JANUARY 2011 Disabilities Thread

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Dear parents, professionals, and advocates,

We are please to begin taking registrations for our 2nd Annual Community Conference on Autism! It'll be held Friday, April 1st at the Chattanooga Convention Center. We have fantastic speakers and topics, door prizes, exhibitors, and the opportunity to connect and network and learn. Parents gave overwhelmingly positive feedback last year and it's promising to be bigger and better this year.

Also, we are completing the Continuing Education unit evaluation of our agenda and expect to offer 6 hours worth of credits for professionals. So, if you're looking for great CEs, this is your conference.

Hurry, because there is a reduced cost to those who send their registrations in by February 15th. There's also a reduced hotel room rate where you can get free parking and walk to the convention center for those wanting to not travel early or so late.

For more information about the conference (like exhibitor list, speaker list, and so on) check out the conference page on our website.

chattanoogaautismcenter.giving.officelive.com/conference.aspx
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Chattanooga Autism Center
Where the Pieces Come Together
ChattanoogaAutismCenter.org
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Have a great week!
-
Brook Dickerson
Executive Director, ASA-ETC
2890 Alcoa Highway
Knoxville, TN 37920
[phone] Phone/Fax (call before faxing)
[e-mail]
www.asaetc.org

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Adventure Science Center Family Fun Event - January 28, 2011

Sign up for our second annual Family Fun Event in partnership with the Adventure Science Center! They are opening the doors of the Science Center just for the autism community on one special night, and will be adjusting the lights and sounds for our more sensory sensitive friends. SPACE IS LIMITED. Register today!

How Much? $8/ person (Children 2 and under are FREE)

Pizza and a Planetarium show are also available for a small additional fee. All tickets must be purchased through ASMT.
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Asperger's Syndrome: A Personal Perspective
ASMT Workshop - January 27, 2011

Asperger's Syndrome is a complex and often misunderstood disorder. Ms. Emelyne Bingham (Senior Lecturer at the Blair School of Music at Vanderbilt University and Adult on the Spectrum) will highlight the diversity of Asperger's within individuals as well as useful methods and strategies for working with individuals, couples, or families affected by Asperger's Syndrome.
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4th Annual Summer Opportunies Fair: February 24th - Thursday
- Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt
- 5:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m
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Workshop: Communication Based Applications for iPad and iPhone
March 24th - Thursday
- Vanderbilt Kennedy Center
- 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
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Orientation: January 25th - Tuesday
- Emory Valley Early Learning Center in Oak Ridge, TN
- 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
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Orientation: January 29th - Saturday
- Coleman United Methodist Church in Lawrenceburg, TN
- 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
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Orientation
February 8th - Tuesday
-Siskin Children's Institute in Chattanooga, TN
- 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
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Orientation: February 11th - Friday
- Macon County Junior High School in Lafayette, TN
- 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
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Orientation: February 17th - Thursday
- Centerstone Regional Intervention Program building, Clarksville, TN
- 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
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Orientation: February 19th - Saturday
- Special Kids and Families in Memphis, TN
- 9:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
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Orientation: March 3rd - Tuesday
- Kodak United Methodist in Kodak, TN
- 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
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Orientation
March 26th - Saturday
- UT Martin University Center in Martin, TN.
- 1:00 p.m - 3:00 p.m.
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For info, contact:

ASMT - 1-615-385-2077 or 1-866-508-4987
tnautism.org
[e-mail]

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We at KingsportARTS would like to share an amazing opportunity with you! Google has created a competition called "Doodle 4 Google", a competition where they invite K-12 students to use their artistic talents to think big and redesign Google’s homepage logo for millions to see. Google believes that dreaming about future possibilities leads to tomorrow’s leaders and inventors, so this year they're inviting U.S. kids to exercise their creative imaginations around the theme, "What I’d like to do someday…"

Whether students want to find a cure for cancer or take a trip to the moon, it all starts with art supplies and some 8.5" x 11" paper. And, one lucky student artist will take home a $15,000 college scholarship and $25,000 technology grant for their school, among many other prizes.

Registration closes at 11:59:59 p.m. Pacific Time (PT) on March 2, 2011, and entries must be postmarked by March 16, 2011 11:59:59 p.m. Pacific Time (PT). The winning doodle will be featured on the Google.com homepage on May 20, 2011.

