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PLUK eNews December 21, 2004
http://www.pluk.org/eNews/Dec_21_04.htm 
Volume 3 Issue 10

Welcome to PLUK's electronic newsletter! 
(Download the printable pdf version at: http://www.pluk.org/eNews/Dec_21_04.pdf )

We are proud to present news of interest for Montana families of children with disabilities and special health care needs, and for the professionals and educators who serve them; however, it does not constitute an endorsement.

Highlights:

Tips: Taking Care of Yourself
Raising a special needs child can be overwhelming. If you are not careful, special education can consume your life. Many parents drive themselves until they are exhausted and burned out.
Pace yourself. Listen to tapes about time management. Use a schedule to gain control of your life. Spend time with friends or family to re-charge your batteries and regain a healthy perspective.
Here are some tips for taking care of yourself and your family.

Tips: Taking Care of Yourself

From http://www.fetaweb.com/01/tips.takecare.htm 

50 ways to fix your life
From http://www.usnews.com/usnews/issue/041227/health/27opener.htm. 
From small tinkers that can improve your life to major transformations that might save it, experts weigh in on how to make a new you in 2005
Americans have long been captivated by the notion of self-improvement--none more so than Benjamin Franklin. An accomplished printer, author, postmaster, scientist, inventor, and diplomat who taught himself to speak five languages, this Founding Father never stopped striving to change for the better. At the tender age of 79, he "conceiv'd the bold and arduous project of arriving at moral perfection," describing 13 virtues to aim for--temperance, silence, order, resolution, frugality, industry, sincerity, justice, moderation, cleanliness, tranquillity, chastity, and humility--and an intricate system for charting his progress in each. "Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself; avoid trifling conversation," he writes in his Autobiography. "Lose no time; be always employ'd in something useful; cut off all unnecessary actions."
Read more at http://www.usnews.com/usnews/issue/041227/health/27opener.htm. 

ADVENTURES IN EDUCATION: 2005 SPECIALS and DISCOUNTS
Don't miss the great SPECIALS and DISCOUNTS we are offering for the ADVENTURES IN EDUCATION: 2005 Conference on Inclusive Education. PEAK Parent Center's January 27-29, 2005 conference, hosted in Colorado, offers dozens of MOTIVATING SPEAKERS, tons of GREAT STRATEGIES, and lots of FUN! Don't miss it!
EARLY REGISTRATION DISCOUNTS: Register for the Conference by December 23, 2004 to take advantage of our early registration discounts! Save up to $55.00 per person when registering early.
INDIVIDUAL & FAMILY MEMBER DISCOUNTS: If you are a family member or person with a disability you will receive additional discounts on registration fees. Save up to $115 per person in ADDITION to early registration discounts!
FREE GIFT CERTIFICATE! If you have attended our Conference on Inclusive Education before and you recruit someone new to attend, you are eligible to receive a free $20.00 gift certificate. You can use the certificate to buy books and merchandise at the PEAK Parent Center sales table during the conference.
Visit http://www.peakparent.org today to Register and view our brochure!

John H. Hager Assumes Duties as Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services
December 6, 2004
John H. Hager, a former lieutenant governor of Virginia, has been sworn in as assistant secretary for the U.S. Education Department's Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS). The Senate confirmed Hager for the post before its Thanksgiving recess.
In his new position, Hager will lead the office that administers federal special education programs for America's 6.8 million children and youth with disabilities. His office also promotes employment opportunities for adults with disabilities and sponsors research to improve the lives of individuals with disabilities of all ages. Hager's service career has included numerous leadership roles with a number of disability organizations.
"I'm looking forward to working with the secretary and my staff at OSERS on matters crucial to education and people with disabilities," Hager said. "With the recent updates to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and the Assistive Technology Act, we have valuable new opportunities to make a difference in the lives of the people we serve."
Read the complete release at: http://www.ed.gov/news/pressreleases/2004/12/12062004b.html. 

