October 29, 2009, Ambridge Event Center in Portland, OR
1333 NE Martin Luther King Blvd. Portland, OR 97232
The Center is located 2 blocks North of the Portland Convention Center. Some parking spaces available at Ambridge. If full, there are many parking lots conveniently located. Also very convenient to the Max Line and TriMet. Map it
Program Description
One-day special education law and advocacy programs focus on four areas:
special education law, rights and responsibilities
tests and measurements to measure progress & regression
SMART IEPs
introduction to tactics & strategies for effective advocacy
Wrightslaw programs are designed to meet the needs of parents, educators, health care providers, advocates and attorneys who represent children with disabilities regarding special education. The program is not disability specific.
The Oregon Council on Developmental Disabilities has posted all of its policy statements online. These statements are intended for use in advocating for improved services and supports for people with disabilities and their families.
Portland Aspergers Network (PAN) was established in Portland, Oregon in 1997 to support families affected by Asperger’s Syndrome (AS). In its infant state it was a small group of parents in a hospital meeting room or a private home who came together to discuss how this little known disorder impacted the lives of other families. There was a strong desire to become educated. There was a humane instinct to support. Furthermore there was immediate relief in the idea that our families and our children were no longer alone.
In the past six years PAN has assisted an ever-expanding number of households with a wide range of services. We exist in goodwill to support families whose daily lives are affected by a diagnosis of Asperger’s Syndrome.
Our mission has been one of reward and success and it is that which validates the necessity of our continued presence in the community and the need to exercise the trust earned therein. We are excited to find ourselves on the leading edge of an important cause and we are ready to take our commitment to the next level.
ASPERGERS NETWORK PROGRAMS:
Online Community
This is a moderated Internet chat group comprised of parents from around Oregon and SW Washington.
Game Night
A monthly event where Aspergers kids, ages 5 to 18, can be themselves while engaging in activities they love. They eat great snacks, play video games and board games and trade Pokemon cards all night long. Meets monthly.
Parent Support Group Meetings
Meetings feature guest speakers that provide professional services to the Aspergers community. Meetings are also a chance for informal interactions between parents, who share information and experiences. Meetings are 4 times a year (Jan, Apr, July, Oct).
Teen Club
Twice monthly activities for teens 13 and older are held at various locations: LaserTag, rock wall climbing, movies, LAN Parties, and a chance to meet others in an accepting environment.
Resource Directory
We host this helpful guide created and maintained independently by one of our members. It includes support groups, social skills groups, workshops, events, doctors, summer camps, books, web sites and more.
Inclusion: Studies have been developed in collaboration or consultation with individuals on the autistic spectrum.
Respect: Strengths-based and respectful perspectives and language are used in all phases of research including reporting.
Accessibility: Every attempt is made to create research participation materials that are physically and culturally accessible to all participants.
Relevance: Research questions are relevant and useful to the autistic adult community.
AASPIRE is conducting a series of online research studies using the AASPIRE Gateway on topics such as healthcare, online sense of community, and problem solving. AASPIRE is recruiting participants with and without disabilities and participants on the autistic spectrum.
Who can participate: Participants must be 18 years or older and must have access to the Internet. Participants may reside anywhere in the world, but all research studies will be in English.
How to participate: You can learn more about the AASPIRE Gateway Project by going to the Registration section and reading a detailed Information Sheet. Once you have read the Information Sheet, you will be asked if you would like to participate in the Gateway Project. If you decide to participate, you will need to register by entering an e-mail address and creating a password.
<!–More information about the communities and workgroups can be found on the Structure page.
More information about specific members can be found on the Members page.
More information about our projects can be found on the Projects page.
Network of Care is a highly interactive, single information place where consumers, community-based organizations and municipal government workers all can go to easily access a wide variety of important information. The resources in this “virtual community” include a fast, comprehensive Service Directory; links to pertinent Web sites from across the nation; a comprehensive, easy-to-use Library; a political advocacy tool; community message boards; and many others.
Network of Care eLearning is an online education resource for government agencies as well as the general public. States and counties can manage their employee training and development process of both online and classroom courses, while the general public may access an extensive catalog of online courses.
IDEA Website– This site was created to provide a “one-stop shop” for resources related to IDEA and its implementing regulations, released on August 3, 2006. It is a “living” website and will change and grow as resources and information become available. When fully implemented, the site will provide searchable versions of IDEA and the regulations, access to cross-referenced content from other laws (e.g., the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), etc.), video clips on selected topics, topic briefs on selected regulations, links to OSEP’s Technical Assistance and Dissemination (TA&D) Network and a Q&A Corner where you can submit questions, and a variety of other information sources.
