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PLUK eNews March
06, 2005
http://www.pluk.org/eNews/Mar_06_05.htm
Volume 3 Issue 13
Welcome to PLUK's electronic
newsletter!
(Download the printable pdf version at: http://www.pluk.org/eNews/Mar_06_05.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.
Fourth Annual Native American Brain Injury Conference,
April 26-27, Billings
The Fourth Annual Native American Brain Injury Conference, scheduled for
April 26-27 in Billings, will feature nationally-recognized speakers and an
evening concert with singer-songwriter Jack Gladstone.
Registration fees vary ($55-$105). Pre-register by April 8, 2005 for the best
rates. Register online at http://www.msubillings.edu/mtcdregister.
Questions? Call Ian Elliot at 1-888-866-3822, or Nell Eby at 406-655-7636 for
more information
Angel Flight Inc.
(Courtesy of Angel Flight, Inc.)
Angel Flight, Inc. was created by a group of pilots who believe in the benefit
of volunteering. We strive to keep all aspects of the organization
volunteer-based. Angel Flight is a non-profit charitable organization of pilots,
volunteers, and friends. Angel Flight will arrange free air transportation for
any legitimate, charitable, medically related need. This service is available to
individuals, and health care organizations.
Angel Flight will arrange transportation of those people who are financially
distressed, or who are in a time-critical, non-emergency situation due to their
medical condition. Angel Flight primarily serves patients needing transportation
to or from the heartland region. Angel Flight is a member of the Air Care
Alliance, a group of organizations providing similar services throughout the
United States. By coordinating with other organizations, Angel Flight can
arrange transportation for patients on longer flights to other parts of the
country outside of the Heartland region. Angel Flight has also flown blood
products for the Oklahoma Blood Institute and Red Cross in emergencies.
Our Patients are usually traveling for surgery, chemotherapy, dialysis, and
other treatments. A typical flight may carry patients requiring treatment at
M.D. Anderson in Houston or the Shriner Hospital in Galveston, TX. Angel Flight
is financially supported primarily by our pilots who fly the missions (by
donating the use of their airplanes and operating expenses) and by contributions
from individuals, service clubs, social and religious groups and corporations.
We receive no financial aid from any government entity. There is never a fee of
any kind, either to the patient or the health care provider for an Angel Flight.
The volunteer pilots pay the costs.
Learn more about Angel Flight at http://www.angelflight.com
and visit the Air Care Alliance website, http://www.aircareall.org,
for more information about medical flights for people in need.
Supreme Court to Hear Maryland Special-Ed Case
(From The Washington Post)
Schools Must Prove Adherence to Disabilities Law, Couple's Suit Asserts
By Tim Craig and Miranda S. Spivack, Washington Post Staff Writers--Wednesday,
February 23, 2005-The Supreme Court agreed yesterday to hear the case of a
Montgomery County couple who contend that school officials, if challenged, must
prove they are meeting their legal obligations to special education students.
The justices will try to decide whether lower courts should place the burden of
proof on schools or the plaintiff -- presumably the parents -- when a party sues
under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. The law requires that
public schools grant every disabled child a "free appropriate special
education" tailored to the child's specific needs.
Read the rest of this Washington Post article at http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Education News Parents Can Use: Next broadcast, March
15
A television series about ways to ensure children's educational success
http://www.ed.gov/news/av/video/edtv/index.html
Education News Parents Can Use focuses on schools, learning and the No Child
Left Behind Act of 2001. On the third Tuesday of each month during the school
year, Education News airs live via satellite, offering parents and anyone else
with an interest in education vital information about getting involved in
children's learning.
If you have any comments or questions, feel free to send a message to Education.TV@ed.gov or call at 1-800-USA-LEARN.
Blind Users Can Now Surf the Web Over the Phone, Thanks
to New Technology Partnership
(From Tech Soup)
By Sarah Hawkins, San Jose Business News-Mar. 3, 2005--Often, blind and
partially sighted users view Web pages using a screen reader -- a device that
reads aloud the text from a Web site from left-to-right and top-to-bottom, just
as you would read a page. To get an idea of what a blind user experiences when
using the Web, imagine a person reading you a description of what is happening
on the screen or under your cursor.
San Francisco Based LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired is doing
something about this problem by partnering with InternetSpeech to create a
custom Voice Internet application.
"Lighthouse users will be able to access the Lighthouse Web site, and the
online store via a telephone," said Dean Hudson, AIS coordinator for
Lighthouse. "This means they don't have to own a computer, or have computer
skills to utilize this service, which is the case with many of our
clients."
This custom service is based on InternetSpeech's netECHO, a technology enabling
users to talk and listen to the Internet using any phone, without a computer.
Using netECHO, users can search and surf the Web, and access e-mail using a
voice/audio browser. Unlike traditional voice portals that provide limited
features like news, weather, stock quotes, and horoscopes, netECHO provides
content from any Web site in real-time.
Read more from this Tech Soup article, at http://www.techsoup.org/news/news_article.cfm?newsid=1701&rss=1.
