Do Something Extra: Celebrate World Down Syndrome Day on March 21 in
Honor of Everyone with an Extra Chromosome!
World Down Syndrome Day was established in 2006 by Down Syndrome International, with the goal of raising awareness and mobilizing support and recognition of the dignity, rights and well-being of people with Down syndrome across the world. March 21, the 21st day of the third month of the year, was chosen to symbolize the third copy of chromosome 21 present in Trisomy 21, the most common form of Down syndrome. This year, World Down Syndrome Day is especially significant as it is the first time that the day will be officially observed by the United Nations.
Here are some ways that you can get involved:
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Get ready... Get set...Celebrate!
Each year PTAs have gone above and beyond for the schools that they serve and it's possible through the efforts of your volunteers. The GCC of PTAs offers awards to showcase the talent, creativity and dedication to PTAs. Join us in celebrating the great volunteer spirit in Guilford County
and nominate those on your PTA.
Nominate
the teachers, school employees and
PTA volunteers
that make your programs a success!
Awards deadline is 3/15/12
For Awards Packets and information visit the
or
Mark your calendars...
GCC of PTAs Awards Celebration will be held on May 3, 2012 @ Grimsley High School.
Time/Details to be announced soon!
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Peanut Allergy Support Group
If anyone has an interest in starting a peanut allergy parent support group in Guilford County. (It could be peanut specific or allergies in general). If interested, please contact Kelly Langston.
Kelly Langston
Guilford County Council of PTAs
President
kwlangston@triad.rr.com
336-202-6964
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Submissions for The E.C. Voice
If you would like to submit information to this newsletter, please contact:
Jacqui Hawkins
All submissions are due by the 15th of the month. |
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My first request!!! Recently, a parent shared with me the frustrations that she and her child experienced as they tried to navigate college admission tests and the transition to higher learning. She thought it might be a good idea to share with all of you some things that you may not know.
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The College Board and Disabilities
What You Need To Know:
You may think that the testing accommodations on your child's IEP apply to
the College Board tests (SAT, PSAT and AP exams), but they don't.
In order to obtain accommodations on College Board tests, those accommodations must first be approved by the College Board's Services for Students with Disabilities.
Most students apply for accommodations with the assistance of their school. Parents and guardians must complete a consent form. The school's SSD Coordinator will then be able to request accommodations online.
Requests for test accommodations may require students to submit supporting documentation.
Doors to colleges are opening for people with intellectual and other developmental disabilities in many different ways all over the country. This website is designed to share what is currently going on, provide resources and strategies, let you know about training events, and give you ways to talk to others. The information is for transition aged students as well as adults attending or planning for college. It provides resources and tools for students, families, and professionals.
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Fun With Friends
At The Independence Place
 2/18: Fun with Friends at The Independence Place. An opportunity for elementary-age children with autism and their siblings to participate in fun, social-skills building activities, including games, field trips, and much more. 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. For more information, please click here or contact Melanie Hanson, Ed.D, LPC at drmelanieh@aol.com or 336-327-7525. Other TIP programs include Moving Up, TIP's Friday night program for high school students with autism spectrum disorders, and Learning Without Limits, TIP's after-school program which includes homework help and social skills development. |
Wood - Turning
At Tristan's Quest
 Tristan's Quest will be hosting its second Wood Turning Opportunity on February 18, 2012. Click here if you would be interested in learning a new skill and walking away with your own customized wood-turned ball point pen!!! Barry Lewis, a professional woodworker and a TQ dad, will be bringing in 2 mini-lathes to Tristan's Quest. Participants can choose the kind of wood they want and get started on learning a new skill -woodturning. At the end of your session, you will have created a unique one-of-a-kind- pen! This is a parent-child activity. Moms or Dads, if your student finishes their pen with time to spare, you have the opportunity to make one for yourself. Four time slots will be offered between 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Registration is first come- first served! If you have questions, please call Dr. Jean or Ellison at 336-547-7460. |
ADHD & Your Elementary Student
At Northern Elementary School
Dr. Arthur D. Anastopoulos is a nationally recognized expert in AD/HD and a Professor in the Department of Psychology at UNCG. He is also the director of the AD/HD Clinic at UNCG. Since its inception in 1996, the AD/HD Clinic has remained continuously under Dr. Anastopoulos' supervision and direction. He is going to speak at Northern Elementary School on Tuesday Feb. 21st at 7:00pm. After his approx. 1 hour talk, he will also do a Q & A.
All invited!