ORPTI – Oregon Parent Training and Information Center
Oregon PTI’s mission is to educate and support parents, families and professionals in building partnerships that meet the needs of children and youth with the full range of disabilities ages birth through twenty six. Oregon PTI provides programs and services throughout the state.
Transition Toolbox Newsletter– The Oregon Department of Education and Transition Specialist Jackie Burr invites you to receive the monthly Transition Toolbox! This brief newsletter is designed to facilitate communication and connections statewide with transition specialists, parents and students interested in issues relative to the transition of students with disabilities to college, post secondary education and employment opportunities.
Sibling Support Project – The Sibling Support Project is a national effort dedicated to the life-long concerns of brothers and sisters of people who have special health, developmental, or mental health concerns.We believe that disabilities, illness, and mental health issues affect the lives of all family members. Consequently, we want to increase the peer support and information opportunities for brothers and sisters of people with special needs and to increase parents’ and providers’ understanding of sibling issues.
Oregon Parental Information and Resource Center– The Oregon Parental Information and Resource Center (OR PIRC) provides resources, information, and skills to educators and parents throughout Oregon, with a focus on Hispanic and low-income families, to create meaningful school-family partnerships for youth success.
Technical Assistance Alliance for Parents Centers – Each state is home to at least one parent center. Parent centers serve families of children and young adults from birth to age 22 with all disabilities: physical, cognitive, emotional, and learning. They help families obtain appropriate education and services for their children with disabilities; work to improve education results for all children; train and inform parents and professionals on a variety of topics; resolve problems between families and schools or other agencies; and connect children with disabilities to community resources that address their needs.
Wrightslaw – Excellent resource for parents and individuals with disabilities still in school! Parents, educators, advocates, and attorneys come to Wrightslaw for accurate, reliable information about special education law, education law, and advocacy for children with disabilities. Begin your search for information in the Advocacy Libraries and Law Libraries. You will find thousands of articles, cases, and free resources about dozens of topics.
Oregon Helps is an online clearinghouse that takes you through a series of questions online to determine what services you or your loved one might be eligible for. The site’s services are available in multiple languages. Check it out here.
Services covered include:
Food and Nutrition
Food Stamps
Emergency Food
Housing and Utilities
Federal Housing Assistance
Low-Income Energy Assistance (LIEAP)
Portland Water Bureau’s Financial Assistance Program
Children and Family Resources
National School Lunch Program
Women, Infants, and Children Nutrition Program(WIC)
Finding and Keeping Inclusive Child Care–A Parent’s Notebook
Inclusive child care is the term used to describe a child care setting where children—both with and without a disability—are cared for together. By a disability we mean a developmental or a physical disability, an emotional/behavioral disorder, or a special health care need. The child who experiences the disability is included in all activities using whatever modifications are necessary. Providers make simple changes in the typical activities and routines to meet the needs of your child. Barriers to participation are removed whenever possible and there is an emphasis placed on the strengths, interests and experiences of all the children in care.
Inclusive child care is not a situation where the child with a disability is merely in the same room or facility with children that do not experience disabilities. Parental rights with regard to inclusive child care are a part of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
This notebook (in English and Spanish) was developed as a guide for parents with information as to options and resources for child care, to be shared with care providers as a resource notebook. The notebook can be used as a way to introduce your child. Templates are included which can be personalized with photos, articles, contacts, so as to be shared with your child care provider to help them to be a part of your child’s team. With the notebook, care providers can become familiar with children who experience disability and be better equipped to fully include all children. Parent_Notebook_on_Inclusive_Child_Care.pdf Encontrando_y_Conservando_Cuidado_Infantil_Bajo_Inclusion.pdf
The “No Myths” PSA offers a refreshingly positive and optimistic view about life with autism. And it was written and performed by people who should know–individuals who are on the autism spectrum themselves. The purpose of the PSA is to tell society that, with the right supports, people with autism can do anything anybody else can do, even if it isn’t in the same way. Ari Ne’eman, president of the Autistic Self Advocacy Network, leads a cast that includes {in order of appearance} Dena Gassner, Ben Liske, and Jacob Pratt.
The Dan Marino Foundation of Weston, FL sponsored the piece, which was filmed by Nashville-based Kent Creative. Jon Kent directed the PSA and Britt Simmons was the Director of Photography.
“No Myths” was filmed inside the Parthenon in Nashville, TN. The Nashville Parthenon, which was built in 1897, is a full-scale replica of the ancient Greek Temple. The two bronze doors, used as a symbol throughout the PSA, weigh 7.5 tons each, and are thought to be the largest pair of matching bronze doors in existence. The producers wish to thank Citation Film Support and the Filmworker’s Club of Nashville for their generous support of this project.