CONTRACTED LITERARY AND NEMETH BRAILLE, January 17 - May 7, 2005
PAMELA BOESPFLUG, INSTRUCTOR
Description: This is a Braille class for those that know all non-contracted braille letters and numbers and have had exposure to some contracted braille. All 189 contractions of the Literary Braille Code will be presented early in the class and students will practice writing contractions correctly in words and sentences and recognize them as they read.† The emphasis will be on increasing fluency of reading and writing braille.† Students will learn to write addition, subtraction, multiplication and division problems using The Nemeth Code, the math braille code. Formatting Nemeth problems will be introduced and practiced. Students will explore math texts, Nemeth instruction books and sources for braille books.
For information, contact Pam Boespflug at the Montana School for the Deaf and Blind, 406/771-6083.

MSU-BILLINGS HOSTS WINTER EDUCATION CAMP FOR STUDENTS GRADES 2-6, DEC. 28-29
Contact: Adam Sundstrom, Experiential Learning Program Coordinator, 896-5890
The Montana State University-Billings College of Professional Studies and Lifelong Learning will host a Winter Education Camp for students in grades 2-6, on Tuesday and Wednesday, December 28-29, from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., on the MSU-Billings campus.
The camp is a fun learning experience that uses games, activities and crafts to teach a variety of winter topics, such as Montana mammals and winter weather. Students will spend the day in small, same-age groups, and will be involved in hands-on activities based on science education and winter outdoor skills.
On Dec. 28, the group will learn about "Marvelous Montana Mammals" and will spend part of the day working on projects and reading stories about mammals, guided by the staff and facilities at the MSU-Billings Library.
On Dec. 29, students will get a hands-on lesson about "TRACKS," with ZooMontana instructors who will be come to the camp to share their knowledge and excitement about Montana's winter animals.
The first 15 people to register will get a family pass to ZooMontana.
Cost for the camp is $60. Space is limited, so register your young explorer soon. For more information about the Winter Education Camp, contact Program Coordinator Adam Sundstrom at 406/896-5890 or (800)708-0068.

IDEA 2004 SUMMARY
From: NATIONAL COMMITTEE OF PARENTS AND ADVOCATES ORGANIZED TO PROTECT IDEA
This is a summary of some of the most critical changes affecting children with disabilities and their families in IDEA 2004, concentrating on the IEP process, due process and the discipline provisions. How these changes affect our children will depend, at least in part, on how the U.S. Department of Education interprets them through policies and regulations and how they are implemented at the state, district and school level. Most of these changes will be effective as of July 1, 2005.
A new provision in the Act authorizes the Secretary to issue only regulations necessary to secure compliance with the statute. This provision may limit the Secretary's authority to issue regulations that could be useful in clarifying ambiguities. A new section of the Act also suggests that states minimize the number of rules, regulations and policies to which the school districts are subject.
This law, as amended by the 2004 changes, will not provide mandatory full funding. Although the annual amounts now authorized (permitted) to be spent on IDEA would achieve full funding in six years, that assumes these amounts will actually be appropriated (spent), and explains why mandatory funding of IDEA is so important. In fact, two days after Congress passed the IDEA Conference Report with its "glide path to full funding" it appropriated significantly less funding for special education than it had just promised.

