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Info from National Coalition
of
Parent Centers
ESEA FLEXIBILITY REQUESTS
The U.S. Department of Education has posted an update on ESEA (Elementary and Secondary Education Act) Flexibility and the most recent information regarding states' applications for waivers from some of the provisions from the No Child Left Behind Act. The U.S. Department of Education's ESEA Flexibility website includes approved waiver applications, reviewers' comments, and other related documents. Read More:
SECLUSION AND RESTRAINTS
The White House Disability Group sent the following announcement following the release of the Department of Education's Restraint and Seclusion resource document:
Please see the statement below from the Department of Education regarding the release of a resource document on restraint and seclusion.
The President has repeatedly stated that children deserve to receive a world-class education. With the release of today's resource document, we continue that commitment for all students by working to ensure that they can learn in a safe environment.
U.S. Department of Education Issues Resource Document that Discourages Restraint and Seclusion
Today, the U.S. Department of Education issued a publication that outlines principles for educators, parents and other stakeholders to consider when developing or refining policies and procedures to support positive behavioral interventions and avoid the use of restraint and seclusion.
The goal of this resource document is to help ensure that schools are safe and healthy environments where all students can learn, develop and participate in instructional programs that promote high levels of academic achievement.
"As education leaders, our first responsibility must be to make sure that schools foster learning in a safe environment for all of our children and teachers," U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said. "I believe this document is an important step toward this goal. I also want to salute leaders in Congress for their vigilance on this issue."
The 15 principles that frame the document ultimately highlight how school wide behavioral interventions can significantly reduce or eliminate the use of restraint or seclusion. These guiding principles offer states, districts and other education leaders a framework for developing appropriate policies related to restraint and seclusion to ensure the safety of adults and children.
"Ultimately, the standard for educators should be the same standard that parents use for their own children," Duncan added. "There is a difference between a brief time out in the corner of a classroom to help a child calm down and locking a child in an isolated room for hours. This really comes down to common sense."
The document also provides a synopsis of ongoing efforts by federal agencies to address national concerns about using restraint and seclusion in schools, and includes links to state restraint and seclusion policies and procedures.
To access this document, click here
NATIONAL COUNCIL ON DISABILITY (NCD) REPORT
The National Council on Disability (NCD) has issued a supplement to their 2011 NCD publication Rising Expectations: The Developmental Disabilities Act Revisited.
The following link below will take you to the report:
OUTDATED TERMINOLOGY
This is an interesting article written by Michelle Diament, Disability Scoop, May 10, 2012:
More than a year after the federal government replaced "mental retardation" with "intellectual disability" in many laws, officials are looking to shift away from other terms also deemed offensive to those with disabilities.
Under a bill proposed last month, two U.S. senators want to remove the word "lunatic" from federal law. The term, which originates from Latin and first referred to a type of insanity spurred by changes in the moon, is now considered derogatory by those with mental illness and other disabilities.
Read More:
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Why do people hurt themselves?
A Webinar
with
Matthew Nock, PhD.
May 31, 2012
1 pm - 2 pm Eastern
Who engages in self-harm? Why do people hurt themselves? How can we better predict and prevent such behavior?
Join Matthew K. Nock, Ph.D., for a discussion on advances in the understanding, assessment, and treatment of self-harm behaviors, as well as some of the most promising directions for future research.
Dr. Matthew Nock is Professor of Psychology and Director of the Laboratory for Clinical and Developmental Research, Department of Psychology at Harvard, is a leading expert in self-injury and suicide.
Register now
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Heart and Hope is Coming Back
to
Pinellas County!
Saturday, August 25th 2012
Location: Dunedin Highland Middle School
70 Patricia Ave Dunedin, FL 34698
8:00 am to 4:00 pm
Sábado 25 de Agosto 2012
Ubicación: Dunedin Highland Middle School
70 Patricia Ave. Tampa, FL 34698
8:00 am a 4:00 pm
Grand Konferans Heart & Hope pral celebre nan Pinellas County Samdi 25 Out, 2012
Adrčs: Dunedin Highland Middle School
70 Patricia Ave Dunedin, FL 34698
8:00 am to 4:00 pm Li plis |
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Volunteer Teachers for
Family-to-Family Needed
If you are a family member and/or caregiver
of someone with a mental health diagnosis
and have a passion for helping others, this
is a perfect opportunity for you to
make a real difference!
