http://www.autismhangout.com Autism Hangout - Autism Hangout WEBINARS! Forum Feed en-us Wed, 14 Jul 2010 18:13:00 CST Wed, 14 Jul 2010 18:13:00 CST cevans@autismhangout.com cevans@autismhangout.com http://www.autismhangout.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=367 From the program... "With me tonight are three of my favorite poster people for demonstrating how to thrive with autism. All are authors, speakers, experts. All are on the spectrum. The parents of two of these people were told their children should be institutionalized. There was no hope. Yet today - 30+ years later - all three have made tremendous contributions to our knowledge of autism. And here's the best part... all three are musicians. Why is that a common link? Because all 3 know the power of music and autism. Autism Hangout, please welcome Donna Williams, Dr. Stephen Shore and Rudy Simone." These people are fascinating... and incredibly talented! See the Webinar here: [IMG]http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o148/jabez48/Dancingguycropbig.jpg[/IMG] Autism Hangout: Learning, sharing, thriving! Wed, 14 Jul 2010 18:13:29 CST cevans@autismhangout.com http://www.autismhangout.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=301 "Movin' Out! Successful housing for people on the spectrum." In this Webinar, Specialized Housing Consultant George Braddock describes the importance of "person-centered environments." [img]http://www.autismhangout.com/userfiles/image/GeorgeBraddock.jpg [/img] I'm always THRILLED to discover competent business people that share our compassion for people with autism. George Braddock is a prime example. George is working with ARCHway to design and build housing that helps adults with autism live fuller, richer, independent lives. Hear George's interview here: http://www.autismhangout.com/webinars/default.asp?id=5 More on George and ARCHway here: www.myarchway.org [IMG]http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o148/jabez48/Dancingguycropbig.jpg[/IMG] Autism Hangout: Learning, sharing, thriving! Fri, 29 Jan 2010 10:02:36 CST cevans@autismhangout.com http://www.autismhangout.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=296 In this Webinar, attorney David Tollner addresses the steps necessary for a highly successful IEP. David's advice is based on years of his legal experience dealing with families of special needs kids. His resume reads: Special Education legal services for parents struggling to receive the appropriate education for their child with disabilities. David is the former Executive Director of Pacific Autism Center for Education in Sunnyvale and Rebekah Children's Services in Gilroy, as well as a civil litigator in San Jose for 13 years. [img]http://www.autismhangout.com/userfiles/image/DavidTollner.jpg[/img] I'm thrilled to have learned of David from Autism Hangout friend (and video/cooking therapy expert, Mitra Ahani). Thanks Mitra! Here are the 7 points David talks about in this program. Special Education Interview – Preparing for a Successful IEP: 1. Know What You Want to Accomplish. When you go into an IEP, know what is it you are looking to accomplish. Although IEPs are supposed to be an open discussion of your child’s strengths and challenges and the services and supports needed to address those challenges, the fact remains that some districts have their eye on the financial bottom line and not what is an appropriate education for your child. So go into an IEP with an open mind but know what you want. If you do not know, or are not certain of what your child needs, which is not uncommon, find someone who has expertise in the area of your child’s disability. The district has the obligation to assess your child, and testing is required at least every three years, but district assessments are often absent recommendations for services or provide opinions re: services that are less than your child needs to progress in his/her education. If you feel you do not have all the information you need to determine what you want out of your IEP, find a physician or therapist with experience in the disability of your child. 2. List All of Your Child’s Areas of Need (Challenges). Sounds elementary, but most children with autism have many areas of need, both general and specific. For autism, communication, socialization, behaviors, reading, attention, processing, and so on are all typical areas of need. Within communication, there may be several subsets of need, such as reciprocity, engagement, icon recognition, etc. List all of the deficits in detail. It doesn’t matter that there are 20 or more. Take these deficits from the reports in the file, teacher notes or comments and your own observations. 3. Let the Teachers and School Staff Talk Openly About your Child’s Areas of Need. It is more important to have the school staff say what your child needs than for you to say it, so encourage a long discussion of how your child is doing in school and lead the conversation to his areas of need. What is NOT working in the classroom; what behaviors are contrary to learning; where is he struggling, what are his challenges. Often, this discussion will add new deficit areas you didn’t know about. I have always received more useful information (for requestinging services) from the school staff at an IEP than from anyone else, so the more you get them talking, the better. 4. Create at Least One Goal for Each Deficit. No limit to the number of goals. Do not let the District tell you there are too many goals. If Johnny has 25 challenge areas that need work, Johnny should have 25 goals. From a service and support perspective, the more goals the better. 5. Goals Must be Measureable and Challenging. Useful goals are goals that are readily determinable as met or not met. A goal that describes a general state of being is not a useful goal. For example, a goal that reads “Johnny will play more with his peers” is not useful as the term “play more” is far too overbroad to determine with clarity if Johnny has actually met or is making progress toward his goal. A better goal might be: “Johnny will accept an offer from his classmates to play at least 3 out of 4 times each week over the course of a month and will continue play for at least ten minutes on each occasion.” You can determine at the end of the school year if this goal was actually met, and if it was met you will know Johnny is better at playing with his classmates than he was before the school staff focused on this deficit. The goal must also be somewhat challenging for your child. A goal that is too easy to meet does not serve your child or advance his progress. The point here is to have goals that actually measure whether your child is improving or not. If he is not improving, such that many of the goals are not being met, then the services and supports offered by the district are not appropriate for your child. 