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Greetings!
Yes, we're back already, a month has gone by that quickly. OSEP's TA&D Network has been very busy during that time, apparently, and so we have lots of new resources to bring to your attention. NICHCY is also pleased to identify resources from beyond the network, where people have been very busy, too. Because the month of May is Mental Health Awareness Month, we have focused our Special Topic section this month on the same. A remarkable abundance of resources exists to address mental health issues, concerns, and actions, so if this an area of interest to you, we hope the materials and info identified below are valuable. We've emphasized the "gateways" to information on specific mental health topics, where you will be able to connect with resources specific to your topic of interest.
We hope you find this information useful. As always, we welcome your feedback. Please feel free to contact us at nichcy@aed.org.
Best wishes for May!
Your friends at the National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities
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THIS MONTH FROM THE NATIONAL DISSEMINATION CENTER
We sent all our subscribers a mid-April eAlert about six new products on our website, but we are going to repeat ourselves for all our new subscribers, who would have missed the message. We place it here, at the beginning of our newsletter, but you don't have to re-"Read All About It" if you've already... well...read all about it. Use the index above (on the left) to jump to the next section.
(By the way, thanks to all who wrote or called to ask where the Spanish versions of these familiar faces were to be found. Sorry, they're not available yet ...but give us time.)
OK, here goes about the new publications:
NICHCY has maintained a core of key publications for many years, updating them every time our nation's special education law is reauthorized or significant changes occur in the field. Here are the latest to get complete facelifts so they are not only shiny-new again but are also consistent with the requirements of IDEA 2004 and its regulations.
Categories of Disability Under IDEA (GR3)
If you're familiar with NICHCY products, then you'll know this one by its former name, "Disabilities That Qualify Infants, Toddlers, Children, and Youth for Services under the IDEA." A long and frightening title, wasn't it, but no more. If you want to find out how IDEA defines the disability categories under which a child may be found eligible for services (see, the old title did make sense), this publication will tell you. Posted online at:
http://www.nichcy.org/InformationResources/Documents/NICHCY%20PUBS/gr3.pdf
Your Child's Evaluation (BP1)
What's involved in evaluating a child to determine if he or she has a disability and is eligible for special education and related services? Find out in 4 easy-to-read pages that describe IDEA's requirements for evaluation. Posted online at:
Questions Often Asked by Parents about Special Education Services (LG1)
Here is a comprehensive but brief look at the special education process from start to finish. It begins with the question "Why is my child struggling in school?" and goes on to describe the evaluation process under IDEA, how eligibility for special education is determined, and what's involved in writing and implementing the individualized education program (IEP), the crown jewel of special education. New provisions in IDEA regarding IEP meetings are also detailed. The publication finishes with brief looks at reevaluation and IDEA's vehicles for resolving disputes that may arise between parents and school systems. Find the revamped and expanded LG1 online at:
http://www.nichcy.org/InformationResources/Documents/NICHCY%20PUBS/lg1.pdf
Developing Your Child's IEP (PA12)
Written expressly for parents by a parent, this 28-pager gets to the heart and soul of the IEP. It looks at every component of this all-important document, otherwise known as the Individualized Education Program. Every child with a disability receiving special education under IDEA must have an IEP, and parents are important members of the team that develops it. Want to be more involved in that process? New and shiny, this publication stands ready to help.
Find it online at:
NICHCY is also pleased to launch a new series of questions and answers about IDEA, beginning with these two offerings:
Questions and Answers about IDEA: Purposes and Key Definitions (QA1)
Find out what Congress established as the purposes of IDEA. Also learn how four of IDEA's key terms are defined: free appropriate public education (FAPE), child with a disability, special education, and related services. These 8 pages are yours for the reading and downloading, at:
Questions and Answers about IDEA: Parent Participation (QA2)
A parent's right to participate in meetings and decision making regarding their child's special education is one of IDEA's foundational principles, strongly supported through explicit provisions and guarantees. Go straight to the heart of the matter in this 12-page Q&A summarizing parental rights of participation and describing prior written notice, the procedural safeguards notice, and the in's-and-out's of parental consent. Enjoy, at:
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IT ALL STARTS IN FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES
The Family Support Clearinghouse wants to talk about fund-raising basics and how to strengthen your organization.