.
After two days of training (half day Friday, full day Saturday and half day Sunday), you will work with another teacher to present the Family-to-Family program once a week over a period of 12 weeks. You will do so only once or twice a year. You will be giving family members and caregivers tools to help their loved one and themselves understand what happens with the brain when there is a mental illness, develop empathy for their loved one, get the latest information on medications and therapies, find out how to take care of themselves and learn how NAMI is advocating for mental health initiatives.
If you are interested, please contact Marsha at 434-6726 or marsha@namicollier.org. If we don't have teachers, we won't be able to continue to offer Family-to-Family classes.
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Two free sign language songs are on our page
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| The 2012-2013 schedule includes the following programs: Click here
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WIN FREE WRIGHTSLAW MATERIALS!!!!
As a thank you to everyone who attends a webinar hosted by the Parents of the Panhandle Information Network (POPIN), we are offering a prize drawing each month. For every webinar you attend in a month, your name will be added to the drawing. The more webinars you attend, the more chances you have to win.
May's prizes are a set of
3 Wrightslaw books:
1. From Emotion to Advocacy
2. All about IEPs
3. Special Education Law, Second Edition
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The winners names will be drawn May 31st. Good Luck!
To register for POPIN Webinars, Click here
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Calling all self-advocates!
Are you a young adult with disabilities who has gone through the transition process while in school?
Would like to help others in developing their self-advocacy skills and self-confidence for that process?
If you answer yes, then we have the job for you!
The Parents of the Panhandle Information Network Program (POPIN) is currently seeking a 20 hour per week Youth Mentor to provide training and assistance to other young adults with disabilities on self-determination and self-advocacy.
This position involves public speaking and requires
some light travel.
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Click to join our mailing list!!!
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'Love Hormone' May Boost Sociability In Kids With AutismA simple nasal spray of a naturally-occurring hormone is showing tremendous promise in treating the socialization difficulties associated with autism. Preliminary findings from a small, ongoing study of children ages 7 to 18 with autism indicate that a spray of oxytocin dramatically alters brain activity, particularly in the areas responsible for socialization.
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PROMability Ignite Ability
PROMability kicks-off with a contest for high school students with disabilities (seen or unseen) to win the ultimate prom experience by submitting an original essay, poem, video or even a song via video that responds to the contest subject
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Walgreens Expands Disability Employment Effort Nationwide
The nation's largest drugstore chain is dramatically increasing its efforts to hire people with disabilities.
Walgreens officials said they plan to implement a training program in every state by the end of 2013 that's designed to help people with disabilities land jobs in the company's retail stores.
The initiative is an expansion of a pilot program that began in Texas and currently operates at stores in New York and Connecticut as well.
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Submissions now Being Accepted for IDA's 2012 Remy Johnston Certificate of Merit
The Remy Johnston Award of Merit was established to honor the memory of a Remy Johnston, a young student with dyslexia, the son of Joyce & Ronald Johnston, and a philosophy major at Wooster College in Ohio, when he died tragically in February, 1989, only a few months before he was to graduate.
The Award recognizes a young student with dyslexia who:
- is a worthy role model for others, and
- refuses to be limited by the challenges of
learning differences, and
- strives for excellence, choosing to live as an
achiever, and
- continues to enrich the lives of families, friends,
employers and the communities in which s/he
lives through service.
Nominees must be:
- under the age of 25, and
- enrolled in an accredited high school, college or
university (public or private; 2 or 4-year
program), and
- making satisfactory progress toward the
completion of a diploma or degree.
Members of IDA are invited to submit nominations by August 15, 2012.
submission guidelines and to complete your nomination.
Read more
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