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In conjunction with its training programs, the Parent Educational Advocacy Training Center has developed several publications, training packages and a videotape of interest to parents and professionals. Topics include early intervention services, special education, transition from school to employment and community life and mediation.
In addition, former PEATC staff members have updated Negotiating the Special Education Maze: A Guide for Parents and Teachers, 3rd Edition, a comprehensive yet easy-to-understand guide to the special education system. It explains how school systems work, what services are available, and what rights and benefits are protected by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and related federal laws. The book is available from the publisher, Woodbine House or through B. Dalton Booksellers and other book stores.
PEATC also publishes a free quarterly newsletter entitled the PEATC Press which features articles on legislation and regulations, court decisions, programs, publications, and training opportunities. Back issues of the PEATC Press will be available online as pdf files soon.
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Subscribe to the
PEATC Press online.
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Beginning With Families: A Parent's Guide to Early InterventionBeginning With Families: A Guide For Resource Centers
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Click on the links below to jump ahead to a specific title:
Negotiating the Special Education Maze
Shared Decisions: Problem-Solving and Mediation in Early Intervention
Taking Charge: A Parents' Guide to Health Care for Children with Special Needs
Unlocking the Door: A Parent's Guide to Inclusion
Understanding Special Education: The Video
Keys to Inclusion
Partnerships for School Personnel Training in Traumatic Brain Injury
Understanding Early Intervention Services: An Introductory Workshop
ADA: Pathway for Change
NEXT STEPS: The Transition Series
The Partnership Series
Managed Care Maze: What Aboutthe Children?
Negotiating The Special Education Maze
A Guide for Parents and Teachers
By Winifred Anderson, Stephen Chitwood and Deidre Hayden
Parents are often confused and intimidated by the
maze of special education laws and regulations. They do not know how to gain access to
special education services and obtain the program that best complements their child's
unique needs. Now there is a book that can answer all of their questions -- NEGOTIATING
THE SPECIAL EDUCATION MAZE, 3rd Edition.
This special-needs classic provides an
easy-to-understand, step-by-step guide to the special education system. "The third
edition also includes information about early intervention and nondiscrimination
protection, ADA and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act." It comes complete with
personalized checklists, exercises, glossary, reading list, and national resource
directory. It is available from the publisher, Woodbine House, and book stores.
"This book is a wonderful
resource for families of children with disabilities and others interested in special
education. It is clearly written, easy-to-use, has specific action steps and most
importantly, it focuses on the parent and child. I believe both families and parent
centers will find it extremely useful."
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- Paula Goldberg,
Executive Director, PACER Center |
Woodbine House, Publisher
6510 Bells Mill Rd.
Bethesda MD 20817
$16.95
* 300 Pages
Toll-free 1-800-843-7323
FAX 301/897-5838
This booklet contains practical advice about how
a family can plan services for their child and themselves. It explains early intervention
and the Individualized Family Service Plan. Its charts and forms help families keep track
of information and important telephone numbers. It gives sources for additional
information. It is available in English, Spanish, Korean, Vietnamese and Farsi from PEATC
for $5.00 plus tax and shipping. For the hard-copy version of this
booklet ($5), please contact PEATC at 703-923-0010 or by email at:
partners@peatc.org.
Links:
English PDF |
Spanish PDF
Shared Decisions:
Problem-Solving and Mediation in Early Intervention
Disagreements may occur despite the best
intentions of families of young children and professionals as they work together to
develop and implement Individualized Family Service Plans. This booklet presents mediation
as a positive approach to resolving disagreements and emphasizes strategies to enable
families and professionals to avoid disputes. This Virginia-specific publication is
available from Virginia Interagency Coordinating Councils and from PEATC for $5.00
(shipping included).
Taking Charge:
A Parents' Guide to Health Care for Children with Special Needs
This booklet was written by and for parents of
children with special health care needs. It will help readers become organized so that
they can manage their children's complex needs, including paperwork, bills, schedules,
plans, reports and procedures. It will also help them learn how to make their way through
the unfamiliar world of medical diagnoses and terminology. It is available from PEATC for
$5.00 plus tax and shipping.
This guide explores the ways in which schools can
meet the individual needs and aspirations of each student by structuring learning
environments, matching teaching strategies with individual learning styles and furnishing
necessary supports and accommodations. It is intended for parents who are seeking a more
inclusive placement for their children through the IEP process. Available from PEATC for
$5.00 plus tax and shipping.
For a parent of a child with disabilities,
finding the way through the special education system can be overwhelming. There is
confusion . . . bureaucracy . . . red tape. You want the best for your child, but you
don't know where to start. It helps to remember that your goal is to make a better life
for your child, and the special education process works best when it's guided by a
partnership between educators and parents. Your involvement is not only possible, it is
welcome and necessary. It is only through involvement that you can become your child's
best advocate.
