PLUK News feed

On Special Education: Year in Review - On Special Education - Education Week

• On Special Education: Year in Review - On Special Education - Education Week

  tags: special education

  • A look back at the most-read blog entries from 2010 reveals that my readership has a wide-ranging set of interests.

Summer 2011 White House Internship Program - Deadline: Jan. 9, 2011

President Obama believes in the capacity of young people to move America forward. He is committed to providing young leaders from across the nation an opportunity to develop their leadership skills and fostering a continued commitment to public service through the White House Internship Program.

This hands-on program is designed to mentor and cultivate today’s young leaders, strengthen their understanding of the Executive Office of the President and prepare them for future roles in public service.

To learn more about the program, please visit whitehouse.gov/internships.

How To Apply:

• Go to www.whitehouse.gov/internships 
• A completed application includes:
  • Two essays 
  • Three letters of recommendation
  • Resume

The deadline for the Summer 2011 White House Internship Program is January 9, 2011.

Priorities and Practicalities: Obtaining Payment for Mental Health Services In the Pediatric Office - Webinar - Jan. 27, 2011

What:
Pediatricians recognize the importance of improving teen mental health and their pivotal role in identifying adolescents that may need care.  The American Academy of Pediatrics has made adolescent mental health care a priority and the US Preventive Services Task Force has identified annual adolescent depression screening as the standard of care.

How can primary care providers meet the needs of their adolescent patients while navigating real-world practice challenges -- including payment? Our January 27 Webinar with three members of the AAP’s Task Force on Mental Health, will explore practical strategies that can maximize payment for screening, consulting, and treatment of adolescent mental health care.

When:
January 27, 2011 1 p.m.
12:00 p.m. Mountain

Registration:
Click here to register or copy and paste the link below:
http://event.on24.com/r.htm?e=274493&s=1&k=D41E04BC8A8A2C114887DDD77F849E86

 

Medicaid Bonuses to Reward States for Insuring More Children - NYTimes.com

• Medicaid Bonuses to Reward States for Insuring More Children - NYTimes.com

  tags: medicaid

  • The Obama administration plans to announce Monday that it will make $206 million in bonus Medicaid payments to 15 states — with more than a fourth of the total going to Alabama — for signing up children who are eligible for public health insurance but had previously failed to enroll.

Every Young Person Deserves A 'Blissful Bedroom' : NPR

• Every Young Person Deserves A 'Blissful Bedroom' : NPR

  tags: disabilities

  • Makeovers — for the body and the home — have become a staple of reality television shows. And now, for a handful of young adults in New York, they are becoming an actual reality. Blissful Bedrooms is a nonprofit organization committed to transforming the bedrooms of young people living with disabilities. They don't have an office, or paid staff, but they do have a website, a Facebook page, and a lengthy ad on Craigslist soliciting volunteers to help with bedroom makeovers.

On the cutting edge of dyslexia | SouthCoastToday.com

• On the cutting edge of dyslexia | SouthCoastToday.com

  tags: dyslexia Learning Disabilities

  • William Baker III has struggled with dyslexia almost all of his 19 years — he was diagnosed at 18 months as part of a Rutgers University study.
  • But Baker never dreamed that a summer job selling Cutco knives — $45,000 worth — would enable him to pay for 50 educators to attend The Dyslexia Foundation's conference on dyslexia at Harvard Medical School in October.

New Industry Standard Promises Accessibility for Assessments - Curriculum Matters - Education Week

• New Industry Standard Promises Accessibility for Assessments - Curriculum Matters - Education Week

  tags: accessibility Assessment

  • The news is that a new, voluntary industry standard has been created for test-writing for all types of students. If widely adopted, it would essentially mean that tests would be written with a shared set of codes, or "tags," that create a common language describing their content. This would allow states, for instance, to switch test vendors without having to undertake a laborious translation process from one test-maker's digital "language" to another's.

Making online programming accessible to people with disabilities

• Making online programming accessible to people with disabilities

  tags: accessibility video captioning

  • The new Twenty-first Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act will make it easier for people with disabilities to access TV programs over the Internet. While the law is a tremendous step in the right direction, a surge in new types of online programming, such as Webisodes and streaming movies, are still not captioned for the deaf and hard of hearing. This issue has drawn the attention of federal law enforcers, including the Department of Justice, which is considering the possibility of revising the Americans with Disabilities Act to address accessible web information and services, movie captioning and video descriptions.

 

President Obama Signs Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Act of 2010

• President Obama Signs Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Act of 2010

  tags: legislation hearing impairment

  • On Wednesday, December 22, President Obama signed the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) Act of 2010 (H.R. 1246/S. 3199) into law. The bill, which was passed earlier this month by the Senate, was passed by the House on December 15.
  • The legislation reauthorizes and expands EHDI legislation passed nearly 10 years ago, increasing state funding for follow-up services to ensure that babies initially identified with a potential hearing loss receieve full diagnostic evaluations and, if necessary, are enrolled in early intervention programs. The act also promotes culturally sensitive family support services.

Adult Asperger's Support Group - Billings - Tuesdays Starting Jan. 11, 2011

What:
Adult Asperger's Support Group

Facilitators:
Steve Biondich, Ed. S., LCPC & Ginny Pierce, LCSW

Meeting Place:
Crossroads Office
926 Main Street, Suite #18
(or alternative location to be announced)

Time:
Weekly meetings, Tuesdays at 6:30pm, 1 hour + depending on number of participants

When:
Starting Tuesday January 11th, 2011, for a total of twelve weekly sessions

Contact:
Steve at 860-3342 or Ginny at 252-1444

Fees and Insurance:
Accepting all insurances at group therapy rate or sliding scale fee (income-based) for those without insurance

Focus of Group:
Adults will be encouraged to explore growth and obstacles, focusing on pragmatic tools: anxiety management, depression-mood, self-esteem, mutual support of emerging strengths and interests

Confidentiality:

• Speak with integrity. Listen well. Talk only about your own feelings and insights.
• Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness, and drama.
• Personal details shared in the group must remain in this room. This makes it possible to feel safe about sharing.