In this issue you will Find Topics On:
- Assistive Technology
- Autism
- Classroom Management
- Early Intervention
- Educational Resources
- Employment
- Extended School Day
- Families and Communities
- Health and Well-Being
- Least Restrictive Environment
- Parent Teacher Relationships
- Participation Requests
- Self Advocacy
- Suicide
- Transition
Assistive Technology
Assistive Technology in Action (August 2012)
Video Series
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jYmfrrY4Hfk
The Family Center on Technology and Disability and PACER Center are pleased to announce the release of their new assistive technology awareness series, “Assistive Technology in Action.” Funded by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs, this fully-captioned video series is designed to strengthen awareness of AT devices that help individuals with disabilities participate fully in school, at home, and in the community. The first video in the series, “Meet Sam,” features Sam Graves, a young man with cerebral palsy who, with the help of AT, is a successful college student, blogger, and sportsman.
Free technology for teachers.
With so many apps out there, it can become quite daunting to find apps that are useful or relevant. Well, there’s an app for just that.
https://www.freetech4teachers.com/
Autism
Adventures in an autism classroom: On the value of token economies.
Token Economy Systems work for ALL types of students, no matter what their academic or communication level! Here is one example of how this system can be used in the classroom.
https://classroominthecorner.blogspot.com/
Classroom Management
Speech and Language Impairments in Your Classroom: 8 Tips for Teachers
https://nichcy.org/s-l-i-8-tips-for-teachers
Intellectual Disabilities in Your Classroom: 9 Tips for Teachers
https://nichcy.org/intellectual-disabilities-in-your-classroom
LD in Your Classroom: 7 Tips for Teachers
https://nichcy.org/ld-7-tips-for-teachers
AD/HD in Your Classroom: 10 Tips for Teachers
https://nichcy.org/adhd-10-tips-for-teachers
Early Intervention
gives teachers tools and strategies to use when teaching children how to transition between activities and places within the early childhood environment.
https://www.challengingbehavior.org/communities/make_n_take/make_n_take_home.html
Communicating via backpack.
Also from TACSEI, the new Backpack Connection Series gives teachers and parents/caregivers a way to work together to help young children develop social-emotional skills and reduce challenging behavior. Teachers may choose to send a handout home in each child’s backpack when a new strategy or skill is introduced to the class. The handout provides information that helps parents stay informed about what their child is learning at school and specific ideas on how to use the strategy or skill at home.
https://www.challengingbehavior.org/do/resources/backpack.html
Ask the cognitive scientist: what is developmentally appropriate practice?
A noted cognitive scientist explores the term “developmentally appropriate practice” (DAP) and discusses the importance of understanding learning variability when planning instruction.
Educational Resources
Iris Center Education Resources (2012)
Database
https://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/resources.html
The IRIS Center provides special education resources for educators and other professionals about students with disabilities. The center’s collection of online Information Briefs has been updated and revised and many new categories are now available, including assistive technology, differentiated instruction, and reading strategies.
Employment
Integrated Employment Toolkit (2012)
Toolkit
https://www.dol.gov/odep/ietoolkit/
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) has developed this Integrated Employment Toolkit to provide valuable information as individuals, community employment agencies, policymakers and others pursue integrated employment as the employment goal for youth and adults with disabilities. The Toolkit offers a resources, reports, papers, policies, fact sheets, case studies, and discussion guides from a variety of sources to accommodate the full range of users and increase understanding about the value and potential of integrated employment.
Extended School Day
Expanding Learning Time: Reviewing the Evidence (August 2012)
Report
https://tinyurl.com/cmsqamy
The educational achievement and attainment of young people in the United States, especially disadvantaged children, has been a longstanding concern. Extending learning time for students (through a longer school day or year, or through offering academic services during out-of-school time) can be effective in improving educational outcomes for students. The Wallace Foundation commissioned Child Trends to review the evidence on the effectiveness of school-based and community-based extended learning time approaches. Child Trends’ report, “Expanding Time for Learning Both Inside and Outside the Classroom: A Review of the Evidence Base,” synthesizes the results, finding Extended Learning Time effective, if used well.
Families and Communities
What’s LRE, and what does it have to do with your child’s placement?
https://nichcy.org/schoolage/placement/overview
Home-to-school connections guide.