Inclusion Inc. is putting on its first Safety Zone: Cops Talk class next Tuesday. Safety Zone: Cops Talk is a program that teaches personal safety, crime prevention and police awareness to adults with developmental disabilities through a 26 lesson curriculum. The class is taught by a uniformed officer and a civilian.
Topics covered next week include:
Internet Safety
Keeping Your Personal Information to Yourself
Making Friends in Safe Places
The details:
Tuesday, August 18th at 1:30-2:30
at Inclusion Inc. located at
3608 SE Powell Blvd.
Portland, OR 97202
RSVP Required:
Please contact Colleen Coyne at Inclusion to RSVP by 5pm on
August 17th at 503-232-2289 extension 109 or
ccoyne@inclusioninc.org
The Voluntary Emergency Registry is a list of persons who need help evacuating their home during an emergency, or who would be unable to evacuate without special notification from emergency response personnel. The registry also includes people who would be unable to remain at home without assistance following a disaster. Information in this list will be provided to the Bureau of Emergency Communications (911) and other emergency response personnel from the City of Portland and Gresham and Multnomah County.
Join this year’s Honorary Event Chair, Art Edwards of KOIN Local 6 and many of the KOIN crew as they help us celebrate our 5th Annual Walk ‘n’ Roll for UCP!
This year’s event features an 8k fun-run along with the traditional route of past years.
Adult entrance fee has been lowered to $15! There will be plenty of activities for the kids, Pizza Schmizza and a host of other sponsors are turning out to help us celebrate this milestone.
It will be held at the Eastside Esplanade on the east bank of the Willamette River. Our goal this year is to raise enough money to cover the critical but under-funded UCP Family Support Program. Therefore, our goal this year is to raise $80,000 – WE CAN DO IT, YOU CAN HELP!
Come and bring the family for an awesome summer day highlighting A Community for Everyone!
You are the stars and the world is watching you. By your presence you send a message to every village, every city, every nation; a message of hope. A message of victory.
The right to play on any playing field, you have earned it.
The right to study in any school, you have earned it.
The right to hold a job, you have earned it.
The right to be anyone’s neighbor, you have earned it.
My name is Sally O’Neill. I am 17 years old. Like most girls my age, I love animals, going to the theatre with my friends on the weekend, and skiing in the winter. I dream of traveling after high school. I want to see places like Ireland, Italy, and India. Unfortunately, an accessible airplane ride is not an option for me.
I am writing this because I believe the airline industry should have to comply with the mandates of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. I have cerebral palsy. That means although I have a normal mind, I still have uncontrollable spastic limb movement. I cannot talk or hold my own body upright. I need my wheelchair to keep me in the right posture, and to restrain my arms and legs. The problem is the airline companies make all disabled people check their wheelchair with other baggage. I have visited my grandparents in Ohio and Florida many times. My parents have spent up to 7 hours trying to keep me seated between them. I don’t have the motor function to sit upright on my own. The airplane chairs are not big enough for a seat insert and do not support my upper body. When my shoulders are not in front of my hips, I go into an extension pattern. Due to my spastic limb movement, my parents have to physically restrain my arms and legs. I have strong tone, so this is not easy. None of us can eat, drink, read, or make ourselves comfortable in any other way. As I get older and bigger, each flight gets more difficult.
There are many other disabilities that have this same need for different reasons. I don’t think it makes sense that all other places open to the public are made accessible to every type of disabled person, especially transportation companies, but the airline industry is allowed to force the disabled into able-bodied standards or medical transport. I’ve heard of an airline removing a whole row of seats to accommodate a Sumo wrestler. If they can do that for a special athlete, why can’t they do it for a person with special needs? Have you ever wondered why you see so few people with cerebral palsy on airplanes? I think it’s because the airlines do so little to accommodate their needs to ensure their comfort. It’s discrimination. I looked up online how easy it is to remove any seat on the plane. I’m not asking for the bathrooms to be made accessible.
I am proposing that the first seat in the first row of the airplane be removable and tie downs be inserted. These tie downs are used in automobiles to keep the chair in place during crashes. They are as strong as anything on a plane.
I really believe with some small modifications airplane transportation can be made accessible to everyone. I hope you see the need and join me in this change.
Here is a proposed petition:
We petition the airline industry to better accommodate travelers who use wheelchairs. We propose that the first seat in the first row of the airplane be removable with the capability to have tie downs inserted when needed to accommodate a wheelchair, or that the airlines develop a solution to this urgent need.
