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Best Practices to Genuine Classroom Inclusion for Students with Autism and Related Disabilities - Webinar - Oct. 7, 2010

Register Now!
Early Registration $30.00 - By October 1st 
After Oct 2nd -- $45.00

Where:
Your Own Computer

When:
Thursday, October 7, 2010
2pm to 4pm Mountain

What:
Dr. Jorgensen is Project Director for the Institute on Disability at The University of New Hampshire and Director of the National Inclusion Education Initiative for students with Autism or Related Disabilities.

Dr. Jorgensen Outlines Steps for Genuine Classroom Inclusion, with clarity, proven research and true compassion. The time to change the vision for the future of students with autism and other related disabilities begins Oct 7th!

INCLUSION MEANS . . ."All students are full time members of age appropriate heterogeneous general education classes in their neighborhood schools.  They are valued members, active participants in general education instruction, experience reciprocal social relationships, and learn core academics from the general education curriculum as well as skills necessary for living an inclusive life in the community.  Supports are provided to students and teachers to enable everyone to be successful."

Dr. Jorgensen's Webinar is a "must-see" for all:

• educators,
• school district administrators,
• parents,
• advocates and
• anyone who is involved with the educational vision for children.

Post Tech - Congress passes bill to make Internet, smartphones accessible for blind, deaf

• Post Tech - Congress passes bill to make Internet, smartphones accessible for blind, deaf - Annotated

   

  tags: accessibility mobile phones smartphones

  • Congress passed a bill on Tuesday night that would make the Internet and mobile phones more accessible to people with disabilities. The legislation will go to President Obama next week to sign into law.

    Advocates for the blind and deaf say the 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act would ensure that Web sites and makers of consumer electronics consider the vision- and hearing-impaired, who have been left behind as more communications tools move to the Web.

The Role of Direct Care Providers for Persons with Autism - Webinar - Nov. 4, 2010

Click here to register for this webinar

Price:
Site Fee $50.00 (Invite your entire staff or parent group for one fee. View the webinar using a projector or large screen)

When:
11:00-1:00 Mountain  (Q & A time following the webinar) 
.3 CEUs available for $25.00

What:
Families Together is pleased to have Dr. Sally Burton Hoyle present this important information to direct care providers who are working with adults with autism and parents of young adults with autism who are transitioning from school to community life.

Dr. Burton Hoyle  grew up helping her brother with autism and, as an adult, she helped him have a meaningful life where he lived in his own apartment close to her family.   She will discuss the critical role of direct care staff in supporting self-determination for persons with autism.

Autism is a lifelong neurological disorder that impacts socialization, communication, and behavior.  Direct Care Providers  need to understand how persons with autism may use their behavior as communication.  Dr. Burton will discuss how to support persons with autism, and how they experience the world through their sensory systems.    This discussion will include addressing the need to use  visual supports such as checklists, pictures, objects and technology in supporting persons with autism.

For more information go to http://www.familiestogether.org/Families Together Web/directcareproviders.html. To register by phone please call 866 326 4864 or email sherry@familiestogether.org

Turnout for NAMIWalk 'unbelievable'

• Turnout for NAMIWalk 'unbelievable' - Annotated

   

  tags: NAMI Montana

  • Sunday’s Montana NAMIWalk had so many participants some barely
    had a chance to get started on the 5K when they were passed by
    walkers who were finishing.

    Organizers said about 2,000 people participated, nearly doubling
    last year’s record-breaking turnout for the event, which raises
    money for the Montana Chapter of the National Alliance on Mental
    Illness.

Implementing Secondary Transition Assessments: Case Study Group - Billings - Nov. 15, 2010

Visit the Region III CSPD website to download flyers and register online!

What:
Implementing Secondary Transition Assessments: Case Study Group

When:
November 15, 2010

Where:
MSUB College of Education, Room 122

Region III CSPD, in cooperation with OPI, is offering a hands-on training for special education teachers working with students ages 15 and older. Participants will have an opportunity to network with other special education teachers and share ideas and discuss best practices. Participants are required to bring two or three student files which they will work on during the session.

Teachers participating in this training are required to watch the four OPI Secondary Transition webinars located on the OPI website prior to attending the Implementing Secondary Transition: Case Study Group. Participants are required to complete a brief evaluation to document attendance and participation for each webinar.

