Bridges4Kids News Digest

National News	*top*
Stop Bullying Now: Lend a Hand. Take a Stand http://stopbullyingnow.hrsa.gov/ A lot of young people have a good idea of what bullying is because they see it every day! Bullying happens when someone hurts or scares another person on purpose and the person being bullied has a hard time defending himself or herself. Usually, bullying happens over and over. This website provides information on this topic including webisodes, fact sheets, games and quizzes. Is Your Child Being Bullied? Here's What You Can Do To Help http://stopbullyingnow.hrsa.gov/adult/indexAdult.asp?Area=family_do Bullying can be difficult to deal with, and if a love one is involved, it can be especially tough. What can you do to help? Has Your Child Been A Victim of Bullying? A Writer Wants To Hear From You We were recently contacted by a writer who is working on an article for Kids on Wheels Magazine. At this time, he is seeking input from parents of kids (ages 8-12 who use a wheelchair) about personal bullying experiences. If you are interested in sharing your story, please email herbdrill@notaccessible.com as soon as possible. The deadline is fast approaching. Poor Reading Skills Raise Teen Suicide Risk http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=77248 Teens who can't read well may also be at high risk for suicide, a new study warns. They're also more likely than other kids their age to drop out of school, say researchers at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center in North Carolina. Ohio Offers Free Online 'Virtual Academy' http://www.ohva.org/dg/dg_oh.html?se=Google&campaign=K12_Ohio_Job_569&adgroup=Ohio_1&kw=ohio_1 The Ohio Virtual Academy, a tuition-free public eSchool, recognizes that every child is unique and precious, and that traditional schools aren't for everyone. Families across the state have decided to make a positive change in their children's education by enrolling them in the Ohio Virtual Academy. Bridges4Kids Featured Resource: Sylvan Learning Centers http://tutoring.sylvanlearning.com/ Sylvan's tutors can accommodate every family's unique needs and schedule. There are more than 1,100 Sylvan's conveniently located in neighborhoods throughout the United States and Canada. In addition, Sylvan offers live, online tutoring in reading and math to ensure your child can receive the same personalized attention from the comfort of home. Join thousands of other families who have worked with Sylvan's tutors to improve a report card, get ahead in math, end homework struggles or prepare for college. Whatever the need, we can help your child.
No Child Left Behind (NCLB)	*top*
For more information on No Child Left Behind, visit http://www.bridges4kids.org/ESEA.html
Parenting/Parental Involvement	*top*
Bridges4kids Review: Your Child's Health & Wellness Record and Document Organizer http://www.bridges4kids.org/articles/10-06/MelnickHealthRecord10-06.html There is finally an intelligent childhood health journal to help busy parents feel more confident managing their child's health and wellness. Your Child's Health & Wellness Record and the companion Document Organizer were created by a health professional who has three children who have had various health issues, one with a learning disability. Input was provided by many physicians, medical specialists, other health and wellness professionals, and parents, including those whose children have complex health issues. The result is a health journal for every child ... from pregnancy on! Kids Antibiotics Free at Meijer Stores http://www.meijer.com/pharmacy/antibiotics.asp Meijer is leading the industry to a new level of consumer cost savings and our new program covers the leading oral generic antibiotics with a special focus on the prescriptions most often filled for children. The following can be obtained for FREE (No insurance card required) at your Meijer pharmacy, with your doctor's prescription: Amoxicillin, Cephalexin, SMZ-TMP , Ciprofloxacin, Ampicillin, Penicillin VK, and Erythromycin. For more information on Parenting, Siblings, Adoption and Foster Care, visit http://www.bridges4kids.org/Parenting.html
Early Childhood	*top*
The Power of Music in the Learning Process http://www.communityplaythings.com/c/Resources/Articles/MusicAndMovement/ThePowerofMusic.htm “Giddy-up horsy, let’s go!” John says, and we all go galloping around the yard singing. Little voices join in as Josiah overtakes me on his imaginary horse. MI Transition to Kindergarten Parent Guides Now Available Online http://www.michigan.gov/ece The Transition to Kindergarten Parent Guides have been approved by the Michigan Department of Education and can be found under Resources and Related information. For more information on Early Childhood issues, visit www.EarlyChildhoodMichigan.org
Michigan News	*top*
Bridges4kids Statement on Restraint & Seclusion in Michigan's Schools http://www.bridges4kids.org/articles/10-06/restraint.seclusion.html Reasonable minds can differ on the morality and effectiveness of capital punishment, but in Michigan we choose not to sanction it, believing instead that the harm to our greater sense of morality and our belief in who we are as a people outweighs the good that may come from permanently removing those who trouble us from our midst. Now we face yet another battle between morality and expediency as we consider the practice of allowing schools to lock mentally ill and emotionally troubled young children away from human contact in “boxes” and small rooms without windows as part of a practice of “seclusion” in our special education system. Such action surely removes a problem from our midst, but we must ask at what cost