past presentations
Sensory-Motor Preference Checklist
Sensory Strategies for Kids 11-2009
What is an MCAS Alternate Assessment?
List of Accommodations for the MCAS - can be found in Appendix B
Requirements for the Participation of Students with Disabilities in MCAS
MCAS Information from Federation for Children with Special Needs
Touch Cues to Help with Articulation
Children's Books that Help with Language
Letter of Intent - A fact-filled letter that you can leave behind for others so that they may best understand how you specifically want your child to be cared for when you are gone.
Building Compassion How to talk to your children about disabilities and how to support families of children with special needs.
Quality of Inclusion Checklist
Dr Martha Herbert Autism Presentation March 2010
photos of past presentations and events
poetry & humor - click here
for parents
info on the IEP ( Individual Education Plan) and a 504 Plan
What is RTI? Response to Intervention
Sample Letter for a Request for an Assessment
List of Special Needs Acronyms
Strategy Check List for the IEP
Translated IEP Forms and Notices
8 Steps to a better IEP meeting
Special Education: Understanding Federal and State Statutory Requirements
FPS Curriculum & Staff Development
Special Education Checklist for Parents things to look for when choosing a school
Question and Answer Guide on Special Education Extended School Year Programs
Framingham Extended School Year Programs
IEP Information for Parents: Special Education regulations, articles, videos
about raising a child with special needs and some guidance
Resources and links for early intervention (children birth to three years of age)
Ten Ways a Special Needs Child Will Change You Forever
Ten Reasons to Give Thanks for Your Special Needs Child
Ten Commandments for Parents of Children with Disabilities
Falling in Love with Your Real Child
Five Ways to Empower Your Special Needs Child
Five Reasons to Stop Saying "Good Job!"
10 Tips for a Successful School Year
Party and Holiday Survival Guide For All Kids
Disciplining the Special Needs Child: 11 Time Tested Tips from Dr. Sears
Getting Past Learned Helplessness for Children Who Face Severe Challenges: Four Secrets for Success by Linda J. Burkhart
Food Allergies - suggestions on how to eat out including a chef's card and other info on food allergies
Emergency Treatment Plans for Kids with Special or Chronic Health Issues
Preparing for Disaster for People with Disabilities and other Special Needs
Facilitating Success with Transitions and Change
Flying with a Child with Special Needs
legal and tax info
Transition from School to Adult Life for children ages 14 and older who are on an IEP
Legal Planning for Special Needs In Massachusetts: A Family Guide to SSI, Guardianship, and Estate Planning A book for purchase.
Year 2008 Tax Benefits for Parents of Children With LD
Reissued Mileage Reimbursement for Transportation to and from School
The Whens, Whys and How Tos of Establishing Guardianship
Planning for Two Generations: Understanding the 5 Factors for Special Needs Planning
Mental Health Services for MassHealth Consumers
Children's Mental Health Guide from the Boston Bar Association and Children's Hospital
Observation of Education Programs by Parents and Their Designees for Evaluation Purposes http://www.doe.mass.edu/sped/advisories/09_2.html www.wrightslaw.com/info/priv.confid.observe.htm www.wrightslaw.com/info/ferpa.osep.observe.htm www.spedwatch.org/files/Pick_Childs_Teacher.pdf www.spedwatch.org/files/School_Observations.pdf
An Act Providing Access to Information for Parents of a Child with Special Needs
Disability Policy Consortium All of our efforts go into promoting inclusion, independence, and empowerment by guiding policies that ensure programs and services enable people with disabilities to participate in the political, economic, and social mainstream of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
All members will have access to:
• Legislative Advocacy Training - Understand how bills become laws and how you can influence public policy decisions that affect you.
• Lobbying Leadership - Learn new skills for communicating, sharing, and advocating for yourself and others.
• Legislative Alert Service (email and by phone) - Receive vital up-to-date information regarding legislative and budget issues.
• Information on Issues of Importance - Receive information on relevant topics such as healthcare reform, accessibility issues, emergency planning, long terms supports and Medicaid.
activities and strategies for helping your child
10 Ways to Think Therapeutically About Toys
Helpful Handouts on Mainly Language and Other Developmental Issues
Sensory Processing Disorders/ Sensory Integration
Make Your Own Therapy Tools and Toys
Tar Heel Reader - http://tarheelreader.org - a collection of free, easy-to-read, and accessible books on a wide range of topics. Each book can be speech enabled and accessed using multiple interfaces (i.e. switches, alternative keyboards, touch screens, and dedicated AAC devices). The books may be downloaded as slide shows in PowerPoint, Impress, or Flash format.
