In this issue you will find resources in the following areas:
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Autism
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Developmental Disabilities
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Early Intervention
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Health Issues With Children
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Intellectual Disabilities
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Inservice Training
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Instructional Materials
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Mathematics
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Reading Techniques
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School Drop Out and Disabilities
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Special Education Resources
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Strategies for Teaching
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Teacher Effectiveness
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Teacher Resources
Autism
Autism corner.
Here are several resources school personnel may find helpful in planning for and delivering services to students with autism.
• For occupational therapists.
Visit the American OT Association’s autism micro-site.
https://www.aota.org/autism
Developmental Disabilities
Developmental disabilities and supporting the power of choice in our lives.
Are you involved in helping youth with developmental disabilities plan for their own future, making their own choices? Here are three resources that can help.
• It’s my choice!
In this great 90-page workbook, young people with developmental disabilities are guided in thinking about their life and the kinds of things that are important to them. From there, it’s on to developing an individualized game plan!
https://www.mnddc.org/extra/premium-publications/choice/Its_My_Choice.pdf
• Consumer-friendly planning guides.
The CA Dept. of Developmental Disabilities offers quite a collection of short workbooks designed especially for individuals with DD to use in making their own choices about where and how they want to live, how they want to spend their time, and much more. Many are available in multiple languages, including English, Spanish, and Chinese.
https://www.dds.ca.gov/ConsumerCorner/Publications.cfm
• Transition to adult health.
Being a Healthy Adult: How to Advocate for Your Health and Health Care was written to help young adults with disabilities learn how to become effective self-advocates for their own health and health care. Available in English and Spanish and audio! – Click here
The Administration on Developmental Disabilities Projects of National Significance
https://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/add/survey/survey_landed.html
The Administration on Developmental Disabilities (ADD) seeks input from individuals with developmental disabilities and their families across the country in considering future plans and how ADD can best meet the diverse needs of these groups. ADD seeks to use its resources to focus on the most pressing and relevant concerns of the developmental disabilities community, and is looking for their thoughts regarding the focus of future Projects of National Significance (PNS). The purpose of PNS is to: create opportunities for people with developmental disabilities to contribute to, and participate in, all facets of community life; and support the development of national and state policies to reinforce and promote the self-determination, independence, productivity, inclusion, and integration of individuals with developmental disabilities into all facets of community life.
The Arc FINDS Survey
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/TheArcFinds2010
The Arc FINDS (Family and Individual Needs for Disability Supports) survey is now online and available to families, individuals, and self-advocates. They invite individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities, families, and caregivers across the nation to share their opinions on a variety of issues relating to disability. There is no cost to taking the survey. (Additional information on Arc is on their general website, https://www.thearc.org.)
Ways to make complex information simple for those with developmental disabilities.
This publication will help people support the participation of those with developmental disabilities on boards and committees. Find out how how to make changes or adaptations to materials so each member can understand the meeting business. The same concepts apply when you’re preparing other types of materials for those with DD.
https://www.dds.ca.gov/ConsumerCorner/WaysComplex.cfm
Early Intervention
Using the science of the developing child to guide practice.
Visit the Center on the Developing Children at Harvard University and explore their multifaceted briefs and working papers, including the science of the developing child; understanding intervention; research that enhances the understanding of child health, learning, and behavior; and child and family mental health. https://developingchild.harvard.edu/
Early childhood assessment: Why, what, and how.
A publication of the National Academies Press.
https://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12446
Online module on embedded interventions now available in Spanish.
In our July enewsletter, we told you about Project CONNECT’s online module on embedded interventions. Sweet—now it’s available in Spanish..
https://community.fpg.unc.edu/connect-modules/learners
Spanish infant practice guides.
The practice guides from the Center for Early Literacy Learning (CELL) will help Spanish-speaking parents promote their baby’s literacy learning using interest-based and highly engaging activities.
https://www.earlyliteracylearning.org/pgparents_span.php
The 6 steps of positive behavior support.
From the Technical Assistance Center on Social Emotional Intervention for Young Children. https://www.challengingbehavior.org/explore/pbs/process.htm
Positive beginnings: Supporting young children with challenging behavior.
