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Transition Tidbits
Transition News and ResourcesJanuary 2012
In This Issue
Training: MT, Online
Training: Other States
MT News
Announcements
Employment
National News
Post-Secondary
Technology
Transition
Web Sites
Learning Opportunities: Montana and Online

Engulfed by the Spectrum: The Impact of the Growing Prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorders on Law and Policy Webinar

February 2, 2012

2:00-3:00 PM MT

This webinar will review the huge volume of cases in federal and state courts in the areas of vaccinations, special education and early intervention and family law involving ASD. It will also provide an overview of legislative enactments, particularly by state legislatures, of new laws concerning ASD.

 

Natural Job Supports: It's about having fun and the right attitude!

February 2, 2012

12:00-1:00 PM MT

Registration: $50 APSE members/$100 non-members)

The presenter will demonstrate how job development can be more natural, and even fun, when you learn to be yourself and approach employers with the right attitude.

 

Assistive Technology (AT) Evaluation: Hitting the Target and Supporting Implementation

February 8, 2012
12:00-1:30 PM MT
Registration: $50.00
This presentation addresses the components of a successful Assistive Technology (AT) evaluation, who needs to be involved, models for effectiveness and how to make sure that the evaluation results support successful implementation.

 

Foundations of ASD: National Autism Online Training Series

February 13-March 19, 2012

Tuition: $125

This course will provide participants with an overview of Autism Spectrum Disorders, an understanding of the characteristics of ASD, and a discussion of the impact ASD has on the person and the family unit.

 

Causes of the Chasm: Factors that Impact Employment among Persons with Disabilities Webinar

February 16, 2012

10:00-11:30 AM MT

This Center for Studying Disability Policy (CSDP) forum will examine the persistent employment gap between people with and without disabilities, with the goal of identifying the factors that may reduce the employment gap and help facilitate the development of more effective policies, programs, and services.

 

Utilizing Clients' Social Networks to Partner with Business

February 21, 2012

12:00-1:00 PM MT

Registration: $50 APSE members/$100 non-members)

This webinar will discuss successful methods for how to best obtain and utilize clients' social networks as well as how to discover business needs and ultimately define how to connect the two to ensure a successful job match.

 

Got Transition Radio- Episode 6: Transition and School: Health & the Individual Education Plan (IEP)

February 22, 2012

1:00-1:30 PM MT

Tune in to this first episode of a series related to how healthcare transition might be addressed in the school setting.

 

The 3rd Annual ServeMontana Symposium

February 23-24, 2012

Helena, Montana

This conference, organized by the Governor's Office of Community Service, explores volunteerism and service in Montana.

 

Into Adulthood: Transition to Work for Individuals with Autism

February 27-April 10, 2012

Tuition and Textbook: $298.07

This course will provide the participant with an in-depth understanding of the concepts related to positive transition planning for youth with autism.

 

Career Development for Youth and Adults with Disabilities

February 28-March 12, 2012

Registration: $149
This 2-week online training covers developing career goals through innovative vocational assessment, career development skills, and vocational profiling for youth and adults with disabilities.

Title I Employment Requirements of the ADA

This free online self-paced course reviews the employment requirements of Title I of the ADA and 2008 ADA Amendments Act.

 

The Job Accommodation Network maintains an archive of recent webinars, including Accommodating Individuals with Limited Dexterity - Common Workplace Situations and Solutions and Understanding and Accommodating Autism Spectrum Disorders in the Workplace.

Learning Opportunities: Other States

Autism Works National Conference

March 6-7, 2012

St. Louis, Missouri

 

Essential Instructional Strategies for the Employment of Individuals with Complex Disabilities

March 21-22, 2012

Spokane, Washington

Tuition: $175 (includes print and digital materials)

Join Cary Griffin of Griffin-Hammis Associates to learn about Systematic Instruction, an essential skill for assisting people with significant disabilities in retaining meaningful employment.