IEP PROCESS

  1. Short-term objectives. The long established obligation for IEP teams to spell out short-term objectives for meeting each child's measurable annual IEP goals no longer exists for most children. Such short-term objectives are only required for the very small percentage of children (generally less than 1% of students with disabilities) who are taking alternate assessments aligned to alternate achievement standards. The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) limits participation on these assessments to students with the most significant cognitive disabilities. NCLB also provides that both grade-level and alternate achievement standards should be aligned with state content standards. Parents should ensure that their child's academic IEP goals are also aligned with these standards. Short-term objectives are essential stepping stones toward these goals for all students with disabilities, not just a very small percentage.
    In states that offer alternate assessments aligned to alternate achievement standards, it is the IEP team that determines whether a child fits the criteria for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities. Parents, as members of the IEP team, may feel pressure to agree that their child fits these criteria in order to retain short-term objectives. Such pressure directly undermines the accountability provisions of NCLB.
    Even if these short-term objectives are not mandated by law, all parents can still request their child's IEP team to identify them. IDEA 2004 still requires a description of how progress toward meeting will be measured and parents can contend that short-term objectives are the answer. Without short term objectives parents will have virtually no way of measuring whether their children are making progress in achieving their annual goals and will not be informed participants in their child's education. In addition, teachers will not have a guide as to the intervening steps that should be taken towards achieving these goals and when they should be taken. Teachers will also have great difficulty developing meaningful progress reports to the parents.
  2. IEP progress reports. The progress the child is making toward meeting the annual goals must be reported, but there is no longer a reference to "the extent to which the progress is sufficient to attain the goal by the end of the year." This information seems especially important to parents and teachers if there is a shared commitment to help all children learn to high standards set for all. Parents may see progress all year only to realize in June that the progress was not sufficient to meet the goal.
  3. Transition information in IEP. The amendments clarify that the transition process for a student with a disability now begins at age 16 and is not merely a plan for transition. Parents should request that the student's IEP, when appropriate, include a statement of inter-agency responsibilities and any needed linkages since this language is no longer in the statute.
  4. IEP attendance and participation. A new section allows IEP team members to be excused from attendance if their area is not being discussed. When this section is read with new provisions allowing alternate means of meeting participation (e.g. conference calls), consolidation of reevaluation meetings and other IEP meetings, and a pilot program authorizing up to 15 states to use multi-year IEPs, the combined effect is a revolution in the traditional IEP meeting. Some say these are positive changes. Others are concerned that these provisions will limit cross fertilization of ideas and undermine the interdisciplinary nature of IEP meetings (team members each bring areas or "disciplines" of expertise to the table).
    While written parental consent is required before these actions can occur, parents may find that they are under considerable pressure to provide their consent. At least once a year the parents should be able to get all the members of their child's team in one room, all sharing ideas for the benefit of the child. The potential richness of these conversations can not be anticipated in written reports submitted by excused members and conference calls do not allow for the same flow of ideas. You never know which IEP team member will turn the tide of a meeting.
  5. Pilot program for multi-year IEPs. The Secretary of Education is authorized to approve proposals from up to 15 states to allow local school districts to offer, with parental consent, a multi-year IEP, not to exceed 3 years. This option will limit parent participation in their child's education by not having a comprehensive annual IEP review, except in certain situations. Also, 3-year IEPs will contain multi-year goals which can be expected to be less specific and harder to measure than annual goals -especially when benchmarks and short-term objectives are no longer required for all but those students with the most significant cognitive disabilities. Another serious problem is that the required elements under IDEA for these multi-IEPs are not as inclusive as for annual IEPs. This is true with respect to statements on progress reports, accommodations, supplementary aids and services and more. While, the states may include these as required elements in the multi-year IEPs, IDEA does not mandate that they do so. Parents in these states will have to consent to the 3-year IEPs that must be reviewed at natural transition points by the IEP team. Therefore, it will be critical that parents are informed, knowledgeable and well prepared to deal with any pressure that may be put on them.
  6. Pilot program for paperwork reduction. The Secretary of Education is authorized to grant waivers of statutory and regulatory requirements, for a period not to exceed 4 years, to 15 states proposing to reduce excessive paperwork and non-instructional time burdens. The Secretary is prohibited from waiving requirements related to civil rights or the right of a child to a free appropriate public education (FAPE). How this process is implemented is a matter of special concern to parents, who worry that many requirements in the IEP process which parents consider to be related to civil rights and FAPE, may be seen as contributors to the paperwork burden. Another significant concern is that "pilot" implies that this is the first step toward expanding these programs beyond the 15 states.
  7. IEP team transition. Parents of a child transitioning from Part C services (early childhood) to part B services (school-age) can request an invitation to the initial IEP meeting be sent to representatives of the Part C system to assist with a smooth transition of services. This provision doesn't require a Part C representative to attend but it does encourage collaboration.
  8. Transfers between school districts. Services comparable to those described in the IEP in effect before a child's transfer must be provided by the new school district. These services must continue until the previous IEP is adopted, or a new IEP is developed, adopted and implemented, in the case of a transfer in the same state or until a new IEP is developed, in the case of a transfer outside the state. This new provision will help parents of transferring students know what they can expect from their new schools.

