Monday Memo:

News for the Week May 2 - 8, 2011

 

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 May 2, 2011 
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Welcome to our weekly memo

featuring news, tips, resources, and reminders to help you stay in the know.
National News 

In Honor of Teacher Appreciation Week

An Open Letter From the U.S. Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, to America's Teachers

...You became teachers to make a difference in the lives of children, and for the hard work you do each day, you deserve to be respected, valued, and supported....

 

 Arizona News 

Changes to AHCCCS

AHCCCS hosted a public meeting on April 25, 2011, to obtain public comments on updates to the Arizona Medicaid program. Links to the presentations given at the meeting are below:

AHCCCS Public Informational Notice [42KB]

Waiver Overview Presentation [222KB]

MED Phase Out Plan Presentation [51KB]

 

Media Coverage of the AHCCCS Public Hearing:   

http://www.azcentral.com/news/election/azelections/articles/2011/04/26/20110426arizona-medicaid-program-cuts.html

http://azstarnet.com/news/science/health-med-fit/article_278cf78e-5d9f-50d10in8e-3d6caeeac41a.html

 

Governor Brewer signed HB2620 into law.

HB 2620 adds a chapter to Title 36 of the Arizona Revised Statutes relating to Health Information Organizations (HIO). HB 2620 also amends existing statutes to accommodate the exchange of electronic health information.

 

SB1593 has been vetoed 

Please thank Governor Brewer for supporting families. 

Thank you to everyone who advocated so diligently on behalf of children and brought this issue to the attention of the Governor and the public. Great advocacy includes follow up: responding to important decisions and actions after they've been made. The Governor has vetoed SB1593 (which would have would permitted corporations to avoid requirements put in place by the state of Arizona to protect consumers).

 

The Governor's veto is a positive step for families of children with special health care needs. It retains protection under Arizona's insurance mandates requiring coverage for specific services. Raising Special Kids is grateful that the governor has taken this important step to support families. If you'd like to contact Governor Brewer and express your views, contact information is: Governor Brewer: (602) 542-4331 or e-mail: http://www.azgovern or.gov/Contact. asp

 

Community Activities & Events

 

Children's Mental Health Day event

The Native American Community Service Center is hosting Children's Mental Health Day on Wednesday, May 4th from 10:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m. at the Native American Community Service Center, 4520 North Central Avenue, 6th Floor Conference Room.  The event will include an art contest and art exhibits, children's activities, workshops for children and their parents and much, much more.  For more information call Susan at (602) 279-5262 x 3302 or email.

  

 

New ADA guidelines for parks

The Phoenix Parks and Recreation Department is presenting a day-long training on new Americans with Disabilities Act guidelines for parks and recreation. The daylong training is May 13 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Disability Empowerment Center, 5025 E. Washington St. It is free and open to the public. Box lunch is available for purchase.
     Though the training is free, registration is required. Participants can register online in the Classes and Programs link of the Parks and Recreation Department website. Once in the online registration system, participants can enter the program code -- 76898 -- into the appropriate window. In addition to an udpate on new ADA regulations for parks, participants also will learn new disability  inclusion and sensitivity strategies for recreation.
      The training is available free of charge due to the support of DBTAC Pacific ADA Center, ABIL Arizona Bridge to Independent Living and the Arizona ADA Coordinators Coalition.

 

 

Free adaptive recreation/baseball
 Miracle League of Arizona celebrated their grand opening and are now accepting applicants for the free baseball program for children with disabilities at their new field in Scottsdale.

  

 

3rd Annual Down syndrome Medical Conference

at Phoenix Children's Hospital

Saturday, May 14, 2011, 7:30am to 12:30pm

FREE (Sorry no respite care provided)

Topics to be covered: Oral motor and feeding, Sensory and motor, Nutrition, Endocrine-Diabetes & growth, Orthopedics, Surgical concerns and how to advocate for medical care.

You must RSVP, to reserve your space.  This event will fill up. RSVP Online 

More Info: Phoenix Children's Hospital Down syndrome Seminar

 

 

Arizona Autism United 2011 Spring Conference

for Parents & Professionals 

Disability Empowerment Center of AZ, 5025 E Washington St, Phoenix, AZ 85034 

Friday, May 20th, 1:00 pm - 8:00 pm

Saturday, May 21st, 8:00 am - 6:00 pm

Sunday, May 22nd, 8:00 am - 5:00 pm

Available tracks of presentations and workshops will include:

  • Parent Empowerment Track
  • Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) Track
  • Community Integration Track
  • Health Living Track
  • Transition Years Track
  • Spanish Track

This conference will also include several panel presentations, including individuals with autism, parents, doctors and siblings. Early Bird registration discounts are available now! Click for More information , or contact: Nicole Geremina Newhouse, Arizona Autism United (AZA United) at info@azaunited.org or call 602-773-5773   

 

 

 

Inclusive Schools Conference

Arizona TASH

June 6th-7th 

Location: Deer Valley Unified School District, 20402 N. 15th Avenue, Phoenix AZ.

  • Sessions from national and local experts addressing:
  • Strategies for supporting students with autism in general education settings,
  • School-wide positive behavioral supports,
  • General education accommodations and modifications for students with significant disabilities,
  • Peer supports,
  • Self-advocacy, and more...

