In this issue you will find resources in the following areas:
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Assistive Technology
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Bullying
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Early Intervention
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Families and Community
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Housing and Disabilities
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Postsecondary Institutions for Students with Disabilities
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Soft Skills
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Survey Participation
Assistive Technology
Assistive Technology 101
Guide
https://www.ldonline.org/article/Assistive_Technology_101
Assistive Technology devices are tools that enable people living with disabilities to lead more independent lives. They can be low-tech, such as a magnifying glass, or high-tech, such as a computerized communication system. This guide provides an overview of what’s available and how to choose the best AT tools for a child.
Family Information Guide to Assistive Technology & Transition Planning
Guide
https://www.fctd.info/show/order_guides
This 50 page guide provides families with information they need to effectively prepare for and participate in periods of transition in their children’s lives. Individuals may order one free copy of the guide, and additional print copies are available for $10; a discount is available for bulk orders.
Bullying
A Policy & Practice Brief from the Center at UCLA: Embedding Bullying Interventions into a Comprehensive System of Student and Learning Supports
Report
https://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/pdfdocs/embeddingbullying.pdf
While everybody agrees that school bullying is a major problem, controversy exists over the best way to address the problem. This report presents a brief analysis and synthesis of the current state of the art, underscoring the need to avoid piecemeal policy and practice initiatives, pointing out that the growing emphasis on school bullying provides an opportunity to accelerate development of a comprehensive, multifaceted, and cohesive system of student and learning supports, and outlining policy implications related to doing so. (Available in pdf, 121 KB, 23 pp.)
Embedding bullying interventions into a comprehensive system of student and learning supports.
While everybody agrees that school bullying is a major problem, considerable controversy exists over the best way to address the problem. This document presents (a) a brief analysis and synthesis of the current state of the art, (b) underscores the need to avoid another piecemeal set of policy and practice initiatives, (c) stresses that the growing emphasis on school bullying provides an opportunity to accelerate development of a comprehensive, multifaceted, and cohesive system of student and learning supports, and (d) outlines policy implications related to doing so.
https://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/pdfdocs/embeddingbullying.pdf
Early Intervention
Tipsheets for early childhood.
These “Growing Ideas” tipsheets are a compilation of resources designed to guide inclusive early childhood practices. They come from The Center for Community Inclusion and Disability Studies.
https://ccids.umaine.edu/resources/ec-growingideas/
Teaching young children self-control skills: Information for parents and educators.
Self-control is an important skill for all children to learn. If students are taught self-control at an early age, then they will feel better about the choices that they do make. From NASP, the National Association of School Psychologists.
https://www.nasponline.org/resources/handouts/revisedPDFs/selfcontrol.pdf
Early childhood education and children with disabilities.
How can families and early childhood professionals provide quality, inclusive early childhood education for young children with and without disabilities? That’s the question posed in this issue of Impact, a publication of the Institute on Community Integration (UCEDD) and the Research and Training Center on Community Living.
https://ici.umn.edu/products/impact/221/default.html
The seven ingredients of resilience: Information for parents.
https://www.nasponline.org/premium-publications/cq/pdf/V38N6_SevenIngredientsofResilience.pdf
Using multiple funding streams to serve young children.
This paper examines one school district’s use of funds from Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) to provide services for very young at-risk children. From the Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP).
https://www.clasp.org/admin/site/premium-publications/files/financingbirthtofive.pdf
Blending and braiding funding streams to serve more children.
This podcast from the New America Foundation’s Early Education Initiative discusses how blending and braiding funding streams can enable centers to provide high-quality early learning programs for children and families who might not otherwise have access to such programs.