We all talk about what we could accomplish if only we had more money. Getting more money is a skill, one that you can learn. That's the topic of the moderated discussion at the Family Support Clearinghouse from May 11 - August 11, and you are most welcome to take part. Moderators will offer guidance and answer questions on fund-raising. You can track the conversations, offer your own advice and experience, and ask questions. The discussion is designed for people just beginning to explore opportunities to raise money as well as more experienced fundraisers wanting to expand their knowledge and skill.
What's shaped the disability community in the USA? Read our roots.
It's all in the Disability History Timeline, a new resource and discussion guide available in English and in Spanish from the National Consortium on Leadership and Disability for Youth. Starting shortly after the U.S. was founded, the guide features examples of the remarkable diversity, creativity, and leadership that has shaped the disability community and American culture. (Designed primarily for youth and emerging leaders with disabilities; suitable for use with other audiences as well.) Available online at:
http://www.ncld-youth.info/publications.htm#disability_history_timeline
Looking for resources in multiple languages on developmental conditions?
If you're interested, the CDRC Multilingual Web Resource will welcome your visit. The link below will connect you with websites in a variety of languages, to provide information regarding developmental conditions, as well as local, national, and international resources for families. Multilingual info on many different disabilities is available (e.g., ataxia, ADD, autism, and those are just the As) as well as info on issues (e.g., child behavior, education and intervention, law and policy). It is CDRC's hope that this tool will also provide some means for clinicians to provide "take-home" information to the families they serve. Have a look-see at:
http://www.ohsu.edu/oidd/LEND/multilingual_resources/index.html
Helping people with mental health challenges live in the community.
This guide is called Evidence-Based Practices: Shaping Mental Health Services Toward Recovery. It focuses on Assertive Community Treatment, whose goal is to help people stay out of the hospital and to develop skills for living in the community so that their mental illness is not the driving force in their lives. Available online at:
http://mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/cmhs/CommunitySupport/toolkits/community/
Youth leadership resources in Spanish.
And speaking of NCLD-Youth (the National Consortium on Leadership and Disability for Youth), that's definitely one place to visit if you're looking to promote the leadership abilities of Spanish-speaking youth with disabilities. NCLD-Youth has made Spanish versions of the following documents available:
- Nothing About Youth with Disabilities Without Youth with Disabilities: A Guide to Legislative Advocacy
- Learning to Lead?: A Self-Assessment for Youth
- Are They Learning to Lead?: A Self-Assessment for Staff
Training modules for high school students with disabilities.
Visit the George Washington University HEATH Resource Center, click the "Module" tab at the top, and you'll find 16 modules written for high school students with disabilities preparing for transition from high school. Most titles relate to going off to college, getting along with professors, finding accommodations in that environment, and self-advocacy, butt not all. There are also modules on rehabilitation services, career and technical education, and independent living (with the subtitle "Living On My Own, Away From Home, Having To Do My Laundry All Alone"). Find these (and quite a few other resources) at: http://www.heath.gwu.edu
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THE LITTLE ONES: EARLY INTERVENTION/EARLY CHILDHOOD
National Early Childhood Inclusion Institute: July 14-16.
The ninth annual conference will focus on the theme Yes We Can: New Opportunities for Young Children with Disabilities and Their Families. Join leaders in the field to learn the latest research findings and resources to guide inclusive policy, professional development, and practice for children birth through age five with special needs. Participants will also discuss and learn ways that American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds can be used to promote inclusive supports for young children with disabilities. Learn more (and register) at:
Infant-Toddler training modules available in Spanish.
The Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning (CSEFEL) has a Spanish version of its Promoting Social and Emotional Competence: Infant Toddler Training modules, including facilitator guides, trainer scripts, PowerPoint slides, participant handouts, and training video clips. The modules are intended for early care and education providers who work with children birth to 2 and their families. Available online at: http://www.vanderbilt.edu/csefel/inftodd.html
Promoting mental health and preventing mental and behavioral disorders.