DUE PROCESS

  1. Procedural safeguards notice. The procedural safeguards notice will be distributed only once a year except that a copy will be distributed upon initial referral, when a parent makes a request for an evaluation, when a due process complaint has been filed or if a parent requests a copy. The notice will no longer be automatically distributed with the IEP team notice or upon reevaluation. This is only a problem if parents are unaware of their rights, including the right to request this notice if they need one.
  2. Statute of limitations. Parents now have two years in which to exercise their due process rights after they knew or should have known that an IDEA violation has occurred. The interpretation of the language "should have known" will be critical.
  3. Due process complaint notice. Parents who feel their child's educational rights are being compromised must file a complaint with the school district (with a copy to the state) identifying the name and contact information of the child, describing the nature of the problem with supporting facts and a proposed resolution. A new provision provides that the school district shall file a response within 10 days unless the district within 15 days notifies the state hearing officer that it is challenging the sufficiency of the parent's due process complaint notice. The State hearing officer has 5 more days to make a finding. In addition to the obvious delay, of particular concern is that the complexity of filing for due process may have a chilling effect on parents.
  4. Resolution session. Parents must go through a mandatory "resolution session" before due process. The school district will convene a meeting with the parents and relevant members of the IEP team within 15 days of when the school district receives the parent's due process complaint. The school district has 30 days from the time the complaint is filed to resolve the complaint to the satisfaction of the parents, after which a due process hearing can occur. This provision may encourage school systems to wait until a due process complaint is filed before trying to resolve issues. Attorney's fees are not reimbursed for work related to the resolution session.
  5. Attorney's fees. Parent's attorneys may be responsible for paying the school system attorney's fees if a cause of action in a due process hearing or court action is determined to be frivolous, unreasonable, or without foundation. Parents may be responsible for the school system's attorney fees if a cause of action was presented for any improper purpose, such as to harass or to cause unnecessary delay or needless increase in the cost of litigation. Obviously, parents should not file frivolous or improper causes of action, but it is important that school districts not use these changes in the law to intimidate parents. This could have a chilling effect on parents obtaining legal representation and filing valid complaints to improve their children's education.
  6. Qualifications for Hearing Officers. A positive change is that there are now explicit qualification requirements for Hearing Officers.