 

Council for Exceptional Children Conference

April 11-14, 2012

Denver, Colorado

Registration is now open for the 2012 Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) Convention & Expo. The conference will feature a number of strands, including "Transition as an Evolving Field: Our Continuing Successes" and "New Developments in Interventions for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders."

 

2012 Disability Policy Seminar

April 23-25, 2012

Washington, DC

Come together with other advocates, learn about the issues, and speak with your elected officials about what is important to you.

 

2012 National Transition Conference (NTC): College & Careers for Youth with Disabilities

May 30-June 1, 2012

Washington, DC

Join other critical partners in the transition community to exchange innovative ideas and approaches; demonstrate knowledge gained from policy implementation; share transition practices and research findings; and promote and facilitate the development of networks and relationships.

 

APSE 2012 National Conference [PDF]

June 27-29, 2012
Arlington, Virginia

The 23rd Annual Conference theme says it all - Employment First: A Capitol Idea! And now is the time to focus our energies on ensuring all people with disabilities have meaningful opportunities to bring their talents to the workplace.

 

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Greetings!

Good morning to all the Montana Transition Listserv members. We hope 2012 is off to a great start for you. Here are some resources we thought you mind find interesting and helpful. 
Montana News

 

The Five Valleys Audubon Society encourages anyone interested in participating in their activities to check the list of 2012 field trips published on page 3 of their January 2012 newsletter [PDF]. MATOR (Montana Access to Outdoor Recreation) may be able to provide adaptive equipment to facilitate participation in the field trips.(MATOR is a program of MonTECH, a Montana statewide Assistive Technology program of the Rural Institute on Disabilities located on the University of Montana, Missoula campus.)

 

The MAPS Media Institute created a video that tells how Montana Vocational Rehabilitation helps youth get educated, connected and ready for life.

 

The Rural Institute Transition and Employment Projects strives to expand the vision of what is possible for youth and young adults with developmental disabilities to learn, live, work and play in their communities. We have been capturing stories of Montanans under age 34 who have a developmental disability according to the Montana definition and who have creatively organized their supports to:
  • Live in the community (on their own or with family or friends) and/or
  • Work in the community (including owning their own business) and/or
  • Access inclusive education (high school, college, community classes) and/or
  • Participate in recreation and leisure activities that are inclusive (that is, alongside people without disabilities)

Each month, we share one of these stories with Listserv members. You may also read about Montana's Emerging Leaders in our Featured EL Archives, 2009 EL Showcase [PDF] and 2010 EL Showcase [PDF]. To nominate yourself or someone else as an Emerging Leader, visit the Rural Institute Transition and Employment Projects web site.

Announcements

 

The Wayne State University Developmental Disabilities Institute in Michigan has created the Possibilities Series, brief (4-7 minutes each) videos focusing on the lives and accomplishments of individuals with developmental and intellectual disabilities. The videos show what is possible in terms of inclusive education, friends, community participation, community work, and home ownership.

 

On January 3, 2012, the Department of Labor's Employment and Training Administration and Office of Disability Employment Policy released a joint Training and Employment Notice (TEN) on Transportation Services [PDF]. Although the guidance was directed toward the public workforce system, it offered a number of links to transportation-related resources and included practical suggestions for anyone providing employment services. For example:

  • Participate in a community transportation planning process; connect with agencies and organizations that serve the same customer base.
  • Use labor market information and other workforce data to facilitate the creation of van pools.
  • Support regional transportation initiatives.
  • Invite transportation partners to speak at in-service trainings.
  • Involve local businesses in identifying transportation barriers and designing creative solutions.
  • Talk about transportation with students/consumers/customers - can they get to and from work? Can they afford their chosen mode of transportation? Do they have a back-up plan?

 

Employment

 

The White House has announced the Summer Jobs+ Initiative to employ low-income and disconnected youth this summer. The initiative will create 250,000 employment opportunities (paid positions, internships, mentoring relationships and job shadowing).