Here is the link for more information! www.google.com/doodle4google/

Thank you and good luck!

Tina Radtke, Program Director
KingsportARTS
(formerly Arts Council of Greater Kingsport )
1200 East Center Street
Suite 216
Kingsport, TN 37660
423-392-8420
423-392-8422 Fax

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Hello!

I wanted to touch base with you and remind you that the Third Annual TABS Conference is coming up on April 8-9, 2011 in Nashville, Tennessee at the Holiday Inn Vanderbilt. Registration will open in the next week or so, so stay tuned! We will also have limited financial assistance available again this year with a very limited number of hotel rooms included as well.

Please be sure to mark your calendar and spread the word. We have some very exciting speakers and topics this year!

I'm looking forward to seeing each of you in April!

Thank you,

Ashley F. Coulter
Sibling Project Coordinator
Vanderbilt Kennedy Center
230 Appleton Place
PMB 40
Nashville, TN 37203
Phone: [phone]
[e-mail]
kc.vanderbilt.edu

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Join us for StyleWorks & ArtWorks

It's fashion with compassion and art with heart benefitting children with special needs and their families! Don't miss the 35th annual StyleWorks on Wednesday, March 30, and the exclusive preview party, ArtWorks, on Tuesday, March 29.

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2011 Child Engagement Conference Early Registration Deadline

The 2nd annual Child Engagement Conference, an event for early childhood professionals hosted by the Siskin Center for Child and Family Research, is Thursday, March 31. Early registration for the conference ends Friday, Jan. 28. Reserve your spot before the deadline and save $25 on the conference registration fee.
e2ma.net/go/9013933553/3378528/102339172/13681/goto:http://www.childengagement.com/
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Autism Seminar

What are the characteristics of autism? How does autism affect behavior and learning? Find out at a free seminar sponsored by the Autism Society and TN's Early Intervention System on Feb. 8 at the Institute. Reservations required.
e2ma.net/go/9013933553/3378528/102339167/13681/goto:http://www.siskin.org/downloads/AutismParentProfessionalOrientation.pdf
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Siskin Children's Institute
Making life better for children of all abilities and their families

1101 Carter Street | Chattanooga, TN 37402
423.648.1700 | www.siskin.org

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Open Doors Tennessee is now accepting volunteer and peer mentor applications for their 3rd annual 2011 Autism Camps.

Camp dates:
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Middle / High School Overnight Weekend Camp for teen with autism
When: Friday, June 3 - Sunday June 5th
Where: Camp Wesley Woods
Last years activities included: Archery, Hiking, Canoeing, horseback riding, rock climbing wall, etc Every camper tried at least 1 event and most campers tried ALL events!!! Its amazing what our volunteers and peer mentors can do to get teens with autism to try something new!!!

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Elementary Day Camp
When: Monday, July 25 - Friday, July 29th
Where: Beaver Creek Cumberland Presbyterian Church
Knoxville (Powell)
Time: 9:00 - 2 pm ending with a "carnival" day on Friday and children perform for their parents Some of last years actiivites included - Social Skill of the day, small and large group, art teacher for art class, music therapist for music, playground, outside play and gym.

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Everyone who volunteers will recieve a "certificate" with volunteer hours listed. This is the best hands on experience and training for working with chidlren with autism. We do have a wonderful lead teacher who does an awesome job with our children !!!

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Please share far and wide. We are very excited about our camps and are currently offering at full capacity. We are able to accommodate 8 groups for the Mddle / High School and 7 groups (due to space at church) for the Elementary Age Camp.

If you would like for me to send you a flyer about camp for the Vanderbilt college students, please let me know as UT has posted this on their campus.

Thanks for all your help in spreading the word.


Cheri Howlett
Open Doors Tennesee
Vice President
Camp Director
www.opendoorstnautism.info

Please note: Our website has been down and we hope to have it updated soon! Both camps are full for campers with autism but we are taking names for a wait list

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Everyone,
ASA-ETC is partnering with the Chattanooga Autism Center on their Autism Spring Conference. Please spread this information far and wide and hope to see you there!!
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Dear parents, professionals, and advocates,

We are please to begin taking registrations for our 2nd Annual Community Conference on Autism! It'll be held Friday, April 1st at the Chattanooga Convention Center. We have fantastic speakers and topics, door prizes, exhibitors, and the opportunity to connect and network and learn. Parents gave overwhelmingly positive feedback last year and it's promising to be bigger and better this year.