This guide provides you with relevant and valuable tools and resources for how best to strengthen the bonds between schools, families, and communities for student learning and success.
https://www.edutopia.org/home-to-school-connections-resource-guide
About brothers and sisters.
This series of articles looks at the challenges and triumphs of siblings of kids with special needs, with book excerpts and reviews that focus on their sibling issues and a chance for parents to give them a special cheer.
https://specials.about.com/service/newsletters/specialchildren/1342188000.htm
Health and Well-Being
Bright Futures Family Pocket Guide (2012)
Guide
https://org2.democracyinaction.org/o/6739/t/11331/shop/shop.jsp?storefront_KEY=347
The 2nd Edition of the “Bright Futures Family Pocket Guide” is reorganized for greater ease of use, and has updates and new information. It was developed for families by families, in partnership with the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and other professionals, and based on the AAP’s “Bright Futures: Guidelines for the Health Supervision of Infants, Children, and Adolescents” (3rd ed.), and provides information on: the roles families play in the health and well-being of their children; the importance of well-child visits for all children; forming partnerships with other families and with professionals to improve policies, care, services, and support for all children and families; a framework for children’s good health; child development; and links to resources and further sources of information for children’s good health.
Least Restrictive Environment
Least Restrictive Environment Applies To Transition Too (July 2012)
Report
https://www.disabilityscoop.com/2012/07/10/feds-lre-transition/15988/
By law, students with disabilities are supposed to be included in general education to the greatest extent possible. Now, federal officials say the same tenet of inclusion should apply to transition as well. Informal guidance issued recently from the U.S. Department of Education and reported by “Education Week” and “Disability Scoop, The Premier Source on Developmental Disabilities News,” indicates that the requirement in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, that students be placed in the “least restrictive environment” extends beyond the confines of the classroom, and includes work placement experiences that are part of a student’s individualized education program, according to the Director of the Office of Special Education Programs at the Department of Education.
Support students in their LRE—here’s a starter set of resources!
Need information, resources, and technical assistance (TA) to help you and others support children with disabilities in their least restrictive environment in school? Here’s a starter list of places to look online.
https://nichcy.org/schoolage/placement/lre-resources
Parent Teacher Relationships
Building and Maintaining A Good Relationship with Your Child’s Teacher (2010)
Article
https://www.ldonline.org/article/25155/
LD OnLine, an educational service of public television station WETA in Washington, DC, in association with the National Joint Committee on Learning Disabilities, has made available online “Building and Maintaining A Good Relationship with Your Child’s Teacher” (2005), by the National Center for Learning Disabilities, on the importance in supporting the needs of a child with disabilities of having a strong, positive relationship with the teachers and others in education at the child’s school. The article includes tips on how to foster a sense of partnership with the teacher and administration to support a child’s education.
Participation Requests
Two New Special Education Research and Development Centers Underway
The National Center for Special Education Research funded two $10 million Research and Development Center awards in July 2012: the Special Education Research and Development Center on Reading Instruction for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students, led by Principal Investigator Amy Lederberg and co-Principal Investigator Susan Easterbrooks (Georgia State University); and the Center on Secondary Education for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders, led by Principal Investigator Samuel Odom and co-Principal Investigator Kara Hume (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill).
https://ies.ed.gov/whatsnew/newsletters/?index=roundncser
Adolescent Siblings of Children with and without Disabilities Sought for Sibling Emotionality Survey
https://redcap.vanderbilt.edu/surveys/?s=RbeQdw
The “Sibling Emotionality Survey” seeks adolescent siblings and parents in families with two children, both adolescent, with and without disabilities, to participate in a survey of how having a brother or sister impacts adolescents, by filling out an online survey taking 15-20 minutes. One adolescent and one parent in each family will be asked to click the link and respond to questions about the respondent and his/her family.
Learning Disabilities Association of American Web Site Survey
https://www.ldaamerica.org/
Learning Disabilities Association of American (LDA) is in the process of updating their Web site and would like input to help them provide the information sought by visitors to the site. With this upgrade, LDA strives to make the improved site a “go-to” destination for anyone seeking general information on learning disabilities as well as advocacy legislation and other timely national and state developments.