6. You and your specialist must be ready to discuss what supports and services are needed for your child to reach his goals. Generally, by the time I meet with parents, the district and parents disagree about what are the appropriate services for the student. The first thing I do is find a specialist in the field of my client’s disability to inquire about what the child actually needs. If the child does require more services and supports than are offered, the specialist comes to the IEP and explains why the offered services are deficient. Key here is to have the right specialist on your side; someone who can articulate for everyone why 30 minutes of speech therapy is not enough and why 90 minutes per week is appropriate, etc. IEP's are won or lost with this input which cannot come from even the most knowledgeable parents or attorneys. If you do not have this person or persons and the district is offering far less than your child needs, find someone. There are many agencies that can help. Further, there are strategies for getting the District to pay for an independent assessment that will assist you to get services for your child. 7. Do not feel pressure to sign the IEP. There is no deadline to sign the IEP. If you like part of the IEP offer but not the rest of it, you can accept the part you like and contest the part you do not. For example, if the district offers 30 minutes/week of ST, you can accept the 30 minutes and continue to retain your right to argue that 90 minutes of ST are appropriate for your child. You can write it all in a Parent Addendum. Once you accept the part of the IEP you like, the district must begin to provide the services you accepted. You can sign the attendance form without signing the consent form, though be careful which one you sign. If there is any doubt about the services and supports you were given, do not consent to the IEP. Sleep on it, get some advice, think about it. If you do sign the IEP and later believe it is lacking, you can always call an IEP meeting to discuss how your child is not progressing because the services are not adequate, etc. But once you sign the IEP, you will need to let enough time go by to see if the offered services work. If you do sign the IEP and change your mind shortly thereafter, write the district a letter rescinding your consent and explain in detail the reasons therefore. You may also call another IEP to discuss your concerns. Hear David's Webinar here: Contact information for David is here: http://www.php.com/david-h-tollner-attorney David's email address is: davidtollner@gmail.com [IMG]http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o148/jabez48/Dancingguycropbig.jpg[/IMG] Autism Hangout: Learning, sharing, thriving! Mon, 11 Jan 2010 14:05:00 CST cevans@autismhangout.com http://www.autismhangout.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=264 [img]http://www.autismhangout.com/userfiles/image/melanielevy.jpg [/img] Meet film-maker Melanie Levy as she talks of Sydney, the star of her film "My Name Is Sydney." Melanie is a recent Stanford grad (MFA) with a focus on telling stories about heros that challenge barriers and change society. Sydney's autism is a prime example. We have many great films to look forward to as this exceptional film-maker starts her career. See the Webinar here: http://www.autismhangout.com/webinars/default.asp?id=3 [IMG]http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o148/jabez48/Dancingguycropbig.jpg[/IMG] Autism Hangout: Learning, sharing, thriving! Wed, 28 Oct 2009 08:29:54 CST cevans@autismhangout.com http://www.autismhangout.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=263 Everyday, more and more people on the spectrum demonstrate gifting through their contributions to society. Two of these "poster people" are Dr. Stephen Shore and Donna Williams. Each has formidable gifts... and great stories for how parents, caregivers and professionals can reach and develop others like them. In this "Thriving with Autism" Webinar, Stephen and Donna talk about their individual strengths and how autism helped them become who they are today. Watch the Webinar here: http://www.autismhangout.com/webinars/default.asp?id=8 For more on Dr. Stephen Shore, go to: http://www.autismasperger.net/ For more on Donna Williams, go to: http://www.donnawilliams.net/ [IMG]http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o148/jabez48/Dancingguycropbig.jpg[/IMG] Autism Hangout: Learning, sharing, thriving! Mon, 26 Oct 2009 04:28:32 CST cevans@autismhangout.com http://www.autismhangout.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=253 Author Lindsey Biel talks about her book "Raising a Sensory Smart Child." [img]http://www.autismhangout.com/userfiles/image/Lindseybielcolor.jpg[/img] Lindsey Biel, a pediatric occupational therapist is a font of great ideas for kids with sensory issues! Parents, autism professionals and especially teachers, don't miss this discussion! Hear Lindsey here: http://www.autismhangout.com/webinars/default.asp?id2=3 For more on Lindsey's book "Raising a Sensory Smart Child" (Penguin Books) go here: www.sensorysmarts.com [IMG]http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o148/jabez48/Dancingguycropbig.jpg[/IMG] Autism Hangout: Learning, sharing, thriving! Sun, 20 Sep 2009 12:30:34 CST cevans@autismhangout.com http://www.autismhangout.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=252 [IMG]http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o148/jabez48/ALUT2small.jpg[/IMG] Israel is doing some amazing things with people on the spectrum. And their programs (from treating the young to those needing group homes) are practical applications we could consider modeling. Hear Rachel here: http://www.autismhangout.com/webinars/default.asp?id2=4 We WILL be talking with Director of Resources (and spokesperson) Rachel Rosenman for more advice in the future! For more information on ALUT, go to: http://alutfriends.org/ [IMG]http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o148/jabez48/Dancingguycropbig.jpg[/IMG] Autism Hangout: Learning, sharing, thriving! Sun, 20 Sep 2009 12:27:13 CST