Newsline

In This Issue

February 2010

Parent Center Updates

• PEATC Launches New iPhone Application
• Sinergia Sponsors Film Festival
• d.a.c. Director Nominated for National Award

Announcements & News

• TA&D Center of the Month: Reading Rockets
• Training Opportunity for Parent Centers - Technical Assistance and Support to Under-served and Under-represented Families of Children Who Are Visually Impaired
• National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day

Resources

• Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Fact Sheet
• Using Title I Funds for Early Childhood Education
• IRIS STAR Legacy Modules – Spanish
• New A World Awaits You Issue
• New SpecialQuest Preschool Inclusion Series
• What Works? A Study of Effective Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation Programs
• New National Center for Learning Disabilities Resources
• CELL Practice Guide: Magic of Catalogs and Magazines

Technology

• New Technology Corner on ALLIANCE Web Site!

Nonprofit Management

• Leadership Blog

Parent Center Updates

PEATC Launches New iPhone Application

Parent Education and Advocacy Training Center (PEATC), the Virginia Parent Training and Information Center, launched their new Individualized Education Program (IEP) Checklist iPhone application in January 2010. The checklist helps parents and students keep track of all the required components of IEPs and also cites the relevant Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) regulations. The app is free and available in English and Spanish. Congratulations to executive director Cherie Takemoto and all of PEATC on this innovative accomplishment that will help families participate more effectively in IEP meetings! More>>>

Sinergia Sponsors Film Festival

Sinergia, a Parent Training and Information Center in New York City, recently sponsored the 2nd Annual Reelabilities: NY Disabilities Film Festival. The festival promotes awareness and appreciation of the lives, stories, and artistic expressions of people with various disabilities. Congratulations to Sinergia and their partners on a successful event! Learn more about Sinergia at http://www.sinergiany.org/ or find them on Facebook. Myrta Cuadra-Lash is Sinergia’s Executive Director.

d.a.c. Director Nominated for National Award

Ana Perez, director of the St. Paul, MN-based Community Parent Resource Center discapacitados abriendose caminos, will be honored February 24 as a nominee for the 2010 National Parent Leadership Award. The award is given to individuals who build on the strengths of families and prevent child abuse and neglect. Congratulations to Ana and d.a.c. for all they do for families!

Announcements & News

TA&D Center of the Month: Reading Rockets

Reading Rockets is a multimedia project that provides resources on literacy development and how to help struggling readers. The project provides information for parents, teachers, principals, librarians, and others through Web sites and PBS television programs. Reading Rockets’ focus for February is Black History Month. More>>>

Training Opportunity for Parent Centers - Technical Assistance and Support to Under-served and Under-represented Families of Children Who Are Visually Impaired

The Perkins Training & Educational Resources Program and the National Consortium on Deaf-Blindness (NCDB) are hosting an intensive two-day workshop on providing technical assistance and support to under-served and under-represented families of children who are visually impaired. States are invited to put together a team of partners who provide services to families of children with visual impairments, including those who are deaf-blind, blind and visually impaired. Teams must consist of 3–5 people and include representatives from at least three of the following (one of which must be a representative from the state deaf-blind project). View the following documents for more information:

• Invitation Letter
• Training Flyer
• Tentative Agenda
• Application Form

National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day

National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day will take place on May 6, 2010. One activity will be “Art Action” celebrating the theme “My Feelings Are a Work of Art.” Visit http://www.arttherapy.org/chmad.asp to learn more about how teachers, care providers, parents, and others can engage young children in art activities that encourage them to talk about having and expressing feelings. More>>>

Resources

Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Fact Sheet

The Rural Institute at the University of Montana has developed a fact sheet that parents and transition-age students can use at Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings to help determine if the student is eligible for SSI Plans for Achieving Self Support (PASS) plans. More>>>

Using Title I Funds for Early Childhood Education

The Center for Law and Social Policy has published an FAQ document on how Title I Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) funds can be used for early education, particularly in light of additional funds received through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). More>>>

IRIS STAR Legacy Modules – Spanish

The IRIS Center for Faculty Enhancement has recently translated two of their training modules into Spanish: Collaborating with Families and You’re in Charge! Developing Your Own Comprehensive Behavior Management Plan. IRIS STAR Legacy Modules provide case studies and information around working with students with disabilities related to a specific topic. More>>>

New A World Awaits You Issue

A World Awaits You is a journal about international exchange programs for people with disabilities published by Mobility International USA. The most recently released issue focuses on volunteer opportunities available abroad. More>>>

New SpecialQuest Preschool Inclusion Series

SpecialQuest Birth–Five has released new materials supporting high quality inclusion of preschoolers (ages 3 to 5) in early care and education settings. The new Preschool Inclusion Series highlights children with disabilities participating in inclusive environments. Classroom staff, administrators, specialists, and families share their perspectives on what makes inclusion work. The new Preschool Inclusion Series contains four video programs with training scripts, and handouts and is available in English and Spanish. More>>>

What Works? A Study of Effective Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation Programs

The Georgetown University Center for Child and Human Development (GUCCHD) recently published a new report: What Works? A Study of Effective Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation Programs. GUCCHD conducted in-depth studies of six successful programs to determine the most essential components of effective mental health consultation programs. More>>>

New National Center for Learning Disabilities Resources

Get Ready to Read! Spanish: The National Center for Learning Disabilities recently created a new area on their Web site especially for Spanish-speaking parents of preschoolers. Get Ready to Read! has resources to help families engage in literacy activities at home and also provides practical tips for families on communicating with school and day care professionals.

Parent and Advocacy Guides: These free downloadable publications cover important educational topics such as Response to Intervention, assessment accommodations, and transition.

CELL Practice Guide: Magic of Catalogs and Magazines

This practice guide for parents from the Center for Early Literacy Learning (CELL) provides ideas for using pictures and text from catalogs and magazines as a way to help toddlers begin to connect meaning to print. More>>>

Technology

New Technology Corner on ALLIANCE Web Site!

The ALLIANCE National Parent Technical Assistance Center recently launched a “Tech Corner” on www.taalliance.org. Visit the Parent Center log-in site and click on the “Tech Corner” link on the right side of the page. The current featured topic is video editing. Check out the latest technology resources and suggest future topics for discussion. More>>>

Nonprofit Management

Leadership Blog

In her Harvard Business Review blog, leadership expert Susan Cramm discusses issues such as management best practices and how to be more engaged in the workplace. More>>>

Privacy Policy

Subscribe

Unsubscribe

Send to a Friend

Archives