Lights On Afterschool Celebration
https://tinyurl.com/9t8kmcl
On October 18, 2012, people will gather at some 7,500 sites across the country and at U.S. military bases worldwide to support the afterschool programs that help working families, keep kids safe and inspire them to learn. The 13th Annual Lights On Afterschool Celebration provides an opportunity for afterschool programs to promote the benefits of engaging in high quality learning beyond the classroom. Participants are encouraged to host their own events and invite parents and community members, or work with other programs in the community to host a larger event.
Stop Bullying Video Challenge
https://stopbullying.challenge.gov/
The Federal Partners in Bullying Prevention invite youth ages 13-18 to create 30-60 second public service announcements as part of the Stop Bullying Video Challenge. Video submissions should showcase ways the youth are taking action against bullying and promoting kindness and respect within their communities. The grand prize is $2,000, and two runner-ups will each receive $500. The three winning videos will be featured on stopbullying.gov. Deadline for entries: October 14, 2012.
CADRE Survey on Parental Conflict and Special Education Decision Making
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/V786TK9
CADRE is developing a resource focusing on issues that families experience in times of high stress due to divorce or estrangement and strategies that can be used to assist them, particularly during the process of special education decision making. CADRE invites responses on a brief survey to assist them in developing this resource.
Inclusive Schools Network
https://tinyurl.com/7vguh9j
The Inclusive Schools Network seeks input from people who use or offer inclusive education services, to learn more about what kinds of information and services the Network could offer, and invites responses on a brief survey of opinions.
National School Safety Advocacy Council’s Conference on Bullying Seeks Session Proposals
https://tinyurl.com/8knek5f
The National School Safety Advocacy Council’s Annual National Conference on Bullying will be held February 27-March 1, 2013 in Orlando, Florida. Any professional with advanced knowledge and experience dealing with issues surrounding bullying is invited to submit session proposals or original research for presentation during the 2013 conference, to share effective models, policies, research and information and provide colleagues with insights and best practices addressing the bullying issues facing schools and communities. Deadline for proposals: October 19, 2012.
National Service-Learning Conference Seeks Proposals for Workshops
https://attendesource.com/profile/web/index.cfm?PKwebID=0x29850f48f
The 24th Annual National Service-Learning Conference seeks proposals for workshops. Workshops are the heart of the conference, providing professional development opportunities and showcasing service-learning projects from across the country. It is an opportunity to connect with people and share how a project was implemented, how it is connected to curriculum goals, and what makes it effective.
Department of Education Seeks Feedback on Vision for Results-Driven Accountability
https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/osers/osep/rda/index.html
The Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) is rethinking its accountability system in order to focus on results. OSEP’S vision for Results-Driven Accountability is that all components of accountability will be aligned in a manner to support states in improving results for infants, toddlers, children and youth with disabilities, and their families. OSEP invites the public to help re-conceptualize the accountability system.
Self Advocacy
Dare to Dream (2012)
Videos
https://www.state.nj.us/education/specialed/transition/video/
The New Jersey Office of Special Education has archived online the leading presentations of the 2012 regional Dare to Dream Student Leadership conferences, highlighting the importance of student self-advocacy and leadership. Each conference features presentations from students and adults with disabilities who have demonstrated self-advocacy and leadership skills, and a variety of concurrent breakout sessions on the transition and self-advocacy process. (NOTE: The video links are in Quicktime and it takes several minutes for them to download.)
Suicide
Preventing Suicide: A Toolkit for High Schools (June 2012)
Toolkit
https://store.samhsa.gov/product/Preventing-Suicide-A-Toolkit-for-High-Schools/SMA12-4669
The Suicide Prevention Resource Center of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has released a toolkit that provides strategies to help high schools, school districts and their partners design and implement strategies to prevent suicide and promote behavioral health among students. It also includes information on screening tools, warning signs and risk factors, statistics and parent education materials.
Transition
Making the Move: Transition Strategies at California Schools with High Graduation Rates (October 2011)
Report
https://www.wested.org/cs/we/view/rs/1197
“Making the Move: Transition Strategies at California Schools with High Graduation Rates,” a report produced by the California Comprehensive Center at WestEd, American Institutes for Research, and the California Department of Education, looks at high schools with successful graduation rates to help understand how to make sure students graduate from high school and are ready for college and career. The report discusses strategies these schools use, challenges they face in achieving high graduation rates, and helping middle grades students transition to high school.
