October 2026
“Develop a passion for learning.
If you do, you will never cease to grow.”
~ Anthony J. D’Angelo
Welcome to October’s edition of the Buzz from the Hub! Hopefully everyone is settling back into the daily routine of school, work, and extracurricular activities. Sometimes, just knowing what to expect can be comforting.
As you go about your day we hope you’ll take a minute to explore all the resources in this issue of the Buzz from the Hub! In this month’s issue you’ll find the following resources:
- Featured Resource: National Bullying Prevention Month Resources
- Featured Parent Center: Michigan Alliance for Families
- Growing Together: Finding an Early Childhood Program that Supports Your Child’s Social-Emotional Development
- Fact Sheet: President Trump Delivers Affordable School Choice Options Through Education Freedom Tax Credit
- Instructional Practices for Students with Extensive Support Needs in Inclusive Classrooms
- Nobody Told Me I Could Ask For What Wasn’t On the List
- All of Us – a documentary
Finally, don’t miss the upcoming virtual events in the Upcoming Events section.
Best wishes and happy reading,
The CPIR Team
Featured Resource!
October is National Bullying Prevention Month
Every child deserves to feel safe, respected, and included at school, online, and in their community. October is National Bullying Prevention Month, a time to raise awareness about bullying and encourage kindness, acceptance, and inclusion. StopBullying.gov offers valuable resources for schools, students and families to address and prevent bullying.
Check them out here.
Featured Parent Center
The Michigan Alliance for Families is the federally funded Parent Training and Information Center (PTI) for the state of Michigan.
Michigan Alliance for Families is a statewide resource to connect families of children with disabilities to resources to help improve their children’s education. They help facilitate parent involvement as a means of improving educational services and outcomes for students with disabilities. Parents can find Michigan-specific information about special education services and navigating the IEP process. Their goal is to increase the involvement of families in their children’s education. To do this, Michigan Alliance for Families offers learning opportunities across the state.
Learn more about Michigan Alliance for Families here!
Shareable Resources
Early Childhood |
Growing Together: Finding an Early Childhood Program that Supports Your Child’s Social-Emotional Development
This handout helps families select early childhood education programs that support social-emotional development. It provides sample questions that families can ask during a phone call or visit and a list of things to look and listen for during a tour. This resource guides families in considering how programs can support them and help their children learn and grow.
Access the handout here.
Education Policy |
The Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act of 2000
The Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act of 2000 (DD Act) is a U.S. federal law that promotes the rights and inclusion of individuals with developmental disabilities by funding state councils, advocacy programs, and university centers to support community-based services and systemic change.
Learn more about the law and find other sources for information here.
Students |
Instructional Practices for Students with Extensive Support Needs in Inclusive Classrooms
This resource from the TIES Center highlights evidence-based and research-based strategies that support meaningful learning and participation for students with extensive support needs in inclusive classrooms. It is based on a TIES Center review of 26 rigorous studies (Saunders et al, 2020), developed with the Embrace Abilities Project at the Los Angeles County Office of Education (LACOE), and describes eight research-backed strategies.
Access the resource here.
Young Adults |
Nobody Told Me I Could Ask For What Wasn’t On the List
Access needs do not always fit neatly into a standard list. Emely Pacheco, a DeafBlind college student shares her experience when first starting her postsecondary journey and not realizing that she could ask for more accommodations than what was offered to her. As she states, “The gap was not that accommodations did not exist. The gap was that I did not know they existed.”
Read the article here.
Family Engagement |
All of Us
All of Us is a documentary that depicts inclusive education at a public school where students of all abilities learn together. It offers a powerful example of what inclusive education can look like and what it takes to make education work for every child.
The film is 70 minutes long and supports English captions and Dutch, French, and Spanish subtitles.
Find out more and where to watch the documentary here.
Upcoming Events
IEP or 504 Plan? Understanding the Difference and What It Means for Your Child
Learn the key differences between IEPs and 504 Plans and what each can mean for your child at school. This webinar explains the purpose of each plan, what schools are responsible for, and how these supports work in real-life situations. Families will gain practical information to help them better understand their child’s options and feel more confident working with their school.
Date: October 19, 2026
Time: 12:00 – 1:00 PM CT
Register here.
Making Work Actually Work: Tools to Support Positive Employment Outcomes
In support of National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM), TransCen is offering a free webinar that introduces proven strategies and actionable tools for supporting individuals with disabilities as they pursue employment.
Date: October 29, 2026
Time: 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM ET
Register here.
the Hub Central Event Calendar
This e-Newsletter from the CPIR is copyright-free. We encourage you to share it with others. Scan our QR Code or click here to sign up to receive the Buzz from the Hub!
