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Join our statewide network of information and resource sharing for families and caregivers of children with emotional or behavior difficulties. Together our voices will be heard by the state agencies and providers of services for our children. Be part of a life-changing movement. Topic: Choosing Your Own Path When: Friday, October 15, 2010 6:00 – 8:00pm Where: American Lutheran Church 5 Lewis Ave. Billings, MT To register, contact: Jami Machler jami.machler@pluk.org (406) 850-2564

Join our statewide network of information and resource sharing for families and caregivers of children with emotional or behavior difficulties. Together our voices will be heard by the state agencies and providers of services for our children. Be part of a life-changing movement. Topic: Choosing Your Own Path When: Friday, October 15, 2010 6:00 – 8:00pm

AMCHP ANNUAL CONFERENCE TRAINING INSTITUTE: Saturday, Feb. 12, and Sunday, Feb. 13, join us for the AMCHP Annual Conference Training Institute and a full schedule of intensive, highly-interactive skills-building sessions

As the Commissioner of the Administration on Developmental Disabilities (ADD), I am absolutely committed to making our schools, communities, workplaces and neighborhoods more welcoming and inclusive for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. I believe strongly in supporting approaches that shape attitudes by raising expectations, change outdated or broken systems, engender respect for all people and empower individuals with disabilities to pursue the lives they imagine for themselves. In order to determine the best path forward, ADD is currently embarking on a collaborative process to collect public input for our five year strategic plan through a series of meetings we are calling, “Envisioning the Future.”

Growing up with severe autism, Cameron Osteen could not live the typical life of a child. His parents – Libby natives Mark and Leslie Osteen – struggled with daily tasks from toilet training to going out in public to learning how to talk. Autism consumed their lives to the point where they became isolated as a family while trying to understand what was going on inside their son’s head.

What: Training to develop leadership and advocacy skills   Who: For parents/caregivers of youth diagnosed with mental illness willing to use their new skills to advocate for children with mental health needs beyond the needs of their own child.  When: Starts: ~3:00pm, Friday June 11th till ~3:00pm Saturday 12th  Where: Fairmont Hot Springs by Anaconda  Why: There needs to be a parent/caregiver voice in the system of care for children’s mental health. Parents/caregivers that have been through the experience of raising a child with a mental illness are the experts in what treatments and services are effective for recovery. Therefore parents/caregivers are key to improvement of the SOC for mental illness. In order to get parent/caregiver voice into the system of care, a leadership and advocacy training will empower parents by giving them the tools and skills to be involved in the SOC. 

Students continue to thrive at one of the nation's most accessible college campuses

For the most part, the world is run by people whose bodies are whole. If you ask them to slow down or otherwise sacrifice on behalf of those whose bodies are not, people will raise their voices, call you unreasonable or simply ignore you. But if you keep asking for — no, demanding — fair consideration, day after day, year after year, slowly they'll give ground. And after 63 years you'll get what you have at the University of Illinois. Curb cut by curb cut, ramp by ramp, the University has evolved into a one-of-a-kind, life-changing force for students with disabilities.

Students continue to thrive at one of the nation's most accessible college campuses

What: Now 620 nonprofits strong and growing, MNA is the voice for charitable nonprofits in Montana. In the true spirit of association, join together with MNA and your colleagues for this great event and celebrate the vital role that nonprofits play in community and civic life. All activities are free of charge except the afternoon workshop. Participants may attend any and all activities.  At Nonprofit Day, MNA will unveil our new Nonprofit Sector Report – details and analysis that will help legislators, the general public, and your donors better grasp the scope and scale of our sector and its importance to the economy in our state. Please pass this message along to others in your networks – it is critical that we have a strong showing for the 2011 Nonprofit Day on January 27 in the Rotunda.  In previous years, our day at the Capitol has had the largest number of attendees of any professional Association.  Term limits have made it increasingly important that we band together and speak with a common voice as we work to protect nonprofit rights in Montana and the US Capitol. And, don't forget to send us photos of your organization that we can share in our Nonprofit Showcase presentation in the Rotunda. Send photos that exemplify your nonprofit's mission in action to: Patty White (pwhite@mtnonprofit.org). Who: Montana Nonprofits When: Thurs, January 27, 2011 Time: 9:30 am-12:30pm & 1:30pm-4:30 Where: Capitol Rotunda in the morning and afternon workshop at the Downtown Holiday Inn, Helena Cost:  Morning session at the Capitol is FREE; afternoon workshop cost is $45 for members, $90 for non-members. You must register for either event.

