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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. |
| New! Onine Trainings offered through MPACT!! |
MPACT is excited to announce that we now have online trainings availabe!! In addition to Special Education: What I Need to Know and Solving the Employment Puzzle, we now have a series of Transition trainings availabe. They are:
- IDEA Transition Requirements
- Transition to Post Secondary Experiences (Part 1 & 2)
- Connecting Goals to Coordinated Activities and Services for Transition
- Transition Resources - Disability Disclosure
- Soft Skills
You can access them by going to our Training page and clicking on Online Training, or CLICK HERE .
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| Quick Links | |
Surveys - Let us know how we're doing!
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| MPACT Transition Summit - Save the Date | |
Friday, September 17, 2010
Tools for Life Summit
Truman State Office Bldg
This training is for Youth, Parents and Professionals
Topics Include: Self-Determination, Person Centered Planning, Disability Awareness, Going to College, Independent Living and Getting a Job.
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| OSEP Q & A Document | | Regulations for Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) were published in the Federal Register on August 14, 2006, and became effective on Oct. 13, 2006. In addition, supplemental Part B regulations were published on Dec. 1, 2008, and became effective on Dec. 31, 2008. Since publication of the regulations, the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) in the U.S. Department of Education (Department) has received requests for clarification of some of these regulations. This is one of a series of question and answer (Q&A) documents prepared by OSERS to address some of the most important issues raised by requests for clarification on a variety of high-interest topics. Each Q&A document will be updated to add new questions and answers as important issues arise, or to amend existing questions and answers as needed.
OSERS issues this Q&A document to provide States, State educational agencies (SEAs), local educational agencies (LEAs), parents, and other stakeholders with information regarding the IDEA requirements relating to individualized education programs (IEPs), evaluations, and reevaluations. This Q&A document represents the Department's current thinking on this topic. It does not create or confer any rights for or on any person. This guidance does not impose any requirements beyond those required under applicable law and regulations. This Q&A document supersedes the Department's guidance, entitled: Questions and Answers on Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), Evaluations and Reevaluations, January, 2007.
The revised Part B regulations include significant changes related to:
(1) IEPs for children with disabilities who transfer from one public agency to another within the same school year;
(2) allowing IEP Team participants to be excused from attending IEP Team meetings;
(3) specifying when other agency representatives that are responsible for providing or paying for transition services must be invited to IEP Team meetings;
(4) parental consent for initial evaluations and reevaluations for determining eligibility for Part B services; and
(5) timelines for conducting the initial evaluation for determining whether the child qualifies as a child with a disability under Part B of the IDEA and what the educational needs of the child are. |
| Missouri Standards and Indicators Manual, Release of Information, Model IEP Form Revisions |
A list of those revisions and the reasons for them may be found at that site. Most are minor changes which you may easily indicate on your copy of the Standards.
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There is a new form in our list of Model Forms. It is titled "Authorization for Release of Information" and may be found at: http://dese.mo.gov/divspeced/Compliance/MOSample_Forms/Index.html. This model form will be helpful when districts are considering inviting outside agencies to IEP meetings where postsecondary transition will be discussed.
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This form has recently been revised to include the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). This is a national test administered to a statewide representative sample of students for national comparison. It is given to students in grades 4, 8, and 12.
Students with disabilities are included in the sample and are expected to participate. If your district is selected to be included in this assessment, IEP teams will need to determine students' participation and their use of accommodations allowed by NAEP.
This information is now included on Form D and will need to be addressed if the district has been notified of selection for participation. Websites are included at the end of Form D if you desire further information about the assessments.
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| Text-to-Speech and Accessible Instructional Materials |
Missouri Assistive Technology has recently posted two items on their website related to Accessible Instructional Materials (AIM).
The first is the Implementation Guide developed to support use of Text-to-Speech (TtS) and Accessible Instructional Materials (AIM) at the secondary level. It is based on the collective experiences of educators in school districts in Missouri who implemented pilot TtS/AIM projects through Missouri Assistive Technology.
