethnicity, or ability. Over the past 37 years, with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, we've made great strides in delivering on the promise of a free, appropriate public education for children with disabilities.

It's that time again, the National Youth Leadership Network is currently accepting applications for our Governing Board and Committees. Now is the perfect time for youth to get involved with NYLN! We have a ton of really cool projects lined up. We are focusing on more grassroots level activism, youth-led media projects, and building interdependent support systems. We are looking for young folks who want to take an active role in the organization. We especially want to prioritize youth of color leadership, so please support youth of color in applying. Governing board and committee positions are open to youth with any disability between the ages of 15 through 28. You can find a recruitment flyer and the application at http://www.nyln.org under "Apply Now!" The application is due November 10, 2010. To get in touch with NYLN, please email me at stacey@nyln.org.

Five Questions Parents Ask About Bullying Bullying is a topic that has been getting a lot of media attention recently. Dr. Andrea "Andie" Weiner, a child therapist and author of "More Than Saying I Love You: Four Steps That Help Children Love Themselves" answers the five questions parents ask most about bullying.

Believe it or not, Facebook and Twitter aren't the only cool social networking sites on the Web. If your kids are too young for Facebook, or you're concerned about privacy, consider looking into some lesser-known social networking sites geared for tweens, preteens, and yes, even teenagers. We've rounded-up some of the top social networking sites that allow kids to keep a tighter rein on their privacy. Our choices include sites that limit the ways you connect with friends, offer greater control over how you interact, or home in on specific interests. Some of the sites for kids on the younger end of the scale offer more parental controls, too, so you can have a better sense of what your kid is doing online.

Recently, there have been several announcements about the number of people who have autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). These numbers, which are widely reported by the media, keep going up, causing both interest and alarm. In late 2009, more new figures were released -- 1 in 110, 1 in 100, 1 in 91 -- and these again showed an increase, even over figures from just a few years ago. Where are these numbers coming from, and how were they calculated? How are we defining autism spectrum disorder, and how many people have one according to that definition? Do more and more people truly have ASD, or are we getting better at identifying the condition? Are we counting everybody, or are some people being missed? We look to the latest studies on autism rates to find out.

In a typical classroom, a teacher may find many students who are struggling readers, whether they are beginning readers, students with language-based learning disabilities, or students who are English language learners (ELLs). One motivating, engaging and inexpensive way to help build the reading skills of students is through the use of closed captioned and subtitled television shows and movies.

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.

Response to intervention has exploded into one of the most popular school initiatives in the country, but experts caution that RTI's use is far outstripping its research base. While the heightened interest has spurred research advances in key aspects of RTI, such as universal screening tools and initial interventions, other areas have little or no research support. Moreover, experts worry the historically piecemeal approach to studying RTI can give educators a skewed view of how to employ it effectively, and for what purpose.

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

What: Montana State University Billings is hosting its second Summer Institute on June 6-9, 2011 on its main campus.  This is an excellent opportunity for professional development for educators, administrators, specialists, and other school staff.  The Institute will offer a wide variety of educational trainings at an affordable price.  To learn more about the Summer Institute you can visit the website at http://www.msubillings.edu/summerinstitute . There will be a variety of OPI training opportunities available at the Summer Institute.  The Institute will be offering Level I training in the following areas: Gifted and Talented; Media Literacy; Library Information Literacy Technology; and, Transforming School Counseling in Montana.   There will also be Level II training available for Gifted and Talented focusing on Identification and Curriculum. Stipends are available to assist those wanting to attend the Institute.  The stipends are available in the areas of Counseling and Gifted/Talented.  Stipends will be considered for those who register for the complete Institute on a first come, first served basis.  One stipend per individual registrant.  Both the registration and stipend forms must be completed for consideration.  Those receiving stipends will be notified by email. Important Information and Links: Summer Institute; http://www.msubillings.edu/summerinstitute Registration: http://www.msubillings.edu/summerinstitute/registration.htm Stipend Application: http://msubillings.edu/summerinstitute/stipend.htm For more information: Contact John Keener at 406-657-1743 or john.keener@msubillings.edu.

Click here for full conference information and registration What: Want an intriguing conference that will channel you and your students to an invigorating new level, change the current path of your classroom, and set the course for change in your school? Then don't miss the 2011 August Institute. There is something for everyone regardless of how you perceive your classroom technology integration skills and teaching. You’ll leave with new ideas, knowledge of at least one free online application and many techniques to set your students on an exciting path of innovation and self motivation. When: August 8-10, 2011 Where: Phyllis J. Washington Education Building - University of Montana Missoula, MT Conference Highlights: Keynote address and presentations by Kevin Honeycutt (Teaching Wired Learners) Half-day sessions (novice & intermediate) with Tony Vincent (Project-based Learning) Wes Fryer ( iPhoneography 101; Talk with Media: Simple Ideas for Powerful Sharing and SmartNetworks) Concert with Chance McKinney Technology workshops for both novice and Intermediate users Technology coaches to support participants during workshops for novice users Presentations by our regional technologists, Diane Woodard and Dean Phillips Monday Evening Poster sessions highlighting Best Practices in Technology by teachers participating in the SLATE grants Tuesday Evening – Tech in the Wild session – using technology outside the school walls Ability to earn 2 semester credits or 22 OPI renewal credits Plus...many of our other sessions on school culture, RTI, special education, Indian Education, gifted ed, reading and math interventions … and much, much more

While bullying is known to leave physical and emotional scars, a new study finds that victims may suffer long-lasting academic effects, and high-achieving black and Latino students are especially vulnerable.

Click here to download the full flyer and registration form for this event (PDF) What: Becoming a high performance organization requires coalitions to be purposeful in how we organize to do our work and not fall into the trap of doing what we have always done and expect different results.  This training is designed for new and veteran coalition leaders working toward strengthening their coalition to become a high performance organization that will produce results in the community.  Participants will learn tools and techniques critical to building and sustaining a strong coalition with an emphasis placed on organizational management, recruiting and retaining coalition members and utilizing media outlets in the community to advocate for our cause.  The training is designed as an interactive opportunity for participants to both learn new skills and hone existing ones.  When: September 14-15, 2011 Where: Missoula Forum for Children and Youth 435 Ryman St Missoula MT Cost: $25/person $20/person for dues-paying Forum members Contact: 406-721-3000 ext 1020 or jsudnem@co.missoula.mt.us for more information

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.

Test scores on state assessments for students with disabilities have increased in recent years, according to a new study released today. The Washington-based Center on Education Policy examined state mathematics and reading test results from the 2005-06 school year to the 2007-08 school year. Those state tests are used to determine whether schools and school districts are making adequate yearly progress under the federal No Child Left Behind Act.

A child's autism diagnosis can mess with parents' heads. Media portrayals of children with autism and their adult spectrum-mates dwell almost exclusively on negatives and challenges, so when a parent is told that their child is autistic, they are usually incredibly upset. It doesn't help when doctors lack the bedside manner to soften the emotional impact of their diagnoses, or have no information about contemporary autism therapies and resources. When that happens, parents are both freaked out and flapping in the wind. Their child's doctor was supposed to give them answers and guidance, but instead upended their lives, then shoved them out the door. No one can explain why they have a child with autism, and they know nothing about autism. They are emotionally reeling, angry with the medical establishment, and hungry for any information that will help their child.