September 2010

IN THIS ISSUE

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Greetings!

NICHCY is pleased to send you the latest issue of News You Can Use. There are many great resources coming from OSEP’s TA&D Network (these are marked with the TA&D logo you see to the left) and from organizations beyond the network. May these help you and yours, personally and professionally.

Last month the special focus of this newsletter was “Teaching Students with Disabilities.” To connect you with more resources on this critical topic, we continue this focus again this month, emphasizing different disabilities.

We welcome your feedback. Please feel free to contact us at nichcy@aed.org.

Our best to you, as always.

Your friends
at the National Dissemination Center
for Children with Disabilities

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THIS MONTH FROM THE NATIONAL DISSEMINATION CENTER

This past month, NICHCY had its federal review, and we’re pleased to say we survived! One of the benefits of participating in this review of our activities, accomplishments, barriers and challenges, and future plans is that we looked at an incredible amount of data from our website and information response system. We’d like to share some of the highlights.

Most-visited pages on NICHCY’s website (besides the home page):

State-specific resources, for connecting with resources in your state.
http://nichcy.org/state-organization-search-by-state

Disabilities page, to learn about developmental milestones, categories of disability under IDEA, and specific disabilities such as autism or learning disabilities.
http://nichcy.org/disability

Building the Legacy Training Currciulum on IDEA 2004.
Read it, train with it, share handouts and materials with others. It’s all about the special education process, from A to Z.
http://nichcy.org/laws/idea/legacy

Topic people searched for the most:

NICHCY publications.
Surprised? We were. Now it’s clear that it’s not clear at all, where to find our publications, especially the ones that have gone out of print. So, may we clarify? If you’re looking for a particular publication of NICHCY, or a webpage dealing with a particular topic, here’s where to look.

Current publications, found at:
http://www.nichcy.org/publications

Out of print, archived publications, available at:
http://www.nichcy.org/publications/outofprint

Our catalog, online only now at:
http://nichcy.org/wp-content/uploads/docs/onlinecatalog.pdf

Topics A-Z page, located at:
http://www.nichcy.org/publications/topics-az

What we offer in Spanish, located at:
http://www.nichcy.org/espanol/publicaciones/temas-english

Flyers you can use to tell others about NICHCY:
http://www.nichcy.org/publications/flyers

Sorry if you had trouble finding what you were looking for! Please remember you can always call (1.800.695.0285) or write us (nichcy@aed.org) for assistance.

Resources we wish more people knew about, visited, used, and shared:

The index to the Building the Legacy training curriculum on IDEA 2004.
If you’re looking for info on a specific IDEA subject, this index will really, really help you find it!
http://nichcy.org/wp-content/uploads/docs/legacy/Index.doc

Sexuality education for children and youth with disabilities.
http://www.nichcy.org/schools-administrators/sexed/

Quote slides.
Two sets, in fact! Great quotes in a zip file for easy download, picturing gorgeous children with disabilities and sacred truths about life. Excellent to use at the beginning, middle, or end of a training session, or just for your personal pleasure. Find them at:

Quotes 1-25, at:
http://nichcy.org/wp-content/uploads/docs/legacy/Quotes1-25.zip

Quotes 26-50, at:
http://nichcy.org/wp-content/uploads/docs/legacy/Quotes26-50.zip

Parent participation under IDEA.
What meetings and groups must parents have the opportunity to participate in, what is prior written notice, what about the procedural safeguards notice, and what’s the lowdown on parent consent?
http://nichcy.org/schoolage/qa-series-on-idea/qa2

Developing your child’s IEP.
Details of the IEP process, what’s required by law, and practical suggestions all along the way to a better IEP.
http://www.nichcy.org/publications/pa12

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IT ALL STARTS IN FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES

Sleep problems in children.
How much sleep do children need? What do you do to promote healthy sleeping habits—-or address children’s problems with sleeping? Find out here, from the University of Michigan Health System.
http://www.med.umich.edu/yourchild/topics/sleep.htm

Your child has a chronic health condition. What do you need to tell the school?
From the Healthy Children site of the American Academy of Pediatrics.
http://www.healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/conditions/chronic/pages/Chronic-Conditions-and-School.aspx

More on raising children with health conditions.
http://www.med.umich.edu/yourchild/topics/chronic.htm

Ways to make complex information simple for those with developmental disabilities.
This publication will help people support the participation of those with developmental disabilities on boards and committees. Find out how how to make changes or adaptations to materials so each member can understand the meeting business. The same concepts apply when you’re preparing other types of materials for those with DD.
http://www.dds.ca.gov/ConsumerCorner/WaysComplex.cfm

All about eating disorders…
…including ones you may not have heard of before.
http://www.1sthealthinsurancequotes.com/eating-disorders.html

Living with chronic pain.
There are many reasons why an individual may suffer from chronic pain and there’s much to know about strategies for coping and living well despite the pain. Here are several resources on the subject.