For more information or to register for this event

Early registration is from April 8, 2011 until May 19, 2011.Space is limited, so please plan to register early! Special TASH member discount. If you would like to join TASH, please go to http://tash.org/

 

 

Family Advocacy Day

With the National Association of Children's Hospitals (N.A.C.H.)    

July 25-26, 2011 in Washington, DC.

Provides an opportunity for patients who have been treated at children's hospitals and their families to share their stories in one-on-one meetings with federal legislators. This year,  children's hospital physicians are encouraged to accompany their patients to Washington to underscore the impact that investment in pediatric medical education and training has on care. Registration closes Monday, May 2. Read more

 

 

Top Soccer Program 

DATES- Sundays May 8th, 15th, 22nd and June 5th.

TIME- 9 to 10:30 am

WHERE- JCC (Jewish Community Center)

12701 North Scottsdale Road # 201, Scottsdale, AZ 85260

(Scottsdale Road &Sweetwater)

Free - TOPSoccer (The Outreach Program for Soccer) is a community based program designed to meet the needs of children and young adults, age 5-21, with physical and/or intellectual disabilities.The program is geared towards player development rather than to competition. The basis of TOPSoccer is a modified version of the game of soccer, specifically altered to allow full participation and enjoyment for each athlete.

For further information, please contact AYSA TopSoccer Co Coordinator, Laila Modi. Tel: 480 330 5050. lailamodi@msn.com, Website- www.azyouthsoccer.org
 

 

 

 

 

 

Featured News & Resources

 

A report indicates workers with disabilities meet or exceed the job performance of co-workers without disabilities. 

Ready and Able: Addressing Labor Market Needs and Building Productive Careers for People with Disabilities Through Collaborative Approaches. Published by the National Technical Assistance and Research Center To Promote Leadership for Increasing Employment and Economic Independence of Adults With Disabilities

 

Article on affordable hearing aids

Only about 1 in 5 Americans with hearing loss actually uses a hearing aid.

The stumbling blocks? The cost of hearing aids, and the fact that most insurance policies won't cover the devices . Read more

 

Article: Test may spot autism at age 1
Study: 24-question list aids diagnosis - The research, being published today, is a first step in the quest for earlier autism screening. It's not ready for routine use, as more work is needed to verify its accuracy. But it also may prove valuable in finding more at-risk babies to study what causes the developmental disorder.Read more.

 

Analysis estimates deductibles for plans in health insurance exchanges

Kaiser Family Foundation

The ACA establishes four levels of coverage in the Exchange plans - bronze, silver, gold and platinum - with costs based on the share of health care expenses each plan covers for the typical group of enrollees, also known as 'actuarial value'.  Most people when deciding which plan will give them the best health care 'bang for the buck' think less about actuarial value and more about out-of-pocket costs like deductibles and co-insurance. A new Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) analysis provides estimates from three different actuarial consulting firms of the deductibles associated with these plans.

 

Info about Electronic Health Records

 

 

This Week: Free Training and Workshops

 

Getting & Keeping the First Job - Family Partners

May 02, 2011, 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Family Partners, 9051 W. Kelton Lane, Ste. #7, Peoria, AZ 85382

Assist families with identifying the importance of employment for youth with disabilities and special needs.

 

Parent/Professional Collaboration

May 03, 2011, 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM

Develop an effective partnership between parents and professionals in Special Education.

 

IEP Basics

May 04, 2011, 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM

Learn about the purpose of IEP's, parent's role in the process, and how to prepare for meetings.

 

Northern Arizona

 

Organizing Your Child's Records - Kykotsmovi

May 04, 2011, 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Kykotsmovi, Hopi Tribal Complex, Kykotsmovi, AZ

Bring your child's special education records to this "make and take" session to create your own filing system.

 

May 04, 2011, 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM

Special Education Overview - Kykotsmovi

Kykotsmovi, Hopi Tribal Complex, Kykotsmovi, AZ

Learn the structure and process of the special education system and primary intent of the IDEA federally mandated program.

 

Please note the following event is FULL:

Collaborative Therapies Conference

May 7, 2011, 8:30 AM - 2:00 PM

Presented by professionals in the areas of developmental pediatrics, speech language pathology, occupational and physical therapies and developmental instruction.

Names are being accepted for a waiting list in case of cancellations.

 

En Español

 

Este evento está lleno.

Foro de terapias colaborativas

05/07/2011,8:30 AM - 2:00 PM

Lo presentan profesionistas en las áreas de pediatría del desarrollo, patología del habla y
del lenguaje, fisioterapias, terapias ocupacionales e instrucción especial del desarrollo

Se aceptan nombres para la lista de espera en caso de cancelaciones. Foro de terapias colaborativas

 

 

 

  
 Parent Leadership Opportunity 

 

May 6th & 7th for conference at Phoenix Children's Hospital

Parent Leader assistance needed:

  • Setup - 2 or 3 hours on Friday evening (May 6th) or
  • Hosting/general assistance during conference on Saturday, May 7th 8:30 am - 2:00 pm (bilingual/Spanish speaking would be extra helpful!)

Please contact Carrie Swearengin for details carries@raisingspecialkids.org 602-242-4366 Ext. 219

Quote of the Week

 

"I'm so grateful to learn that Raising Special Kids is truly here to offer support. There is no catch, no gimmick, and no charge. I have found emotional support from people who understand what it is like to have a child with special needs." 
Raising Special Kids works to improve the lives of children with disabilities and special health needs by providing parents with information, training and support.