Click here to download the IACC 2009 SummaryThe Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee's Summary of Advances for 2009 is an annual review of the most influential studies of the past year. 

Click here to download the March Newsletter (PDF)Click here to visit the Tots-n-Tech websiteIf you would like to subscribe to the newsletters please send an e-mail to Jill.McLeod@jefferson.edu with the message subject: "subscribe tnt" and in the body of the message include the e-mail address to which you would like the newsletter sent.

Come and get geared up for the new year with strategies to work with ALL students! Workshops will be held in areas of Indian Ed for All, differentiated instruction, DIBELS Administration and Scoring, behavior management, RTI, low incidence disabilities, early childhood, science, technology, legal issues, reading & literacy, social skills, and para-educator training. Register now and an email will be sent when workshops are posted.

Int. Traditional Games Society, founded in 1997 by Tribal College Presidents and Cultural Directors of Montana and Southern Alberta. Through the research, resurrection, and restoration of traditional games to Plains Indians tribal cultures, the Traditional Games Society has discovered a window to the past practices of educating American Indian youth for mental, physical, social, and spiritual survival.

Free Live Webinar: Response to Intervention: Making It Work Thursday, April 15, 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. Mountain time Also available "on demand" anytime 24 hours after the event Free registration is now open. Response to intervention, a tiered instructional model designed to provide more tailored support to students, has quickly gained prominence as a vehicle for school improvement. But implementation of RTI poses challenges. The framework often entails changes in organizational and instructional roles, new tools and curricula, increased paperwork, and greater program-coordination demands. Join two experts for an in-depth discussion of how schools and teachers can address common RTI-related issues.

April is Autism Awareness Month. What better time for you to connect with resources on this topic of national interest that have been developed by the full array of stakeholders. The IDEA Partnership is pleased to announce the release of its new Collection on Autism Spectrum Disorder.

On April 27 at 3:00 PM Mountain and again on April 29 at 12:00 PM Mountain, the IDEA Partnership will hold a Introductory Webinar:  The Partnership Collection on ASD  to help organizations, states and local users examine this new tool and discover ways to use it.    You can assess the Collection on ASD at:    http://www.ideapartnership.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1493   You can register for one of the webinars at:    http://tadnet.ilinc.com

Click here to download the full flyer (PDF) When: April 13, 20106:00-7:00PM Where: Hyalite Elementary School What: Experts from the Museum of the Rockies will present fossil identifications and paleo-themed crafts and activities for all to enjoy in this Educational Outreach Program. For more information, please contact Maggee Harrison at 580-6870

Click here to register for this event

This workshop will discuss the following:  1.  Preventive     How to create environments that are developmentally appropriate and meet the young child’s needs, understand how needs are communicated with behavior, and how we to meet those needs and prevent outbursts.   How to create a child friendly environment that prevents problems because children will be successful using socially appropriate behaviors. 2.Educational   How to create environments that teach the child replacement skills that are as easy or easier to perform, that are more socially acceptable, and that serve the same function as the behavior they are designed to replace.  3. Respectful   How to create environments that treat children with dignity and respect.   4. Individualize.  How to create environments where you can recognize each child’s individual needs and respond to each child according their individual needs. 5. Choices   How to create an environment where the young child can make choices and have a degree of control.  6. Gentle   How to create and maintain an environment that is gentle, without physical or mental distress. 7. On going    How to create an environment that gives a child ongoing support.  How to give the child the support they need to be successful with each new experience in new environments.  IF YOU ARE A PARENT OF A YOUNG CHILD OR WORK WITH YOUNG CHILDREN THIS TELE/WEBINAR IS FOR YOU. LEARN HOW TO SUPPORT YOUNG CHILDREN SO THEY LEARN APPROPRIATE SKILLS AND BEHAVIORS.

Click here to view the full flyer (PDF) On Saturday, April 17, part of the Masters in Social Work (MSW) research team will be in Billings, MT to facilitate two focus groups – one for parents who have been positively or negatively affected by the GAL system in Billings, and another focus group for former or current GALs and/or other professionals (mental health workers, lawyers, social workers) who have worked within the GAL system. To learn more, please visit the Montana Guardian ad Litem (GAL) Project website at: www.mtgal.webs.com If you have addition questions feel free to email Erin at: erin1.butts@umontana.edu.