Also, we are completing the Continuing Education unit evaluation of our agenda and expect to offer 6 hours worth of credits for professionals. So, if you're looking for great CEs, this is your conference.

Hurry, because there is a reduced cost to those who send their registrations in by February 15th. There's also a reduced hotel room rate where you can get free parking and walk to the convention center for those wanting to not travel early or so late.

For more information about the conference (like exhibitor list, speaker list, and so on) check out the conference page on our website.

chattanoogaautismcenter.giving.officelive.com/conference.aspx
--
Chattanooga Autism Center
Where the Pieces Come Together
ChattanoogaAutismCenter.org
****************************
Have a great week!
--
ASA-ETC
2890 Alcoa Highway
Knoxville, TN 37920
[phone]
www.asaetc.org

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Down Syndrome Association of Middle Tennessee • 111 North Wilson Blvd. • Nashville, TN 37205
www.dsamt.org
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2 Great Conferences - Same Day, Same Hotel! - Tuesday, February 22 at Opryland Hotel

1.Third Annual Transition Summit
Summit Highlights

9:00 am – 4:00 pm
Amy Dwyre, M.A., CRC TransCen, Inc.
Exhibit tables for school systems
Show and Tell: Innovative LEA Transition Practices

Audience: School Staff Members, Families, Agencies working in the field of Transition

To register, to request an exhibit table, and/or to reserve a show and tell time slot, contact: [e-mail], or call [phone]

2. Traumatic Brain Injury Education Conference - Concussion/Mild TBI within Our Schools & Community

8:00 am – 4:00 pm Conference Theme: Continuum of Care
Speakers include Ann Glang, PhD and Gary Solomon, PhD.
The end result will be attendees leaving with the knowledge of what to do about TBI.
Audience: Educators, Counselors, School Nurses, Coaching Staff

RSVP IS REQUIRED TO ATTEND THIS PRE-CONFERENCE

RSVP now by either completing the form at:

www.surveygizmo.com/s/408352/tbi or calling 615-515-8616 with the following info ready to give by phone or you may complete the info and attach in an email to [e-mail]

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WAVES 2011 Art Show: Friday, March 11, 5-8pm

It's Back! Waves and the Arts Council of Williamson County are hosting the 5th Annual Art Show for Adults with intellectual disabilities. "An Artist's Window" is a wonderful showcase of work from Adults with Intellectual Disabilities living in the Middle TN Area. The FREE event will feature LIVE MUSIC, APPETIZERS, AND WINE!

When: Friday March 11, 2011 from 5 to 8
Where: The Factory at Franklin
Registration forms due: February 28, 2011

For information sheets and registration forms, contact Julie Long, Recreation Coordinator, Waves, Inc. [phone] or [e-mail]

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Attend a special Viking Cooking School with DSAMT!

Monday - Wednesday, March 28-30, 3-5pm

The Pujols Family Foundationand DSAMT have teamed up with The Viking Store and Cooking School to offer a hands on cooking workshop March 28-30. This three-day mini-camp will help build confidence in the kitchen while giving participants an opportunity to connect with a parent in a fun and unique setting. With a focus on healthy (and gluten-free) eating, students will learn kitchen basics and how to prepare delectable dishes such as Polenta Fries with Tomato Sauce, Chunky Guacamole and Trifecta Turkey Burgers. At the end of the three days, students will receive a diploma and participate in a graduation ceremony. Each student will take home a recipe packet after each class.

Space is limited. Registration deadline is March 1. Registration is $75 and includes all three days of class for a pair of participants. Contact DSAMT at 615-386-9002 or email [e-mail] for registration or more information.

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Circle of Friends - Saturday, February 19, 9am - 2pm

Individuals ages 12 and up who have Down syndrome or other developmental disabilities are invited to join us for Circle of Friends, a monthy meeting for fellowship, games, service projects, and fun activities. Circle of Friends participants enjoy Tae Kwon Do, art projects and more, while making friends and giving their caregivers some time to relax.