EDUCAUSE Releases First Web Exclusive Book
EDUCAUSE has published its first Web-only book, "Educating the Net
Generation," edited by Diana Oblinger, vice president of EDUCAUSE and
director of the National Learning Infrastructure Initiative, and James Oblinger,
chancellor of North Carolina State University. The e-book is available in PDF
and HTML formats, with Web-only resources (further reading, video, podcasts, and
useful links) listed on its home page. A file of the complete book is available
for download and printing, at http://www.educause.edu/books/educatingthenetgen/5989.
Camp Eureka Natural History Camp for Children with
Visual Impairments
Children 8-12 years old who are blind or have severe visual impairments are
invited to explore Montana's wetlands and forests under the guidance of expert
educators and naturalists who are specially trained to work with children who
have visual impairments.
Sponsored by the Montana Conservation Science Institute in Missoula, Camp Eureka
is a summer camp in the Teller Wildlife Refuge, where children with visual
impairments can explore nature with safe, interactive activities and plenty of
time for play, story telling, music and games. Camp Director, Beth Underwood is
an environmental education (EE) specialist for the Montana Conservation Science
Institute and has designed and directed EE programs for two national wildlife
refuges in western Montana. She was twice recognized as state environmental
educator of the year. As an educator with visual impairment, she has a special
appreciation for the power of the natural world to foster confidence and
curiosity in children with visual impairment.
This year the camp is scheduled for June 20-23, 2005. Registration is $100 and
the $25 deposit is applied to the registration cost. For more information,
contact Beth Underwood at underhogg@montana.com.
2005 EXITE Camp
The EXITE (Exploring Interests in Technology and Engineering) Camp, hosted
by IBM, will be held at PACER Center July 21, 25, 27, 29, August 2, and 4. The
camp is a free opportunity open to any middle school girl with a disability.
To learn more about the camp or to acquire an application, visit http://www.pacer.org/stc/exite.htm
or call 952-838-9000. An information session for parents will be held on Monday,
March 7, 2005 and Monday, April 18, 2005 from 7 to 8 p.m. at PACER. Applications
are due on May 2, 2005.
Region III CSPD Transition Requirements and Practices,
March 9, Cancelled
Rescheduled for April 7, 2005
The Transition Requirements and Practices workshop has been cancelled. The
workshop has been rescheduled for April 7, 2005. Identical sessions will be
offered from 8:30-11:30 or 1:00-4:00 so you can attend one or the other. Please
sign in to http://www.cspd.net to
register for this rescheduled session.
Wrightslaw College Information Flyer
Wrightslaw offers a multitude of free publications including a PDF crammed
with links dedicated to college students with disabilities. Students can review
the ins and outs of college preparation, check out their rights and
responsibilities, and access tips for college success. Download the flyer at http://www.wrightslaw.com/flyers/college.504.pdf.
Abuse and Neglect of Children and Adults with
Developmental Disabilities: A Problem of National Significance
The Partnership for People with Disabilities at Virginia Commonwealth
University announces the new Web course, Abuse and Neglect of Children and
Adults with Developmental Disabilities: A Problem of National Significance.
Registration begins February 1, 2005. Funded by the ADD as a Project of National
Significance, the course was written for health and other professionals and
students serving people with developmental disabilities (see flyer at http://www.vcu.edu/partnership/maltreatment/flyer.pdf).
For Annotated Outline and Sample Module, go to: http://www.vcu.edu/partnership/maltreatment/.
Contact Peggy O'Neill at 804-827-0194, mailto:poneill@vcu.edu.
Disability News and Views Radio Show, WXRL 1300 AM,
Sundays 3-4 pm MST
Excerpted from www.disabilitynewsradio.com.
ATTENTION PARENTS:
Does your child take a special school bus to and from school each day? Do you
know if your child is being treated with care, respect and dignity by the adults
on the bus? Notice any sudden changes in behavior?
Yesterday, a friend of mine's story aired on Ch. 2 (NBC) about her son, Andy,
who is autistic. He began to manifest severe behavior problems in school, AFTER
his ride to school on the small school bus (Laidlaw). The mother knew that
something was happening to her son, but was unable to prove it, until she took
matters in her own hands with a tape recorder. This report will shock many
parents, especially parents of children with disabilities, who trust that the
staff that are employed by the bus company not only transport their child safely
to school each day, but treat each child with respect and dignity. Isn't that
what we teach our children to do? Be respectful and kind to others-especially
adults!
This investigation shows the horrific verbal abuse by the bus driver and aide
toward Andy from one day with a tape recorder on the school bus (can you imagine
how often this happened?) This report shows how one parent was able to get
answers she needed to help her son and subsequent action that was taken (aide
and bus driver were fired)!!
Now we need your help to make changes in NYS for all buses that transport
children with special needs to have cameras and audio to ensure the safety
mentally and physically of all children. You will be outraged, angry and shocked
by what you hear and see on the Ch. 2 news story.
To view the news video from WGRZ-TV Buffalo, go to http://www.wgrz.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=26350%20
and click on "Video."