Here is a training guide for the early childhood services community, available from SAMHSA, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Recognizing the critical role that child care providers play in facilitating a young child's social, emotional, and cognitive development in collaboration with the child's parent and significant caretakers, the guide is intended to help child care providers find effective ways to work with children who are experiencing multiple challenges.
http://mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/publications/allpubs/svp05-0151/
Autism spectrum disorders: Screening and early identification.
Responding to the interest of the National Professional Development Center on Autism Spectrum Disorders, NECTAC queried Part C and Section 619 Coordinators about their screening measures, diagnostic instruments and procedures, and trends in identifying young children with ASD under the age of five years. Hot off the press, here's what NECTAC found (4 pages).
http://www.nectac.org/~pdfs/pubs/queries/queries_asdscreening.pdf
And speaking of autism spectrum disorders ...
The Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Library offers a new edition of its knowledge path on ASD, an electronic guide to resources about screening for ASD, diagnosis, treatment and intervention, communication, education, vocational challenges, and impact on family life. Available online at:
http://www.mchlibrary.info/KnowledgePaths/kp_autism.html
What does the research have to say about early childhood transition?
OSEP asked the National Early Childhood Transition Center (NECTC) to review the literature on early childhood transition, with a special focus on children with disabilities and their families. Interested? Read what emerged from NECTC's review of the literature from 1990 to 2006.
Young learners and assistive technology (AT): How to's.
CITEd (the Center for Implementing Technology in Education) bundles several resources into a tidy package about using AT with young children. The package includes:
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FAQs on AT and young children.
What are the benefits of using AT with young children? Can a child be too young for AT? Find the answers to these and many more frequently asked questions about the use of technology during early childhood. http://www.asu.edu/clas/tnt/home_files/e_faq.html
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Help for young learners: How to choose AT. AT can be used to improve the social and cognitive participation and growth of young children with disabilities. Read CITEd's Info Brief for more information and a six-step guide to AT decision making for young learners. http://ldonline.org/article/8088
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Technology to bring early childhood programs to scale.
Watch and listen as Dr. Landry, a nationally recognized expert in early childhood education, discusses her use of technology to prepare young children from economically disadvantaged backgrounds to start school. (The link below will take you to "For Administrators" within CITEd's Learning Center. Look under "Featured Resources" and you'll see the title. Click on it and watch the show.) http://www.cited.org/index.aspx?page_id=57 |
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SCHOOLS, K-12
And the 2009 National Teacher of the Year is....
...a special educator! Anthony Mullen is an educator at the ARCH School in Greenwich, Connecticut and was chosen for the honor by the Council of Chief State School Officers. He's also a retired NYPD police officer who now works in an alternative education branch for at-risk kids. He's quoted in the New York Daily News as saying, "The investigator in me was looking for a common thread that linked all good teachers. And I finally came to realize that the very best teachers have one common quality--they know how to read a story" that each kid brings to the classroom in themselves. Read more at:
http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/education/2009/04/29/2009-04-29_exfinest_top_teach_in_us.html
Developing a Positive School Climate.
The April newsletter of the Center for Comprehensive School Reform and
Improvement examines the research base behind school climate and what school administrators can do to create a positive school climate that enhances the learning environment and improves perceptions among students, staff, parents, and community members.
http://www.centerforcsri.org/files/TheCenter_NL_Apr09.pdf
What teachers should know about cultural and linguistic differences.
This IRIS Center module examines the ways in which culture influences the daily interactions that occur across all classrooms and provides practice for enhancing culturally responsive teaching.
http://www.iriscenter.com/resource_TOOL_new/new_materials.html
Working with the school nurse to promote educational success for students with health needs.
Also from the IRIS Center, this module is designed for school personnel who may be collaborating with the school nurse during IEP meetings or during other occasions involving the health problems of students with disabilities.
http://www.iriscenter.com/nur02_schoolnurse/chalcycle.htm
The 2009 Red Book on work incentives is out!
