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In This Issue

December 2009

Upcoming Events

• ALLIANCE Institutes
• Parents as Collaborative Leaders Training
• National PART Parent Center Webinar

Parent Center Updates

• PEAK Parent Center’s 2010 Conference on Inclusive Education
• PTI Director’s Son Participates in National Weightlifting Competition

Announcements & News

• TA&D Center of the Month: National Professional Development Center on Autism Spectrum Disorders
• Inclusive Schools Week

Resources

• 2009 Technology Innovators Conference Materials
• Reading Rockets Archived Webinar: Screen Time and Literacy
• National Service Handbook
• CELL Practice Guide: Homespun Fun

Technology

• Diagrams and Charting Tools

Nonprofit Management

• Board Diversity

Upcoming Events

ALLIANCE Institutes

The ALLIANCE National Parent Technical Assistance Center will be holding topical institutes for Parent Centers January 27-28, 2010 in Crystal City, VA. The two topics will be: 1) management and leadership and 2) children’s mental health and emotional behavior disorders. We look forward to seeing many of you soon!

Parents as Collaborative Leaders Training

Following the Institutes, 24 Parent Center staff (chosen by a drawing) will participate in a Parents as Collaborative Leaders training on January 29, 2010. Parents as Collaborative Leaders is a research project funded by the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) to develop research-based training materials and internship experiences to support parents of children with disabilities in becoming active leaders in policy development and evaluation. The project is a partnership of the University of Vermont and PACER Center and is directed by Katharine Sheperd and Susan Hasazi.

National Parent Center Performance Measure Webinar

On Wednesday, January 20th, 2:00 PM EST (1:00 PM CST, 12:00 Noon MST, 11:00 AM PST), the ALLIANCE National PTAC will host a webinar onthe parent program performance measures. OSEP staff will present the final results from 2009 and also discuss the process that will be used in 2010 to measure the quality, usefulness, and relevance of Parent Center services and products. All PTIs and CPRCs are asked to participate, regardless of whether they were chosen to provide product and service descriptions last year or will be chosen for this coming year. The webinar will be recorded and archived for those unable to attend the live event. Look for more information in January!

Parent Center Updates

PEAK Parent Center’s 2010 Conference on Inclusive Education

PEAK Parent Center’s 24th annual Conference on Inclusive Education, Igniting the Promise of Education, will take place February 11-13, 2010 in Denver, CO. Sessions will cover research-based inclusion strategies for families and professionals. The early registration deadline is January 18, 2010. http://www.peakparent.org/conferences.asp

PTI Director’s Son Participates in National Weightlifting Competition

 

Bobby Arceneaux, son of Louisiana PTI Director Cindy Arceneaux, competed December 13th in the USA Weightlifting 2009 KeepOurTanker.com American Open Weightlifting Competition in Mobile, AL. Bobby, who has autism, is coached by C.J. Bennett, who has Cerebral Palsy and has a long history of advocating for himself and others who have disabilities. Bobby is a professional weightlifter and also is employed at a fitness center in Louisiana.

Congratulations to Bobby on all his weightlifting success! Learn more about the Louisiana PTI at http://www.laptic.org/.

Announcements & News

TA&D Center of the Month:

National Professional Development Center on Autism Spectrum Disorders

The National Professional Development Center on Autism Spectrum Disorders is a collaborative project of the University of North Carolina-FPG Child Development Institute, the University of Wisconsin-Madison-Waisman Center, and the University of California-Davis Medical School-M.I.N.D. Institute. The center’s goals are to provide resources, professional development activities, and technical assistance to families, professionals, and States on evidence-based practices for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders. More>>>

Inclusive Schools Week

December 7-11 was Inclusive Schools Week, sponsored by the Inclusive Schools Network at Education Development Center. This year’s theme was “Inclusive Technologies.” Visit their Web site to view related resources and activities that schools, classrooms, and families can use all year long to promote inclusive communities. More>>>

Resources

2009 Technology Innovators Conference Materials

On November 16-17, 2009 the National Center for Technology Innovation held the 2009 NCTI Technology Innovators Conference, Educational Futures – Powered by Technology. Check out conference highlights including presentations on assistive technology, social media, and future technology trends. More>>>

Reading Rockets Archived Webinar: Screen Time and Literacy

This recorded presentation features a discussion regarding educational media and how children’s growing exposure to media impacts their literacy development. Related resources for parents and educators are also posted. More>>>

National Service Handbook

The Corporation for National and Community Service has published a guide that provides information on how to make national and community service programs more inclusive for persons with disabilities. The "Handbook for the Inclusion of People with Disabilities in National and Community Service Programs" provides information about creating an inclusive environment, a brief historical overview of social perceptions of people with disabilities, disability-related laws, how to write inclusive service descriptions, recruitment and outreach, and accommodations issues and legal requirements. More>>>

CELL Practice Guide: Homespun Fun

Homespun Fun, an Infant Practice Guide for Parents developed by the Center for Early Literacy Learning (CELL), helps parents find ways to integrate literacy activities into everyday life. More>>>

Technology

Diagrams and Charting Tools

This TechSoup article compares features of free and for-purchase software programs that can be used to enhance visual presentations through maps, flowcharts, or other diagrams. http://www.techsoup.org/learningcenter/software/page5914.cfm?cg=btc&sg=dec1

A corresponding article describes free and low-cost charting tools for creating graphs, plots, and other data-based charts: http://blog.techsoup.org/node/1082?cg=btc&sg=dec2

Nonprofit Management

Board Diversity

This article from Blue Avocado describes ways boards of directors can approach diversity issues and sample policies to guide discussions. More>>>

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