Understanding Special Education is a 9 minute
video that illustrates the special education cycle: referral, evaluation, eligibility,
individualized education program, placement, instruction, annual review, and triennial
review. In the video parents and teachers talk about the importance of parent involvement
in special education and ways it has made a difference in their children's education. The
video is available from PEATC for $30.00 plus tax and shipping.
This guide was designed for community-based
resource centers to enable their personnel to better serve families with infants and
toddlers with disabilities. It contains information about services for children from birth
to three. It explains the importance of services that are family-centered instead of
child-focused, and suggests ways of facilitating interagency collaboration for the benefit
of the family. Areas covered are: early intervention services and the IFSP Process;
resources and interagency collaboration; Parent to Parent training; Taking Charge: A
Parent's Guide to Health Care for Children with Special Needs. It includes a bibliography.
It is available from PEATC for $30.00 plus tax and shipping.
This comprehensive training package was
originally designed for West Virginia In-service Training Teams. The materials may be used
for formal or informal workshops, discussions, staff meetings and technical assistance on
the subject of inclusive education. The eight chapters contain general information on
inclusion, effective strategies for school administrators, materials for organizing
superior teams including trainers' and participants' manuals, IEP development and
integration matrix, successful classroom accommodations, Unlocking the Door: A Parent's
Guide to Inclusion, resources including the MAPS process, and a bibliography. It is
available from PEATC for $75.00 plus tax and shipping.
This workshop is an awareness training program on
the unique challenges that children and youth with traumatic brain injury present due to
their injury. It is designed for noninstructional school personnel such as bus drivers,
cafeteria aides, classroom aides, librarians and others. The manual includes workshop
objectives, flow chart, activity sheets, participant's handouts, resource materials and
slide presentation with script. It is available from PEATC for $20 ($50 for slides) plus
tax and shipping.
This workshop provides basic information
regarding the early intervention service system under Part H of the Individuals with
Disabilities Education Act. It is intended for parents, Interagency Coordinating Council
members and other agency personnel providing services for families with young children
with developmental delays.
Topics covered are: Infants and Toddlers Early
Intervention Program; family centered services; service coordination and the
Individualized Family Service Plan; procedural safeguards; and interagency collaboration.
Materials include trainers' materials, overhead transparencies and participants'
materials. It is available from PEATC for $30.00 plus tax and shipping.
This three hour workshop was developed to assist
individuals with disabilities, their family members, advocates and caring others to become
familiar with the vision and provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
During the workshop, participants learn about the civil rights protections of ADA in areas
of employment, government services, public accommodations, and telecommunications.
Exercises using case histories bring the law to life. The extensive training package
includes objectives, flow chart, activity guides, overhead transparencies, and
participants' materials. It is available from PEATC for $35.00 plus tax and shipping.
The Transition Series consists of six workshops
which assist families to prepare for a young person's transition from student life in
school to adult life in the community. Each workshop training package includes an
introduction, a trainer's manual with workshop objectives and schedule, flow chart,
activity guides and overhead transparencies, and participants' materials. The entire
series is available from PEATC for $150.00 and individual workshops are available for
$25.00 each. Slides and video are purchased separately. The six workshops are:
#1 Transition: Making it in the Real World
During this workshop, participants review the
four critical goals of transition, consider practical activities which promote their
achievement, become familiar with pertinent federal legislation and understand the
important roles of family members in the transition process. A slide presentation entitled
World of Work is used with this workshop.
#2 Transition Plans: Roadmaps to the Future
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
requires transition planning for all students with disabilities. This workshop is designed
to show how transition planning can be incorporated into students' ongoing special
education plans. Sample transition forms are reviewed and participants develop transition
goals. The videotape, Understanding Special Education" is used.
#3 Self-Advocacy and Supports: Keys to
Independence
Children who learn self-advocacy skills are best
prepared to live satisfying adult lives in the community. This workshop is designed to
assist family members to identify strategies for respecting a young person's choices while
offering continued love and guidance.
#4 Moving On: Life in the Community
During this workshop, a panel of adult community
service representatives provides information and answer questions regarding local
employment, education and independent living opportunities.
#5 Getting Ready: Preparing for Work while in
School
This workshop assists families to understand the
role of vocational education in special education plans. Guest speakers discuss specific
examples of community based vocational education opportunities, entry criteria, assessment
and placement procedures. Participants learn how job coaches and supports in the workplace
assist a student in learning, enjoying and keeping a job.
#6 Planning Ahead: Future Finances and Supports
During this workshop, parents review strategies
for shaping secure futures for their children. Through case studies and guest speakers,
participants learn about financial planning, adult health care, formal and informal
supports. Parents can begin to write a "letter of intent," which provides future
care givers with guidance in understanding the needs and desires of the person with
disabilities and his family.