American Chronic Pain Association.
Visit the American Chronic Pain Association for a list of common conditions, medications and treatments, and pain management tools.
http://www.theacpa.org/default.aspx

American Academy of Pain Management.
http://www.aapainmanage.org/index.php

WebMD’s Pain Management Health Center.
http://www.webmd.com/pain-management/default.htm

Investigate the disability of interest.
The University of Michigan Health System offers a long list of topics and disabilities in its Your Child Topicssection. These lead you to very informative articles and podcasts. See if the disability or topic that interests you appears in their list, at:
http://www.med.umich.edu/yourchild/topics/index.htm

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THE LITTLE ONES: EARLY INTERVENTION/EARLY CHILDHOOD

Using the science of the developing child to guide practice.
Visit the Center on the Developing Children at Harvard University and explore their multifaceted briefs and working papers, including the science of the developing child; understanding intervention; research that enhances the understanding of child health, learning, and behavior; and child and family mental health.
http://developingchild.harvard.edu/

Early childhood assessment: Why, what, and how.
A publication of the National Academies Press.
http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12446

Online module on embedded interventions now available in Spanish.
In our July enewsletter, we told you about Project CONNECT’s online module on embedded interventions. Sweet—now it’s available in Spanish..
http://community.fpg.unc.edu/connect-modules/learners

Spanish infant practice guides.
The practice guides from the Center for Early Literacy Learning (CELL) will help Spanish-speaking parents promote their baby’s literacy learning using interest-based and highly engaging activities.
http://www.earlyliteracylearning.org/pgparents_span.php

Behavior corner.
No, we don’t mean “stand in the corner” because of bad behavior. Rather, consider this corner a mini-resource shelf on addressing behavior in early childhood settings.

Effective practices for preventing challenging behavior. This brief from the Center for Evidence-Based Practice: Young Children with Challenging Behavior describes several early intervention strategies, including: (a) arranging of the classroom environment, (b) scheduling, and (c) implementing rules, rituals, and routines.
http://www.challengingbehavior.org/do/resources/documents/rph_preventing_challenging_behavior.pdf

The 6 steps of positive behavior support.
From the Technical Assistance Center on Social Emotional Intervention for Young Children.
http://www.challengingbehavior.org/explore/pbs/process.htm

Positive beginnings: Supporting young children with challenging behavior.
Six online modules for inservice and preservice early interventionists and early childhood educators.
http://pbs.fsu.edu/return.html

Teaching tools.
“Teaching Tools” is a product of the Technical Assistance Center on Social Emotional Intervention. They are meant to assist teachers in developing a plan to support young children who are having challenging behavior.
http://www.challengingbehavior.org/do/resources/teaching_tools/ttyc.htm

Commonly asked questions about child care centers and the ADA.
This 13-page publication explains how the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act apply to child care centers.
http://www.ada.gov/childq%26a.htm

For Part C coordinators: Orientation training modules.
Here are a series of training presentations for Part C coordinator recorded in December 2009. There are 12 videos in the series.
http://tadnet.org/partccoordinators

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SCHOOLS, K-12

Upcoming webinar on Individualized Supports Planning for Students with Intellectual Disabilities.
September 27, 2010 at 3:30 p.m. EDT
Hosted by the American Association of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD), this webinar will focus on informing special education teachers and administrators how individualized supports planning can be used to build on strengths, and address the challenges in social thinking that students with intellectual disabilities may experience in classrooms. Register online at:
https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/922789170

NCES releases back-to-school statistics for Fall 2010.
America’s schools and colleges will welcome back large numbers of students this fall. Record numbers of prekindergarten and kindergarten students are expected to enter the nation’s public school systems. For all back-to-school statistics and the sources, have a look at:
http://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=372

For elementary school principals.
Several resources of note for you, all from the Center on Instruction!

Teaching All Students to Read in Elementary School: A Guide for Principals.
http://centeroninstruction.org/resources.cfm?category=reading&subcategory=materials&grade_start=0&grade_end=3#148

Intensive Reading Interventions for Struggling Readers in Early Elementary School.
http://centeroninstruction.org/resources.cfm?category=reading&subcategory=materials&grade_start=0&grade_end=3#59

Supporting Teachers Who Are Implementing Student Progress Monitoring: A Guide for Administrators.
http://centeroninstruction.org/resources.cfm?sort=title&category=math&subcategory=materials&grade_start=0&grade_end=12#112

Autism corner.
Here are several resources school personnel may find helpful in planning for and delivering services to students with autism.