The Red Book is a guide to the employment-related provisions of Social Security Disability Insurance and the Supplemental Security Income Programs for educators, advocates, rehabilitation professionals, and counselors serving people with disabilities. It's available online at:
http://www.ssa.gov/redbook/
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STATE & SYSTEM TOOLS
Computer-based testing accommodations.
This month's edition of the Family Center on Technology and Disability's News and Notes focuses on computer-based testing accommodations and universally-designed assessments.
http://www.fctd.info/resources/newsletters/index.php
Universal design for learning: Policy challenges and recommendations.
This proceedings document from Project Forum provides an introduction that includes federal education regulatory language for universal design for learning (UDL). It summarizes panel presentations from the higher education, state-level, local-level and national-level perspectives. Throughout the panel and during the subsequent group discussions, several suggestions and proposed strategies to improve policy to impact implementation of UDL were given by participants. These are summarized.
http://www.projectforum.org/
Support for educating English language learners in high school.
As more English language learners (ELLs) enter schools across the country, it has become increasingly important for states to provide the appropriate guidance and support to local educational agencies (LEAs) so that ELLs are able to graduate and succeed after high school. This document reports practices that emerged from a 5-year study of the educational environment for ELLs in California and has implications across the country.
http://www.betterhighschools.org/docs/EducatingELLsattheHSLevel_042209.pdf
Autism spectrum disorders: What states are doing to serve a growing population.
Accommodations issues (from the Standards and Assessments Peer Review).
This report is the second in a three-part series providing information to states about the monitoring of accommodations to address the question of how states meet the NCLB requirement to routinely monitor the extent to which test accommodations are consistent with those provided during instruction, specifically for students with IEPs. This technical report provides a comprehensive analysis of the peer review guidance information and the methodology used in the research, as well as summarizing themes found across multiple peer reviews of state assessment systems.
http://cehd.umn.edu/nceo/OnlinePubs/Tech51/Technical51.pdf
Implementing RTI using Title I, Title III, and CEIS funds.
This presentation in PDF from the U.S. Department of Education addresses how funds under Title I and Title III of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) and Coordinated Early Intervening Services (CEIS) funds under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) may be used to support Response to Intervention (RTI) in public schools.
http://www.ed.gov/programs/titleiparta/08-0398rti.pdf
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SPECIAL FOCUS: MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES
As we mentioned in the intro to this newsletter, May is Mental Health Month. The resources we've identified below will help you address mental health issues and concerns for quite longer than the month of May, we hope!
The April 2009 edition of NICHCY's Resources for Mental Health.
First published in May 2005 and removed when we launched our new site, here it is again, updated this month and containing a wealth of connections to resources in the mental health community, just in time for Mental Health month. Take a look to see if any of its gems match your interest or need.
http://www.nichcy.org/INFORMATIONRESOURCES/Pages/mentalhealth.aspx
The Live Your Life Well campaign.
This May, in honor of Mental Health Month, the organization Mental Health America is launching the Live Your Life Well campaign to provide people with 10 specific, research-based tools that can combat stress and promote health and well-being. Read more about this exciting initiative at:
http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/go/mentalhealthmonth
The wealth of resources at Mental Health America.
The organization is celebrating 100 years of advocacy, public education, and support for Americans with mental health conditions. All manner of resources are available from MHA, including but not limited to:
National Mental Health Information Center.
This service of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's (SAMHSA) provides information about mental health via a toll-free telephone number (1.800.789.2647), more than 600 publications, and a website located at:
http://mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/
National hotlines and other useful numbers.
When you're visiting the National Mental Health Information Center, check out the list of numbers that can be dialed toll-free from anywhere within the United States. These connect to organizations provide mental health information and referrals, and in some cases, crisis counseling.
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).
As a center within the National Institutes of Health (NIH), NIMH is an authoritative source of information and assistance on mental health and mental disorders. NIMH offers that information in both English and Spanish. Check out what's available:
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Comments on our newsletter? Too long? Too short? Off-target? Right on? Suggestions for future topics? Please feel free to contact us at nichcy@aed.org. We're here to help you help children with disabilities.
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