Free Online Programs for Communication that can be downloaded onto your computer and used with a mouse, a touch screen or a switch - www.northerngrid.org/ngflwebsite/sen/Menu-L.htm www.priorywoods.middlesbrough.sch.uk/resources/restop.htm www.starfall.com
Access Info for MA Travel from Mass Travel and Tourism
Info for After School Activities
online tools for writing
VoiceThread (any grade level): a collaborative, multimedia slide show using images, documents and videos. Users add comments using voice, text, audio files, or videos. Features a dedicated members-only network for K-12 educators and their students. http://ed.voicethread.com/#home
Kerpoof! (elementary and middle school): Free, multimedia authoring software allows students and teachers to create animated stories, original artwork and movies. Website features a variety of lesson plans and ideas for the classroom. http://www.kerpoof.com/teach
Flickr (any grade level depending on activity): Flickr began as a photo hosting website, but a number of educators have found ways to use the photos (both personal photos and those in the public domain) to tell stories. http://www.flickr.com/
Edublogs (any grade level): blogs for educators and their students. Teachers control all content and create student blogs for them, to ensure student security and privacy online. http://edublogs.org/
Wikis in Education (any grade level): A number of different wiki options are available for creating a classroom wiki page. One of them, Wet Paint, has created a site with ideas/suggestions for educators using wikis in the classroom. http://wikisineducation.wetpaint.com/page/Wikis+in+the+Classroom?t=anon
Ginger (any grade level): An online contextual spellchecker designed for individuals with dyslexia or other learning disabilities that may affect writing. Uses the context of a student's writing to identify errors of spelling, grammar and word usage. http://gingersoftware.com/
Ghotit (any grade level): An online contextual spellchecker designed for individuals with dyslexia or other learning disabilities that may affect writing. Uses the context of a student's writing to identify errors of spelling, grammar and word usage. http://www.ghotit.com/home.shtml
other
FREE US Department of Education Publications - 1-877-4ED-PUBS, TTY/TDD: 1-877-576-7734, Fax: 1-301-470-1244 Para español, llame al 1-877-433-7827
Federation for Children with Special Needs lists a wide range of online resources for parents
Disproportionality: A Look at Special Education and Race in the Commonwealth
Framingham Public School District COORDINATED PROGRAM REVIEW REPORT OF FINDINGS 2003
Framingham Community Charter School COORDINATED PROGRAM REVIEW REPORT OF FINDINGS 2003
School Committee Goals for 2009-2010
for teachers
parent - teacher communication
Tips for Having a Successful IEP Meeting
5 Important Questions when Creating Parent - Teacher Logbooks
Fighting the Good Fight: How to Advocate for Your Students Without Losing Your Job
for your classroom
Kids Quest - Ideas to help students understand different disabilities with ideas on questions to ask and activities to have in the classroom
US Department of Education - Institute of Education Sciences - A central and trusted source of scientific evidence for what works in
education.
The Access Center: "Improving Outcomes for All Students K-8"
5 Common Mistakes Made by a School Aide
Sensory Integration in the Classroom
Sensory Processing Disorders/ Sensory Integration
Behavior Plans in School Settings
Facilitating Peer Interactions at School
A 5 Step Behavior Plan - Help for Children With Behavior Disorders or Disabilities
Resources for Teachers of Blind or Visually Impaired Students - from Perkins
Recipes for Fun Activities - ie, homemade chalk, clay, paint
Numerous Articles for Autism and Related Disorders - - from the Lovvas Institute
VSA Arts of Massachusetts - leveraging inclusion through the arts - educators page of ideas and resources for your classroom - 617-350-7713, TTY: 617-350-6836
inclusion
Inclusion of the Child with Disabilities into the Regular Elementary Classroom
Strategies to Help You in the Inclusion Classroom
Inclusion of Students with Special Needs: Teaching and Learning
activities and strategies for helping your children (see above for resources and articles)
other
FREE US Department of Education Publications - 1-877-4ED-PUBS, TTY/TDD: 1-877-576-7734, Fax: 1-301-470-1244 Para español, llame al 1-877-433-7827
Federation for Children with Special Needs - lists a wide range of online resources for teachers
F-SEPAC in the news
Framingham school officials aim to improve special ed. program - June 11, 2010
Framingham parents group to host special education forum - Nov 18, 2008