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Events
Fall 2009
What You Need to Know about Special Education:
Seminars for Parents and Professionals
For more than 20 years, LDA of
Connecticut has provided parents and professionals the training they need to be fully knowledgable and engaged at IEP (individualized education program) meetings and as parent advisors.
Each of these seminars will be held on Thursdays, from 9:30 a.m. to noon, at the LDA-CT offices, on the fifth floor of 999 Asylum Avenue, Hartford.
Schedule. The schedule is below. Please note that it is subject to change.
Fees. The fees are: $300 for members attending all 12 seminars; $350 for non-members attending all 12 seminars; and $50 for anyone attending individual seminars.
Registration and payment. To register you may:
Schedule
September 17: How to Read and Understand the IEP Document
Presenters: Colleen Masse and Harriet Clark
Areas covered:
- The importance of the recommendations
- What is the Prior Written Notice?
- Present levels of academic and functional performance
- Measurable goals and objectives
- Accommodations and modifications
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September 24: Speech/Language Impairment and Language Disabilities
Presenter: Diana B. Newman, Ph.D., CCC-SP/L
- Early indicators of trouble
- The interface of oral language and literacy
- Phonological awareness
- Higher-order language skills
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October 1: Psycho-educational Evaluations
Presenter: Elizabeth Wolfe, psychologist
- An overview of ability and achievement tests
- What skills do these tests assess?
- How to understand all those numbers
- Using the results to determine eligibility
- New guidelines on identifying SLD
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October 8: A New Model of Intervention: SRBI
Presenter: Jule McCombes-Tolis.
- What is SRBI and RTI?
- How does SRBI relate to special education?
- Aim lines, progress monitoring, and adequate yearly progress
- Improving instruction
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October 15: The Science of Reading Instruction
Presenter: Margie B. Gillis, Ed.D.
- Reading research and fMRIs
- The 5 essential components of reading instruction – bottom up
- Whole language instruction, the DRA
- Direct, explicit, code-based instruction
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October 22: Independent Neuropsychological Evaluations
Presenter: Ariel Albert
- When is a neuropsych recommended?
- How does it differ from a psych-ed. evaluation?
- What neurological areas are evaluated?
- The role of recommendations
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October 29: Assistive Technology Consultation or Evaluation
Presenter: Judith Sweeney.
- What’s the difference between a consult and an evaluation?
- Low-tech and high-tech supports
- Training, hardware, and software concerns
- Use in reading/written expression disabilities
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November 6: Autism Spectrum Disorders
Presenter: Donna Swanson, FOCUS
- Characteristics
- Assessments
- Asperger’s and PDD/NOS
- Educational planning
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November 12: Study Skills
Presenter: Cynthia Cordes
- Text materials
- Organizing information
- Vocabulary
- Written expression
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November 19: ADHD: Distracted, Impulsive, Inattentive, Out of Touch
Presenter: Hank Lerner.
- Normal activity or disorder?
- Selective attention
- How is this disorder diagnosed?
- To medicate or not
- School strategies
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December 3: Transition Planning
Presenter: Pat Anderson
- What recent changes affect transition planning?
- Transition planning and compensatory education
- Why is transition planning part of the IEP?
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December 10: Procedural Safeguards: Complaints, Mediation, Hearings
Presenter: Courtney Spenser, Esq.
- Have you read your procedural safeguards?
- What do I do if I disagree with the school team?
- Complaint, mediation, resolution meeting, advisory opinion, hearing –
what does it all mean?
- Do I need a lawyer?
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| December 17: Panel of Advisors – Q&A |
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Still have questions? Contact our office at ldact@ldact.org or (860) 560-1711.
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