Summer/Fall Transition and IEP Trainings Announced

OrPTI (Oregon Parent Training and Information Center) has published its late summer/fall schedule on their website. There are many great training opportunities coming up to ready you and your family for the 09/10 school year. via OrPTI

August 18 & 25, 2009 IEP Partner training from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM at the Swindells Center, 830 NE 47th Ave, Portland, Oregon 97213. For more information contact Karen Ripplinger at 1-888-505-2673 Ext. 212 or Email: kripplinger@orpti.org

August 26, 2009 “Behaviors and the IEP” from 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM at the Willamina Elementary, 1100 Oaken Hills Drive, Willamina, OR 97396.  For information, or to register contact Leah Skipworth at lskipworth@orpti.org

September 5, 2009 “Advocacy: Supporting Your Child in Special Education” from 1:30 to 3:30 PM at the Hood River Library, 502 State Street, Hood River, OR 97031.  For information or to register, please contact Victoria Haight at 503-510-2289, or email vhaight@orpti.org

September 9, 2009 “Bullying: Is Your Child a Target?” from 6:00 to 8:00 PM at the Beaverton Library, Meeting Room B, 12375 SW 5th Street, Beaverton, OR 97005. For information or to register, please contact Victoria Haight at 503-510-2289, or email vhaight@orpti.org

September 22, 2009 “EI/ECSE What do these mean?” from 6:30 to 8:00 PM at the NW Regional ESD, 5825 NE Ray Circle, Hillsboro, OR 97126.  For information or to register, please contact Victoria Haight at 503-510-2289, or email vhaight@orpti.org

October 3, 2009 “What Parents Need to Know about the IEP” from 1:30 to 3:30 PM at the Hood River Library, 502 State Street, Hood River, OR 97031.  For information or to register, please contact Victoria Haight at 503-510-2289, or email vhaight@orpti.org

October 10, 2009 “Saturday Sessions: A Day of Learning” This event is designed for parents of children with disabilities to help you learn to successfully navigate special education and prepare your child for the future.  There will be different concurrent sessions for you to choose from.  The event will be at the Becky Johnson Community Center in Redmond from 9:30 AM to 3:00 PM.  Registration is required.  Contact Danielle Bethell at 888-505-2673 ext 105 or email dbethell@orpti.org

October 13, 2009 “Anxiety and Related Disorders” from 6:00 to 8:00 PM at the Beaverton Library, Meeting Room B, 12375 SW 5th Street, Beaverton, OR 97005. For information or to register, please contact Victoria Haight at 503-510-2289, or email vhaight@orpti.org

October 21, 2009 “Understanding Aspergers Syndrome” from 6:00 to 8:00 PM at the Beaverton Library, Meeting Room A, 12375 SW 5th Street, Beaverton, OR 97005. For information or to register, please contact Victoria Haight at 503-510-2289, or email vhaight@orpti.org

October 26 & 27, 2009 “Building Futures: Statewide Secondary Transition Conference” will be at the Salem Conference Center.

November 7, 2009 “Can You Hear Me Now? Communicating Effectively with your IEP Team” from 1:30 to 3:30 PM at the Hood River Library, 502 State Street, Hood River, OR 97031.  For information or to register, please contact Victoria Haight at 503-510-2289, or email vhaight@orpti.org

November 19, 2009 “Understanding ADHD” from 6:00 to 8:00 PM at the Beaverton Library, Meeting Room B, 12375 SW 5th Street, Beaverton, OR 97005. For information or to register, please contact Victoria Haight at 503-510-2289, or email vhaight@orpti.org

John O’Brien Training Opportunity

The Oregon Training Series on Direct Supports will be sponsoring an exceptional opportunity on January 30th, 2009. Acclaimed author, trainer and advocate John O’Brien will be making a rare Oregon appearance and we urge you to take advantage of this opportunity. To view the flier, click here.

John O’Brien has been in the forefront of thinking and creating precedent setting innovations that helped create full lives for people with disability labels the world over. In addition to developing many of the planning systems used internationally, training thousands of facilitators and human service workers, he is a writer with enormous insight and sensitivity. The training will bring to life John’s new book “Making A Difference, A Guidebook for Person Centered Direct Support.”

This isn’t OCDS’ only opportunity. Visit their website for a number of excellent trainings on disability over the coming months.