to our sense of morality and of who we are as a people. Michigan Protection & Advocacy Service (MPAS) Essay Contest (PDF) http://www.autism-mi.org/mpas-essay.pdf MPAS is looking for stories about how REAL people have successfully advocated for themselves or for others who have disabilities. Entries are due by November 22, 2006. The Autism Society of Michigan Presents An Evening with Dr. Sally Burton-Hoyle at Crystal Gardens in Brighton, Michigan on Friday, November 17, 2006. http://www.autism-mi.org Join us for an evening full of entertainment as a tribute to Dr. Sally Burton Hoyle for her many years of service and to welcome to ASM's new Director, Yvonne Fleener. On This Day In Michigan History: October 27, 1972 Pontiac became the first Michigan city to ban lead-based paint for its role in causing brain damage if eaten by children. The Pontiac ordinance forbid the use or sale of lead-based paints and required corrective action on existing homes. Detroit Parent Network: Newsletter for October/November 2006 http://www.bridges4kids.org/dpn/newsletter.htm
Disability News	*top*
Bridges4Kids Review: Safe and Secure: Six Steps to Creating a Good Life for People with Disabilities http://www.bridges4kids.org/articles/10-06/SafeSecure10-06.html The authors of Safe and Secure: Six Steps to Creating a Good Life for People with Disabilities went to great lengths to make sure that parents are fully informed of the options and many steps involved in planning for the future of a loved one with disabilities. Learn Something New! Relationship Development Intervention (RDI) http://www.bridges4kids.org/articles/10-06/rdi.html Learn Something New! Prader-Willi Syndrome http://www.bridges4kids.org/Disabilities/Prader-Willi.html The College Living Experience (CLE) Advantage http://www.cleinc.net/ College Living Experience is a post-secondary program that provides intensive assistance with academic, independent living and social skills to college students with LD, ADD, ADHD, Autism, Asperger's and other special needs as they transition to become independent adults. CLE locations include Austin, Denver and Ft. Lauderdale. Bridges4kids Featured Website: Wrightslaw's Yellow Pages for Kids With Disabilities http://www.yellowpagesforkids.com/ Find educational consultants, psychologists, educational diagnosticians, health care providers, academic therapists, tutors, speech language therapists, occupational therapists, coaches, advocates, and attorneys for children with disabilities on the Yellow Pages for Kids for your state. Quiz from Woman's Day Magazine: Do You Know the Truth About Autism? http://www.womansday.com/health/10715/do-you-know-the-truth-about-autism.html Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are a group of developmental disabilities that affect thinking, feeling, language and the ability to relate to others. For parents, discovering that their child is autistic can be heart-breaking. However, early diagnosis coupled with early intervention can improve the quality of life for these children and their families. Take our quiz to learn more about these neurological disorders. Centre of Excellence for Early Childhood Development's Encyclopedia on Early Childhood Development: AUTISM (PDF) http://www.bridges4kids.org/autism.synthesis.pdf This 40 page, PDF document includes a Synthesis on autism, Autism and its impact on child development, The impact of autism on child development, Autism and its impact on young children’s social development, Autism and its impact on child development, Autism intervention, The effect of early intervention on the social and emotional development of young children (0-5) with autism, and Autism intervention. Download New Fact Sheets on Mental Health and Self-Determination by Tom Nerney of the Center for Self-Determination Fact Sheet #1, A Shift in Power http://www.self-determination.com/1fact_sheet_12_21_05with edits/1FACT__1.htm Fact Sheet #2, From Values to Policy (RTF) http://www.self-determination.com/2fact_sheet_12_21_05with_edits.rtf Fact Sheet #3, From Policy to Practice (RTF) http://www.self-determination.com/3fact_sheet_csd_logo_only.rtf Occupational Therapy Fact Sheets (PDF) These are from the American Occupational Therapy Association. These fact sheets offer the professional and consumer an overview of occupational therapy's role in a specific domain or practice environment. (These are all PDF documents.) Note that these are basic but give a good indicator of what OT is and what you can expect from OT sessions. OT for Autism http://www.aota.org/featured/area6/docs/Autism-fact.pdf OT in Education Settings http://www.aota.org/featured/area6/docs/ssfact.pdf OT in Preschool http://www.aota.org/featured/area6/docs/preschoolfact.pdf For more information on Disabilities, Disorders and Diseases, visit http://www.bridges4kids.org/Disabilities.html
Special Education Issues	*top*