Six online modules for inservice and preservice early interventionists and early childhood educators. https://pbs.fsu.edu/return.html
Teaching tools.
“Teaching Tools” is a product of the Technical Assistance Center on Social Emotional Intervention. They are meant to assist teachers in developing a plan to support young children who are having challenging behavior.
https://www.challengingbehavior.org/do/resources/teaching_tools/ttyc.htm
Commonly asked questions about child care centers and the ADA.
This 13-page publication explains how the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act apply to child care centers.
https://www.ada.gov/childq%26a.htm
For Part C coordinators: Orientation training modules.
Here are a series of training presentations for Part C coordinator recorded in December 2009. There are 12 videos in the series.
https://tadnet.org/partccoordinators
Health Issues With Children
Sleep problems in children.
How much sleep do children need? What do you do to promote healthy sleeping habits—-or address children’s problems with sleeping? Find out here, from the University of Michigan Health System.
https://www.med.umich.edu/yourchild/topics/sleep.htm
Your child has a chronic health condition. What do you need to tell the school?
From the Healthy Children site of the American Academy of Pediatrics.
https://www.healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/conditions/chronic/pages/Chronic-Conditions-and-School.aspx
More on raising children with health conditions.
https://www.med.umich.edu/yourchild/topics/chronic.htm
All about eating disorders…
…including ones you may not have heard of before.
https://www.1sthealthinsurancequotes.com/eating-disorders.html
Living with chronic pain.
There are many reasons why an individual may suffer from chronic pain and there’s much to know about strategies for coping and living well despite the pain. Here are several resources on the subject.
• American Chronic Pain Association.
Visit the American Chronic Pain Association for a list of common conditions, medications and treatments, and pain management tools.
https://www.theacpa.org/default.aspx
• American Academy of Pain Management.
https://www.aapainmanage.org/index.php
• WebMD’s Pain Management Health Center.
https://www.webmd.com/pain-management/default.htm
Intellectual Disabilities
Upcoming webinar on Individualized Supports Planning for Students with Intellectual Disabilities.
September 27, 2010 at 3:30 p.m. EDT
Hosted by the American Association of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD), this webinar will focus on informing special education teachers and administrators how individualized supports planning can be used to build on strengths, and address the challenges in social thinking that students with intellectual disabilities may experience in classrooms. Register online at: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/922789170
Inservice Training
Providing professional inservice training.
If you’re planning to provide inservice training to the educators in your school, you might want to have a look at An Evidence-Based Approach to Professional In-service Training.
https://www.osep-meeting.org/2009conf/Presentations/Wednesday/Dunst,Trivette_Evidence-Based%20Approach.ppt
Instructional Materials
Deciding what accessible materials a student needs.
Use the AIM Navigator, a series of guiding questions to assist teams with decision-making about need, selection, acquisition, and use of accessible instructional materials (AIM) for students with disabilities.
https://aim.cast.org/navigator/page/
Mathematics
Inclusion in mathematics education for students with disabilities.
https://www.as.wvu.edu/~acad/
Math matrix.
The math matrix matches technology tools with supporting literature on promising practices for the instruction of math for students with disabilities. Search for products and evidence among the six purposes of technology that support reading for students with special needs. From CITEd.
https://www.citeducation.org/mathmatrix/
Reading Techniques
Intensive Reading Interventions for Struggling Readers in Early Elementary School.
https://centeroninstruction.org/resources.cfm?category=reading&subcategory=materials&grade_start=0&grade_end=3#59
Reading 101 for the first year teacher.
This free self-study online course includes 10 modules on the foundations of teaching reading. Video clips demonstrate best practices. https://www.readingrockets.org/firstyear/
Reading matrix.
This matrix matches technology tools with supporting literature on promising practices for the instruction of reading for students with disabilities. From the National Center for Technology Innovation.
https://www.techmatrix.org/Infopage?page=Reading_for_Struggling_Students
School Drop Out and Disabilities
Dropout prevention for students with disabilities: A critical issue for state education agencies.
