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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. 

CARY, N.C., July 7 -- A new coalition of six national autism non-profit organizations, Autism Wandering Awareness Alerts Response Education (AWAARE), launched its website today (www.awaare.org) in a collaborative effort to prevent wandering-related injuries and deaths, apparently on the rise in the autism community. Coalition member organizations are AutismOne, Autism Speaks, the Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation for Autism, the HollyRod Foundation, the National Autism Association (NAA), and Talk About Curing Autism (TACA.)

Innovations in computer technology in the last 20 years have changed the way most people live, work, shop and communicate. Education has changed, too. Now students can upload assignments to a class website, email questions to their teachers, and work on assignments with distant peers using instant messaging, online discussion forums and wikis.

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.

On behalf of Region III CSPD I would like to welcome you back to another school year! I would also like to let you know what we have planned (so far) for the upcoming year. I hope to have all of the events listed on the CSPD website, www.msubillings.edu/cspd , soon and will add the brochures for the events as I get information from the presenters. If you have questions, would like to join the Region III CSPD Council, or would like to suggest professional development topics for 2010/2011 please feel free to contact me at 657-2072 or e-mail me at dmiller@msubillings.edu. Thanks, and have a wonderful school year! - Debra Miller, Region III CSPD Coordinator

Region III CSPD, in cooperation with OPI, is offering a hands-on training for special education teachers working with students ages 15 and older. Participants will have an opportunity to network with other special education teachers and share ideas and discuss best practices. Participants are required to bring two or three student files which they will work on during the session. Teachers participating in this training are required to watch the four OPI Secondary Transition webinars located on the OPI website prior to attending the Implementing Secondary Transition: Case Study Group. Participants are required to complete a brief evaluation to document attendance and participation for each webinar.

This website is dedicated to promoting inclusive schooling and exploring positive ways of supporting students with autism and other disabilities. Most of my work involves collaborating with schools to create environments, lessons, and experiences that are inclusive, respectful, and accessible for all learners.

Click here to download the application (PDF) (Applications due by December 31, 2010) What are the eligibility requirements? The individual you are applying for must have a diagnosis on the autism spectrum (as identified in diagnosis report). Reside in the United States of America . Be non-verbal or minimally verbal (as identified in speech pathology report). Be in financial need: Gross income not to exceed $35,000 single income family or $50,000 two-income family (as identified by documentation). Have access to a computer and an iTunes account (some programs must be downloaded on a computer and transferred to the iPad due to size). A professional on your team (i.e., speech pathologist, doctor, teacher) must be willing to take responsibility of the gift card that downloads the applications. For more information, please visit the foundation's website: www.hollyrod.org

upcoming training series by Parents Helping Parents (PHP) in 2011. If you would like to register or request any access accommodations for the training series, please contact LaCandice McCray (LaCandice@cfilc.org) 10 business days prior to the webinar. Webinars are open to all AT Network members. These webinars will be archived and posted to the AT Network website.

Save the date for the annual OPI Indian Education for All Best Practices conference on February 7-8, 2011.  This year's event will be held in Helena at the Best Western Great Northern Hotel.  Registration information will be available on the OPI website soon. For more information, contact Teresa Veltkamp, 406-444-0726

Child care providers encounter unique challenges when implementing the ADA at their centers. The Rocky Mountain ADA Center has developed Child Care resources to assist providers with understanding rights and responsibilities under the law, as well as resources for parent’s rights.  Topics include service animals, medication administration, diapering policies, equal employment opportunities, accessibility and much more.  If you are a child care provider, contact the ADA Center at adainfo@adainformation.org or call (800) 949-4232, for a free packet of information, which includes a refrigerator-sized magnetic erase board and pen.  Check out the Child Care and the ADA website !  http://www.adainformation.org/ChildCare.aspx

The Office of Public Instruction has posted links to current Section 504 guidance on our Website.  This guidance is from the Center for Technical Assistance for Excellence in Special Education (TAESE)  and the Office of Civil Rights. The links are available on the Special Education Webpage (http://opi.mt.gov/Programs/SpecialEd/Index.html) under "RELATED LINKS" and include: Guidelines for Educators and Administrators for Implementing Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973-Subpart D A Parent and Educator Guide To Section 504 Accommodations for Identified Children With Disabilities Section 504 Procedural Requirements for School Districts; and Section 504 A Possible Service Option for Students with Disabilities Section 504 requirements are separate from special education.  This guidance is provided as a courtesy.

an encyclopedia on assistive technology that anyone can edit.Articles contributed to this site will be viewable from the assistivetech.net website.

Assistive technology (AT) is "devices and aids which can help a person with a disability perform activities that might otherwise be difficult or not be possible." Our mission is to provide access to information on AT devices and services as well as other community resources for people with disabilities and the general public. This site is created and maintained through the collaboration of our Sponsors: Georgia Tech Center for Assistive Technology and Environmental Access (CATEA), National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR), and Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA).

When fathers are involved in the lives of their children, especially their education, their children learn more, perform better in school, and exhibit healthier behavior. Even when fathers do not share a home with their children, their active involvement can have a lasting and positive impact. There are countless ways to be involved in your child’s education at all ages. This section of the National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse website highlights some of them.

A Guide for Students with Physical Disabilities

Not one college guidebook specifically addresses these needs of students with physical disabilities however, so we created this website as one place where all types of useful links and college information are gathered and kept current. We are especially proud of our interactive charts of more than 75 disability friendly colleges and their services.