To listen to Monica Moshenko's follow-up show from February 20, 2005, visit http://www.disabilitynewsradio.com/past_shows.htm
Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes
The Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes seeks nominations for its 2005
awards. The Barron Prize honors young people ages 8 to 18, who have shown
leadership and courage in public service to people and our planet. Each year,
ten national winners each receive $2,000 to support their service work or higher
education. Nomination deadline is April 30. For more information and to
nominate, visit: http://www.barronprize.org/.
Free Publications from FAPE
Click on http://www.fape.org/pubs/index.htm
to download these free publications and many others from the FAPE web sit.
Seeking the Biological Basis of Dyslexia
(From Science Daily.com)
Neuroscientists in the USC College of Letters, Arts and Sciences are adding fuel
to the debate over dyslexia.
Most researchers agree that the reading disability stems from an inability to
link specific sounds to written letters and words. But any consensus quickly
breaks down when scientists discuss the underlying biological causes that lead
to those difficulties.
In work presented at a meeting of the Society for Neuroscience, Zhong-Lin Lu,
Frank Manis and Anne Sperling showed that dyslexic children have a harder time
than non-dyslexics filtering out a signal from background "noise"
during tests of visual perception.
The team, which also includes the University of Wisconsin's Mark Seidenberg,
speculates that the deficit may affect the whole brain.
To read more from this Science Daily article, go to http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/01/050111122005.htm.
To read the original press release from the University of Southern California,
visit http://www.usc.edu/uscnews/stories/10885.html.
Montana Center on Disabilities-Transition Newsflash
The March 2005 issue of MCD's Transition Newsflash features Mountain Plains
Regional Resource Center Program Specialist Dr. Ed O'Leary, Ed.D, and his
article "Overview, Comments and Recommended Action for Transition Services:
P.L. 108-446, Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of
2004." Access the newest Transition Newsflash at http://www.msubillings.edu/transition/NewsflashMar05.pdf.
Easter Seals and PAAS Easter Egg Dyes Team Up, E-Cards
"Spread Some Springtime"
(Courtesy of Easter Seals)
For more than 70 years, the Easter Seals seal has been an American -- and
springtime -- tradition! This year's free e-cards, which feature the original
lily artwork from the 2005 seals, are perfect to send for Easter or Mother's Day
-- or just to brighten any day! Remember, there's no limit to how many e-cards
you can send, and you can personalize them with your own message. Help spread
some springtime -- and the word that Easter Seals provides services that make a
difference in the lives of children and adults with disabilities. View and send
the cards from http://www.easterseals.com/site/Ecard?ecard_id=1021.
Send an e-card and then vote on the Web site of our sponsor, PAASŪ Easter Egg
Dyes, for the winning design for their 125th anniversary Easter egg. You'll be
registered for a chance to win great prizes for the Easter season.
Sign Site Online Sign-Writing Resources
SignWriting.org offers online sign-written dictionaries, a database of signs
and symbols that users can download, and a sign-dictionary library as well as
links to other Sutton Movement Writing and Shorthand resources. The website
explores the uses of sign-writing in daily life and offers a variety of services
as well as a product catalog. Learn more at http://signwriting.org.
Microsoft Press Offers New Resource Guide-Accessible
Technology: A Guide for Educators
(Courtesy of Mircosoft.com)
The 47-page guide from Microsoft Press provides information about Accessible
Technology initiatives and resources that are available to educators to ensure
that all students have equal access to electronic information.
This guide includes:
To order copies of this or other booklets for educators, please call
1-800-MSPRESS, select option 3, and request code DN06. This guide is
0-7356-2012-1, Accessible Technology: A Guide for Educators. Ask about discounts
for purchases of 10 or more booklets.
You can also download the guide from Microsoft.com at http://download.microsoft.com/download/7/d/b/7db02f2c-2446-44a3-b22d-66f530f254a2/Accessible_Technology.doc
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.
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: Stephanie Luehr
Title: ADHD: Where We Stand Today
Date: March 9, 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Where: Kalispell
Presenter: Stephanie Luehr
Title: Transition Services in the Public Schools for Special Ed Students
Date: March 19, 11:00 AM - 12:15 PM
Where: Billings, Mary Alice Fortin Center Rm. A
Presenter: Sandy Taylor and Bobbie Thurston
Register for this session by calling 406-225-0540 or email bthurston@pluk.org,
or staylor@pluk.org. You may participate
by phone or in person.
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
Other Community Activities
Parent's, Let's Unite for Kids - PLUK
516 N 32nd St
Billings MT 59101-6003
800-222-7585; 406-255-0540; 406-255-0523 (fax)
plukinfo@pluk.org
http://www.pluk.org
Edited by: Roger Holt rholt@pluk.org
Proofed & condensed by: Elisabeth Mills scribe@pluk.org
Mission Statement: Parent's Let's Unite for Kids unites parents, professionals, families and friends of children with special needs to support one another, and share information for the benefit of their children.
Vision Statement: Given information and support, individuals with disabilities and their families will feel empowered to advocate for themselves and participate fully in educational and community opportunities.
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