This issue brief provides guidance to states as they respond to requirements in iDEA in the area of dropout prevention for students with disabilities. It also highlights the role of State Performance Plans as starting points for states to develop data collection and monitoring procedures, and supplies states with considerations and recommendations for providing a consistent method of tracking dropout data. A product of the National High School Center.
https://www.betterhighschools.org/docs/NHSC_DropoutPrevention_052507.pdf
Special Education Resources
Accessible Instructional Material for Students
Report
https://aim.cast.org/learn/aim4families
The National Center on Accessible Instructional Materials offers information and resources for families and students on topics such as AIM at home and at school, assistive technology, and alternate-format learning materials.
Do States Have Certification Requirements for Preparing General Education Teachers to Teach Students with Disabilities?
Report
https://www.wested.org/cs/we/view/rs/1037
Preparing general education teachers to work effectively with all students is critical. This report from the Institute of Education Sciences’ National Center for Educational Evaluation and Regional Assistance deals with the experience of the Northeast and Islands Region and provides recommendations for others addressing this issue.
Edutopia’s Back to School Guide
Guide
https://www.edutopia.org/back-to-school-classroom-resource-guide
Edutopia has updated for 2010 their guide to tools, tips, and resources to help teachers engage students and make learning more collaborative.
Family Guide to Assistive Technology and Transition Planning
Guide
https://www.fctd.info/show/fig_summary
Published by the Family Center on Technology and Disability (FCTD), this 50-page guide provides families with information to help them prepare for and participate in periods of transition in their children’s lives. The Guide is available in both English and Spanish.
Health and the IEP
CD:ROM
https://www.waisman.wisc.edu/wrc/pub.html
The Wisconsin Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs (CYSHCN) Centers have added a CD:ROM, “Health and the IEP,” to their health-related training materials that can be used with schools, health providers, families and directly with youth to help youth with disabilities learn to more effectively manage their health care concerns. “Health and the IEP” addresses ways to include medical issues in the Individualized Education Plan (IEP) process, with three powerpoint presentations, along with companion handouts. These presentations can be used as individual trainings or specific slides can be used in other agencies’ trainings with credit to the Regional Centers and the Waisman Research Center.
Health Outcomes and IEPs (August 2009)
https://dpimedia.wi.gov/main/Viewer/?peid=f44dfa70439241dd85e99cce0cb70e26
“Embedding Health Outcomes in the Individualized Education Program” is a video recording of a 40 minute teleconference that provides information and specific examples of health related goals for an IEP. This recording is available, at no cost, from the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction web site.
IEP Checklist iPhone App
Phone App
https://www.peatc.org/peatc.cgim?template=IEPChecklistiPhone
The Parent Educational Advocacy Training Center (PEATC) has developed an Individualized Education Program (IEP) Checklist iPhone application. The new IEP application helps parents and teachers of students with disabilities become better informed by making IEP information easier to access. This tool is for parents and teachers to use in developing a student’s IEP. The checklist includes items required by special education regulations and other items that may be relevant for the IEP.
Improving Physical Education and Athletic Opportunities
Report
https://www.gao.gov/new.items/d10519.pdf
According to the GAO’s “Students with Disabilities: More Information and Guidance Could Improve Opportunities in Physical Education and Athletics,” students with disabilities generally are participating in physical education classes to an extent similar to students without disabilities; some also are involved in school sports. The report found that many districts and schools are interested in improving how they provide physical education and athletic opportunities to these students. Available in pdf (1.23 MB, 58 pp).
New iPod Touch Workbook for Individuals with Cognitive Challenges
Workbook
https://id4theweb.com/iPod_book.cfm
“Organizing Your Life with the iPOD Touch: Making Cognitive Connections at Home, Work, and School” is a workbook developed by the PDA 4 Memory Project for individuals living with brain injuries and other cognitive issues. Topics covered in the workbook include: Making Cognitive Connections, iPod Touch Basics, The Clock App, The Calendar App, The Contacts App and The Notes App.
Self-Advocate Newsletter Focused on Intimate Relationships
Newsletter Theme Issue
https://www2.hsri.org/docs/Riot_Issue_23.pdf
Self-advocates want boyfriends and girlfriends to share their lives with. However, without education and support, self-advocates can end up in bad or abusive relationships. Issue #23 of “The Riot!” is on the importance for self-advocates of opening up about their feelings and what they want from a relationship. (General information on the newsletter and its issues is at https://www2.hsri.org/leaders/theriot/pastissues.html.) Available in pdf (1.25 MB, 10 pp).
