Parent Leadership Hub
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Wisconsin Personnel Development System (WPDS)

Parent Leadership Hub Weekly
E-Newsletter

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Parent Leadership Hub Weekly E-Newsletter for October 15, 2009

This week's update is provided by WSPEI and WI FACETS to share statewide information regarding parent leadership and family involvement. Please visit the Parent Leadership Hub web page of the SPDG website at http://www.wispdg.org/pl.html for the current and archived weekly updates and to find information on these topics:

The Parent Leadership Hub supports parents/family members, educators and other community partners to build capacity regarding meaningful family involvement. The Hub serves three primary purposes:
(1) To support parents of children with disabilities between birth and 26 years of age to participate as partners in the professional development activities of each of the other Statewide Initiatives as they design, deliver and support professional development experiences; and
(2) To facilitate opportunities for parents/family members to build leadership skills; and
(3) To provide Content Focused technical assistance concerning family involvement.

Please, direct any questions to the PL Hub Co-Facilitators:
Mary Skadahl, WSPEI Statewide Project Director at 715-829-8932 or marys@cesa12.k12.wi.us
Dawn Wians, WI FACETS SPDG Coordinator at 608-827-5234 or dwians@wifacets.org

Deadline for submitting contributions to each week's issue is Tuesday noon. For time sensitive training advertisements, the information should be sent a minimum of two weeks prior to the event date; ideally a month ahead of time. Material appropriate for the weekly newsletter include web links to sources of family involvement/parent leadership resources and advertisements for statewide trainings for parents, youth or parent/educator audiences (we don’t post research articles, reports or news opinion articles). Your submittal may not be in the final copy if it was in a previous weekly email, the event date has passed or the web link doesn’t work. Please, send submittals to phyllis@banbury.com

NOTE: Note: If you would like to receive this weekly update or if you would like to have your name removed from the distribution list, please contact Mary Skadahl or Dawn Wians.

'Just in Time Information' Now Available  

A new online repository of information is available for parents, youth and professionals who are searching for articles previously posted to the PL Hub Weekly E-Newsletters since October 2008. This repository of information will help the reader locate valuable information by topic, 'just in time'. Currently, there are web pages for 'Transition to Adult Life' and 'Family Involvement'. Future web pages will include 'Early Childhood' and 'School-Age Years'.

For our reader's convenience, all archived issues of the E-Newsletter will eventually be re-posted on the 'Just in Time Information' page of the PL Hub website. We hope this format will help our readers quickly access the resources they need, when they need them, and that it will be visited frequently. Additions are always welcome! To submit suggested resources and training products, simply follow the instructions and criteria provided in the introduction to each of the PL Hub Weekly Updates.

To visit the new 'Just in Time Information' web page go to: http://www.wispdg.org/pl/resources.html

 

Parent/Personnel Development Opportunities

  1. State Superintendent's Council on Special Education Public Forum in Madison
    The State Superintendent’s Council on Special Education will hold a public forum to gather input on matters related to special education in Wisconsin. Information obtained will be used by the Council in advising the Department of Public Instruction on matters affecting the education of Wisconsin’s children and youth with disabilities. The council is receptive to hearing about any topic upon which people may choose to comment. This public forum will be held in conjunction with the State Superintendent’s Conference on Special Education and Pupil Services Leadership Issues.
    When: Monday evening, November 16, 2009 from 5:00 to 7:00 PM
    Where: Madison Marriott West, Salons A-D (1313 John Q. Hammons Drive, Middleton, Wisconsin; 608/831-2000).

