ANNUAL EDUCATION ISSUE BY LAUREN AGORATUS In each state there is a Parent Training and Information (PTI) Center which provides technical assistance to families as well as professionals. PTIs provide information about the rights of the students and the responsibilities of the districts. Research shows that children with disabilities are even more likely to be…
Taking A Small Step Back To Take A Giant Leap Forward – Part 1 of 3
BY WALTER MAYER, L.M.S.W. Proactively emphasizing and teaching positive expectations and values such as respect, acceptance, empathy, positivity, cooperation and peaceful coexistence can serve to establish a new climate. Lately it seems that, for better or worse, we have all become more aware of ‘bullying’ and its negative impact on children and school culture. Unfortunately,…
How To Organize International Group Travel For Students With Disabilities
BY ERNST VANBERGEIJK, Ph.D., M.S.W Most non-disabled adults take for granted the ability to travel overseas for business or pleasure. However, for many teens and young adults with disabilities,
Red Ribbion Academy
ORGANIZATION SPOTLIGHT BY LINDA ZANI THOMAS From our families to yours, we are honored to present a description of the elements that make the Community Options, Inc. Red Ribbon Academy medical special needs day program work so well. Although told from the perspective of families of medically fragile adults with developmental disabilities, the basic premise…
Parents Have The Power
BOOK REVIEW This book is intended to provide parents of children with disabilities with the information they need to “make special education work.” Overall, I was very impressed with the theme and presentation. Chapter 1 was extremely helpful in describing the special education process. There is an explanation of referral, evaluation, IEP (Individualized Education Program),…
Working With Your Child’s School Can Improve Her Nutrition
BY RACHEL EZEKIEL-FISHBEIN “Making food appealing, delicious and fun is a way we can ensure our students get their nutritional needs met. Our students are no different than any other students; when you make food fun for them, they’ll want to eat it.”– HMS School
The Effects Of Legislative Enactments On The Education Of The Deaf
As future legislation is enacted, the success of deaf children should not be measured by how closely they emulate their hearing peers, but that they are given an education that will enable them to become successful human beings, not imitations of hearing people. When examining federal laws that have had significant impact on the education…
Youth Participation In Transition Planning
BY VALERIE LEITER In 2004, Congress added new transition requirements to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), striving to improve youth outcomes after high school. These new requirements say that the Individual Education Program (IEP) must include “appropriate measurable postsecondary goals” and the “transition services… needed to assist the child in reaching those goals.”…
Seminole State College Lauches Autism- Focused Interior Design Course
Students’ goal: Redesign kitchen for family with two special needs children. Kathryn Rivera, interior design professor at Seminole State College of Florida, is blazing a new trail in the emerging field of designing interior spaces for people with autism. For the past three years, Rivera has taught classes at Seminole State on topics such as building codes,…
Shepherds College: An Important Option In Specialized Post-Secondary Education
BY SUSAN GRIFFIS, DIRECTOR OF MARKETING FOR SHEPHERDS COLLEGE One size does not fit all. It never has and never will. Whether we’re talking about stretchy gloves, undergarments or unisex t-shirts, one-size-fits-all is blatant propaganda designed to sell to a mindless majority without considering the specific needs of the individual. So, on a larger, much…