The group meets from 9am to 2pm. Participants should bring a sack lunch and a $10 registration fee. Space is limited. Advance registration is required by no later than Thursday before a meeting. Please call DSAMT at 615.386.9002 for registration or more information.

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Next Chapter Book Club - Tuesday, January 25, 7-8pm

Join Next Chapter Book Club for a fun social gathering where members read aloud from a book of the group's choice and have fun discussions. The group usually meets at the Target Café inside Target on White Bridge Road (26 White Bridge Rd. Nashville, TN 37205). This week NCBC will be meeting at the DSAMT office for a movie night!

Co-facilitators for this chapter of NCBC are Beth Simmerman & Lauren McNatt, who are both siblings of amazing individuals with Down syndrome.

Pre-registration is not required but is appreciated for planning purposes. For more information, please contact Beth Simmerman at [e-mail] or 615.386.9002.

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Finding a Way Together: Troy Discovers Hammer Travel

As part of our commitment to providing opportunities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities to participate in the activities they choose, The Arc would like to introduce you to companies that share our vision. Hammer Travel is one such company providing people with I/DD the freedom to travel when and where they choose. Here’s the story of Troy, one of Hammer’s success stories.

Troy has a passion for traveling the world, public speaking and meeting new friends. He also has a developmental and physical disability causing him to need a wheelchair for mobility. While Troy has been able to travel to exciting places including Alaska, the Caribbean, and California he does face certain challenges. Many of these are the same that everyone faces including getting time off from work and choosing a destination. However Troy also faces some unique challenges that many people with I/DD often do. These include his need for around the clock support, medication/personal aid, transportation issues and accessible airfare and lodging. All of these can be a burden to tackle alone. So when Troy travels he reaches out to a travel provider.

Unfortunately for Troy many travel providers told him his independence would be limited on trips because his electric wheelchair was too large to transport. Also, that he would need to bring his own staff to transfer him. Troy knew that there had to be a provider out there that could better support his unique needs and kept searching. While attending a self-advocacy conference, Troy met Josh Senso, the Director of Hammer Travel, and found the solution to his travel needs. “Meeting Troy and watching him get more and more excited as I told him about Hammer Travel is exactly why we wanted to start this service,” explains Senso.

Hammer Travel is a service offered by a long-time provider out of Minnesota. Hammer Residences, Inc. was founded in 1923 and has helped thousands of adults and children with developmental disabilities experience life to the fullest. A few years ago a challenge was given to employees to find a new way that Hammer could extend their mission. At that time Senso was working with fellow program manager, Tom Ryan. They organized a fishing trip each summer that was growing by leaps and bounds. Together they brought the idea of starting a travel business to Hammer’s CEO. Over the next few years Hammer Travel, LLC was born.

Hammer Travel assists individuals like Troy in experiencing a personalized vacation. With this in mind, they organize their trips so each person can participate in the social aspects of the group while also being able to choose activities to suit their preferences. A variety of different travel services are offered. These include:

The Arc 1660 L Street, NW, Suite 301, Washington, DC 20036
Phone: [phone] | Contact Us

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CHILD ENGAGEMENT CONFERENCE: March 31 - April 1 @ Chattanooga Convention Center

Early childhood professionals are invited to participate in lively discussions and learn from some of the top scholars in the field of child engagement.

Learn About:

Strengthening Families
Intervention Through Reinforcement
Prevention of Challenging Behaviors
Reggio Emilia
Routines-Based Early Intervention
Engagement Classroom Model
Engaging Children Through the Arts
Engaging Children with and without Disabilities
Zone Defense Scheduling
How Academics are Addressed Through Play
Attachment Relationships in Infants and Toddlers
Giving Feedback to Teachers


Enter a drawing to win a book by Dr. McWilliam

The first 30 people to register by Jan. 28 will have a chance to win Dr. McWilliam's book, Engagement of Every Child in the Preschool Classroom. Five books will be given away, so register now!

Learn more at www.childengagement.com

Early bird fee - $125/Standard conference fee - $150

Find out more about the 2011 Child Engagement Conference at www.childengagement.com.

Don't miss the chance to save $25. Register now!

