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MPACT News
February 28, 2010 | |
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 Greetings! |
Did you miss an issue of the MPACT ENews? Delete it by mistake? Wish you could find a past article? Well you can! To view current and past issues of the MPACT ENews CLICK HERE. |
| Missouri First Steps Program |
The period of time an infant/toddler is in First Steps is relatively short; therefore, it is important to plan for transition from the time the child enters First Steps.
The discussion of transition prepares the family for a smooth transition as their toddler leaves First Steps to attend a preschool, child care, Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) or other community program.
Steps toward transitioning out of the First Steps program must be addressed at every Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) meeting, regardless of a child's age.
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US Dept of Education Posts States' Restraint and Seclusion Policies. |
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The U.S. Department of Education has posted on its Web site a summary of state laws, regulations, policies, and guidelines regarding the use of restraint and seclusion techniques in schools.
The education department researched and compiled the information after U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan had issued a letter to chief state school officers on July 31, 2009, urging a review of current state policies.
"Restraint and seclusion policies should be reviewed regularly to prevent the abuse of such techniques and ensure that schools provide a safe learning environment for all of our children," Duncan said in a news release. "I am pleased that many states and territories have begun to work with their stakeholders to develop or revise current practices. The Department will continue to serve as a resource throughout the process to ensure that all students are safe and protected."
Restraint and seclusion policies have been under scrutiny recently.
A Government Accountability Office report in May found allegations that children had been abused, or even died, because of misuse of restraint and seclusion in schools. Many of the children on whom these practices are used are students with disabilities. The practices are meant to be used in emergencies when students are a danger to themselves or others.
A bill that would regulate the use of restraint and seclusion on students in schools, and require any use of such practices to be reported to parents, was passed by the House Education and Labor Committee earlier this month. The bill would be the first national regulation of such practices, as the state policies vary.
With committee approval, now the full U.S. House of Representatives can take up the Preventing Harmful Restraint and Seclusion in Schools Act.
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| DESE Monthly Webinar - March 4th |
On March 4, 2010, at 11:45 a.m., join me for the next monthly webinar.
Submit questions to: lina.browner@dese.mo.gov (indicate "Webinar Question" in the subject line). Please ensure your questions are not specific individual children questions, but rather more systemic in nature.
To participate in the webinar, go to:
http://desemo.na3.acrobat.com/r85403388/. When signing into the webinar, we suggest you use your county district code (you may also include your first and/or last name), then select "Enter Room." For the testing site and/or monthly archive, go to:
http://dese.mo.gov/divspeced/mnthlywebstrmHAL.html.
We have discovered some people with wireless computer connections cannot access the live webinar without serious quality issues and our best
recommendation is to use a computer that is not wireless.
The topics to be covered during this webinar include, but are not limited to: Update on Three-Tiered Models (School-Wide Positive Behavior Supports-SW PBS, Missouri Integrated Model-MIM, and Professional Learning Communities-PLC), Reevaluations (use of existing data form verses use of the Triennial waiver form), ARRA money for Career Ladder, and use of IDEA proportionate share monies.
If you need an accommodation as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act to participate in this webinar, please call 573-751-5739 at least 48 hours in advance of the webinar to discuss the
accommodation.
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| Proposed Change Would Group Asperger's With Autism |
Under changes proposed to the DSM, Asperger Syndrome would no longer be a sepatate diagnosis, and would instead be grouped into the autism-spectrum-disorder category.
Asperger's syndrome is a developmental disorder on the autism spectrum that affects a person's ability to read social cues and communicate with others. Individuals with Asperger's may have very strong, all-consuming interests in specific topics. It became a separate diagnosis in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders in 1994.
Supporters of the change say the elimination of Asperger's as a separate diagnosis would avoid confusion and lead to better services.
"This change accurately reflects science and practice from the last few decades, and it will significantly improve long-term service delivery for adults, adolescents, and children on the autism spectrum," said Scott Michael Robertson, the vice president of the Autistic Self Advocacy Network and an adult on the autism spectrum. "In many states in the U.S., such as California, individuals who carry Asperger's and PDD-NOS autism identifications are often restricted from receiving appropriate services. Moving to a unified diagnosis for all people on the autism spectrum would open up long-term access for services."
The American Psychiatric Association posted this change to the autism diagnosis, and other proposed changes to the DSM-V, on its Web site. The changes are not final, and viewers will be able to submit comments until April 20. The fifth edition of the manual will be published in May 2013.
Please share your thoughts about whether the proposed change would have an impact on special education services for children with Asperger's syndrome.
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| iPhone Application for IEPs |
Going to an IEP meeting can be an intimidating thing for any parent, Feeling that you are on a level playing field with the school could provide peace of mind. The new i-phone application, the IEP checklist, would provide that peace of mind. The application was created by the Prent Educational Advocacy Training Center, the Virginia Parent Training and Information Center.
The application allows you to look up everything from notification requirements, to scientifically-based research, it leads you to a brief description and lists the section of IDEA that addresses each issue. The application also allows you to take notes under each section to keep your thoughts organized. You can save your notes in the application in order to refer back to them at another time or at the next IEP meeting. To download the i-phone application CLICK HERE.
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| Schools/Parent Placements/Requirement for Consultation with Representatives of Private Schools |
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From the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education - DESE
This message is to remind school districts that the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires timely and meaningful consultation among the public school district, officials of private schools, parents of homeschooled children, and representatives of parents of parentally-placed private school children with disabilities within their jurisdiction. This consultation must occur at least annually and more frequently if needed and needs to occur prior to your decision about the use of the proportionate share of funds described in IDEA.
The consultation is intended to address topics such as child find, proportionate share of funds, provision of special education and related services, the consultation process, and how you will provide a written explanation if you disagree with the views of the private school officials on provision of service issues. To ensure this consultation meets all of the requirements of the IDEA, districts are encouraged to document decisions made during the consultation process and share the completed plan with the private school representatives involved in the consultation. A sample documentation form is available at
http://dese.mo.gov/divspeced/IDEA-PPPSCD.html.
After timely and meaningful consultation has occurred, you must obtain a written affirmation signed by the representatives of participating private schools. A model form is available at http://dese.mo.gov/divspeced/PDF/Nonpub_Con-Part.pdf. If the representatives do not provide the affirmation within a reasonable period of time, you must forward the documentation of the consultation process to us.
For more information on consultation and the required topics that must be discussed during the consultation process, proportionate share for students attending private schools, and the affirmation of nonpublic school consultation and participation form, go to:
http://www.ed.gov/policy/speced/guid/idea/faq-parent-placed.pdf and http://dese.mo.gov/divspeced/PDF/Calcu_Pro_Share.pdf.
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| Upcoming Trainings from MPACT |
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MPACT trainings are provided free of charge to parents of children with disabilities. To sign up for an upcoming training, follow the links below, then click on the 'SIGNUP' button located next to the training name. Fill in your name, email address, phone number, the name ofthe training you wish to attend and the date it is being offered.
While registering for a training is not mandatory it does ensure that the trainer has an adequate amount of handouts. It also allows MPACT to contact you should a training need to be cancelled or rescheduled. To view a comprehensive list of all trainings provided by MPACT go to http://ptimpact.org/Training/Training.aspx.
IDEA Boot Camp (Special Education Law, Understanding the IEP Process, Disagreement Resolution)
Understanding the IEP Process
03/24/10 Eureka
04/07/10 St. Louis
Disagreement Resolution Process
Positive Behavior Interventions
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Question? Comments? Suggestions? Send them to info@ptimpact.org or contact the MPACT State Office at 1-800-743-7634. |
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