NORTHERN ELEMENTARY
3801 NC Highway 150 East, Greensboro, NC 27455
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"The Banquet"
A Sensory Worship Experience
You're invited to "The Banquet:" A Sensory Worship Experience, Saturday, February 25, 2012, at 2 p.m., at First Lutheran Church on Friendly and Holden Avenue, in Greensboro. Hosted by Salvage Garden, a local nonprofit organization founded by a parent of children with special needs, this sensory worship experience is an engaging 45-minute service not bound by words; integrating sight, sound, taste, touch and smell. Sensory worship is an ecumenical gathering in a safe and relevant space that acknowledges and celebrates differences and similarities, abilities and disabilities, stressing that who we are is important, because each person is valuable and worthy of love, with inherent gifts and a common spirituality, expressed in unique, diverse ways. In Dancing with Disabilities, author Brett Webb-Mitchell suggests that the heavenly banquet will be a noisy gathering, "what with wheelchairs, crutches and aluminum walkers being scooted forward. There may even be a scream...from a child with fetal alcohol syndrome..." and so forth. Join Salvage Garden at First Lutheran Church for "The Banquet!" Contact Melissa Guthrie-Johnson to learn more at Melissa@salvagegarden.org or visit www.salvagegarden.org for more information. Salvage Garden strives to reclaim the value of all individuals, emphasizing their inclusion and integration in multiple settings, while supporting each person on a unique path to wholeness. Through person-centered programming and support, as well as training and education for the community, Salvage Garden cultivates transformation by restoring hope, inspiring change and growing community awareness.
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Tumblebees Gymnastics Family Event with The Down Syndrome Network of Greater Greensboro
 2/26: DSNGG's Tumblebees Gymnastics Family Event . Join the Down Syndrome Network of Greater Greensboro from 4:00-6:00pm. For some bigtime fun at Tumblebee's! The entire gym will be reserved for DSNGG families; a pizza dinner will be served afterwards. Tumblebees Gym is located at 6904 Down Wind Rd at corner of W. Friendly and W. Market Street. Reach them by phone at 336-665-0662. This event is FREE for the whole family, but please RSVP soon to Lauri Lyn Hodges at 336-856-8968 or e-mail nickelhodges@yahoo.com. |
Free Access Pass to National Parks
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The Access Pass is a free lifetime pass to over 2000 federally owned parks in the USA. If you live in the USA, chances are that one of these parks is near you.
For parks that charge admission per vehicle, everyone who is in the vehicle with the Access Pass holder is admitted for free (for individual tours and campsites, there may be discounts, but fees still have to be paid).
This includes sites operated by
The National Park Service (includes all National Parks, National Monuments, National Historic Sites, and more)
The Access Pass is available to US citizens or permanent residents of all ages who have a permanent disability. A permanent disability is a physical, mental or sensory impairment that severely limits one or more life activities.
In the application for the Access Pass, the applicant must prove the existence of a permanent disability with one of the following documents:
Statement by a licensed physician
Document issued by a Federal agency such as the Veteran's Administration, Social Security
Disability Income, or Supplemental Security Income
Document issued by a State agency such as a vocational rehabilitation agency
For more information:
http://store.usgs.gov/pass/access.html |
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Coming Up:
April is Autism Awareness Month
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The Psychologist's Corner: We Can All Improve Our Memory
Have you ever gone upstairs to do something, get there, and forget what you went for? Well, it happens to all of us. In adulthood we attribute this to multiple factors including aging and having several other thoughts on our minds which keep us from concentrating on the task at hand. When our children demonstrate the same difficulties with memory we assume they are not listening, not complying, or have attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). While one or all of these may be the culprit, poor working memory may also be a factor. Working memory, put in simple terms, is the act of holding information in one's mind while performing some type of action or mental processing with the information.
Research has shown that playing games such as Chess improve working memory. Chess requires one to play out move-sequences in one's mind; sequences are maintained in working memory as the various options are analyzed.
Working memory can be improved by challenging your memory with games such as flash cards, Concentration, and performing brain teasers, puzzles, and mazes.
We can strengthen neural connections by challenging our brain to learn new tasks, for example use the opposite hand to brush your teeth, dial the phone, or use the computer mouse. Include more of your senses in everyday activities, such as getting dressed with your eyes closed or playing games such as Gestures or Charades.
Using mnemonic devices (memory strategies), such as acronyms or acrostics (e.g., HOMES to remember the Great Lakes) and visual imagery has also been shown to help those with memory deficits. Additionally, students with working memory deficits may benefit from classroom modifications including: using graphic organizers as visual prompts, using post-it notes to brainstorm ideas, working with a peer, using color to highlight important information, and segmentation of assignments.
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Respectfully Submitted,
Jacqui Hawkins
Exceptional Children Chairperson
GCC of PTAs
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