|
|
|
Follow-up Review of Developmental Disabilities Administration Released
Maryland's Developmental Disabilities Administration has not made much progress since last October on verifying that consumers actually received the services they're supposed to get, according to a follow-up review released Tuesday.
The Maryland General Assembly's Office of Legislative Audits conducted the follow-up after an October audit found the administration's fiscal accountability and compliance rating was unsatisfactory. Auditors generally agreed with the administration that six of the seven findings have been corrected or improved substantially.
However, they found the agency had not yet established procedures to make sure service coordinators perform all of their required duties to ensure consumers have received the services they are supposed to get. They also found problems with making sure officials obtained documentation for the consumers' Medicaid eligibility reassessments.
The review found that "critical details or processes were omitted." In response, the administration said that at the time of the review, procedures had not been finalized.
You can read the entire Washington Post article here.
|
|
Back To School Tips for Parents of Students with Disabilities
A new school year means a new grade, new teachers, new goals, and maybe even a new school! In order to help you and your child with special needs be as successful as you can be, we've put together a list of eight helpful back-to-school tips that we hope will make the transition into a new school year a little easier for you and your child. Read the complete list at the Reading Rockets website.
|
 | | How Does Music Therapy Benefit Children with Special Needs? |
What is Music Therapy?
Music therapy uses music as a powerful tool to create positive behavior changes. A music therapist's main goal when working with a child with special needs is to assist the child in reaching his or her greatest potential. Music therapy can enhance development in areas such as social/emotional, cognitive/academic and fine/gross motor skills. Music interventions are chosen specifically to meet individual developmental goals such as improving hand/eye coordination or increasing verbal skills.
Although therapy participants can learn music skills, therapy goals do not focus on developing musical skills. Music therapists focus on the process of making music in contrast to a music educator whose main interest is on the final product. Focusing on the process means that there is no right or wrong response. This positive atmosphere allows children's self-esteem to grow along with their skills. Music therapy can be provided in one-to-one, small or large group settings. Group sessions provide children with the opportunity to participate in sing-alongs, partner dances, passing games and structured settings for them to share creative ideas. Read more here. |
|
Worcester County Schools Receives $1 Million Special Education Grant
Worcester County Public Schools (WCPS) got a big and pleasant surprise this week when it was announced that the county will be the sole recipient of a $1 million-plus competitive grant for special education.
The 2014 Bridges for Systems Change grant will be used to buoy education for students with disabilities. "The grant seeks to improve outcomes for children ages birth through 21 through the use of evidence-based and innovative practices to enhance student learning," said Rae Record, supervisor of special education. "The goal is to eliminate the existing gap between students with disabilities and their non-disabled peers." Read the complete Dispatch Article here. |
|
Supreme Court Asked to Clarify IDEA's Stay Put Provision
The nation's school district leaders are asking the U.S. Supreme Court to weigh in on who should pay for a child's private school tuition while special education disputes are litigated.
Currently, school districts are responsible under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act's "stay-put" provision for paying for a student to remain in their existing educational placement while parents and schools sort out disputes related to the child's special education services.
Now, however, the National Association of State Directors of Special Education, the National School Boards Association and the Pennsylvania School Boards Association say that schools should be relieved of the responsibility to foot the bill for private school placements once a court finds in a district's favor.
Read the full Disability Scoop article here.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Upcoming Events
September 16, 2014
6:30pm - 8:30pm
Largo, MD
Sept 30 - Oct 2, 2014
New Orleans, LA
October 5, 2014
Southern Maryland Buddy Walk
2:00pm - 4:00pm
Mitchellville, MD
October 9, 2014
Candidates Forum on Disability Issues
1:00pm - 3:00pm
Baltimore, MD
October 11, 2014
Around the World of Special Education in 1 Day
8:30am - 3:00pm
LaValle, MD
October 26, 2014
Run Walk Roll Against Bullying
8:00am
Woodbine, MD
Sponsorship Opportunities Available!
|
|
Workshops
There are a lot of new workshops and training events on our calendar! Be sure to check the PPMD online calendar for time, location, and registration information for these and many other training opportunities. www.calendarwiz.com/ppmd
|
|
Confidentiality Rights for Students and their Families
Confused about you and your child's educational privacy? You are not alone. The U.S. Department of Education has published a side-by-side chart describing the confidentiality provisions of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act. You can view and download the entire document here.
|
|
Making Time to Bond with Your Child
It's helpful to have a few ideas in your back pocket to relieve stress and bond with your child. What about a monthly outing? Or a five-minute dance party?
Sometimes you just need to crank up the tunes and bust some moves. Once you start dancing and laughing, you can release some tension from your bodies. Looking for even more ideas? The National Center For Learning Disabilities has a list of ideas. |
|
10 Things You May Not Know About the ADA
In recognition of anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the federal government has put together a list of things you might not know about the ADA. These include facts about school, work, transportation and assistive technology. You can view the entire list at the Disability.gov website.
|
|
