December 2025
“If you want to lift yourself up, lift up someone else.”
~ Booker T. Washington
Welcome to December’s edition of the Buzz from the Hub! As we wrap up another year together, we want to take a moment to let you know how grateful we are for each and every one of you. We wish you and your loved ones a joyful holiday season!
This month we gathered the most-clicked articles from each of our sections – Early Childhood, Education, Youth, Young Adults, and Parent Leadership. First, we start the Buzz with a timely Featured Resource for this time of year: 24 Ways to Make the Holidays Kid-Friendly.
In this issue of the Buzz from the Hub you’ll find the following resources:
- An Age-By-Age Guide to Helping Kids Manage Emotions
- New to Special Education? Start here!
- Employment Checklist for Students (Ages 14-22) with Disabilities
- Self-Advocacy Storytelling Toolkit
- Disability Advocacy Videos for Families
Finally, don’t miss the virtual event scheduled in December in the Upcoming Events section.
Best wishes and happy reading,
The CPIR Team
Featured Resource!
24 Ways to Make the Holidays Kid-Friendly: Strategies to help families of children with autism, ADHD, anxiety, and other challenges sidestep common sources of stress
This article for the Child Mind Institute provides strategies for families of kids with autism, anxiety, ADHD, and other challenges to make the holiday season more enjoyable for everyone.
Read the article here.
Shareable Resources
Early Childhood |
An Age-By-Age Guide to Helping Kids Manage Emotions
When we teach kids to identify their emotions, we give them a framework that helps explain how they feel, which makes it easier for them to deal with those emotions in a socially appropriate way. This free printable from Quality Start LA shares simple tips to help young children, from infancy to preschool-age, manage their emotions.
Education |
New to Special Education? Start here!
This resource page from PEATC, the Parent Training and Information (PTI) center in Virginia, offers resources and support for families navigating the special education system. It includes guides, templates, fact sheets, and tools to help parents understand evaluations, IEPs, 504 Plans, and their rights under the law. Some of the resources and information are specific to state of Virginia.
Access all the resources here.
For your state specific information, contact the PTI that serves your state. Search for the PTI here.
Youth |
Employment Checklist for Students (Ages 14-22) with Disabilities
Getting a job is an exciting experience that takes planning. There are important documents you may need before you can get a job. There are skills you will need to prepare you for employment, and actions that you may need to take to be successful. This checklist from PEATC can help you prepare for employment.
Young Adults |
Self-Advocacy Storytelling Toolkit
Another great tool on self-advocacy! The Self-Advocacy Storytelling Toolkit, developed by the Youth Engagement Transition Initiative (YETI), is a guide to empower youth with disabilities in sharing their personal stories effectively.
Parent Leadership |
Disability Advocacy Videos for Families
The PACER Center has created a set of short videos in multiple languages that address parent’s common questions and concerns about advocating for their child with a disability at school and beyond. Tip sheets are also available in English and Spanish and can be found in the video’s description.
Watch the videos here in English, Spanish, Somali, and other languages.
Upcoming Events
From Intention to Impact: Implementing the Adult Ally Toolkit
Join Erin Black and Michael Scanlon for a practical walk-through of the Adult Ally Toolkit—a resource created to strengthen youth–adult partnerships and elevate youth voice in everyday practice. Learn how to launch the toolkit in your program and adapt its tools, stories, and podcasts to support meaningful youth engagement across your organization. This session includes a rapid tour of the final product and practical next steps for using the Adult Ally Toolkit as the powerful conversation starter and implementation tool it’s designed to be.
When: Monday, December 15th, 2025
Time: 2 pm ET
*ASL interpretation & Spanish interpretation will be offered!
the Hub Central Event Calendar
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