Montana Fair will be opening its gates at 10 am, Monday, August 16th so people with disabilities may avoid the rush of the larger crowds later in the day. For any disabled person who may be a bit crowd-shy, this is a wonderful opportunity to get out and play!

On Saturday September 11 the local non-profit group D.R.E.A.M. (Down syndrome research, education and advocacy in Montana) will hold its 1st annual Buddy Walk in Bozeman. The walk is a 1-mile loop around the Gallatin Regional  Park which is located off of Oak Street and right down the street from the Dinosaur Playground. The event is the main fundraiser for D.R.E.A.M. and a portion of the funds raised goes to the National Down syndrome Society.

Parents of children with learning disabilities (LD) and children and adults with LD still face huge misunderstanding about what learning disabilities are…and what they’re not. When you hear an uneducated remark from a neighbor, colleague, coach, relative, or even from someone at the grocery store, how do you deal with it?

For more information or to register, click here.

Enjoy a sensory friendly day at the fair for special needs children and their family. Rides will be operated at a slower pace, the music will be turned down, and the faster scarier rides will not be operating.

Click here to view the full brochure including Conference Information and Registration

What: On May 25th Montana Youth Transitions Project sponsored a introduction meeting for service providers to gather and discuss the topic of transitioning youth from High School to life beyond High School. I hope you can join us as we move toward developing a strategic plan with other service providers to address the needs of everyone involved with serving our transitioning youth in When: August 12th 2010 from 10 am – 2 pm Where: 2121 Rosebud Dr. Billings Mt. 59102 Lunch will be provided I hope you can join us Please RSVP by August 10th, 2010 Call Patti McCubbins at 406.444.9060 or email pmccubbins@mt.gov

Who can attend? Anyone whose life has been affected by AS The meetings for the 2010-2011 Asperger Support Group are held at the Billings Clinic. All meetings are held in the Mary Alice Fortin Center, which is adjacent to the hospital cafeteria.

Training will be held in three locations: Bozeman – August 9-10 Western Montana Drop In Center 695 Farmhouse Lane Helena – August 12-13 Lewis and Clark Library, Large Conference Room 120 S. Last Chance Gulch Billings – September 9-10 Location to be announced  The Leadership training will be offered by the National Consumer Support Technical Assistance Center (NCSTAC) and funded through a grant from Center for Mental Health Services and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.  Topics to be covered are: Steps to Recovery Self-Advocacy Meeting Management Serving on Boards and Committees Creative Leadership – Using your strengths Systems Advocacy

Click here to download the flyer (PDF) Kids: You will learn how to avoid getting into trouble, make and keep friends, excel in school and feel good about yourself. Parents: You will learn the basics of ADHD, strategies for coping with your child’s behaviors/emotional/social difficulties and ways to cope with stress in the family. Best of All—You get to do it Together! What: 8 groups, lasting one hour each Wednesdays from 4 - 5 p.m. (for ages 5 - 9) Wednesdays from 6 - 7 p.m. (for ages 10 - 14) When: Group begins August 11th and will end on September 29th Location: Head Quarters for Heart Change building, 225 N. 23rd. Street, Billings, MT

Click here to download the full flyer for this training (PDF)As service providers you are in an important position to assist brain injury survivors throughout the many stages of recovery. Each person is diverse and each injury is unique; how do we deal with challenging situations and behaviors and still positively assist individuals in recovery? To learn the answers to this question please attend Brain Injury and Beyond: Effective Strategies for Challenging Situations, presented by the Brain Injury Association of Montana. This training will enhance your skills and provide strategies and tools that develop your work as a service provider working with people with brain injuries and co-occurring diagnosis. Please see the attached brochure for more information about the training and the presenter Ben Woodworth, MSW. Register here for Brain Injury and Beyond: Effective Strategies for Challenging Situations on August 10th (Billings, MT) and August 12th (Missoula, MT)

Click here to download the full brochure (PDF) Autism Trainings:   Discipline for the Elementary Age Child on the Spectrum, Monday, Aug 26 @ 4:30-7pm (Free - 2 OPI credits)  Preventing and Managing Challenging Behaviors,  Tuesday, Aug 27 @ 9-4pm ($35 with 6 OPI credits)  Building Friendship Skills and Friendships with Classmates, Wednesday, Aug 28 @ 9-4pm ($35 with 6 OPI credits)  Increasing the Odds for a Successful Transition to Middle School, Thursday, Aug 29 @ 9-4pm ($35 with 6 OPI credits) 

Click here to visit the The Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates (COPAA) homepage for more information

Click here to download the flyer (pdf)Friday afternoon?  Nothing to do? VSA Montana arts classes at Zootown Arts are waiting for you. They are FREE and open to children with disabilities and their siblings, ages 5-12.

Living Independently for Today and Tomorrow (LIFTT) is inviting you to join LIFTT in celebrating the 20th anniversary of the passage and signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act.The Billings ADA celebration with be held in conjunction with the Koncert for Kids at Dehler Park on August 10. Gates open at 6 pm, with the concert beginning at 7 pm.Admission to the concert is free, and a variety of food and drink concessions will be available at family-friendly prices.In addition to the concert, several group with have information and activity booths set up along the stadium concourse. For questions, contact Ian Elliot at 406-656-2744 or at ellitotian@hotmail.com

Please join Jamie Pagliaro for a live webinar on how school districts around the nation have used the Rethink Autism platform to: Equip teachers and para-professionals with best-practice tools, Save money by eliminating unnecessary cost relating to training, Increase the quality of education with limited staff resources.

It’s time to get your party on again! This month, on July 17th, Eagle Mount is having a Pirate Pool Party. Please bring a bathing suit and towel, clothes you can get wet for some fun outside, and nice cozy clothes for movie watching after we swim. We will be watching Pirates of the Caribbean in the back room after dinner. It is VERY IMPORTANT that you RSVP. If you do not let us know that you will be coming, we will not be prepared to have you. So, please call or email Anna Chrysostomides at annac@eaglemount.org or 406.586.1781 to let us know either way! We look forward to seeing you!

Amanda and Jason Purnell know they will have to financially support their daughter, who has Down syndrome, for the rest of her life.

Click here to download the flyer (PDF) When: Friday, July 16, 2010 Where: American Lutheran Church 5 Lewis Ave. Billings, MT What: 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. Contact: Call Jami Machler at 406-850-2564 or jami.machler@pluk.org for more information.