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Disability Fact Sheet Resources updated, March 2021 “Alone we are rare. Together we are strong.” Slogan of Rare Disease Day —February 29, 2012. Roughly 7,000 rare diseases/disorders have been identified as affecting the human race. Because they are rare, it can be a real challenge for a person to be accurately diagnosed. Finding effective treatments, especially […]
The resources featured in this issue of the Buzz will hopefully enrich your Center’s work and collaboration with the young people with disabilities in your region. Youth have a lot to say and share that will benefit them directly and equip them to actively participate in decision making about their own lives and futures as well as the issues shaping their surrounding communities.
COVID-19 shuttered school buildings and the impact on students will potentially be significant for years to come. While instructional loss will affect most students, it could have a disproportionate impact on students with disabilities and other historically marginalized populations, including students of color, students impacted by poverty, and English language learners. It’s critical that schools take immediate steps to address the issue of instructional loss and prevent students from falling further behind. This 26-page report from NCLD discusses promising practices for doing just that. It explores in some detail research-based approaches to accelerate learning; how to implement those approaches with success; and policy recommendations and actions at the state and federal levels. Read more about the report and download it here.
(2021, February) | Useful for sharing with PTAs, families, community organizations involved in educational issues, and school leadership staff. COVID-19 Handbook, Volume 1: Strategies for Safely Reopening Elementary and Secondary Schools comes from the U.S. Department of Education. The 26-page handbook begins with a summary of CDC’s operational strategies and steps for safe school reopening. […]
We wish we could have sent you a Valentine basket full of chocolate, red hot hearts, and a mystery card from a secret admirer, but such things do not email well. Please accept the many resources listed below as substitutes that won’t make you gain weight, break out like a teenager, or undermine New Year’s resolutions. What the resources will do, we hope, is help you respond to the challenging issues that communities and families face.
Updated, February 2021 There are many, many organizations and groups that deal with mental health. This page will help you find the one or ones that offer the type of assistance, intervention, or information you’re seeking. We’ve organized the information into the following sections: If it’s a crisis… (Keep scrolling) A quick-read fact sheet Be […]
This webinar focused on OSEP’s new requirements for Stakeholder Engagement in State Performance Plan/Annual Performance Report (SPP/APR) package for 2020-2025. The webinar’s subtitle is: What Parent Centers Need to Know. The new SPP/APR package requires states to engage stakeholders throughout the entire SPP/APR process and describe its mechanisms for ensuring such engagement, including a description of the activities conducted to increase the participation of diverse groups of parents and build their capacity to take part in the state’s activities to improve outcomes for children with disabilities. Parent Centers have a key role to play in bringing the parent voice to the state’s SPP/APR activities.
For young kids, books are an experience, a cooperative reading lessons with pointing, musing, and discussions about the content built into the comfort of bonding. While there are many excellent book lists for young readers that challenge representation and celebrate diversity, this list includes reading recommendations derived from a variety of organizations and experts leading the charge. It was created with the idea in mind that parents would be reading these books with their kids and, when questions arise, breaking down the content in a way that their child can understand. The reading list is also part of the series From The Start: A Parent’s Guide to Talking About Racial Bias, a rich source of guidance into the challenging task of talking about race. Connect with both of these resources here.
(2021, February) | Useful to Parent Centers in keeping up to date with how technology is currently being used in education. Every year Education Week publishes an annual report on educational technology. These reports can help Parent Centers, schools, and families learn more about the various technologies in use to support teaching and learning, and […]
The toll that stress is taking on our collective and personal mental health cannot be denied. Who among us can say that their nerves aren’t getting right down threadbare at times? That’s why we’ve focused this Buzz on identifying resources responsive to an array of mental health situations and needs. May these tools help support our own emotional and mental well-being–and that of our children and youth, families and friends, and the many community members we encounter.