Prerequisite OPI Transition Webinars
Secondary Transition Assessments – February 5, 2009
Measurable Post Secondary Goals - February 24, 2009
Secondary Transition Services – April 9, 2009
Secondary Transition 17 Years Old and Beyond – April 28, 2009
Secondary Transition Assessment Webinar – Power Point

 

*Power Point presentations may be downloaded at the end of each webinar along with resources. Each webinar is approximately 45-60 minutes long.

Instructional Strategies for Reading, Math, and Writing Paraeducator Academy - Billings - October 21-22, 2010

Visit the Region III CSPD website to download flyers and register online!

What:
Instructional Strategies for Reading, Math, and Writing Paraeducator Academy

When:
October 21 & 22, 2010

Where:
MSUB College of Education, Room 122

This academy gives the paraeducator knowledge and skills specific to the use of instructional strategies and methods. The academy bases teaching upon the belief that paraeducators must be constantly involved in the dynamic process of analyzing the teaching environment and individual student needs for the particular level of support, degree of adaptation/accommodation or modification, and instructional method that would best facilitate learning. The academy is designed to provide these skills for use by paraeducators supporting students in inclusive classrooms, resource rooms, or in self-contained settings. Paraeducators that attend this training will learn strategies to use with reading, math, and writing instruction. These strategies can be used in whole group, small group or individual instruction.

Prerequisite OPI Transition Webinars
Secondary Transition Assessments – February 5, 2009
Measurable Post Secondary Goals - February 24, 2009
Secondary Transition Services – April 9, 2009
Secondary Transition 17 Years Old and Beyond – April 28, 2009
Secondary Transition Assessment Webinar – Power Point

*Power Point presentations may be downloaded at the end of each webinar along with resources. Each webinar is approximately 45-60 minutes long.

 

Rollout Of Health Care Reforms To Begin - Disability Scoop

• Rollout Of Health Care Reforms To Begin - Disability Scoop - Annotated

   

  tags: Health Care Reform

  • A series of changes sparked by the health care law passed earlier this year will begin to take hold later this week, increasing access for individuals with disabilities.

    Starting Thursday, insurers will no longer be able to deny coverage to children with pre-existing conditions. Lifetime coverage limits will also largely disappear. And, it will become harder for insurance companies to cancel coverage or deny claims.

    At the same time, insurance plans will be required to include certain preventive services such as vaccinations at no cost. What’s more, kids will be able to stay on their parents’ insurance plans until they turn 26.

Eagle Mount hosts NARHA certification program for riding instructors

• Eagle Mount hosts NARHA certification program for riding instructors - Annotated

   

  tags: NARHA recreation

  • BOZEMAN, MT - Teaching someone to ride a horse isn’t always a simple process. You can’t just hand them the reins, tell them to kick the horse to go, tug the reins to turn and pull back to stop. If the rider’s to have a safe, fun and educational experience, there’s more to the process, especially if the rider has special needs. And, while most riding instructors spend years honing their horsemanship and teaching skills, those working with special-needs riders must know other skills, such as various ways to safely mount riders onto the horse and volunteer management. When working with special-needs riders, there may be one to three volunteers per rider, one person leading the horse and a sidewalker on each side of the horse to provide rider support.

September 27, 2010 - Unintended Consequences

• September 27, 2010 - Unintended Consequences - Annotated

   

  tags: disability

  • With the best of intentions, we spend enormous amounts of time and energy to "help" children and adults with disabilities. But what about the unintended consequences of our well-intentioned acts?

    When my son, Benjamin, was very young, I had the best of intentions when I made sure he had massive doses of developmental therapies. But this had an unintended negative impact: all the hours spent on therapy left little time for him to have any kind of normal childhood. This awareness led our family to do things differently.

Why NAMI is important to me

• Why NAMI is important to me - Annotated

   

  tags: NAMI

  • I was recently asked why NAMI is important to me. I and myriad
    others with mental disorders are grateful to an organization which
    offers enlightenment about the structures and functions of brain
    physiology. NAMI (the national voice on mental illness) gives
    empowering strength by providing its members a bulwark of defense
    to combat the irrational slings and arrows of prejudicial stigma
    aimed toward persons with mental disorders.