IDEA 2004 Close Up: Evaluation and Eligibility for Specific Learning Disabilities http://www.schwablearning.org/articles.asp?r=1063 The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA 2004) — and the newly released federal regulations that provide guidance to states on how to implement the Act — contain important changes to the way schools can evaluate students suspected of having specific learning disabilities (SLD). Advocating Through Letter Writing (PDF) http://parenttoparentnys.org/Family2Family/Advocacy/Advocating%20and%20letter%20writing.pdf A request for a meeting with a teacher, a change in your child’s program, an adjustment to your child’s testing schedules, all may require a letter. And not all of us are comfortable writing a letter for these requests. It can be intimidating and time consuming. In the following few pages you will find some hints, suggestions or models to use when you re writing your next letter. We hope this booklet helps you to feel confident and to improve your letter writing skills. IEP Goals and Objectives Bank (PDF) http://www.bridges4kids.org/IEP/iep.goal.bank.pdf This amazing 177-page document will assist both parents and professionals in forming goals for kids of all ages in the special ed system. The Goal Bank has been designed to allow users to locate specific goals as used in the eSIS SPED Full software. Click on a Content Area to proceed to specific Content Strands. From there, locate the specific strand and click to locate the Individual Goals. Content areas include: English, Functional Academics, Independent Living, Mathematics, Mathematics Readiness, Motor, Recreation and Leisure, Self-management and Daily Living, Social Emotional, Speech and Language, Study Skills, and Vocational/Career Education. Family Manual for Transition Now Available Online http://www.thearcofil.org/filelib/documentdetails.asp?did=119 The Arc of Illinois Family to Family Health Information and Education Center has just released the new 2nd Edition of their Family Manual for Transition. The Most Powerful Advocacy Tool in IDEA 2004: Your State Advisory Panel http://www.wrightslaw.com/heath/state.advisory.panel.htm The most powerful tool in IDEA 2004 is also the most overlooked - the state advisory panel described in Section 1412(a)(21) of IDEA. (20 U.S.C. § 1412(a)(21). Each state has an advisory panel. The panel provides the state department of education with guidance about special education and related services for children with disabilities. Does special education in your community or state need to be strengthened or improved? Wrightslaw Focus On Behavior & Discipline The school wants to expel my child - can they do that? http://www.wrightslaw.com/advoc/ltrs/ltr_Mark_discipline_expulsion_9812.html Do you have advice for grandparents who are raising kids with disabilities? http://www.wrightslaw.com/advoc/ltrs/ltr_to_Bobbie.html What are school's obligations to kids with emotional and behavior problems? http://www.wrightslaw.com/advoc/ltrs/ltr_discipline_Gary.html More about behavior & discipline at http://www.wrightslaw.com/info/discipl.index.htm For more information on Special Education, IEPs and Section 504, visit http://www.bridges4kids.org/Rules.html
Ask the Attorney/Advocate	*top*
Bridges4Kids Exclusive: Ask the Attorney with John Brower Visit http://www.bridges4kids.org/AA.html for dozens of John's previously posted Q&As.
Upcoming National Events	*top*
These are NEW calendar listings that have been added this week, along with events taking place this week. To view a complete calendar of National events, visit http://www.bridges4kids.org/Conferences.html Genetics in the Classroom: Behavior and Interventions for Students with Genetic Syndromes WHEN: December 14-15, 2006 (12/14: 8:00 - 5:00; 12/15: 8:00 - 12:30) WHERE: Baltimore Marriott waterfront Hotel, Baltimore, MD 21202 DESCRIPTION: This conference for special education professionals and parents will focus on the practical applications of genetic information in the school setting. Conference sessions will describe advances in genetic diagnosis and key research in behavioral, psychiatric, and cognitive genetics in specific genetic conditions, including fragile X, 22q11.2 deletion, Smith-Magenis, and Angelman syndromes. COST: Cost is $120 per person, including meals. FOR MORE INFORMATION: For more information, contact Brenda Finucane, MS, CGC at brenda_finucane@elwyn.org or visit http://www.elwyngenetics.org. Resources for Children with Special Needs, Inc.'s 22nd Annual Free Special Camp Fair WHEN: Saturday, January 27, 2007 from 11 AM to 3 PM WHERE: Church of St. Paul the Apostle, 405 W. 59th Street NYC (Entrance to Fair on Columbus Ave. near W. 60th St.). DESCRIPTION: Parents and caregivers of children and teens with disabilities can plan ahead for summer with the wealth of information offered at the 22nd annual free Special Camp Fair on Saturday, January 27, 2007 from 11 AM to 3 PM. at the Church of St. Paul the Apostle, 405 W. 59th Street NYC (Entrance to Fair on Columbus Ave. near W. 60th St.) . Visitors to the Fair will receive a free copy of the Camps 2007 Guide. FOR MORE INFORMATION: For more information contact Gary Shulman, 212-677-4650. The Down Syndrome Family Support and Advocacy Group of Michiana present Strategies for Teaching Children w/Down Syndrome and other Developmental Disabilities WHEN: February 3, 2007 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. WHERE: John Young Middle School in Mishawaka, IN DESCRIPTION: Susan Peoples will present "Strategies for Teaching Children w/Down Syndrome and other Developmental Disabilities". The cost is $20 per person, and includes breakfast and lunch. CEU's will be available for professionals for an additional fee. Parents, program assistants, teachers, administrators are all invited to attend. FOR MORE INFORMATION: For more information, click here. 20th Annual Research Conference - A System of Care for Children's Mental Health: Expanding the Research Base WHEN: March 4-7, 2007 from 8am - 6pm WHERE: Tampa Marriott Waterside, Tampa, FL FOR MORE INFORMATION: For more information about the conference, contact the Center at 813-974-4661 or visit their website at http://rtckids.fmhi.usf.edu/rtcconference. Pittsburgh Employment Conference for Augmented Communicators WHEN: August 3-5, 2007 WHERE: Sheraton Hotel, Station Square, Pittsburgh, PA (412-261-2000) FOR MORE INFORMATION: Contact Bob Conti by phone at 412-885-8541, by fax at 412-885-8548 or by email at minspeak@minspeak.org.
