Monday Message: November 30 2020

The team at your Parent Resource Center (PRC) hopes that you all enjoyed a safe and restful Thanksgiving break. During the weekend, the law currently known as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) turned 45 years old! Nov. 29, 2020, marked the 45th anniversary of President Gerald Ford signing Public Law 94-142. The 1990 amendment to Public Law 94-142 changed the law’s name to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

You are invited to join the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) and the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) the week of Nov. 30, 2020, as the Department of Education celebrates 45 years of providing education, supports and services to infants, toddlers, children and youth with disabilities and their families through the IDEA.

View a discussion of the past, present and future of the IDEA
Find out more about the history of IDEA
Read more

Tomorrow evening (Tuesday, December 1), the Parent Resource Center will host the final 2020 Crisis Prevention Intervention Training for Parents/Caregivers at 8pm. Registration and additional information are detailed below.

Have a wonderful week!

Crisis Intervention Training for Parents/CaregiversTuesday, December 1, 2020: 7:00-7:45pm
Register here
From time to time, families inquire about strategies to support challenging and noncompliant behaviors exhibited by their children within the home setting. Understanding how adult responses and approaches to behavior displayed by children is a key factor in preventing and de-escalating undesired behavior.
Join us to learn more as Arlington Public Schools’ (APS) Crisis Prevention facilitators define Nonviolent Crisis Intervention and its philosophy of providing Care, Welfare, Safety and Security as adults respond to behavior challenges.
Each session will provide a live, introductory session with facilitators. Upon completion of the introductory session, participants will have access to independent, asynchronous interaction with training modules during a two-week session. At the end of the session, there will be a live, follow-up session with the facilitators.
Although this session is free of charge, we do ask families to commit to participating in both live sessions and completing the training modules independently.

Arlington SEPTA’s Annual Superintendent Chat
Wednesday, December 9, 2020: 6:30pm – 9:00pm
Online via Zoom Webinar: Register and Submit Questions
Join Arlington Special Education PTA (SEPTA) for its annual “Super Chat” with Superintendent Durán and the Office of Special Education to discuss topics relevant to special education in Arlington Public Schools.
All SEPTA meetings are open to everyone.
American Sign Language interpreters will be available for this meeting.

Arlington Special Education Advisory Committee (ASEAC)
Tuesday, December 15, 2020: 7pm – 9pm
Virtual Meeting –  via Zoom
Please note that the business portion of this meeting will be recorded through Zoom.
See the ASEAC Public Comment Guidelines for information about submitting public comments. Any person who would like an interpreter and/or any person with a disability who needs accommodations to access the meeting should contact the Parent Resource Center at 703.228.7239 or prc@apsva.us as soon as possible to request assistance. There is also an option to request accommodations in the registration form.

Understanding Transition Services: Day Program Support
Wednesday, December 16, 7:00pm-9:00pm
Register here
Arlington Public Schools Transition Services, Parent Resource Center and Program for Employment Preparedness (PEP) are continuing to sponsor a Transition Series, which this month will feature a workshop on Day Program Supports. Day Programs offer persons with disabilities the opportunity to spend their day in meaningful activities, focused on social and community engagement. Various community vendors will share information about their programs and the supported activities they offer. Families will also have the opportunity to ask questions of the program staff.
For further information contact Kelly Mountain at 703-228-2136 or Christina Eagle at 703-228-5738.

Community Webinar/Virtual Learning Opportunities/Meetings

Upcoming Events from PEATC – Virginia’s Parent Education and Advocacy Training Center

• Connecting the Dots: Early Intervention | December 2 at 1:30 PM. Acting early can make a difference for your child. Early Intervention (EI) supports families of infants and toddlers, ages birth to three years, with developmental delays and disabilities. In this introduction, we’ll connect the dots on EI – what it is, eligibility, and who to contact.
• Understanding Special Education | December 17 at 7:00 PM. Come and learn the seven phases of the special education process and identify the specific actions you may take during the special education process. You will become familiar with dispute resolution options, both informal and formal, and learn ways to work as partners with teacher and other school personnel.
• Serving with an Exceptional Family Member (EFM) | December 10 at 7:00 PM. An up-close look at how one Navy family has managed decades of service with a child with severe autism. Attendees have the opportunity to benefit from the speaker’s experience in special education, Tricare, and transitioning from active duty to retirement and the civilian world.
• Ins and Outs of IEP’s | January 21 at 11:30 AM. This presentation will help prepare parents of what to expect in the IEP meeting and to have a productive student focused meeting. From pre-planning before the meeting to working together afterwards, this presentation will build relationships and self-advocacy skills of the parents while focusing on the needs of the student.
• • Ciberacoso y Nuestra Juventud | Diciembre 2 a las 5:30 PM. El acoso cibernético es diferente del acoso en el “patio de la escuela”. Durante este taller interactivo, los participantes se adentrarán en el mundo de la tecnología y explorarán motivaciones, categorías, señales de advertencia y formas que puede adoptar el ciberacoso online. Los participantes aprenderán consejos y estrategias para proteger a sus hijos.
  • Entendiendo la Educación Especial | Martes, Diciembre 8, 2020 a las 6:30 PM: Patrocinado por el Centro de Recursos para Padres del condado de Fauquier, unase a nosotrospara familiarizarse con las seis fases del proceso de educación especial y cómo usar ese conocimiento para navegar a través del viaje de su hijo en la educación especial.PEATC LATINO
  • GRUPO DE APOYO
    Grupo de Chat para Padres: Unete a nuestro nuevo GRUPO DE CHAT mediante la aplicación de WhatsApp y podras mantenerte al tanto de todo lo que PEATC Latino esta haciendo. Entra al GRUPO: https://bit.ly/2VoU2vw

Virginia Commonwealth University Autism Center for Excellence (VCU-ACE) Lunch and Learn Series
Virtual Data Collection during Distance Learning
December 3, 2020: 12:00 – 1:00 pm ET
Register on Zoom