If you’d like a copy of the Petition emailed to you, please send an email to the address listed below. We’d appreciate your help in collecting signatures. The important issue here is accessibility. There are a lot of people who cannot comfortably ride in an airplane, or who simply cannot ride at all. We also want to collect stories of your experiences riding in an airplane. Please call or write or send an email. The more stories, the better. And the more signatures, the better!
Susan Blanchard, UCP Family Support
Phone: 503-777-4166, toll-free within Oregon: 1-800-473-4581
Building Futures is for anyone who has an interest in supporting individuals with disabilities as they transition from school to life. This includes Secondary Educators, Post Secondary Educators, Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors, Special Educators, therapists, counselors, service providers, job developers, and other rehabilitation specialists, and especially secondary students with disabilities and their families. Throughout the two-day event there will be presentations by regional and national experts on issues surrounding secondary transition and assistive technology. Check out the agenda here.
The purpose of this Handbook is to provide general information to individuals regarding their rights and protections under the law regarding guardianship. A guardian may be appointed for an adult person only as is necessary to promote and protect the well-being of the protected person.A guardianship for an adult person must be designed to encourage the development of maximum self-reliance and independence of the protected person and may be ordered only to the extent necessitated by the person’s actual mental and physical limitations. ORS 125.300(1).
Under Oregon law, a judge can appoint an adult to make important decisions about the care and well-being of another person. This is called a protective proceeding. In a protective proceeding, a judge can appoint a guardian, a conservator or both. In an emergency, a judge can appoint a temporary guardian, a temporary conservator or both. A judge may order action be taken on behalf of an adult without appointment of a guardian or conservator. This is called a protective order.
Any adult can file a petition in court to have a guardian appointed for another person. Separate laws cover protective proceedings for adults and children. This Handbook is about adults only.
Portland Asperger’s Network – This is a support group in Portland, Oregon, for parents of children with Asperger Syndrome or High-Functioning Autism. We have an online community that shares experiences and suggestions and we also meet about once a month for face-to-face support, to hear speakers or go on family outings together.
Meetings:
Tabor Heights Methodist Church
6161 S.E. Stark St.
No charge to attend, but donations gladly accepted. For more information, call 503-284-4507.
This is a monthly video and board game party for AS/HFA children age 5-18.
Meeting times and date for game club:
The group meets the second Friday of each month (some variation around holidays), 6:30-10 p.m., at West Linn Lutheran Church, 20390 Willamette Drive, West Linn, Oregon. Children learn social skills while playing games and parents share information and experiences. Free, but donations gladly accepted. Potluck snacks and beverages.
Portland AS Adult Support Group – A support group for AS adults, currently age 19-75, which meets twice monthly.
Meeting Times
This group meets on the 2nd and 4th Sundays of the month
Meeting Location:
Independence Living Resources Center in Portland.
Contact:
Individuals wishing to know more about the group are encouraged to contact:
Roger Meyer at rogernmeyer@earthlink.net , or,
Linda Newland at OPU@peak.org
Apply now for the PIP class of 2010! OCDD is now accepting applications for the Partners in Policymaking Class of 2010.
Oregon Partners in Policymaking (PIP), is an intensive 5-month leadership course for adults with developmental disabilities and parents of children with developmental disabilities. The program is operated by The Arc of Oregon and funded by the Oregon Council on Developmental Disabilities. It is free to participants.
The PIP program provides participants with the information to understand the past, the present, and the future for people with developmental disabilities and their families. It provides PIP members with the practical skills to positively affect their own lives and influence broader disability policy. Many of the over 180 Oregon Partners in Policymaking Graduates since 1994, have found participating in PIP has been a life-changing experience.
The website of the Oregon Council on Developmental Disabilities has more information about the program and comments from graduates. There is an application which can be completed on line and emailed or downloaded and mailed in.
Oregon Partners graduates have made a huge difference in our state on behalf of people with developmental disabilities. We hope that the Class of 2010 will continue to lead the fight for equality of opportunity, inclusion, and community participation.
From the DRO website: Disability Rights Oregon (DRO) is a nonprofit that advocates for the rights of people with disabilities. Each year DRO decides how to allocate its resources based in part on information collected through this Community Needs Survey. We recognize that the list of important issues facing individuals with disabilities is very long; however, due to limited resources DRO cannot give equal attention to every issue. This survey is a tool for you to tell us what you think are the most pressing issues facing individuals with disabilities in Oregon.
October 29, 2009, Ambridge Event Center in Portland, OR
The
People First Connection
The 
Network of Care
IDEA Website
Check out this excellent resource from the folks at 
Inclusion Inc. is putting on its first 
The 
It’s time for the annual 
You are the stars and the world is watching you. By your presence you send a message to every village, every city, every nation; a message of hope. A message of victory. 
Via 
Portland Asperger’s Network