Siskin Child Development Center
1101 Carter Street | Chattanooga, TN 37402 | 423-648-1700 | www.siskin.org

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Disability Days on the Hill

Join us this spring in Nashville to meet with your legislators about issues vital to your family and network with others from across Tennessee.

Entering its 4th year, the expanded 3-week Disability Days event is one of the largest grassroots events at the legislature each year and makes a tremendous impact!

Event Dates: February 23 - West TN/March 2 - Middle TN/March 9 - East TN

Public Policy Tools for 2011

Coalition Policy Recommendations for 2011
Advocacy 101 - Taking a More Active Role
TN Legislative Basics
For information about how you or your organization can get involved, contact Courtney at [e-mail] or by phone at [phone].

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What is Senior Insight?
Senior Insight is a one day seminar designed to help persons over the age of 55 gain insight into leading a fulfilling life after vision loss.

Who should attend?
ļ Persons over the age of 55 who have experienced loss of vision as well as their friends and families
ļ Persons of any age who have diabetes and have experienced vision loss

Why should I attend Senior Insight?
Senior Insight will offer you the opportunities to learn and ask questions about:
ļ common causes of vision loss
ļ talking products (clocks, glucose meters, and more)
ļ social security and medicare
ļ indoor safety
ļ health and exercise
ļ AND MORE

Where and when is Senior Insight?
Senior Seminar will be held at the Hilton Garden Hotel inn Chattanooga Tennessee on Friday, March 11 as part of the National Federation of the Blind of Tennessee state convention. The seminar will begin at 9:00a.m. and will end at 4:00p.m. Registration will begin at 7:30a.m. Cost will be $15 dollars for one or $25.00 for a couple.

For More information or to register please contact Lucy Alexander at 615-971-0999

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Calling all Tennessee students who are blind and are preparing to attend college or are currently seeking a post secondary degree!

The National Federation of the Blind of Tennessee will be hosting the NFB of Tennessee Rising Stars Student Seminar on March 11th 2011, as part of the NFB of Tennessee state convention. The seminar is designed to motivate and equip students who are blind with essential tools to be successful in the University and in the U.S. Work Force. Sessions in the seminar will address subjects of common concern to students including how to navigate financial aid, vocational rehabilitation, and disability services. Students will also be given information about promising career fields of the future and how to increase employment marketability. Students will have the option to participate in a free mentoring program through which they will receive first hand guidance and assistance in gaining employment from a successfully employed blind Tennessean. The student seminar will be held in Chattanooga Tennessee at the Hilton Garden at Hamilton Place Hotel. If you or someone you know may be interested in attending, please contact James Brown by February 18, at [e-mail].

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Letter of Interest and Resume must be received by noon on February 9th, 2011

Submit resumes to: [e-mail] or fax to 615.383.1176

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Location: US-TN-Nashville
Base Pay: $11-$14 per hour (Depending on Experience) - 20 hours per week
Employee Type: Part-Time Employee
Industry: Not for Profit - Charitable

Universal Newborn Hearing Screening Program - Bilingual Parent/Family Consultant

JOB DESCRIPTION

The bilingual (Spanish) position is a part-time, 20-hour per week position geographically located in Middle Tennessee and will be filled by parent/family member related to a child with a diagnosis of deafness, hard-of-hearing, and/or other hearing-related condition. The position is focused on increasing awareness in the Hispanic Community of newborn hearing screening, the need for hearing follow-up, location of sites to access hearing professionals, and the availability of early intervention and parent support programs. Supervision is provided by the Family Voices (FV) of Tennessee Director at the Tennessee Disability Coalition in collaboration with the State Newborn Hearing Screening Program Coordinator.

1. Consult with families in the Hispanic Community: Conduct outreach through family and provider networks to connect with families of children with hearing impairments including travel within the designated region of the state to accomplish outreach activities.
Provide consultation, support, and advocacy assistance to families affected by hearing impairments in children and related concerns. This entails facilitating connections among participating families of children with hearing impairments with other affected families in a manner that respects family confidentiality and privacy concerns.
Provide training to families of children with hearing impairments and professionals.
Disseminate information and resources (i.e., the parent/family manual, Family-to-Family Health Information Center materials) to families of children identified with a hearing loss.