The second is a video that features several Missouri educators and secondary students with reading disabilities as they incorporate Text-to-Speech systems into their daily educational routine with highly successful outcomes. The video compliments the guide in addressing some potential barriers to implementing a TtS pilot and how they were overcome in the participating schools.
Both are being distributed nationally through the National Center on Accessible Instructional Materials. Although the information provided in the guide pertains to specific projects in Missouri, the principles, practices, and materials apply more broadly to the ongoing implementation of AIM in educational settings. They include extensive resources that address student selection criteria, technology considerations, training needs, IDEA requirements for AIM, and copyright provisions.
These and other resources on Accessible Instructional Materials can be found through the following link at Missouri Assistive Technology http://at.mo.gov/aim/aim.html.
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| ODEP: Making the Move to Managing Your Own Personal Assistance Services (PAS): A Toolkit for Youth Transitioning to Adulthood |
Through its Youth Technical Assistance Center, the National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability-Youth, ODEP is releasing Making the Move to Managing Your Own Personal Assistance Services (PAS): A Toolkit for Youth Transitioning to Adulthood. Whether moving from school or a home setting to work, college, or living on their own, transition-age youth with significant disabilities and their families or friends will benefit from the information and guidance offered by the toolkit as they navigate the complex world of PAS.
Accessing and maintaining long-term supports such as PAS has often been a significant barrier to employment youth and adults with disabilities. This new toolkit assists youth in strengthening some of the most fundamental skills essential for successfully managing their own PAS: effective communication, time-management, working with others, and establishing professional relationships. Such skills are key to not only enhancing independence, but also thriving in the workplace and growing professionally. The toolkit offers sample worksheets, questions, and charts that provide readers clear, helpful examples of things to consider along the path to greater independence. Stories from real youth and their families give practical insight and guidance for youth with disabilities who want to manage their own PAS.
For more information or to download a Word or PDF version of the toolkit, visit the ODEP's Youth Technical Assistance Center, the National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability-Youth at http://www.ncwd-youth.info/PAS-Toolkit
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| FAST Parent Survey |
FAST is PACER's National Family Advocacy and Support Training Project.
You are invited to be in a national research study of supports for families of youth with disabilities. This Survey is for the parent or primary caregiver of a young person with disabilities between 12 and 22 years old. If you qualify please click on the link below to partake in this research study. (Survey also available in Spanish by visiting the FAST website at www.fastfamilysupport.org.)
If you are the parent or primary caregiver of a young person with disabilities between 12 and 22 years old we invite you to partake in a national research study by completing the National Family Support Survey being conducted by the FAST Project by going to: http://rtc.umn.edu/fast/main/index.asp.
Your answers to the questions on the National Family Support Survey are confidential and will help the Administration on Developmental Disabilities, parent centers, and researchers understand the information and supports families need to prepare for moving into adulthood.
The information you share is extremely valuable and may help to inform program development for youth with disabilities in the future. We encourage you to participate and greatly appreciate your time.
The Family Advocacy and Support Training (FAST) Project is funded by the Administration on Development Disabilities (ADD) as a Project of National Significance. FAST is a project of PACER Center in Minnesota in collaboration with Parent Centers throughout the United States and Territories and with the help of the University of Minnesota.
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| Upcoming Trainings from MPACT | |
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. This 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.
**NEW** OCR & MPACT Presentation
08/25/10 Kansas City - Please call 1-800-743-7634 for more information or to register. This presentation will include an overview of Special Education Law and will include information about what services the Office of Civil Rights can offer individuals with disabilities. Look for more presentations soon!
Understanding the IEP Process for Parents of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders
Understanding the IEP Process
The Art of Effective Advocacy
Disagreement Resolution Process
Special Education Law
How to Write Measurable Goals and Objectives
Is Your Child a Target of Bullying 10/07/10 Sikeston
Positive Behavioral Interventions
Parents Facilitate, Youth Take Action
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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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