Author: Lisa Kupper

Buzz | Resources of the TA&D Network

Within the Parent Center network, we all work hard to develop resources and share our expertise with families, youth with disabilities, and professionals. The same is true of the Technical Assistance and Dissemination (TA&D) network, which is also funded by OSEP. While centers within the TA&D tend to focus their services on building capacity at the state level or within a specific topic area, the resources they offer to families can be very useful. We’ve highlighted several in this Buzz, as well as the centers that produced them.

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Buzz | Back in the School Saddle

As the school year really gets going, it’s a good time to revisit several resources that will prove useful: talking about state assessments with parents, OSEP’s numerous reopening resources, and webinars about developing IEPs or providing compensatory services to children with disabilities. We’re also pleased to share with you two mental health resources relevant to schools and families.

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Buzz | At School and At Home

Schools and parents working together on behalf of children can make a remarkable difference in the quality of education itself and our children’s overall well-being and sense of belonging. To that end, this Buzz shares resources that both teachers and parents can use to enrich school time and home time.

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Reducing Suicide Risk With Safety Plans

September is Suicide Awareness Month. When children in distress express suicidal thoughts or feelings, therapists often work with them —and their parents— to create what is called a safety plan. A safety plan is a document that spells out a series of things the child agrees to do, if they feel overwhelmed, to keep from harming themselves. Parents agree to things they will do to make their child’s environment safer.

This collection of articles from the Child Mind Institute explains how safety planning can help deter teen suicides, which are often impulsive, by steering kids away from harming themselves until the urge passes. With teenage depression and anxiety on the rise, it’s important for all of us to be proactive when children are in distress.

To see the individual articles in the collection and connect with them in English or Spanish, come here.

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Buzz | As We Head Back to School

As we launch into a new school year, the physical and emotional well-being of our children is a top priority. Given all the changes that have occurred in the last 2 years, parents and schools alike recognize instinctively that addressing this priority is likely to be a year-long challenge. That said, this issue of the Buzz focuses on tools and knowledge you can use to chart a steady, compassionate, and informed course.

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