Thanks to Cynthia Owens.

ARTICLE: Why Won’t They Let Me Join The Army?

Since the age of six all Jamie Barkshire has wanted to do is join the army. However, the 22-year-old has seen his dreams shattered after being turned down by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) for what he believes is an unfair reason. Mr Barkshire, who lives off Colman Road, Norwich, suffers from Asperger’s syndrome, a condition in which sufferers struggle with social communication, social interaction and social imagination. But Mr Barkshire is adamant his condition does not deter him from having a normal life and that he should be able to join the army. However, he was heartbroken to receive a letter in the post from the MoD saying his army application had been unsuccessful.

He said: “I have wanted to join the army all my life and I think it’s unfair and discriminatory that they won’t let me. I have been battling the army for five years to join.

I drive a motorbike and have a passport, and if I was not fit mentally, how could I have those? I want to know why they don’t think I’m mentally stable enough to join the army.” Continue article

Source: Norwich Evening News

Thanks to Valerie Morrow

RESOURCE: Looking For Resources? Respite Providers? Check Out Disability Compass

Disability Compass provides information on services, products, and special health care resources for people with disabilities, their families and their supporters.

There’s a Respite Provider search and a comprehensive listing of agencies and individuals serving the disability community. We have partnered with Disability Compass in the first year of our operations and highly recommend this resource.

RESOURCE: Carespace – A Blog and an Online Caregiver Community

Carespace.com is the first major online community for caregivers. It’s a place for caregivers to meet, develop relationships, share stories and garner support for one another. They’re in their beta testing phase right now – you should join in and check it out.

While the community site is being tested and readied, you can check out their highly regarded blog here. Below, a snippet from a recent post.

The responses to my last post illustrate some of the many takes on the word “caregiver.” I’m grateful for all of them. Intense feelings about who we care for often supercede more general ideas around “caregiving.” So much so that any talk about grouping us together sometimes seems to detract from the individual experience.

At the same time, we know that parents of children with different illness or disabilities have a lot to share by way of information and support — even though when we do go looking for others, our search usually follows along the trail of a particular medical issue.

So I’ll be direct about the challenge of building the community for Carespace. I know that Carespace must be valuable and inviting to a mom and dad with an autistic child who want contact with others just like them. I also know that they may benefit from interaction with all sorts of moms and dads. (Not to mention that they may also be caring for an elderly relative.) But the reality today is that we haven’t established the idea of a global community of “caregivers.” It’s not yet ingrained in the overall dialog. To make this concept useful, we’ll have to discover the value of links between different “caring types.” This is something most of us will have to experience before we take it for granted.

Read more here.

Region 1 Training Co-Op

The Region 1 DD Co-op is a consortium of metro-area service providers who have joined together to bring affordable trainings to the community at large. Classes are designed to provide affordable training to people who provide care and support to individuals with disabilites. Classes are open to the public however, member rate privilege and registration preference are extended to:

  • Region 1 DD Training Co-Op member agencies’ staff and direct affiliates.
  • Direct affiliates include small subcontractors of brokerages, et al.
  • DD certified child foster parents.
  • DD adult foster care providers.
  • Family members of individuals receiving DD case management or brokerage services within Region 1.

Check out the latest trainings here. Disability Compass hosts.

The Autism Acceptance Project

The Autism Acceptance Project is dedicated to promoting acceptance of and accommodations for autistic people in society.

The Autism Acceptance Project (TAAProject) will bring forth a different and positive view about autism to the public in order to foster understanding and acceptance, and to empower parents and autistic people.

A great resource for people with autism and advocates. Visit them here.

Thanks to Dora Raymaker.

The New Wave of Autism Rights Activists

On December 1, the NYU Child Study Center came out with advertisements in the form of ransom notes. One said, “We have your son. We will make sure he will not be able to care for himself or interact socially as long as he lives. This is only the beginning.” It was signed “Autism.” Another said, “We have your son. We are destroying his ability for social interaction and driving him into a life of complete isolation. It’s up to you now,” and was signed “Asperger Syndrome.” Harold Koplewicz, director of the center, hoped the ads would propel undiagnosed children toward competent professionals. But they repelled and upset a subset of the very population they were meant to assist: people with autism-spectrum disorders.

Read more at New York magazine here.

Thanks to Dora Raymaker.