In this issue you will Find Topics On:
- Bullying
- Early Intervention
- Families and Communities
- Inclusion
- Parent Involvement
- Peer Mentoring
- Reading
- Transition
Bullying
Stop bullies and bullying.
Whether you are a parent, educator, or concerned friend of the family, there are 10 steps you can take to stop and prevent bullying. Do you know them all?
https://www.nea.org/home/51629.htm
Early Intervention
How to…
Toilet train a child with a special needs.
Toilet training works best when parents of children with special needs have access to the guidance, instruction, and encouragement of their pediatrician, other trained professionals, or support groups. This article provides that guidance and additional resources to help with toilet training.
Use music to help children with special needs.
Music has value beyond entertainment – because of its effect on gross motor function, breathing, and self-regulation for children who struggle to speak, music is an excellent therapeutic tool.
Transition smoothly to kindergarten.
Transitions can seem scary, but with adequate planning and follow through they can go smoothly. Planning for terrific transitions: A guide for transition-to-school teams focuses on the need to facilitate children’s transition to kindergarten and is designed to help teams improve their transition processes through more effective planning, implementation, and evaluation.
https://www.serve.org/FileLibraryDetails.aspx?id=152
Families and Communities
How to…
Explain disability to family members.
Addressing a child’s learning disability (LD) is stressful for any parent, and explaining it to your family can be difficult, as you are just beginning to understand it yourself. This article provides strategies on how to explain LD to your family.
Access mental health services.
There are many organizations and groups that deal with mental health. This is a great place to find the one or ones that offer(s) the type of assistance, intervention, or information you’re seeking.
https://nichcy.org/families-community/help/mentalhealth
Get a break.
Folks raising children or supporting a family member of any ability level welcome breaks from time to time. A particular type of support is needed for a break when a child or family member with a disability is involved. The National Respite Locator Service helps parents, family caregivers, and professionals find respite services in their state and local area to match their specific needs.
https://archrespite.org/respitelocator
Inclusion
Creating an Inclusive School Environment: A Model for School Leaders (2013)
Module
https://www.iriscenter.com/inc/chalcycle.htm
IRIS Center’s “Creating an Inclusive School Environment: A Model for School Leaders” provides free, online, interactive training enhancements that translate research about the education of students with disabilities into practice, to create an inclusive school environment for all students.
Parent Involvement
Getting Parents and Families Involved in School (June 2013)
Article
https://www.readingrockets.org/article/25979/
Research shows that parent involvement can improve student behavior, attendance, and achievement when schools foster high-quality, successful parent involvement. The Center for Comprehensive School Reform and Improvement’s “Getting Parents and Families Involved in School” offers research-based advice and resources to help schools in getting this involvement.
Peer Mentoring
Peer Mentoring in Postsecondary Settings: Experiences at the College of Charleston (2013)
Brief
https://www.thinkcollege.net/images/stories/Insight_21_mentoringCofC_F.pdf
At its most basic level, mentoring assumes some type of collaborative relationship between two people. It can be a formal arrangement or an informal partnership. It can be short-lived or longstanding. What qualifies a person to become a mentor may be professional standing, personal knowledge, life experience, or any one of many other characteristics. On college campuses, mentoring has become a popular way of supporting the transition of new students to postsecondary education. Peer mentoring, where current students are matched with new students, can have a significant impact on the ease with which this transition occurs. “Peer Mentoring in Postsecondary Settings” details the importance of mentoring in supporting students with intellectual disabilities on the college campus, using strategies from the REACH Program at Charleston College as examples of effective practice. Available in pdf (133 KB, 4 pp).
Reading
Help struggling readers.
Did you know that learning to read is a challenge for almost 40% of kids? The good news is that with early help, most reading problems can be prevented.
https://www.readingrockets.org/helping/
Transition
A Collaborative Interagency, Interdisciplinary Approach to Transition from Adolescence to Adulthood (April 2013)
Report
https://www.aucd.org/docs/premium-publications/transition2013_full_sm.pdf
“A Collaborative Interagency, Interdisciplinary Approach to Transition from Adolescence to Adulthood” is a new report from the Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD) about the transition from adolescence to adult life for youth with disabilities. Available in pdf (776 KB, 56 pp).
ACT Condition of College & Career Readiness 2012 (2012)
Report
https://tinyurl.com/m236fp7
The 2012 “Condition of College & Career Readiness” report provides national and state information on college readiness of ACT-tested U.S. high school graduating class of 2012, representing 52% of all 2012 graduates in the United States, and offers suggestions for policy and practice. This year, ACT has produced additional college readiness reports to focus on the college readiness of African American, American Indian, Asian, Hispanic, Pacific Islander, and Low-Income students.
Using Early Warning Data to Keep Students on Track toward College and Careers (June 2013)
Report
https://tinyurl.com/mh934l4
“Using Early Warning Data to Keep Students on Track toward College and Careers” is a primer for state policymakers. Early warning systems (EWS) provide educators, administrators, and policymakers with actionable information that they can use to prepare all students to succeed in college and careers. EWS combine multiple data points, translate them into predictive indicators that are based on research, and communicate them to stakeholders, so they can examine which students are or are not on track for postsecondary success and intervene accordingly.
Using Individualized Learning Plans to Increase College & Career Readiness of All Students (May 2013)
Archived Webinar
https://www.ncwd-youth.info/webinars#ncwdyouth
“Using Individualized Learning Plans to Increase College & Career Readiness of All Students” is an archived webinar that webinar presents the findings from the National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth (NCWD/Youth) longitudinal research project to determine whether and how Individualized Learning Plans (ILPs) could be considered as a promising strategy for developing college and career readiness. Presenters also recommend actions for educational leaders at the state and local levels interested in successful transitions of youth from adolescence to adulthood and share lessons on implementing ILPs statewide for all students.