    For more information, see http://www.dpi.wi.gov/sped/cee_meet.html or contact Gary Myrah, Council Chairperson, at Port Washington-Saukville School District, 100 West Monroe Street Port Washington, WI 53074; gary.myrah@pwssd.k12.wi.us; (262) 268-6079; or Council Vice-Chairperson, Holly Hart, at 6811 North Shore Drive, Eau Claire, WI 54703; (715) 834-2488; holly@hollyhartconsulting.com.
  2. Parents in Partnership Leadership Training Opportunities Still Available for Sauk Prairie and Appleton
    There is still time to sign up for the Sauk Prairie YiPPE and Appleton Parents in Partnership. The Parents in Partnership program is a leadership training opportunity for parents, foster parents, grandparents or guardians of children ages 6 to 21 who have developmental delays, disabilities, or chronic illnesses. Families meet over five separate weekends with other parents, local, and state leaders to share their own stories, obtain useful local and state information, strengthen their leadership skills, while having the opportunity to plan for their child’s future. Topic areas may include guardianship, estate planning, policymaking, legislation, health and education, citizen participation, school/community inclusion, advocacy, conflict management, and reauthorization of IDEA. The focus of each session will be based on the group's needs. There is no cost to you, only your commitment to attend all five weekends, your time and your energy to share, learn and grow. A Friday evening dinner and overnight stay will be provided free of charge, along with Saturday breakfast and lunch. For additional information contact Martha DeYoung, WSPEI Training Coordinator, 800-862-3725, ext. 255, or deyoungm@cesa5.k12.wi.us. Go to http://dpi.wi.gov/sped/par_partn.html for more information on these opportunities.
  3. Youth Transition to Adult Health Care Training in Madison
    Topics for youth ages 14-21 include make a doctor’s appointment, order your own prescriptions, prepare and participate in clinic visits, legal changes at age 18, managing medical needs at college, staying healthy while reaching life goals. Youth are welcome to invite a friend or sibling to register and attend the youth session with them.
    Topics for parents include the healthcare transition process, health insurance, social security, guardianship and health care power of attorney.
    Parents and Youth meet separately.
    WHEN: Friday, October 30 (No-School Day) 10 a.m. - Noon
    WHERE: United Way - Dane County (3rd Floor), 2059 Atwood Ave., Madison
    COST: No Charge
    TO REGISTER: Contact Sharon Myhre at (608) 265-8955/ (800) 532-3321/ myhre@waisman.wisc.edu by Friday, Oct. 23. For more information contact the Waisman Center at (608) 263-5890/ (800) 532-3321/ www.waisman.wisc.edu/wrc/pub.html
  4. A Place in My Heart Conference in Wisconsin Dells
    Saturday, November 7 at the Chula Vista Resort, 2501 N River Road, PO Box 30, Wisconsin Dells, WI 53965. Cost: $45 per person/$80 per twosome. Limited scholarships are available upon request. $50 per professional. Registration Deadline is October 23, 2009. This training, geared for families with adoptive children will examine the impact of life experiences on a child's emotional development and will offer a new understanding of your child’s challenging behaviors. Presented by Heather T. Forbes, LCSW. Go to http://www.wiadopt.org/library/874/pimh.pdf for the brochure and more information. Conference Questions? Call Leann Meiners, Adoption Resources of Wisconsin, 800-762-8063 or 414-475-1246
  5. WI FACETS November Trainings in Milwaukee
    November 21
    Dispute Resolution Options, Omatayo Support Group – WI FACETS Milwaukee office, 10 am – 2 pm, For information call 414-374-4645, Sandra McFarland, smcfarland@wifacets.org
    November 21
    Latino Autism Support Group, Workshop TBA & Thanksgiving Celebration, Milwaukee, 10:30 am – 12 pm. Call 414-374-4645 ext  124 Nelsinia Ramos or ext 131 Martha Lechuga; nramos@wifacets.org or mlechuga@wifacets.org

Trainings on the Web

  1. DPI Autism Webinar Series
    DPI is offering a series of Webinars called "Building the Local Capacity for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders within Wisconsin Schools." All Webinars are schedule from 3:15-5:15pm

    October 13, 2009: The Stigma of Autism
    December 14, 2009: Addressing Challenging Behaviors & Sensory Integration
    February 8, 2010: Functional Behavior Assessment and Effective-Practice
    Management Strategies for Children and Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorders
    April 12, 2010: Educating Students with Autism in the General Education Classroom
    To learn more, and to register for one or more of the Webinars, visit the DPI
    website at http://dpi.state.wi.us/sped/autism.html

Phone Workshops

  1. WI FACETS Phone Trainings for November
    November 5: Introduction to Special Education, 12 – 1 pm
    November 12: Section 504 and the American’s Disability Act, 7-8 pm
    Telephone – Toll-free call to participate. Information: 1-877-374-0511; smcfarland@wifacets.org. Register 1 week in advance. Workshop materials & call-in information will be mailed. Go to http://www.wifacets.org/events.htm for more information on these trainings.

Family Involvement Resources

  1. New Website on Creating Agreement
    A new webpage to assist IEP team members to recognize circumstances that enhance communication, conflict management and meeting effectiveness is now available at http://www.dpi.wi.gov/sped/agreement.html. Creating Agreement provides resources to help educators and parents prevent or reduce the likelihood of miscommunication or conflict escalating into disputes. The resources can be used to help IEP teams evaluate their own interactions as well as offering ideas for improving team functioning. As part of the improvement planning for meeting SPP Indicator 8 targets, resources will continue to be developed and linked over the next year.
  2. Resource Collection on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders
    The Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Library at Georgetown University has compiled a number of key resources on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASDs), which includes Web sites; fact sheets and brochures; screening, diagnosis, surveillance, intervention, and training tools; and prevention-education materials (in both English and non-English languages), as well as other materials. It is available online at http://mchlibrary.info/guides/fasd.html
  3. Spanish Materials For Parents on Social Emotional Skills The Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning (CSEFEL) now offers parent-training modules in Spanish. These modules provide information for families on how to promote children's social and emotional skills, understand their problem behavior, and use positive approaches to help them learn appropriate behavior. http://www.vanderbilt.edu/csefel/parent.html
  4. MyChildWithoutLimits.org
    MyChildWithoutLimits.org is an early intervention resource with a social networking element for families of young children ages 0-5 with developmental delays or disabilities, and professionals looking for a trusted source of information that relates to their needs and interests. http://www.mychildwithoutlimits.org/?page=home
  5. The Parent Portal at CDC.
    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have a Parent Portal with a wealth of information from across all of CDC. Topics include safety at home and in the community, immunization schedules and developmental milestones. http://www.cdc.gov/parents/

DISCLAIMER
Inclusion of information in this e-mail does not constitute an endorsement by the Wisconsin Statewide Parent-Educator Initiative, Wisconsin FACETS, the Department of Public Instruction, the U.S. Department of Education, or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.