2. Work in consultation with the FV Family Resource Specialists (FRS) in the Family Voices Family-to-Family Health Information Center (F2FHIC) in providing technical assistance to families to facilitate and nurture family support groups, related family-driven activities, and events to strengthen new and existing family networks and resources for individuals with hearing impairments and their families.

3. Disseminate materials to be used to inform health care providers and other professionals regarding family expectations, needs, and preferences.

4. Participate in required training and meetings (including Coalition staff training, the national newborn hearing grant training meeting, parent support training, and training/calls conducted or recommended by Center for Disease Control, Family Voices, the State newborn hearing-screening programs).

5. Participate on committees, task forces and boards as requested (including Newborn Hearing Screening Task Force, Genetics/ Metabolic/Hearing Screening Program, Children’s Special Services Program).

6. As requested, travel in-state as part of the State Newborn Hearing Screening team.

7. Assist the State in the development of teaching and educational tools and brochures for families and professionals on the importance of newborn hearing screening, early assessment of hearing loss, communication methods available, and early intervention services.

8. Coordinate and collaborate with state, regional, and local agency personnel (i.e., the State Newborn Hearing Screening Program and Task Force, Newborn Genetics/Metabolic Screening Program, Childrens Special Services, State Department of Education, Special Education, Tennessee Early Intervention System, family support/advocacy programs, and organizations for people who are deaf or hard of hearing).

9. Enter data on contacts with families in the database and update information at least weekly.

10. Submit required reports in a timely manner.

11. Contribute articles/tips/miscellaneous information to newsletter, listserv, and website.

12. Accompany project staff as requested to meet with funders and other community groups or service providers.

Sharon E. McCurry
Administrative Director
[e-mail]
Phone [phone]
Fax [phone]

Tennessee Disability Coalition
955 Woodland Street
Nashville, Tennessee 37206

www.tndisability.org

The Tennessee Disability Coalition provides its services in accordance with the Rights under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act - No person in the United States shall, on the ground of race, color, or national origin, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination. Additional information concerning TDC's Title VI obligations and the complaint procedure can be obtained calling [phone].

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Free Trainings on Special Education and Disability Laws:

To learn about Special Education Law and the Development of the IEP:

Training will be held at the TREDS office at 3401 West End Ave, Suite 460 West; Nashville, TN
9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon, Thursday, February 3rd.

You MUST call 615-322-8279 to register

If you child has a disability but does not have an IEP you may want to know more about Federal Law 504. Training will be held at the TREDS office at 3401 West End Ave, Suite 460 West, Nashville, TN: 1:00 to 4:00 p.m., Thursday, February 3rd

You MUST call 615-322-8279 to register

To learn more about IEP Development: Training to be at the Bill Wilkerson Center, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., Thursday, February 10th

You MUST call: 615-936-6022 to register

Seating is limited to so register early.

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Metamorphosis SENIOR (for students HIGH SCHOOL AGED) will meet for a movie on
Saturday February 12 around noon CARMIKE THROUGHBRED THEATER

The movie we will see is GNOMEO AND JULIETTE or THE EAGLE. GNOMEO is rated G or PG and The Eagle which is a movie about Roman Period soldiers is rated PG=13. So we will see who comes out. If we have sufficient vols, we may split the group. We usually try for the movie nearest to noon.

We will be walking the kids over to McDonald's afterward. Please prepare them for a snack or drink- not a full meal. Please feed them before you arrive.

Please remind them that they can't hold up the group to play games. They could return to the theater after McDonald's if they choose, when the outing is over.

METAMORPHOSIS SENIOR: Meta SENIOR is a recreational outing program targeted to students with Asperger Syndrome and similar social/cognitive challenges who can independently navigate recreational situations with minimal volunteer support. There are a few college aged support providers. There is no liability protection for this program. We do not sponsor it, we simply notify families when peers are available to 'hang out' like other teens. For more information please contact Dena Gassner at [e-mail].

If you wish to be on our mailing lists, please let me know at the same email as above.