DISCIPLINE

  1. Stay put. The right of a student with a disability to "stay put" in his/her current educational placement pending an appeal is eliminated for alleged violations of the school code that may result in a removal from the student's current educational placement for more than 10 days. Previously the law only denied "stay-put" rights to students with disabilities involved in drugs, weapons or other dangerous behavior or activity. The right to "stay put" while a parent challenges the manifestation determination or proposed placement is a critical element to ensuring a student's continued free appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment.
    Moving back and forth between the current placement and an interim alternative educational setting during an appeal can have a significant negative impact on achievement for children who already have difficulty adjusting to transitions. Parents must remain vigilant and ensure that their children continue to be provided the educational programming and services they need to make progress toward meeting their IEP goals. If this progress is negatively affected, the school may recommend a change to a more restrictive setting for the future. In addition, for purposes of reporting Adequate Yearly Progress under the No Child Left Behind Act, individual schools do not have to count children who are transferred to alternative settings and are, therefore, not in the same school for the full academic year. This could create an incentive for disciplinary actions against students with disabilities.
  2. Services to be received in interim alternative educational setting. A child is entitled to receive programming and services necessary to enable him or her to receive a free appropriate public education consistent with section 612(a)(1) during the period in which he/she is in an interim alternative education setting. Under IDEA 2004, the student must be provided services to enable him or her to continue to participate in the general education curriculum and to progress toward meeting the goals in the IEP. The new provision replaced language requiring that a child in an interim alternative educational setting receive services and modifications, including those described in the student's current IEP which will enable the child to meet the goals in the IEP. The change in language cannot be interpreted as diluting any of these services that are consistent with the definition of FAPE because a student with a disability must continue to receive FAPE during the period of removal from his/her current educational placement.
  3. Manifestation Determination Review. Before IDEA 2004, the burden was on the school district to show that the behavior resulting in a disciplinary action was not a manifestation of the child's disability before being allowed to apply the same disciplinary procedures as they use for non-disabled children. The burden of proof for the manifestation determination review has now been shifted to the parents who have to prove that the behavior was caused by or had a direct and substantial relationship to the disability. The language requiring the IEP team to consider whether the disability impaired the child's ability to control or to understand the impact and consequences of the behavior has been deleted. The language that gave the school an incentive to address behavior appropriately by requiring the IEP team to consider whether the IEP was appropriate has also been deleted.
    Because the amendments to IDEA make it easier for schools to remove children for non-dangerous, non-weapon, non-drug related behaviors, and place the burden on parents to prove the connection between behavior and disability, parents will need to pay careful attention to the behavioral needs of their child in developing the IEP. Even if the child has not previously been subjected to disciplinary exclusion, parents may need to anticipate, to consider and spell out any concerns they may have about their child's possible emotional and behavioral responses particularly when they are not provided the supports and services they may need.
  4. Special Circumstances. Since 1997, IDEA had expressly authorized schools to unilaterally remove children to an interim alternative educational setting for as long as 45 days for offenses involving drugs and weapons -even if the behavior was a manifestation of the student's disability. In addition, a hearing officer could make the same decision if it was determined based on a preponderance of the evidence that keeping the child in his/her current placement was substantially likely to result in injury to the child or others. Although school authorities have always had the authority to respond to an emergency and to unilaterally remove any student with or without a disability who is causing serious bodily injury to another, now schools can also unilaterally remove children for 45 days for "inflicting serious bodily injury." This term is defined as involving a substantial risk of death; extreme physical pain; protracted and obvious disfigurement; or protracted loss or impairment of the function of a bodily member, organ, or mental faculty.
    The hearing officer in determining whether to remove a child because maintaining his/her current placement is substantially likely to result in injury to self or others is no longer required to consider whether the school district's proposed change in placement is based on a preponderance of the evidence. In addition, the amended statute no longer requires the hearing officer to consider whether the school has made reasonable efforts to minimize the risk of harm, including the use of supplementary aids and services. These changes, to the degree they have the effect of punishing the child even if proper supports could have prevented the problem, arguably violate Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act.
  5. 45 day limit. The 45 calendar day limit on the removal for these offenses has been changed to 45 school days, which is significantly longer [now 9 instead of 6 weeks of school at a critical time when students with disabilities are being held accountable for meeting high state standards.]
  6. Functional Behavioral Assessments. The requirement for Functional Behavioral Assessments and Behavioral Intervention Plans are maintained in the discipline provisions
  7. Case-by-case determination. A paragraph has been added to the discipline provisions, which states that school personnel can consider any unique circumstances on a case-by-case basis when determining whether to change the placement of a child with a disability who violates a school code of conduct. This is a good provision for parents to quote when they are having trouble proving that their child's behavior is a manifestation of the disability. It serves to remind the school personnel that common sense should prevail and all circumstances should be considered.