Agenda: Developmental Disabilities Services Who is eligible for Developmental Disabilities Services? What about youth with higher IQ’s but with substantial support needs? How and when do you access this system? What services are available? What happens to youth who receive Children’s Developmental Disabilities services when they leave High School? What is the waiting list? What do we do while we are waiting? What have other families done? Private Pay Options Using Social Security Work Incentives to support employment

Beyond Behaviors: Reframing our Perceptions When: June 28th – 30. 2010 Where: San Diego, California Click here to view flyer with full information.

This webinar is free and pre-registration is not required! Join us for this free webinar entitled "RTI for English Language Learners (ELLs): Appropriate Screening, Progress Monitoring, and Instructional Planning." This presentation focuses on improving educational outcomes for ELLs through culturally and linguistically responsive implementation of an RTI framework in elementary reading. Specifically, presenters will discuss critical considerations to appropriately use screening and progress monitoring data to improve reading outcomes for ELLs. The presentation addresses the factors that influence ELLs' academic success and provides information about the selection and use of screening and progress monitoring data based on students' unique backgrounds and needs. A case study of a first grade ELL student illustrates the recommendations. What topics will be discussed? Principles and examples of screening, progress monitoring, and instructional planning for ELLs in reading for elementary grades. Serving ELLs in an RTI framework. Who will benefit from this Webinar? Teachers, administrators, school psychologists and other related service providers, and technical assistance providers seeking more information about ELLs and RTI. Those currently implementing RTI and wanting to learn how ELLs can be served in RTI.

FREE Dyslexia Presentation Featuring Susan Barton – leading dyslexia expert and Founder of Bright Solutions for Dyslexia Dyslexia affects 20% of the population, and is the most common reason a bright child will struggle with reading, writing and spelling. Learn why they struggle and what you can do to help.  Friday, April 16, 2010 6:00 – 9:00 pm Montana State University – Billings Library Lecture Room 148

Come join us in Missoula for an outstanding early childhood conference with a math and science emphasis.Welcome Address: Nancy SchweitzerKeynote: Dr. Juanita Copley, University of Texas and author of: Mathematics in the Early Years The Young Child and Mathematics Showcasing Mathematics for the Young Child For more information, visit www.mtaeyc.org/missou

Download participant registration forms online: http://www.mtafterschool.com When: April 8th - 9th, 2010 at the Red Lion Colonial Hotel in Helena, MT

What We'd Like You to Know and Share! Registration is open! Go to http://www.pathfinder-nd.org to view the registration form or call  1.800.245.5840 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              1.800.245.5840      end_of_the_skype_highlighting  1.800.245.5840 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              1.800.245.5840      end_of_the_skype_highlighting to register. Stipends are available! Ask us about a stipend for parents to cover the registration fee. We  also cover hotel costs for parents traveling more than 60 miles each way. (Funding for the stipends is provided from the ND State Council on Developmental Disabilities) Our Agenda is Exciting! Take a look at the agenda at our website. Dan Habib, Janice Fialka, Dave Anderson (Famous Dave’s Barbeque Sauce) & more. (Read about Including Samuel at http://www.businessweek.com/careers/workingparents/blog/archives/2009/09/kids_with_disab.html )

This session will offer an overview of the resources offered by AAC TechConnect to assist in AAC evaluations in the following ways: An overview of the unique "ACES Module and Toolkit Approach" will offer ideas for low-cost toolkits which can be assembled and used for effective AAC evaluations One-of-a-kind online clinical resources will be demonstrated for locating info at www.aacTechConnect.com for pictures/flyers/comparison charts for most AAC devices Descriptions of locale workshops including AAC Vendor Forums which are being scheduled nationally by AAC TechConnect/ATIA and hosted by local AT centers.

What: The print, bound book is an educational barrier for many students with print disabilities. Because these students cannot read a print book, they require books in alternative formats such as DAISY and BRF (digital Braille). Books in accessible digital formats can remove the barriers and provide access to the general curriculum. In this webinar, you will learn about digital accessible books and how to get digital textbooks from the NIMAC (National Instructional Materials Accessibility Center). You'll also learn the services and benefits Bookshare offers to educators and qualified students.

This Directory can help you find summer camps or programs for children with special needs and their siblings. The camps are listed alphabetically by sponsoring organization If your child is interested in going to a camp not specifically for children with special needs, call the camp for more information about including your child.Click here to download the Summer Camp Directory