Dena L. Gassner, MSW
Program Director
Center for Understanding and the
Transparency Project with the
disAbilities Resource Center
(ARC of Williamson County)

7127 Crossroads Blvd. #102
Brentwood, TN 37027
615-300-3369
FAX: Please use identifiable cover page
615-371-6310
www.centerforunderstanding.net

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The Autism Society Launches New Website

Last week, the Autism Society, the nation’s leading grassroots autism organization, launched its new website, www.autism-society.org. The new site will continue to serve as the top “go-to” source for the autism community worldwide while introducing new user experiences such as a blog, seamless interaction with our social media channels, an art gallery and “story spaces” where visitors can share their stories with millions of users each year.

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educationnext.org/challenging-the-gifted/

Challenging the Gifted - Nuclear chemistry and Sartre draw the best and brightest to Reno
By June Kronholz - Spring 2011 / Vol. 11, No. 2


Alex Wade’s field is linguistics. In his search for the perfect language—and “annoyed,” he says, with Esperanto—he has created 10 languages and 30 or 40 alphabets, including one language without verbs, just for the challenge. He’s taking courses at the University of Nevada, Reno, in Basque, linguistics, and microbiology (because he also has a talent for science). And there’s this: Alex is 13.

Taylor Wilson’s field is nuclear chemistry. He has developed a process to detect weapons-grade nuclear material and chemical-warfare agents in shipping containers, a project that has interested the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. He spent part of the summer at the Large Hadron Collider in Switzerland, and is now at work on a process to cut the production cost of radioactive isotopes. “I think it has promise,” he says. Taylor is 16.

What’s a school to do with youngsters like Alex Wade and Taylor Wilson, kids who are intellectually years ahead of their age group, their textbooks, the curriculum, and usually their teachers?

When the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) surveyed states in 2008 about what they provide in the way of gifted education, it found the answer to be “not much.” At least a dozen states don’t let children start kindergarten early, even if they’re already reading The Aeneid. Two states bar a middle schooler from taking high-school classes. At least 30 states allow only those in 11th and 12th grade to also enroll in college classes. And almost no one will waive mandatory-attendance laws for the 15-year-old who has gotten everything she can out of her high school and itches to move on.

“That’s a mistreatment of students,” says Bob Davidson who, with his wife, Jan, founded, developed, and then sold the company that marketed the hugely successful Math Blaster and Reading Blaster computer software. So, in 2006, the Davidsons started a public school—a public school like no other—on the University of Nevada campus.

The Davidson Academy accepts only youngsters with an IQ of 145 or higher. That puts the 123 kids enrolled here, including Alex Wade and Taylor Wilson, in the 99.9th percentile of their age group. Or as Bob Davidson says, “The likely people to make the big discoveries” in the next generation.

Child Left Ahead

Katie Daw, at age 14, resorts to exasperated sighs to describe her schooling before the Davidson Academy. By 2nd grade, her private-school curriculum wasn’t challenging her, but administrators wouldn’t let her join a math class with older kids. In 3rd grade, she tried home schooling, using 5th- and 6th- grade curricula, but she finished a day’s lessons in 90 minutes. She tried another private school that let her skip a grade, but then “the excluding began,” she says. Why? “I asked a lot of questions,” she replies.

None of that story is particularly unusual, experts in gifted education told me. “For a really bright kid, it would be pretty difficult” to find much challenge in a regular classroom, said Nicholas Colangelo, director of the Belin-Blank Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development at the University of Iowa.

Part of the reason is that even the best school districts struggle with youngsters at the outer edges of the learning continuum. The College of William and Mary’s Center for Gifted Education divides truly bright kids into four categories: gifted learners score above 130 on IQ tests, the highly gifted score above 145, the exceptionally gifted above 160, and the profoundly gifted above 175.

By those definitions, Miraca Gross, a professor of gifted education at Australia’s University of New South Wales, calculates that a teacher may encounter a gifted child only every few years. The odds of encountering an exceptionally gifted child during an entire 40-year teaching career are about 1 in 80. Teachers aren’t trained to teach that once-in-a-blue-moon student; they’re taught to accommodate the two-thirds of us who have IQs that fall between 85 and 115, or one standard deviation on either side of 100, the norm.

The bigger issue is whether schools even try to accommodate gifted learners, and researchers in gifted education make it clear that they don’t. Americans are awed by geniuses, especially technology giants like Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg, whose youthful ideas created entire new industries.