Survey Reveals Large Differences in Use of Assistive Technology by Age, Race, Ethnicity, Education, Income, and Type and Severity of Disability
Article
https://www.pascenter.org/premium-publications/publication_home.php?id=915
Assistive technology is essential to the lives of many people with disabilities, but disparities in usage put certain segments of the disability population at a particular disadvantage. This article explores differences in technology usage across disability subpopulations. Responses to a 2005 survey of nearly 2,000 adult consumers of California Independent Living Centers reveal large differences in technology usage by age, race, ethnicity, education, income, and type and severity of disability. Findings highlight approaches for expanding use of and promoting equal access to technologies that enable greater social and economic participation for people with disabilities.
The Economic Benefits of Reducing the Dropout Rate Among Students of Color in the Nation’s Largest Metropolitan Areas
Report
https://www.all4ed.org/publication_material/EconMSAsoc
The Alliance for Excellent Education’s “The Economic Benefits of Reducing the Dropout Rate Among Students of Color in the Nation’s Largest Metropolitan Areas” reported that lowering the high school dropout rate among students of color would greatly increase the economic vitality for some of the nation’s largest metropolitan areas. Estimates of the economic benefits for the 45 largest U.S. metropolitan areas are provided by the report.
The Economic Benefits of Reducing the Dropout Rate Among Students of Color in the Nation’s Largest Metropolitan Areas Webinar Video (July 2010)
Video
https://www.all4ed.org/events/WebinarEconBenefits070710
The webinar on “The Economic Benefits of Reducing the Dropout Rate Among Students of Color in the Nation’s Largest Metropolitan Areas,” hosted by the Alliance for Excellent Education and the Campaign for High School Equity, is available as a video. The panelists discussed the findings on these benefits to both the communities and the students and the challenges of improving high-school graduation rates for students of color.
Strategies for Teaching
Communication disorders.
https://www.as.wvu.edu/~scidis/comm.html
Chronic health conditions.
https://www.aft.org/pdfs/healthcare/medicallyfragilechild0409.pdf
Down syndrome.
https://specialed.about.com/od/disabilities/a/downs.htm
Down syndrome.
https://www.teach-nology.com/teachers/special_ed/disabilities/down/
Hearing impairments and deafness.
https://www.rit.edu/ntid/educatingdeafchildren/
Hearing impairments and deafness.
https://www.as.wvu.edu/~scidis/hearing.html
Intellectual disabilities.
https://www.as.wvu.edu/~scidis/intel.html
Intellectual disabilities.
https://www.ihdi.uky.edu/IEI/Files/Pathways%20to%20learning%20document.pdf
Motor or orthopedic impairments.
https://www.as.wvu.edu/~scidis/motor.html
Sensory impairments.
https://www.trinity.edu/org/sensoryimpairments/VI/ATS/ats_toc.htm
Tourette syndrome.
https://www.tsa-usa.org/educ_advoc/educ_ed_strat_main.htm
Tourette syndrome.
https://www.cedu.niu.edu/~shumow/itt/Tourette%27s%20Syndrome.pdf
Traumatic brain injury.
https://www.tbied.org/
Traumatic brain injury.
www.fldoe.org/ese/pdf/trauma.pdf
Visual impairments or blindness.
https://www.as.wvu.edu/~scidis/vision.html
Teacher Effectiveness
From the National Comprehensive Center for Teacher Quality.
Two resources you may find of interest are available from the Center.
Building teacher effectiveness systems.
Education reformers have shifted the focus from “highly qualified teachers” to “teacher effectiveness.” This Critical Decisions Guide offers states and districts resources and tools to build better evaluation systems. At the initial stages of reform, states and districts often have many questions about effective implementation. This guide is designed to assist leaders as they think critically about each phase in the development of their evaluation system.
https://www.tqsource.org/criticalDecisions/
Teacher Resources
A Few More General Resources
Teaching special-needs students in the regular classroom.
https://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/columnists/mcdonald/mcdonald022.shtml
Special education resources for general educators.
https://serge.ccsso.org/