Families and Communities
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Community supports. Check out this page from the Family Support Clearinghouse. It connects you with supports and resources in multiple need areas, including: service animals, independent living, child care, adult day supports, respite care, and transportation. https://familysupportclearinghouse.org/knowledge-topics/community-supports/ Independent living & full participation in the community. This section of disability.gov’s website has information about personal assistance services and other programs and services that can help people live independently. You’ll also find resources on accessible sports and recreation and travel tips, as well as guidelines for making programs and facilities accessible to people with disabilities. This section also has information about volunteer opportunities for people with disabilities. https://www.disability.gov/community_life “Community for All” tool kit: Resources for supporting community living. This tool kit was developed through the collaboration of seven very well-known organizations working on behalf of those with intellectual disabilities. In their words, “We, the undersigned, are committed to assuring that people with disabilities have the supports needed to design and achieve lives of quality and meaning. Such lives are characterized by opportunity, inclusion, and participation.” https://thechp.syr.edu/toolkit/ Worship and special needs. For many, worship provides enormous support for coping with the choices and stresses of life. When you have a child with special needs, going to church, temple, or synagogue may be a challenge. In their own turn, faith leaders may be looking for guidance on how to foster a welcoming community for those who have special needs. Here are several resources you may find helpful. Including Children with Special Needs in Worship and Church School Programs https://www.faith-at-home.com/articles/including-children_lc.html Worshiping With a Child With Special Needs https://specialchildren.about.com/od/inthecommunity/a/worship.htm Including People With Disabilities in Faith Communities: A Guide for Service Providers, Families, and Congregations From Paul H. Brookes Publishing Company. Cost: $25 https://www.brookespublishing.com/store/books/carter-67434/index.htm Faith Based Support Groups and Accessibility Services From the Family Support Clearinghouse. https://familysupportclearinghouse.org/knowledge-topics/community-supports/faith-based/ Guide to Spiritual Community Supports for Individuals with Disabilities and their Families. Spirituality. From the newsletter of the National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals. https://rtc.umn.edu/misc/pubcount.asp?publicationid=198 Find, choose, and keep great direct service professionals. Here’s a pair of easy-to-use toolkits designed to help families and people with disabilities find quality, caring, and committed Direct Support Professionals (DSPs). One toolkit is for people with disabilities and the other is for their family members and support providers. https://rtc.umn.edu/ildspworkforce/ Operation Autism: A resource guide for military families. Operation Autism is a web-based resource specifically designed and created to support military families that have children with autism. https://www.operationautismonline.org/ PEAK Parent Center’s Circles of Support webinar https://www.peakparent.org/workshopsTrainings.asp When children have mental illness: What families experience in primary care. The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) has released a survey report on family experiences with primary care doctors in treating children and adolescents living with serious mental illness. The survey report provides a comprehensive overview of their responses, thoughts and comments. Health care transition for youth with special health care needs. Visit the National Health Care Transition Center, which disseminates health care transition best practices in primary care medical homes and specialty settings for youth and young adults with special health care needs. |
Housing and Disability Issues
Housing & Disability Issues Listserv
https://iod.unh.edu/Projects/archived/chance/housing_listserv.aspx
“Housing & Disability Issues” is a moderated informational listserv, focusing on disability issues concerning but not limited to housing and home ownership for people with disabilities, and maintained by the Institute on Disability at the University of New Hampshire.
Learning Disabilities Association Introduces The LD Source
https://tinyurl.com/3nqljyk
The Learning Disabilities Association (LDA), partnering with MultiBriefs, issued the first number of “The LD Source,” June 30, 2011, a free e-mail resource providing comprehensive news briefings of the week’s top stories on learning disabilities and related topics, including information on trends and technology that impact the field of learning disabilities. Each issue contains articles gathered from such sources as The Associated Press, USA Today, and leading industry publications.
Postsecondary Institutions for Students with Disabilities
NCES Releases Report on Students with Disabilities at Postsecondary Institutions
Report
https://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2011018
The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) at the Institute for Education Sciences, part of the U.S. Department of Education, has released “Students with Disabilities at Degree-Granting Postsecondary Institutions,” a First Look from the Postsecondary Education Quick Information System (PEQIS), that provides national data about students with disabilities, the services and accommodations provided to these students, how institutions identify students with disabilities and track their enrollment, institutional policies regarding disabled students, and various aspects of institutional accessibility.
Soft Skills
NCWD/Youth Brief for Parents & Families on Helping Youth Develop Soft Skills
Brief
https://www.ncwd-youth.info/information-brief-28
NCWD/Youth’s latest Info Brief, “Helping Youth Develop Soft Skills for Job Success: Tips for Parents and Families,” is now available online. Parents and family members can help young people prepare for job success by working with them and encouraging them to develop soft skills. “Soft skills” are common sense skills that are important in all aspects of life and have been identified by employers as particularly important for success at work. By improving these skills, all youth, including youth with disabilities, can enhance their social life, do better in postsecondary education pursuits, and be more successful at finding and maintaining employment. This Info Brief describes several strategies that families can use to help youth develop soft skills.
Survey Participation
U.S. Department of Education Invites Comments on School Bullying Law and Policy Plan
https://tinyurl.com/3zctbau
The U.S. Department of Education has published a plan to conduct case studies at 24 school sites across the nation to analyze bullying laws and policies. The study will identify promising strategies and practices schools use to combat bullying and will examine how state legislative requirements influence policies, including ways that state and district policies facilitate or create challenges for effective implementation. Comments are due by August 1, 2011, and may be submitted electronically to ICDocketMgr@ed.gov or mailed to the U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW, LBJ, Washington, DC 20202-4537. The plan can be downloaded at the Web site.