But we’re uncomfortable with the idea of singling out a few kids for special treatment. Our discomfort rises if those kids are suburban whites who already have access to the best schools and widest opportunities. We assume they will learn by themselves (although research suggests that they don’t), or that they have parents who can afford tutors and private lessons to keep them engaged. We’re even more uncomfortable with the idea of grouping youngsters by ability, especially because research suggests that the bright kids in a classroom help pull up the slower learners. “We rub our hands about elitism. It’s the single most difficult nut to crack” in gifted education, Tracy Cross, director of William and Mary’s gifted-education center, told me.

Federal education policy plays into the egalitarian sentiment by prodding the states to narrow the achievement gap between their lowest and highest performers. Since 2000, the gap in reading scores between the highest- and lowest-performing 10 percent of 4th graders has narrowed to 90 points from 103 points on the National Assessment of Educational Progress. The results are similar in 8th-grade math.

But that has happened largely because the scores for the brightest kids have barely moved. “Our gifted kids are stagnant,” said Ann Robinson, a professor of gifted education at the University of Arkansas. “When you’re trying to get everybody to proficient, [the ablest learners] are not going to be the policy focus.”

What little attention the brightest do receive may be diminished even more in these tough economic times. In the 2008 NAGC survey of state policies, 18 states reported they don’t provide any money for gifted education, and 7 others noted they fund it only if they have money to spare. The federal government funds just one $7 million program in gifted education, and appropriations panels in both the Senate and House voted preliminarily this past summer to eliminate even that. Funding gifted education is thus left largely up to school districts, which are hard hit by falling property taxes and looking to cut budgets without reducing the number of kids who get over the minimum-proficiency bar.

Cross, Colangelo, and Robinson all argue that the U.S. should be fanning the learning gap by teaching every youngster to his potential, rather than narrowing it by ignoring youngsters who have reached state minimums. Not because slower learners shouldn’t be helped, they argue, but because faster learners shouldn’t be kept waiting.

Indeed, Cross told me that as part of a research project he once asked 13,000 kids in seven states to describe in one word their experience as gifted children. The most commonly used word, he says, was “waiting.” Waiting for teachers to move ahead, waiting for classmates to catch up, waiting to learn something new—always waiting. ----MORE

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www.districtadministration.com/viewarticlepf.aspx?articleid=2693

Common Core’s Implications for Special Ed Students - The Common Core State Standards are raising the bar for special education students. By Marion Herbert

Forty one states, to date, have jumped on the Common Core State Standards bandwagon, adopting common curriculum benchmarks for general education courses in language arts and mathematics. The standards, created by the National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers, are raising the bar for special education students as well. According to the standards, students with disabilities— defined as students eligible under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA )—“must be challenged to excel within the general curriculum.”

“We have to provide all students with an education to be ready to have a career when they leave their K12 experience,” says Chris Minnich, senior membership director at the Council of Chief State School Officers.

Special education students will be held to the same both in the classroom and on the assessments. Two consortiums— Partnership for the Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PAR CC) and SMARTER Balanced Assessment—were granted Race to the Top funds to develop assessments for the new standards by 2014. The assessments apply to what’s known as two percent special education students, which are special education students without severe cognitive disabilities.

According to Minnich, states are in various stages of adopting the standards, with some states and districts farther along than others. Florida began modifying its special education curriculum nearly six years ago. As of 2011, Florida will no longer approve modified courses, in which special education students aren’t expected to master as much material as in general education courses.

“It’s about having higher expectations for all of our students,” says Bambi Lockman, chief of the Bureau of Exceptional Education and Student Services with the Florida Department of Education. According to Lockman, since the state began its alignment of standards, special education students have improved 3 to 5 percent annually on both language arts and mathematics.

“The transition to the Common Core will be challenging, but it’s not going to be extremely difficult because we’ve already had high standards in Florida,” she says. “I think we are going to see students having access to the general curriculum.”

Lockman notes that this change doesn’t come without intervention as specified in each student’s individualized education plan (IEP). Extra classroom support, variation in the instructional approach, small group discussions and assisted technology are just some examples of intervention that will be needed for the students to excel in a general education classroom.

According to Minnich, states that have adopted the standards will implement them between 2012 and 2014. He expects a few more states to be on board by the end of 2011.

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"Meet the Future Face of Employment, Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder in Technology Fields"

www.mncdd.org/asd-employment/index.html