News from The Arc of WA/Parent to Parent

Parent to Parent of Washington State Newsletter

November, 2011

A Program of the Arc of Washington State
www.arcwa.org

1-800-821-5927

"What we're really talking about is a wonderful day set aside on the fourth Thursday of November when no one diets. I mean, why else would they call it Thanksgiving?"

-Erma Bombeck, Forever, Erma

Happy Halloween,

Have a safe and hopefully-"dry"-trick or treating with your kids! We get a lot of kids and I just love to answer the door and see all the "little" ghosts and pumpkins. And of course, Disney/TV characters.

During this upcoming "Special Legislative Session", look for the new P2P Programs DVD and YouTube video link on our website. These videos explain who Parent to Parent is and how we assist families in communities across the state.

We are going to be hand-delivering them to each legislator and the Governor's office. As they have "suspended, beginning January 1, 2012 " the grants we received last legislative session. Any support of this effort would be appreciated.

This video will also help Foundations and Donors to better understand all the great work our P2P organization does across the state. IF you know of a funder that might want to look at this informational packet please let me know.

Take care

Have a Great Halloween and November,

Susan

Calendar of Events

NEW RESOURCES:

Special Education -

Northwest Justice Project

Click here to download and view a brochure on

The Office of the Education Ombudsman (OEO). You can sign up to receive their e-newsletter at their website.

Washington PAVE

South Sound Mediation

iPad apps for special education - some that parents like already:

1. Snapps4kids.com

2. Geekslp.com

3. Tap to talk

4. Starfall ABC

For parents who have a child diagnosed with ADHD - Every Day Survival Skills For the Management of ADHD (pdf) from SCORxE in South Carolina.

Visit the Autism Outreach Project's free lending library online!

Click here to view the Autism Outreach Project's training calendar.

Article: App Helps Special Students With Asperger's - Pediatric psychologist Mark Bowers and his wife Kelly have created and released Sosh, a mobile-device application designed to improve the social skills of students with social interaction disabilities.

The Office of Public Engagement (OPE) is proud to launch a new one-stop-shop for all the ways you can engage with the White House online. Check it out at WhiteHouse.gov/Engage

The Medicaid Reference Desk - The Arc of the United States has a new resource to help guide people with developmental disabilities and their families "...through the complexities of Medicaid benefits, services and supports."

Challenge Discovery Projects' PCA "Sign With Your Child" video series was created to serve as a resource to encourage and facilitate communication for parents and caregivers with children who are deaf or hard of hearing.

November 2011

11/8: Autism Conference: Family Is Important - 9:00am to 4:30pm in Pullman. Call (509) 335-2321 or click here for more info.

11/17: Autism 200 Lecture Series presents "Autism 211: Combating Isolation and Finding Support"; Seattle Children's Hospital Autism Center, 7-8:30pm. Call (206) 987-8080 to register.

December 2011

12/2: Future Horizons' and Sensory World's 2011 Conference - Seattle. With Dr. Temple Grandin, Jennifer McIlwee Myers, and Maria Wheeler. Click here for more info and to register.

March 2012

3/7 to 3/9: Special Education Conference: Improving Special Education & Related Services to Students of All Ages - A Professional Continuing Education Conference in Seattle. Click here for more info.

May 2012

5-2 to 5/4: Infant and Early Childhood Conference. Click here for more info.

Resource Links

Resource Links now on the Arc website in the Resource Library.

Click here to access the links.

Click here to find a local P2P Coordinator.