Lunch and Learn Webinar: School Closings & Restructuring: What Parents of Children with Disabilities Need to Know

Legal Aid Foundation  logoSchool closings have impacted urban school districts across the nation. There are important things that parents of students with disabilities should know if their child’s school closes.  State and federal law unquestionably require that the needs of the student drive special education services and instruction—no matter what changes are happening at the school or school district level.  This presentation provides an overview how this issue impacts students with disabilities along with strategies for students who have been or will be affected by a school closing or other form of district restructuring.

 

About Katherine Gladson

Katherine Gladson is an Equal Justice Work Fellow at LAF, and is currently working on a two-year fellowship project that aims to protect the educational rights of students who were adversely affected by the 2013 Chicago school closings and other types of school district restructuring within CPS. Through her fellowship project, she represents parents and students in special education, school discipline, and other education matters. Before becoming an attorney, Katherine taught middle school math in the Kansas City, Missouri School District, during the time period when around half of the district’s neighborhood schools were closed. Katherine graduated from Loyola University Chicago School of Law magna cum laude and is a member of Alpha Sigma Nu. While in law school she was a Civitas ChildLaw Fellow and represented children in education matters, family law cases, and in abuse and neglect proceedings. She has a B.A. in English Writing from Depauw University.

IEP Check-Ins Session

conversation between parent and volunteerDo you have specific questions about your child’s  Individualized Education Plan (IEP)?  Make an appointment during FRCD’s IEP Check-In sessions and one of our parent trainers will sit down with you and comb through your child’s IEP.    We ask that you read the IEP prior to your IEP Check-In Session and bring a copy for the parent trainer to go through with you.

APPOINTMENTS ARE MANDATORY.

PLEASE CALL 312-939-3513 TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT.

School Check-In Parent Virtual Chat

School-Checkin-oct-12

Do you have specific questions about your child’s  Individualized Education Plan (IEP)?  Family Resource Center on Disabilities is hosting an informal School Check-In Chat to discuss
-School Concerns
-Student experiences
-Parent advocacy resources

IEP Check-Ins Session

conversation between parent and volunteer

Do you have specific questions about your child’s  Individualized Education Plan (IEP)?  Make an appointment during FRCD’s IEP Check-In sessions and one of our parent trainers will sit down with you and comb through your child’s IEP.    We ask that you read the IEP prior to your IEP Check-In Session and bring a copy for the parent trainer to go through with you.

APPOINTMENTS ARE MANDATORY.

PLEASE CALL 312-939-3513 TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT.

ODLSS presents Parent Empowerment Expo

FAMILY & SCHOOL PARTNERSHIP FORUMS to learn about CPS’ODLSS presents Parent Empowerment Expo Diverse Learner Conference and Resource Fair

Chicago Public Schools’ Office of Diverse Learner Supports and Services (ODLSS) is inviting families of diverse learners to attend its annual education conference and fair.  Come out and learn about ODLSS special education supports and services, get information about local and community resources and meet other families.

Featuring:

  • Resource Fair for Parents 
  • Transitioning to Adult Services Clinic 
  • IEP Review Clinic 
  • Parent Workshops

Work present in English and Spanish

FREE! Continental breakfast and lunch provided

Saturday, March 21, 2015

Event Check-In 8:00 am  – 9:00 am

Event and Resource Fair: 9:00 am – 2:00 pm

George Westinghouse College Prep

3223 W. Franklin Blvd.

Chicago, Il 60624

Register Today!  www.odlssparentexpo.eventbrite.com  Space is limited

This event is for CPS families of diverse learners ages preschool through high school.

*We recommend, where possible, to make this an adult only event.

The event format is conference style and the workshop sessions are not ideal for children.  Child care is not available.   For more information go to www.odlssparentexpo.eventbrite.com or www.cps.edu .

African American Parents of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) Needed for Research on Experiences Accessing Services

African American Parents of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) Needed for Research on Experiences Accessing Services

Jamie Pearson is a doctoral student in Special Education at The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She is looking for participants for an exciting research project that will focus on the experiences of African
American parents gaining access to services for their children who have ASD. Below is a description of the study.