Documentary film focuses on transition from hospital to community
This film is also available for free on http://www.olmsteadcommunity.org in DVD and VHS formats. It is an excellent video.
Documentary film focuses on transition from hospital to community (USA) Inside Outside: Building a Meaningful Life after the Hospital, a new documentary film by ex-patient filmmakers Pat Deegan and Terry Strecker, shows that recovery is possible, even for people who are seen as severely disabled. People with significant personal histories of psychiatric hospitalization are interviewed about their experience of developing meaningful lives for themselves in the community. They discuss their fear of leaving hospital and talk about the different therapeutic, self-help, practical (housing, employment, transportation) and spiritual supports they used to rebuild their lives.
According to the filmmakers, Inside Outside was inspired in part by the U.S. Supreme Court's 1999 Olmstead decision, which states that the unjustified institutionalization of people with disabilities is a form of discrimination under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Inside Outside was recently screened in Toronto, first at the Rendezvous with Madness film festival on November 17, and then at the Recovery in Action forum on November 25. The Recovery in Action forum also included an information fair and presentations by consumers, family members, and mental health and peer support organizations on recovery-focused projects. The event was organized by the Ontario Recovers Campaign, which was formed in June 2004 to train, educate and advocate for recovery-oriented programs and a recovery-oriented mental health system.
For information about the Ontario Recovers Campaign, contact Brian McKinnon at 416-285-7996, ext. 227, or bmckinnon@iprimus.ca. For more information about Inside Outside, including how to order, see http://www.patdeegan.com. 

"COMMUNITY FOR ALL" TOOL KIT
From The Arc of the United States
This tool kit was developed at the request of volunteers, advocates, self-advocates, and professionals concerned that the remarkable progress made towards the inclusion of people with cognitive, intellectual and developmental disabilities (our constituents) into the fabric and mainstream of community life in America was at risk. In some places in the United States there are those who would not only continue to deny people currently in public and private institutions freedom and opportunity through continued institutionalization but who also want to expand the role of institutions in the lives of our constituents.
The organizations contributing to this tool kit find that unacceptable, given all we know about how to effectively support all people, regardless of their disability, in the community. To fight the disinformation so common among those who favor continued segregation, this tool kit provides the philosophy, policy and research rationale that supports community supports and services for all people with disabilities, in the context of their families, their communities and their country.
You are free to copy or modify any of the information in this tool kit for your use. If it is photocopied or reproduced from a journal or magazine, you need to get permission to copy it from the journal or magazine publisher.
The published articles, book chapters and monographs should be cited as such with respect to the authors and to copyright laws.
NOTES: Some portions of this Tool Kit can either be found on the Web or will link to external files; where possible, links to these external sites and documents are included. Most files included or linked to are in Portable Document Format (PDF) and will require the free Adobe Acrobat Reader Program (available at http://www.adobe.com) to view them.
A full copy of the Tool Kit can be downloaded or printed. It is a large document and may take a considerable amount of time to download. You can order a complete copy of the Tool Kit including a CD with all documents from http://thechp.syr.edu/toolkit/. 

Which Programs Work to Prevent Teen Violence?
Preventing Violence and Related Health-Risking Social Behaviors in Adolescents National Institutes of Health State-of-the-Science Conference Statement Available free at http://consensus.nih.gov/ta/023/023youthviolenceHTMLstatement.htm. 
"Scare tactics" aimed at preventing violent behavior among adolescents do not work and may make the problem worse, according to a new research-based consensus document put together by a panel at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The panel convened Oct. 13-15 to review scientific research on youth violence prevention.
It concluded that "get tough" programs such as detention centers and boot camps create environments where more experienced delinquent adolescents teach the less experienced how to be delinquent. In addition, a research review by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests that putting juveniles in the adult judicial system is counterproductive, because it is more likely to result in kids learning to be more violent than it is to deter them.
The draft statement concludes: "Ineffective programs may not harm the participants directly (although some do) but they may have an important toxic effect nonetheless; namely the 'opportunity cost' of funds misspent on an unsuitable program that might have been spent on an effective one."
The experts agreed that two programs aimed at reducing arrests for violent crimes or violence precursors are effective: Functional Family Therapy and Multisystemic Therapy. Functional Family Therapy is a short-term family-based prevention and intervention program to treat high-risk youth and their families. The youth and families attend at least 12 one-hour sessions over three months.
Multisystemic Therapy provides community-based clinical treatment for violent and chronic juvenile offenders who are at risk for out-of-home placement. The average treatment is 60 hours of therapist-family contact over four months. Both programs reduced re-arrest rates, violent crime arrests and out-of-home placements for a period of approximately four years.
Read more at: http://www.youthtoday.org/youthtoday/research.html. 

