Parent Center Updates

• Oregon R.I.S.E.  Director Writes Article for Logan Magazine
• Parent Center Performance Measures Webinar Now Online
• PACER Center’s Youth Video Project

Announcements and News

• ALLIANCE National PTAC Topical Institutes

Resources

• State SSI Child Data
• Get Ready to Read Resources Available in Five Languages
• National Center on Accessibility Promotes Inclusion in Recreation and Leisure Activities
• Low-Level Literacy Transition Modules
• Coordinated Early Intervening Services: Programs in Local Education Agencies that are Required to Reserve IDEA Funds
• MIUSA 30^th Anniversary Music Video

Technology

• Universal Subtitles  
• STEM for Young Children
• ¡TradúceloAhora!

Parent Center Updates

Oregon R.I.S.E.  Director Writes Article for Logan Magazine

Janice Richards, director of Oregon’s R.I.S.E. Parent Training and Information Center, had an article published in the Spring 2010 issue of Logan Magazine, a publication for young people with disabilities. The article describes her experience as a mother of daughter with an intellectual disability and the “r-word”. More>>>

Parent Center Performance Measures Webinar Now Online

On January 14, the ALLIANCE National Parent Technical Assistance Center hosted a webinar presented by OSEP on the Parent Center Performance Measures. The 2010 results were presented and the process for collecting data in 2011 was discussed. More>>>

PACER Center’s Youth Video Project

PACER Center’s Innovative Partnerships for Advancing Youth Employment project provided a paid internship opportunity for students with disabilities to make six short films that addressed transition issues for youth with disabilities. Funded by the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development’s Vocational Rehabilitation Services branch using funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, this was a creative collaboration of postsecondary programs, Workforce Centers, and local schools. Watch their videos and learn more about the project!

Announcements & News

ALLIANCE National PTAC Topical Institutes

Thanks to everyone who participated in the ALLIANCE National Parent Technical Assistance Center Topical Institutes! We will send out an email when conference presentations and materials are available online.

Resources

State SSI Child Data

This resource from the Boston Globe includes an interactive map of the 50 states with total number of children on SSI, including the percentage who became eligible due to mental disabilities, and the top five diagnostic categories. More>>>

Get Ready to Read Resources Available in Five Languages 

The National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD) has added new resources in Chinese, Arabic, and Korean to their GetReadytoRead.org website. The activities and information assist parents and professionals to strengthen early literacy skills in young children before they start kindergarten. The resources are also available in English and Spanish. More>>>

National Center on Accessibility Promotes Inclusion in Recreation and Leisure Activities

The National Center on Accessibility is nationally renowned for its expertise and personalized technical assistance on a broad range of issues related to compliance with disability legislation and accessibility standards. Drawing on a national network, NCA is able to respond to requests for information with the latest trends, the most current information on accessibility standards, rulemaking, program modifications, equipment, vendors, best practices and innovative solutions. They also have a helpful guide for parents, Discover Leisure Education. More>>>

Low-Level Literacy Transition Modules

Comprehensive Adult Student Assessment Systems (CASAS) worked with the California State Council on Developmental Disabilities to develop ten standards-based modules containing multi-level and layered lessons topics designed to improve learners’ ability to transition into community and postsecondary settings. The modules were designed for low-literacy adult learners, including those with intellectual disabilities and are structured in a tiered format to accommodate readers and pre-readers. The modules are available for free, but registration is required. More>>>

Coordinated Early Intervening Services: Programs in Local Education Agencies that are Required to Reserve IDEA Funds

This in depth policy analysis describes the legislative background and OSEP supports for CEIS. Project Forum interviewed seventeen states that have required local education agencies (LEAs) to withhold IDEA funds for CEIS. The findings from these interviews are reported in the areas of state changes to identification criteria for disproportionality and resulting changes in the number of LEAs required to withhold funds; services supported with IDEA funds for CEIS; other funding sources used for CEIS; guidance and training provided to LEAs; monitoring activities; and local and state outcome. Also, a summary and discussion is provided. More>>>

MIUSA 30^th Anniversary Music Video

MIUSA (Mobility International USA) recently released the music video Loud, Proud and Passionate! To celebrate their 30^th Anniversary. The video is captioned in Enlgish and features women with disabilities who have participated in MIUSA’s international exchange programs. More>>>

Technology

Universal Subtitles

Universal Subtitles is a free tool that allows users to easily add captions to online videos. More>>>

STEM for Young Children

The Fall 2010 issue of Early Childhood Research & Practice focuses on the topic of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) in the lives of young children. More>>>

¡TradúceloAhora!

¡TradúceloAhora! is an automatic Spanish translation software program that provides bi-directional English-Spanish translations of emails, websites, and web searches. Through PACER’s national grant from IBM, Parent Center staff can register and share this exciting resource with families. Look for more information about ¡TradúceloAhora!, including short video demonstrations, in the Tech Corner! More>>>