Title of the Project: African American Parents’ Experiences Accessing Services for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

About the Project: As a participant, you will complete two 10-minute surveys and be interviewed face-to-face for approximately one hour. This will help us to understand of the experiences of African American Families when accessing services in school and outside of school for children with ASD. We believe that your experiences will help to inform the practices
in schools and homes, particularly for children of color with autism.
Potential Participants: Please consider participating in this study if:

1. You are an African American parent or caregiver of an African American child who has a primary diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder,

2. Your child is in grades K-5 at a public school in Illinois and qualifies for special education and related services, AND

3. Your total yearly family income is more than $27,910
In appreciation for your time, you will receive $50 for participating in this study.

For more information please contact: Jamie Pearson, jnpears2@illinois.edu, 217-333-0260 Hedda Meadan, meadan@illinois.edu, 217-333-0260

 

 

SIBSHOP IS FOR AGE 7 to 12.

sibshopOUR SIBSHOP IS FOR AGE 7 to 12.

Sun, October 19, 2014 10:00AM to 1:00PM (Central) 
Lunch will be served!

Frequently Asked Questions about Sibshops

What are Sibshops? For the adults who run them and for the agencies that sponsor them, Sibshops are evidence of their loving concern for the family member who will have the longest-lasting relationship with a person who has a disability. However, for the kids who attend them, Sibshops are pedal-to-the-metal events where they will meet other sibs (usually for the first time), have fun, laugh, talk about the good and not-so-good parts of having a sib with special needs, play some great games, learn about the services their brothers and sister receive, and have some more fun.
Who attends Sibshops? Sibs, of course! Most Sibshops are for sibs of kids with developmental concerns. Increasingly, Sibshops are being offered for brothers and sisters of kids with health concerns and we’re beginning to see Sibshops emerge for sibs of kids with mental health concerns.

UNDERSTOOD: National Center for Learning Disabilities

National Center for Learning DisabilitiesUNDERSTOOD

The National Center for Learning Disabilities is due to launch a new online tool for parents:

Understood is part of a bold new plan to support parents of children with learning and attention issues. Through research and interviews with thousands of parents, we have learned a lot about what people need to help their kids thrive at home, at school and in life. We developed Understood with that in mind.

Here’s just some of what you’ll find on Understood:

  • Personalized resources—all you have to do is tell us what’s important to you and your child
  • Over 1,500 searchable articles, infographics, slideshows, quizzes, and videos, with more added every day
  • State-of-the-art technology that allows you to experience the world through the eyes of children with dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, ADHD and executive functioning issues
  • Daily opportunities to connect with experts and get your questions answered
  • A community of parents and experts, creating a safe place to ask and answer questions
  • Tools to help navigate daily parenting challenges, find the technology that’s right for your child, choose a school and more

Visit www.ncld.org for more information.

 

 

FAMILY & SCHOOL PARTNERSHIP FORUMS

FAMILY & SCHOOL PARTNERSHIP FORUMS to learn about CPS’ Join us at the FAMILY & SCHOOL PARTNERSHIP FORUMS to learn about CPS’ Office of Diverse Learner Supports & Services (ODLSS)

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2014
Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences
3857 W. 11th Street, Chicago IL
FREE PARKING

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2014
Northside College Prep
5501 N. Kedzie Ave., Chicago, IL
FREE PARKING/Street parking

TRANSITION: WHAT’S NEXT 101 PARENT TRAININGS 

On behalf of the Office of Diverse Learner Supports and Services (ODLSS) Transition department, we want to invite you to attend the What’s Next 101 (WN101) Parent Modules taking place this school year.
We are excited to present students and families with information pertaining to Transition related topics that will assist Diverse Learners in transitioning to life after high school. WN101 is a series of parent modules focusing on pertinent Transition related information.
We strongly encourage parents to attend each training taking place nearest to your home with the end result being that students and families complete the modules in its entirety.

All sessions will be from 5:00 – 7:00
For additional information and to register for these important workshops, click below/Para registrase favor de visitar
https://docs.google.com/a/cps.edu/forms/d/1nXPEC1GLGbG7dHx57F84LgGKrPeEgcV1a0CAjxNe6Rs/viewform

NORTH SIDE LOCATION Sullivan High School, Social Room
6631 N Bosworth Ave,
Chicago, IL 60626
Dates: October 16th, November 6th, February 12th & May 14th

CENTRAL LOCATION *new location
Brown Elementary School
54 N. Hermitage Ave
Chicago, IL 60612
Dates: October 23rd, November 13th, February 19th, & May 21st

SOUTH SIDE LOCATION
Colman
4655 S. Dearborn
Chicago, IL 60609  Lab 101
Dates: October 30th, November 20th, February 26th, & May 28th