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MPACT ENews
 

August 1, 2013

 

 Celebrating 25 Years of Excellence

Serving Missouri Families!

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Greetings!

Did you miss an issue of the MPACT ENews? Delete it by mistake? Wish you could find a past article? Well you can! To view current and past issues of the MPACT ENews visit our  website.Top
MPACT Needs Your Help
MPACT is evaluating the effectiveness of its website.  Please take a short survey and give us your feedback so we can make sure what we offer you online meet your needs. 

Fun and Games! 

Are you looking for fun ways to interact with your child while building their deductive reasoning skills?  The National Center for Learning Disabilities has compiled a list of games and the skills they promote.  Even better,  other parents have weighed in and added other suggestions that their children enjoy.   

How the Common Core Can Help Students With Disabilities. 

The move to the Common Core State Standards offers a challenge to educators to ensure that support offered to students with disabilities will empower, rather than limit, their potential to become independent learners, middle-grades co-teacher Elizabeth Stein writes in this blog post.
Join Our Mailing List!
In This Issue
Help MPACT
Children and Cars
Common Core Can Help
Waiting List Eliminated
Public Forum
Revisions to Model Forms
MPACTs First Steps Webpage
Parent Mentor Program
MPACT Online Trainings
Upcoming Trainings
Give the Gift of Knowledge
Quick Links
Surveys- Let us know how we're doing.
Missouri Vocational Rehabilitation Eliminates Waiting List for Services
State officials say efforts to improve efficiency and cost effectiveness, coupled with additional federal funding through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), have enabled the agency to eliminate a waiting list for individuals seeking career counseling, vocational training, job placement and other services. Read More

 

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Rehabilitation Council for the Blind (RSB) and State Rehabilitation Council for the Blind (SRC) Public Forum

The RSB and SRC invite you to a Public Meeting. We would like to hear your comments and concerns regarding the services we provide Missourians who are blind and visually impaired. Please plan to attend. You may participate via conference call by calling 1-877-820-7831. Conference call pin number required 35666479#.

 

Alice Conway the Assistant General Counsel for Monsanto will present:

"ADA help with creating Equality of Opportunity "  

Aug 1, 2013 from  6:00pm-8:00pm

Delta Gamma Center

1750 S Big Bend Blvd, St Louis, MO 63117

Phone:(314) 776-1300

 

Conference call participants: after introductions the line will be muted for about 30 minutes while the guest speaker is talking. After which we will un-mute the line for comments and questions.

Interpreters: will be available upon request, if you need an interpreter, if you are deaf-blind, or would like a copy of this announcement in your preferred medium, please contact us at 1-800-592-6004 prior to the meeting.

Comments: You may submit written comments to [email protected] or by mailing them to Cindy Bitterman, P.O. Box 2320, 615 Howerton Ct, Jefferson City MO 65102-2320.


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Revisions to Special Education Model Forms

Revisions have been made to the Special Education Model Forms to clarify issues raised in child complaints and special education compliance monitoring determinations.  Note that no revisions were made that need immediate attention by LEAs to achieve compliance.  Instead, these revisions to the model forms were designed to assist LEAs to efficiently and effectively comply with the provisions of IDEA and avoid common mistakes.  The revised model forms are posted on the Special Education Compliance webpage.  A list of those revisions and the reasons for them may also be found at that site.

 

If you have questions or concerns about this document, please do not hesitate to call the Compliance Section at 573-751-0699.

 

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Does Your Child Receive First Steps Services? Visit MPACT's First Steps Page

For more information regarding First Steps services, how to qualify, First Steps online training, or MPACT First Steps resources follow this link:  

http://ptimpact.org/PartC/PartC.aspx  

 

To share your story regarding First Steps services that your child has received click this link: http://ptimpact.org/PartC/OurStory.aspx 

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MPACT Parent Mentor Program

MPACT Parent Mentors are available to offer support and guidance to parents of children with disabilities throughout the IEP process.  Parent Mentors are volunteers who receive 24 hours of initial training, ongoing monthly training, and technical assistance from MPACT staff with regard to special education law, the IEP process, conflict resolution, and effective communication.  Their goal is to help parents build a collaborative partnership with the school district so their child may receive an appropriate education.  Click here to view the list of current MPACT Parent Mentors.
 

If your school district has had a MPACT Parent Mentor in attendance at an IEP meeting, please take a moment to complete a brief online survey if you have not already done so.  A separate survey should be completed for each mentor who has provided services to parents in your district.  These surveys assist MPACT and DESE with identifying and addressing areas of success and improvement with the Parent Mentor Program.

For more information about MPACT or if you have questions regarding the status of a Parent Mentor, please contact MPACT by telephone at (800) 743-7634 or by e-mail at [email protected].    You can also view the MPACT website at http://www.ptimpact.org.  

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FREE Online Trainings offered through MPACT

Our free online trainings will help parents  to understand the special education process in the state of Missouri. You can access the MPACT online trainings listed below by going to the Training page  on our website and clicking on Online Training. 
  • Extended School Year
  • Special Education: What I Need to Know
  • IDEA Transition Requirements
  • Transition to Post Secondary Experiences (Part 1 & 2)
  • Connecting Goals to Coordinated Activities and Services for Transition
  • Transition Resources - Disability Disclosure
  • Soft Skills

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Free MPACT Trainings
MPACT trainings are provided free of charge to parents of children with disabilities. To sign up for an upcoming training, follow the links below, then click on the 'SIGNUP' button located next to the training name. Fill in your name, email address, phone number, the name of the training you wish to attend and the date it is being offered.

 

While registering for a training is not mandatory it does ensure that the trainer has an adequate amount of handouts. This also allows MPACT to contact you should a training need to be cancelled or rescheduled. To view a comprehensive list of all trainings provided by MPACT go to http://ptimpact.org/Training/Training.aspx

 

Please be sure to double check the website training pages for any updates or changes to trainings offered.

 

The Art of Effective Advocacy

 

Bullying Prevention: What Parents Can Do - New Sessions Added!

Disagreement Resolution Processes - Cancelled.  Watch for Rescheduled Training

08/01/13    Kansas City 

 

IDEA Boot Camp - NEW!

 

How to Write Measurable Annual Goals

09/23/13   St. Louis 

10/17/13   St. Louis 

 

Positive Behavior Interventions  

 
Special Education Mediation
 
Student-Led IEPs 

Understanding the IEP Process - New Sessions Added!

Writing Post Secondary Goals for Students with ASD
10/07/13  St. Louis  

  

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 Give the Gift of Knowledge - Donate to MPACT

MPACT welcomes donations in any amount and will acknowledge all donors in our Annual Report and on our MPACT Facebook page. Agency, organization and business donors making a contribution of $200.00 or more will be recognized by placing their name and logo in our monthly e-news letter and on our website's donation page. Individual donations of $50.00 or more will be added to our Friends of MPACT list which will appear in an edition of our monthly e-news letter and on our website. Donations may be made by credit card through PayPal on our website or by sending a check to the state office: MPACT, 8301 State Line Rd., Ste. 204, Kansas City MO, 64114. Every donation will receive a receipt for tax purposes.

 

Please help us to continue to provide the support that families of Missouri's children with disabilities are requesting by making a donation to MPACT. MPACT is a 501(c)3 organization. All donations are tax deductible.   

 

2012 MPACT Donation Letter

 

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Question? Comments? Suggestions? Send them to [email protected] or 

contact the MPACT State Office at 1-800-743-7634.