For occupational therapists.
Visit the American OT Association’s autism micro-site.
http://www.aota.org/autism

Autism fact sheet in Mandarin.
Need a Mandarin version of the CDC’s fact sheet on autism, Learn the Signs. Act Early? Here you go.
http://www.uscucedd.org/downloads/products_publications/
parent_resources/autism/Autism%20Fact%20Sheet(Mandarin).pdf

Developmental disabilities and supporting the power of choice in our lives.
Are you involved in helping youth with developmental disabilities plan for their own future, making their own choices? Here are three resources that can help.

It’s my choice!
In this great 90-page workbook, young people with developmental disabilities are guided in thinking about their life and the kinds of things that are important to them. From there, it’s on to developing an individualized game plan!
http://www.mnddc.org/extra/publications/choice/Its_My_Choice.pdf

Consumer-friendly planning guides.
The CA Dept. of Developmental Disabilities offers quite a collection of short workbooks designed especially for individuals with DD to use in making their own choices about where and how they want to live, how they want to spend their time, and much more. Many are available in multiple languages, including English, Spanish, and Chinese.
http://www.dds.ca.gov/ConsumerCorner/Publications.cfm

Transition to adult health.
Being a Healthy Adult: How to Advocate for Your Health and Health Care was written to help young adults with disabilities learn how to become effective self-advocates for their own health and health care. Available in English and Spanish and audio!
http://rwjms.umdnj.edu/boggscenter/products/BeingaHealthyAdultHowtoAdvocateforYourHealthandHealthCare.html

Reading 101 for the first year teacher.
This free self-study online course includes 10 modules on the foundations of teaching reading. Video clips demonstrate best practices.
http://www.readingrockets.org/firstyear/

Providing professional inservice training.
If you’re planning to provide inservice training to the educators in your school, you might want to have a look at An Evidence-Based Approach to Professional In-service Training.
https://www.osep-meeting.org/2009conf/Presentations/Wednesday/Dunst,Trivette_Evidence-Based%20Approach.ppt

SAMSHA’s National Registry of Evidence-Based Programs and Practices.
NREPP is a searchable online registry of more than 160 interventions supporting mental health promotion, substance abuse prevention, and mental health and substance abuse treatment.
http://www.nrepp.samhsa.gov/AdvancedSearch.aspx

Deciding what accessible materials a student needs.
Use the AIM Navigator, a series of guiding questions to assist teams with decision-making about need, selection, acquisition, and use of accessible instructional materials (AIM) for students with disabilities.
http://aim.cast.org/navigator/page/

Making your own digital books.
CAST’s Book Builder website is a free online tool where users can create, share, publish, and read digital books. The site informs users about universal design for learning principles and supports and engages diverse learners.
http://bookbuilder.cast.org/

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STATE & SYSTEM TOOLS

A survey of state disability policy, 2010.
State and federal governments continue to struggle developing policies surrounding housing, employment, and independent living for those with disabilities. This document provides policymakers with information on policies that they can pursue in their own states.
http://knowledgecenter.csg.org/drupal/content/survey-state-disability-policy-2010

Operational best practices.
The Operational Best Practices for Statewide Large-Scale Assessment Programs of the Council of Chief State School Officers was officially released at the end of July. The publication, commonly referred to as Operational Best Practices, presents the first comprehensive guide for designing, developing, administering, scoring, and reporting state assessment results.
http://www.ccsso.org/News_and_Events/Current_News/Operational_Best_Practices_Publication_Released_.html

Common academic standards.
As of August 4, 2010, 32 states and the District of Columbia have adopted the Common Core State Standards released by the Council of Chief State School Officers and the NGA Center for Best Practices in June. (Those states are: Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Wisconsin, West Virginia, and Wyoming.) The standards define the knowledge and skills students should gain in K-12 education to graduate high school fully prepared for college and work.
http://www.corestandards.org/

From the National Comprehensive Center for Teacher Quality.
Two resources you may find of interest are available from the Center.