The Partnership Series consists of ten workshops
for educators and administrators which develop parent-professional partnerships in the
education of children with special needs. A true partnership comes about when all parties
in the relationship--teachers, administrators, school support personnel and parents--meet
expectations for meaningful communication, equal power, mutual trust and respect. These
workshops are presented as in-service training by a team comprised of a parent and one or
more professionals. Each training package includes an introduction, trainer's manual with
objectives, flow chart, activity guides, overhead transparencies and a participants'
manual. Several include videotapes and slides. The entire series is available from PEATC
for $500.00 or individual workshops for $65 each plus tax and shipping. The workshops are:
1. Teachers' Strategies for Bridging Barriers to
Parent Involvement
The purpose of this workshop is to develop
strategies to involve parents in their children's education. Eight activities lead
participants through an identification and analysis process. The reasons parents are not
participating in their children's education are studied in light of diverse family
configurations and cultural backgrounds. Through case studies and resource materials,
participants develop strategies for working closely with parents of children in their
classes.
2. Teacher/Parent Coaching Teams in Special
Education
This workshop is designed to assist regular
educators in developing a more thorough understanding of special education. Participants
will clarify the role of the regular educator as well as the parent in the special
education process. They learn methods of building an active and more effective special
education team approach within their schools.
3. Building Cooperative Relationships Between
Parents and Professionals
This workshop, designed for school principals and
administrators, provides an open forum for the analysis of effective partnerships between
professionals and parents. Participants identify the benefits that accrue to parents, to
schools, and to children with special needs when parents and professionals cooperate.
Using a step-by-step planning process, participants analyze factors that help and hinder
the development of successful working relationships and develop goals and strategies for
strengthening parent/professional partnerships in their community schools.
4. Career Education: A Joint Venture
Together parents, educators and students can
develop effective IEP's and Transition Plans. During this workshop educators learn
practical strategies for tapping the expertise and resources of family members and school
personnel to prepare a student for life as a worker in the community. Participants
identify strategies for increasing students' informal connections to the world of work.
Representatives from local adult service agencies present information about employment
programs and services.
5. Career Education II: Exploring the World of
Work
This workshop is designed for educators who work
with secondary special education students. It emphasizes the important role educators play
in preparing students to exit the school setting and enter the complex world of adult
life. Practical strategies for promoting students' abilities to make decisions and
participate in community life are identified. Participants become familiar with Social
Security work incentives. The video, "Supported Employment: A Formula for
Success" may be purchased from another source.
6. Thriving in the Mainstream: Facilitating
Social Interaction
This workshop explores the social challenges
presented by mainstreaming children with disabilities. Teachers will learn practical
strategies for insuring that all children in their classes feel accepted and cared for by
their classmates. The workshop features a videotape in which two children with different
disabilities, their teachers, and their parents share their feelings and experiences as
they work together to make placement in a regular education class a successful social
experience. Video: "Thriving in the Mainstream."
7. Can We Talk? Communicating About Mainstreamed
Students
Successful mainstreaming experiences depend upon
effective communication among teachers, parents and students. In this workshop regular
educators discuss the benefits and challenges of mainstreaming to teachers, students and
parents. The focus is on communication strategies. Video: "Equality in
Education."
8. Moving on from Preschool
Moving on from Preschool is a guided discussion
within a small group of parents, preschool teachers, paraprofessionals, and primary level
teachers. Participants explore questions and concerns regarding changes for children as
they move from preschool to primary level programs. The session includes a presentation by
a school representative. Slide presentation included.
9. Making Friends: Social Integration on the
Secondary Level
Integrating students with disabilities into
regular education classes challenges teachers, parents and students to find new ways of
celebrating differences and building friendships. This three-part workshop is designed to
start the process of meeting these challenges on a community or school level. The
"circle of friends" concept and other ideas for facilitating social integration
in schools are presented.
l0. Trading Places: Improving Understanding
Between Teachers and Parents
This workshop addresses communication skills and
understanding between teachers and parents. The principles of family dynamics are reviewed
and strategies for enhancing parent-teacher relationships are developed. By understanding
one another's day-to-day feelings and experiences, parents and teachers gain insights into
each other's lives and learn new ways to work together. Workshop participants practice
effective communication skills and analyze the elements of an effective partnership
relationship. Video: "What About Tomorrow?"
Managed Care Maze: What
About the Children? Video and Self-Study Guides
As more insurance companies and states move
toward managed health care, children with special health care needs and their families
will be dramatically affected. Barriers to providing managed care services that are
responsive to traditionally underserved families include professionals lack of knowledge
in meeting the needs important to families from diverse cultural backgrounds and parents
lack of knowledge in negotiating services for their children. The video and study guides
address these issues and suggest solutions. Available for $50 for professionals/ $30 for
parents.
Click Here for the
Parent/Educator Order Form
Click Here for the Trainer Order Form