Upcoming Michigan Events	*top*
These are NEW calendar listings that have been added this week, along with events taking place this week. To view a complete calendar of Michigan events, visit http://www.bridges4kids.org/Conferences.html Michigan Association for the Education of Young Children (MiAEYC) Fall Seminar Series WHEN/WHERE: Dates and Locations: Science and Multiple Intelligences (November 9, Grayling; November 16, Kalamazoo; November 17, Auburn Hills) and Girls! Girls! Girls! (November 30, Muskegon; December 1, Clinton Twp.; December 2, Lansing; December 8, Mt. Pleasant) DESCRIPTION: Michigan Association for the Education of Young Children (MiAEYC) is offering two seminar series this fall: (1) Science and Multiple Intelligences: Science is Something to Sing About! and (2) Girls! Girls! Girls! Understanding their Behaviors, Learning Styles and Classroom Needs. The seminars include morning beverage, lunch, resource materials and the opportunity to earn .5 SB-CEUs. COST: The cost to attend a seminar is $99 for MiAEYC members and $109 for non-members. There is a $10 per person discount when 3 or more people register together. FOR MORE INFORMATION: Visit http://www.MiAEYC.org for more information or to register online. Goodwill Industries of Northern Michigan Team Outreach of Gaylord Community Meal Program WHEN: Every Friday from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. WHERE: First Congregation Church, 218 W. 2nd Street, Gaylord, Michigan DESCRIPTION: Goodwill Industries and other community resources would like to invite you and yours to the Team Outreach Community Meal every Friday night for a hot meal. It is a great opportunity to learn about eating healthy, nutritious and economical meals, as well as an opportunity to learn about other helpful agencies. Everyone is invited to enjoy a hot, balanced, meal. Donations are accepted. Volunteers are also needed for cooking, food preparation, greeting guest, serving, clean up, and transportation. We also accept food donations. FOR MORE INFORMATION: For more information, call Barbara at (989) 858-0594. MICHIGAN STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETINGS WHEN: November 14, 2006, December 12, 2006 WHERE: Meetings usually start at 9:00 a.m. and are usually held on the 4th floor of the Hannah Building in Lansing. Contact the State Board of Education Office (517) 373-3900, for meeting location and time. HOSTED BY: The Michigan State Board of Education DESCRIPTION: State Board of Education meetings are open to the public. Persons with disabilities needing accommodations for effective participation in the meeting should contact Mrs. Eileen F. Hamilton, State Board Executive, at (517) 373-3900 (voice) or (517) 373-4035 (TDD) one week in advance to request mobility, visual, hearing, or other assistance. FOR MORE INFORMATION: Call Mrs. Eileen Hamilton (Administrative Secretary, State Board of Education) at: (517) 373-3900 (voice), (517) 373-4035 (TDD), or email: hamiltone@michigan.gov. 2007 Early Childhood Conference WHEN: March 29–31, 2007 WHERE: Amway Grand Plaza Hotel and DeVos Place, Grand Rapids, MI FOR MORE INFORMATION: For more information, visit http://www.miaeyc.org/.
Bridges4Kids NewsDigest Staff Deborah Canja Chief Executive Officer deb@bridges4kids.org Jackie Igafo-Te'o Director of Information Technology & Information Systems jackie@bridges4kids.org Bella Djordjevski Resource Assistant news@bridges4kids.org