 

The Job Accommodation Network Just-In-Time Training Modules are fully-accessible training resources designed to be used by accommodation specialists, disability managers and others responsible for workplace accommodations.

 

The Office of Disability Employment Policy recently released Federal Schedule A Hiring Authority Fact Sheet: Tips for Youth and Young Adults with Disabilities Interested in Starting a Career with the Federal Government [PDF]. Schedule A allows individuals to apply for a federal appointment through a non-competitive hiring process.

 

Read Dale DILeo's latest blog post on Job Customization and the "Babbage Principle."

 

The Office of Disability Employment Policy has added a number of new videos to their Policies in Practice series. The videos profile people with disabilities working in their communities.

 

Visit the National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities web site to read guest blogger David Egan tell his story of inclusion and community employment.

National News

  

Advocates for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Oregon filed a class action lawsuit charging state officials with violating the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation Act by "confining individuals with disabilities to segregated settings where they have little - if any - interaction with non-disabled peers. The workers are paid far below the state's minimum wage of $8.80 for doing rote tasks that offer no training, no skills, and no advancement."

 

The Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights has issued a Dear Colleague letter and Frequently Asked Questions document to provide additional guidance on the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act in elementary and secondary schools, in light of changes to those laws made by the ADA Amendments Act of 2008. 

 
Post-Secondary Education 

 

Through funding under a Department of Homeland Security Fire Prevention and Safety Grant, the Michael H. Minger Foundation has developed a Guide to Teaching Fire Safety to Students with Disabilities [PDF]. The guide is designed to raise awareness and better educate students attending colleges and universities across the nation about fire safety.

 

Funding Your Education: The 2012-13 Guide to Federal Student Aid [PDF] contains information about all the federal aid programs available for students planning to attend college. See page 6 of the guide for information specifically for students with intellectual disabilities.

Technology

 

Read Linda Hodgdon's January 9, 2012 blog: A Great Alternative to the IPad for Autism. Linda discusses the LeapPad Tablet, a device that accomplishes many of the same functions as the iPad but is childproof, less expensive, and does not provide direct access to the internet.

 

Listen to the Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Communication Enhancement (AAC-RERC)'s recording of Mobile Devices and Communication Apps: Current Trends and Future Directions [Video]. Panelists discuss the benefits of mobile communication technology, the assessment process, learning about new apps, and more.

 

The AAC-RERC offers 19 free archived webcasts on a variety of AAC topics, including Employment and Individuals who use AAC and Supporting Successful Transitions for Individuals who use AAC 

Transition

 

Advocates for Youth has developed Sex Education for Physically, Emotionally and Mentally Challenged Youth. The document provides an overview of common myths and facts about the sexuality of people with disabilities, along with general guidelines for parents and a bibliography of sex education materials and resources.

 

The Forum for Youth Investment January issue of Ready Thoughts includes Ready, Willing and Able, an article that mentions two recent reports on the 6.7 million 16-to 24-year-olds who are out of school and out of work. "When asked what they would need to succeed, the youth asked for advice and mentoring from successful peers as well as from educators and employers. These youth don't just need programs; they need the people associated with these programs to understand how to meet them where they are personally, socially, emotionally, financially, academically. They need people who understand that many of them are disconnected now because they have not had these kinds of relationships in their lives." 

 
Web Sites

 

TASH promotes "equity, opportunity and inclusion for people with disabilities." Visit the TASH web site to read about the organization's latest projects, access resources, and/or become a member.

 

The National Secondary Transition Technical Assistance Center's web site includes a National Resource Map. Click on each state to learn about transition contacts and resources.

 

 

Please note: the Transition and Employment Projects at the University of Montana Rural Institute shares information and resources our listserv members may find of interest. We do not endorse the web sites or workshop contents or their providers, and we assume no responsibility for the validity of information provided on sites or in sessions not hosted by our agency.