Request for Help from Families of Children with Genetic Disorders
The Genetic Alliance is requesting the help of families of children with genetic disorders. The following is their request:
As consumers, you often have concerns about what providers know (and don't know) about genetics, but often don't have a chance to describe what you think providers need to learn. Now you have an opportunity to be heard by an organization that teaches health care providers about genetics, the National Coalition for Health Professional Education in Genetics (NCHPEG).
The Genetic Alliance is partnering with NCHPEG in a survey. The purpose of this survey is to ask families living with children with genetic conditions about their perceptions of their health care provider knowledge of genetics. The information from this survey will be used to develop genetics education for specific types of health care providers.
http://www.nchpeg.org/SFGC_Survey/Survey.asp. If your family member has more than one medical condition, you may respond to the survey once for each condition. You are the experts we need your help!!!! Thanks so much!
Sharon Terry, MA, President & CEO, Genetic Alliance, 4301 Connecticut Avenue, NW Suite 404, Washington, DC 20008-2369, Voice: 202-966-5557 x213, Fax: 202-966-8553, Email: sterry@geneticalliance.org, Web: http://www.geneticalliance.org 

Free Special Education Advocacy Course for Parents
Partners in Education is a 3-hour online self-study course for parents of children with disabilities. The course is designed to teach the skills you need to advocate for your child. You will learn about:

To learn more about the Partners in Education course go to http://www.partnersinpolicymaking.com/education/index.html 

Free Professional Development Workshops for Teachers
The U.S. Department of Education is offering online, on-demand professional development training for elementary and secondary school teachers.
Teacher-to-Teacher e-Learning links educators to videos of workshops. The workshops are taught by exemplary teachers and education experts who demonstrate how you can translate scientifically based research into classroom practice and how you can use data to inform your instruction.
These workshops cover various topics, including reading instruction, math, and science, and may be taken for credit.
To learn more about the Teacher-to-Teacher e-Learning program go to http://www.ed.gov/teachers/how/tools/initiative/index.html. 

Autism: Why Do Some Develop Then Regress?
From http://www.umich.edu/news/index.html?Releases/2004/Nov04/r111804b 
ANN ARBOR, Mich -- Most children with autism show developmental differences early in life, usually involving their ability to communicate. But new University of Michigan research examines the 20 to 40 percent of youngsters who appear to develop communication skills, then regress.
The largest known study of its kind offers a host of new details on autism with regression, including a link between regression and a family history of autoimmune thyroid disease, an association with gastrointestinal symptoms and more findings offering a better picture of autism's causes.
While previous research used data collected from school age and older children, the new study included mostly children in their pre-school years. The U-M Autism & Communication Disorders Center used data collected from 13 sites across the nation as part of a larger project within the Collaborative Program for Excellence in Autism.
The studies are detailed in three upcoming medical journal papers by U-M researchers Jennifer Richler and Rhiannon Luyster and University of Cincinnati researcher Cindy Molloy. They looked at numerous factors contributing to Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
The researchers found:

