Greetings!

Online Trainings offered through MPACT

 MPACT Parent Mentor Program

MPACT Parent Mentors are available to offer support and guidance to parents of children with disabilities throughout the IEP process.  Parent Mentors are volunteers who receive 24 hours of initial training, ongoing monthly training, and technical assistance from MPACT staff with regard to special education law, the IEP process, conflict resolution, and effective communication.  Their goal is to help parents build a collaborative partnership with the school district so their child may receive an appropriate education.  To view the list of current MPACT Parent Mentors, go to http://ptimpact.org/Volunteer/MentorList.aspx.

If your school district has had a MPACT Parent Mentor in attendance at an IEP meeting, please take a moment to complete a brief online survey located at http://ptimpact.org/Surveys.aspx if you have not already done so.  A separate survey should be completed for each mentor who has provided services to parents in your district.  These surveys assist MPACT and DESE with identifying and addressing areas of success and improvement with the Parent Mentor Program.

For more information about MPACT or if you have questions regarding the status of a Parent Mentor, please contact MPACT by telephone at (800) 743-7634 or by e-mail at info@ptimpact.org.    You can also view the MPACT website at http://www.ptimpact.org.

Educational Surrogate Training

Jefferson City-The Missouri Youth Leadership Forum announces the 10th annual statewide leadership forum for high school students, ages 16-21, with disabilities which will be held at the University of Missouri campus in Columbia. Since its inception, 154 youth with disabilities in Missouri have participated in the program.  The prospective youth delegates are selected through a statewide competition and have demonstrated leadership potential.  Qualified students can apply now for the 10th annual Missouri Youth Leadership Forum scheduled for July 22-25, 2012.  

This year's forum has a pertinent partnership with Services for Independent Living in Columbia. Many of their staff provides leadership and staffing for the incoming youth delegates.  Forum alumni will be returning to serve as mentors and team members by sharing their knowledge about leadership principles, disability experience and resource sharing, assistive technology, development and achievement of career goals, independent living, and developing advocacy skills.  

The Governor's Council on Disability is currently accepting applications for this event. There are no tuition costs to attend the forum. The application is available online at www.mo.gov/disability/gcd/ylf.htm 

Deadline for submitting the application is April 18, 2012. 

To nominate a student from your local community, complete the application online or fax it to 573-526-4109 or mail it to Missouri Governor's Council on Disability, P.O. Box 1668, Jefferson City, MO 65102. 

If you have any questions, please contact the Governor's Council on Disability at 1-800-877-8249.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently released new data on the prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs), suggesting that 1 in 88 children in the U.S. has been identified with an ASD (1 in 54 for boys and 1 in 252 girls). The estimate is based on data collected during 2008. It marks a 23% increase since the previous report published in 2009 and a 78% increase since the first report published in 2007. The largest increases over time were among Hispanic children (110%) and black children (91%). The researchers suggest that some of this may be due to greater awareness and better identification among these groups; however this would only explain part of the increase. Read the  full scientific articleand the related  community report. 

On a related note, April is Autism Awareness Month. The Autism Society of America has  free resources available to share with your community and is encouraging individuals to wear blue in support of individuals with ASD on Monday, April 2nd, which is International Autism Awareness Day.

Love our children.

Love Our Children USA was founded on a promise to America's children to keep them safe.  Its work and commitment are to break the cycle of violence against children. The site is practical and easy to navigate, doesn't scare the daylights out of you, and has resources that fit many a different person's need, including parents, advocates, the media, and kids and teens. Enter at:

 http://www.loveourchildrenusa.org/index.php 

The U.S. Department of Education's Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) recently posted its Fourth Quarter 2011 Policy Letters (dated October 1, 2011 - December 31, 2011) online. A letter of clarification dated  April 4, 2012 on maintenance of effort has also been posted. These letters address issues related to the implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). A  Federal Register Noticepublished on March 23, 2012 includes brief summaries of the quarterly letters.

A  subset of OSEP policy letters related to the early childhood provisions of the IDEA (Part C and Part B, Section 619) can be accessed on the NECTAC Web site.

Summer Jobs Job Bank Summer jobs are a great way for youth to explore opportunities while gaining real world experience. One new opportunity announced by the White House and supported by the U.S. Department of Labor, is  Summer Jobs+. This initiative allows youth to get a jump-start on their career by signing up to be the first to know about a new summer job in their area through the job bank - an easy to use search tool to find summer opportunities.   

A  new report of employment outcomes for all youth ages 18-24 published by the PEW Research Center provides interesting information for how young adults are fairing in today's job market.

Completing an internship is an ideal way for young people with and without disabilities to prepare for their career field of choice. This  guide leads young people through the step-by-step process of finding, applying for, participating in and even evaluating an internship. Providing tools necessary to maintain a competitive advantage over fellow job seekers, it guides young people through activities focused on career exploration, interview and resume building, goal setting, networking, and more to prepare them to successfully complete an internship and transition toward employment. In addition, the guide includes information and tips of specific relevance to youth with disabilities, including finding accessible housing, navigating the transportation system, disclosing a disability, and employing a personal care attendant. Download Internships: The On-Ramp to Employment 

The Center on Transition to Employment for Youth with Disabilities has posted three new Issue Briefs. Two of the briefs introduce studies being conducted by the Center. The third brief shares findings from a recent study on predictors to achieve successful integrated employment for youth with developmental disabilities. Visit www.transitiontoemployment.org then go to Publications/Issue Briefs. The Center for Transition to Employment is a Disability Rehabilitation Research Project sponsored by The National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research, U.S. Department of Education. The Center is operated by TransCen, Inc. in partnership with Virginia Commonwealth University.

Summer is a great time for youth to explore the many opportunities that are available through jobs, internships (paid or unpaid), and/or volunteering. This article on  Summer Opportunities for Youth from FINDYOUTHINFO.GOV provides information and links to resources that can help youth can learn to gain real world experience and contribute to their community.