New Hampshire FAMILY VOICES has just published Maneuvering Through The Maze - A Family Resource Guide, which lists New Hampshire services for families of children with disabilities and special health care needs ages birth through adulthood. A copy of Maneuvering Through The Maze – A Family Resource Guide may be downloaded from their website at www.nhfv.org. New Hampshire FAMILY VOICES has a newsletter, Pass It On, as well as a host of other publications, which can also be accessed from their website.
Autism Update
Last year, we reported on the outcomes of the Autism Task Force, the development of a “protocol” of services, the establishment of resources at each of the three schools, the professional development that has taken place, and the formation of ‘Autism Family Night’ for the district.
This year, we continue to support our students with autism by working in social groups, consulting with the IEP teams, talking with parents, and facilitating the Autism Family Night. The Autism Family Night is beginning its second year. This group meets at the Nottingham Community Center. Families share a ‘potluck’ dinner, then the kids separate to play in the gym with our expert (and dedicated) OT’s. The OT’s provide activities, facilitate collaborative games, and then help calm and prepare them for the transition back to their homes, by doing Tai Chi. The parents meet and discuss a variety of issues from parenting, transitions, holidays, and whatever is important to them at the time. We show videos such as: 9-1-1 Safety and Carol Gray’s How to Write Social Stories. We had Barbara Lowrey, from the May Institute, as a guest speaker.
Recently, we applied to the Doug Flutie, Jr. Foundation for a grant that, if funded, will provide money for parents to attend workshops and other educational events. Those awarded the grant will be informed in mid-December – we will keep you posted on this.
While writing the grant, it was necessary to count the number of children with autism served by the district. While the national average is 1 in 150 students, SAU #44 is closer to double that number. Currently, most of our students with autism are performing to their potential. This is a credit to our dedicated special education staff, paraprofessionals, classroom teachers, administration, and parents. It is a team effort, and our teams are dedicated, involved, and energetic!
The State Board of Education will hold three public hearings to gather input on proposed changes to the NH Rules for the Education of Children with Disabilities (state special education regulations). Your input is very important. Ed 1100, Standards for the Education of Students with a Disability (please note this is a 169 page document).
Public Hearings: Tuesday, August 21, 2007 – 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm & 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm, White Mt. Regional High School Auditorium, 127 Regional Road, Whitefield, NH.
Tuesday, September 11, 2007 – 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm & 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm, Manchester Memorial High School, 1 Crusader Way, Manchester, NH
Wednesday, October 10, 2007 – 11:30 am at the NH Department of Education Londergan Hall, 101 Pleasant Street, Concord, NH.
People who are unable to attend a public hearing, or those who wish to provide additional written comments after they have testified, may send their written comments to: mmayo@ed.state.nh.us or Mary Mayo, NH Department of Education, 101 Pleasant Street, Concord NH, 03301. Comments will be accepted until 4:00 pm on Friday, October 26.
If you wish to contact the State Board members John E. Lyons, Jr., Chairman, Fredrick J. Bramante, Helen G. Honorow , Daphne A. Kenyon, Ph.D., Stephen R. L’Heureux, Thomas Raffio, and William D. Walker, a group e-mail address for them is: jlyons@lyonslaw.net; frebramante@daddys.com; hhonorow@barrylawoffice.com; dkenyon433@aol.com; s.lheureux@comcast.net; tomraffio@nedelta.com; bwalker@dhhs.state.nh.us.
John H. Hager, Assistant Secretary of the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS), U.S. Department of Education, has just announced the release of a CD version of the Tool Kit on Teaching and Assessing Students with Disabilities: Parents'
Materials, which is designed to assist parents and school districts in working together to raise the achievement of all students with disabilities.
The new Parents’ Tool Kit augments the previously released CD, Tool Kit on Teaching and Assessing Students with Disabilities, and offers a collection of resources on the same substantive areas addressed in the first Tool Kit, including assessment, instructional practices, behavior and accommodations. These new documents were written specifically for parents and include information they need as they work with schools to ensure that their children are receiving a quality education. Materials included in the new Parent Tool Kit provide information that will help parents become active and informed participants in IEP meetings and discussions, as well as other decision-making meetings that support students with disabilities and their families.
To encourage broad dissemination of these materials, OSERS has launched a new website, http://www.osepideasthatwork.org/index.asp that includes the materials in the Parent Tool Kit. The website will continue to be updated with additional materials as they become available.
This Parent Tool Kit is an example of the Department of Education's ongoing commitment to ensuring that states, local school districts, schools and families have the most current and relevant information about practices that will improve and enhance educational opportunities for children with disabilities throughout the nation.
On Aug. 3, 2006, Education Secretary Margaret Spellings announced the release of the final Part B regulations implementing the 2004 reauthorization of Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). These regulations were published in the Federal Register on Aug. 14, 2006.
The Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) has developed a dedicated web site to provide a "one-stop shop" for resources related to IDEA and its implementing regulations. The site provides searchable versions of the statute and regulations, as well as, access to cross-referenced content from other laws, such as the No Child Left Behind Act and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act. The site also includes topic briefs, links to OSEP's Technical Assistance and Dissemination (TA and D) Network; and a variety of other information sources. The site also has a "Q-and-A Corner" for questions to be submitted.
Alexa Posny, Director of OSERS Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), officially launched the new Web site: http://idea.ed.gov at OSEP's annual Leadership Conference in Washington in August.
Source: NH Department of Education