The study, gathering information through collaboration with many of the nation's top universities, brought together data from 1,592 children diagnosed with ASD across the 13 sites during a five-year period. Researchers gave greater analysis to 351 cases, to include 163 with regression and 188 with no regression.
Autism is a complex developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of life. ASD impacts the normal development of the brain processes related to social interaction and communication skills. Children and adults with autism typically have difficulties with verbal and non-verbal communication, social interaction, and leisure or play activities.
Center Director Catherine Lord, a nationally known pioneer in autism research, played a key role in learning how to properly diagnose 2-year-olds a decade ago. She is confident the University's research will make it routine to diagnose autism for children 18 months old, and perhaps younger.
The number of children diagnosed with the disorder has increased tenfold during the past decade. The center has been conducting a sweeping longitudinal study of children with ASD that started when participants were age 2. Most of the subjects now are in their teens.
More on the Autism & Communication Disorders Center: http://www.umaccweb.com/ 

The Apple MUG Store
PLUK is a registered Apple User Group and anyone reading this may purchase from the user group store. The MUG store has free freight to members, RAM rebates, aggressive pricing on new (and reconditioned) Macs and the largest selection of pre-owned Macs on the planet.
Visit this exclusive user group site at http://www.applemugstore.com 
12/1/2004-3/30/2005 - User ID: mug - Password: store
If you purchase items, just state you are a member of PLUK, Parents, Let's Unite for Kids.

Upcoming PLUK trainings and activities planned for Winter/Spring 2005
PLUK associate boards around the state are sponsoring a number of trainings and activities this coming year. Mark your calendar if you are interested in participating.
Go to http://www.pluk.org/training  for more detailed information and registration.

January 2005
Title: Staying Cool When Our Buttons are Pushed: An Introduction
Date: Tuesday, January 11, 6:00 - 8:00 PM
Where: Interactive video conference airing statewide from Missoula
Presenter: Doug Cochran-Roberts

Title: ADHD: Where We Stand Today
Date: January 19, 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Where: Bozeman Chamber of Commerce
Presenter: Stephanie Luehr

Title: Staying Cool When Our Buttons are Pushed
Date: January 24, 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Where: Mansfield Center, Billings
Presenter: Doug Cochran-Roberts

February 2005
Title: Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
Date: Tuesday, February 8, 6:00 - 8:00 PM
Where: Interactive video conference airing statewide from Fort Belknap
Presenters: Jill Plumage, Fort Belknap Hospital

Title: Special Education in Montana (legal aspects and case studies)
Date: February 9, 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Where: Montana School for the Deaf and Blind conference room, Great Falls
Presenter: Kathy Manley Coburn

Title: Financial Planning and Resources for Families
Date: February 24, 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Where: Ruby's Conference Center, Missoula
Presenters: Nancy Gibson & Karen Grove

March 2005
Title: Bullying: an Introduction to What we can do
Date: Tuesday, March 8, 6:00 - 8:00 PM
Where: Interactive video conference airing statewide from Kalispell
Presenters: Dr. Marlene Snyder and panel

Title: ADHD: Where We Stand Today
Date: March 9, 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Where: Kalispell
Presenter: Stephanie Luehr

Title: Staying Cool When Our Buttons are Pushed: Part 2
Date: March 21, 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Where: Kalispell, The SUMMIT
Presenter: Doug Cochran-Roberts

April 2005
Title: TBA
Date: Tuesday, April 12, 6:00 - 8:00 PM
Where: Interactive video conference airing statewide
Presenters: TBA

Title: Bullying: What we know, What we can do
Date: April 15, 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Where: Miles City
Presenter: Dr. Marlene Snyder

May 2005
Title: TBA
Date: Tuesday, May 10, 6:00 - 8:00 PM
Where: Interactive video conference airing statewide
Presenters: TBA

Title: Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
Date: Tuesday, May 17, 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Where: Great Falls
Presenters: Jill Plumage, Fort Belknap Hospital

Other Community Activities

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