Parent Resource Center Monday Message: 3.14.22

March 14, 2022

Monday greetings from the team at your Parent Resource Center. We hope you have a great week ahead.

The Parent Resource Center is collaborating with Arlington SEPTA on a recent request: How to make PTA events more inclusive and accessible to all students and their families. In order to find and curate resources to share, we are asking for your input. Please share your feedback at: https://forms.gle/XRKgDpyE3WfZZFE77

Note: Feel free to submit this form more than once if you have feedback for multiple school levels (elementary, middle, high school).

Opportunity
Arlington County’s Department of Human Services is looking for Arlington County residents who are at least 18 years old and have experienced a crisis related to mental health, substance use, and/or an intellectual or developmental disability (e.g., Autism Spectrum Disorders or Down’s Syndrome) that called for emergency services and resources. Focus group sessions will last for 90 minutes and participants will receive refreshments, a $50 gift card, and a $15 Uber gift card for their time.  One focus group will be conducted in Spanish, and two others will be conducted in English; interpreters are available for individuals whose preferred language is not English or Spanish.  Anyone interested in participating can call 202-559-4440, ext. 216 or email marcusalert@arlingtonva.us

A Message from Arlington SEPTA
Please consider helping the Special Education PTA (SEPTA) to continue to empower, educate, and connect families of students with disabilities, teachers, staff and community allies by joining or renewing your SEPTA membership today!  While you don’t have to be a member to participate in SEPTA, we do rely on the support of our members to help fund activities such as mini-grants for teachers and educational programming for families and educators. You can express your support by clicking here to Join/Renew your membership: https://www.arlingtonsepta.org/join-today/
Note:  If you are not sure if your paid membership is current you can sign in to your account at our website or email the VP of Membership at membership@arlingtonsepta.org
Membership FAQS: https://www.arlingtonsepta.org/join-today/
If you would like to send in a direct donation to SEPTA at any time, please fill out this form:  https://www.arlingtonsepta.org/donate/
All size donations are impactful to the community!

The Organization for Autism Research (OAR) has a number of free resources for families, including:

• A Guide for Transition to Adulthood (2021) This newly updated guidebook provides information and worksheets to support your family as you navigate the transition from high school to adult life. Order the Guidebook
• Sibling Support: The three guidebooks that make up the Autism Siblings Initiative provide information for parents, teen siblings, and young siblings of autistic children. Order the Guidebooks
• Navigating the Special Education System: This guidebook provides information about your child’s educational rights and offers tips for how to advocate for your child in the special education system. Order the Guidebook

Please visit the Parent Resource Center’s Events page at aps2016.apsva.us/prc-events for information on upcoming events.