Calling ALL Youth! Have you had experience in a youth-serving system? (Like Child Welfare, Foster Care, Juvenile Justice, Special Education, etc.) Do you have expertise and experience that others may benefit from? Have you developed training materials or presentations to share with others? Youth MOVE National is looking for YOU to share your voices and experience! We are looking for Youth and Young Adults to serve as Consultants in our newly established Consulting and Technical Assistance Pool. Consultants are paid to provide training, speeches, technical assistance, and more to organizations interested in learning more about youth engagement, empowerment, and youth voice in systems change. If you are interested, please see the attached application and return all required materials to YouthMove@ffcmh.org. Consultant Applications will be reviewed on an ongoing basis and applicants will be notified whether or not they were selected. Applicants may also be contacted to provide more information than was provided in the application. Please feel free to call us with any questions: 202-679-0452. 

Click here for more information about this Conference What: The Pacific Rim International Conference (Pac Rim) on Disability & Diversity has been widely recognized over the past 27 years as one of the most “diverse gatherings” in the world. The event encourages and respects voices from “diverse” perspective across numerous areas, including: voices from persons representing all disability areas; experiences of family members and supporters across all disability areas; responsiveness to diverse cultural and language differences; evidence of researchers and academics studying disability; stories of persons providing powerful lessons; examples of program providers, natural supports and allies of persons with disabilities and; action plans to meet human and social needs in a globalized world. Each year the conference hews to its traditional areas which have bred much of the interdisciplinary research and educational advances of the last three decades. But each year new topics are introduced to foment discussion and change. The intent is to harness the tremendous synergy as generated by the intermingling of these diverse perspectives, thus, creating a powerful program which impacts each individual participant in his or her own unique way. When: March 26 & 27, 2012 Where: Hawai‘i Convention Center 1801 Kalakaua Avenue Honolulu, HI 96815

ScienceDaily (Nov. 12, 2009) — The vast majority of school-aged children can focus on the voice of a teacher amid the cacophony of the typical classroom thanks to a brain that automatically focuses on relevant, predictable and repeating auditory information, according to new research from Northwestern University.

But for children with developmental dyslexia, the teacher's voice may get lost in the background noise of banging lockers, whispering children, playground screams and scraping chairs, the researchers say.

The National Foster Parent Association is the only national organization that strives to support foster parents, and remains a consistently strong voice on behalf of all children.

(CNN) -- I knew there had to be a reason my family and I went through tough days together. I didn't understand why then, but the past couple of weeks have put so much into perspective. The lonely days of pacing around my kitchen seemed like some of the longest days of my life. If anyone had told me then that I would be wearing a crown, an evening gown, heels and a swimsuit in front of a live audience with bright lights and television cameras hovering around, I'd have been the first one to dismiss it. I realize now that even my toughest days pale in comparison to the toughest days of others living with an autism spectrum disorder. I've been given this opportunity to use my voice for those who don't have one or have yet to find theirs.

I will never forget the feelings--cold, fear, failure--as we sat in the ER room.  I wasn’t there with my 11-year-old son for any normal malady; we were there for rages.  Yes, I could not control my child.  I had refused to buy him a soda and here we were.  His counselor was out on the phone, she couldn’t believe this was the same child who sat in her office two hours prior, smiling and drawing.  I had seen the signs, heard the agitation in his voice, felt the tension in the air.  After all, this is what had brought us to her just a few months back.

HELENA - Diana Tavary is an advocate for those living with autism through Disability Rights Montana. Her daughter McKenzie has autism, and is able to have her voice heard through the use of an iPad.

It was 50 years ago this month that the movement to help students with learning disabilities began. Here’s what happened.