Building teacher effectiveness systems.
Education reformers have shifted the focus from “highly qualified teachers” to “teacher effectiveness.” This Critical Decisions Guide offers states and districts resources and tools to build better evaluation systems. At the initial stages of reform, states and districts often have many questions about effective implementation. This guide is designed to assist leaders as they think critically about each phase in the development of their evaluation system.
http://www.tqsource.org/criticalDecisions/

Recruiting special education teachers.
Seven strategies are discussed in this 21-page guide.
http://www.tqsource.org/publications/KeyIssue_RecruitingforSpecialEd.pdf

The fast lane to education data.
The website Education Data Express will help you view some of the important data that the U.S. Department of Education collects from the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
http://www.eddataexpress.ed.gov/index.cfm

Dropout prevention for students with disabilities: A critical issue for state education agencies.
This issue brief provides guidance to states as they respond to requirements in iDEA in the area of dropout prevention for students with disabilities. It also highlights the role of State Performance Plans as starting points for states to develop data collection and monitoring procedures, and supplies states with considerations and recommendations for providing a consistent method of tracking dropout data. A product of the National High School Center.
http://www.betterhighschools.org/docs/NHSC_DropoutPrevention_052507.pdf

SPECIAL FOCUS: Teaching Students with Disabilities, Part 2

Last month the special focus area of News You Can Use highlighted resources to help teach children with disabilities—general guidance and resources specific to teaching those with AD/HD, autism, behavioral/emotional disorders, and LD. This month we’ll continue that theme, this time connecting you with resources on teaching students with other specific disabilities and teaching students with disabilities in specific classes.

Last month’s News You Can Use.
If you’d like to revisit the special focus from last month, visit:
http://www.nichcy.org/newsletters/aug2010

A Few More General Resources

Teaching special-needs students in the regular classroom.
http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/columnists/mcdonald/mcdonald022.shtml

Special education resources for general educators.
http://serge.ccsso.org/

Inclusion in mathematics education for students with disabilities.
http://www.as.wvu.edu/~acad/

Math matrix.
The math matrix matches technology tools with supporting literature on promising practices for the instruction of math for students with disabilities. Search for products and evidence among the six purposes of technology that support reading for students with special needs. From CITEd.
http://www.citeducation.org/mathmatrix/

Reading matrix.
This matrix matches technology tools with supporting literature on promising practices for the instruction of reading for students with disabilities. From the National Center for Technology Innovation.
http://www.techmatrix.org/Infopage?page=Reading_for_Struggling_Students

WatchKnow.org.
WatchKnow has indexed over 15,000 online educational videos for children, putting them into a directory of over 3,000 categories. The videos are available without any registration or fees to teachers in the classroom and to students at home 24/7. There are also a scad of short videos focusing on how to teach students with disabilities. The link below takes you to the main page. Down the left you’ll see videos by subject (e.g., teaching science) and you’ll see a search box. Enter the terms “disabilities” or “special education” and reap the harvest!
http://www.watchknow.org/default.aspx

Disability-Specific Resources
Here are resources that identify and discuss strategies for teaching students with…

Communication disorders.
http://www.as.wvu.edu/~scidis/comm.html

Chronic health conditions.
http://www.aft.org/pdfs/healthcare/medicallyfragilechild0409.pdf

Down syndrome.
http://specialed.about.com/od/disabilities/a/downs.htm

Down syndrome.
http://www.teach-nology.com/teachers/special_ed/disabilities/down/

Hearing impairments and deafness.
http://www.rit.edu/ntid/educatingdeafchildren/

Hearing impairments and deafness.
http://www.as.wvu.edu/~scidis/hearing.html

Intellectual disabilities.
http://www.as.wvu.edu/~scidis/intel.html

Intellectual disabilities.
http://www.ihdi.uky.edu/IEI/Files/Pathways%20to%20learning%20document.pdf

Motor or orthopedic impairments.
http://www.as.wvu.edu/~scidis/motor.html

Sensory impairments.
http://www.trinity.edu/org/sensoryimpairments/VI/ATS/ats_toc.htm

Tourette syndrome.
http://www.tsa-usa.org/educ_advoc/educ_ed_strat_main.htm

Tourette syndrome.
http://www.cedu.niu.edu/~shumow/itt/Tourette%27s%20Syndrome.pdf

Traumatic brain injury.
http://www.tbied.org/

Traumatic brain injury.
http://www.fldoe.org/ese/tbi.asp

Visual impairments or blindness.
http://www.as.wvu.edu/~scidis/vision.html

Visual impairments or blindness.
http://www.familyconnect.org/parentsitehome.asp?SectionID=72

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Publication of this eNewsletter is made possible through Cooperative Agreement #H326N080003 between AED and the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) of the U.S. Department of Education. The contents do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Department of Education, nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government or by the National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities.

QUICK LINKS

Comments on our newsletter? Too long? Too short? Off-target? Right on? Suggestions for future topics? Please feel free to contact us at nichcy@aed.org. We’re here to help you help children with disabilities.

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