Workshops
The Family-School Partnership provides free interactive, informative workshops, individualized to meet our needs. Most workshops are approximately 90 minutes long. The length of time can be modified to meet your needs. To schedule a workshop please contact us at scheduleworkshop@specialedparentcenter.org or call us at (585) 546-1700 (extension 269 or 272)
We provide workshops on the following topics (for descriptions, please scroll down); additional related topics may be covered by The Advocacy Center, click here to see a complete catalog.
- Advocacy Steps 101
- Attitude of Gratitude: Improving your Advocacy Outcomes
- Committee on Special Education Process- An Overview
- Creating Your Advocacy Notebook
- Disability Awareness
- Discipline and Suspension-Understanding the Rights of Students with Disabilities
- Due Process and Procedural Safeguards
- Effective Communication
- Functional Behavioral Assessments and Positive Behavioral Interventions
- IDEA Overview
- Identifying Appropriate and Effective IEP Goals
- Individualized Education Programs (IEPs)
- Managing the Move- Preparing for Next Year
- Preparing for the Annual Review
- Supporting Individuals with Behavioral Needs
- Transition from Early Intervention to Preschool
- Transition from High School to Adult Life
- Transition from Preschool to School-Age Services
- Turning Conflict into Collaboration: Effective Team Meetings
- Information about Specific Disabilities
*Workshop Descriptions by Topic*
Advocacy
- Learn the basic steps required for effective advocacy
- Practice the steps using hands-on activities
- Learn that advocacy does not need to be adversarial to be effective
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Attitude of Gratitude: Improving your Advocacy Outcomes
- Learn how gratitude and optimism can help to increase your ability to cope, even under difficult circumstances
- Practice how to apply expressing gratitude to advocacy situation
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Creating Your Advocacy Notebook
- Understand the purpose of starting a notebook and the value of keeping everything in a “walking file”
- Learn strategies for utilizing the notebook for effective advocacy
- Learn advocacy skills for successful meetings
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- Identify barriers to effective communication
- Learn techniques to remove barriers
- Learn elements for effective teamwork
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Turning Conflict into Collaboration: Effective Team Meetings
- Understand the value of problem-solving
- Practice effective communication skills through hands-on activities
- Learn steps to problem-solving
- Learn strategies on how to facilitate the problem-solving process at a meeting
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Behavioral Supports
Functional Behavioral Assessments and Positive Behavioral Interventions
- Understand the terms Functional Behavioral Assessment (FBA) and Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP)
- Understand the process by which these are developed
- Be able to actively participate in the process of developing these plans
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Supporting Individuals with Behavioral Needs
- Learn about the common characteristics of behavioral disabilities
- Be introduced to Functional Behavioral Assessments (FBA) and Positive Behavioral Supports
- Explore examples of positive behavioral strategies to use with students who exhibit challenging behaviors
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Communication and Partnerships
Effective Communication
- Identify barriers to effective communication
- Learn techniques to remove barriers
- Learn elements for effective teamwork
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Turning Conflict into Collaboration: Effective Team Meetings
- Understand the value of problem-solving
- Practice effective communication skills through hands-on activities
- Learn steps to problem-solving
- Learn strategies on how to facilitate the problem-solving process at a meeting
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Increasing Awareness
- Develop an understanding of disabilities and how they affect everyday life
- Engage in hands-on activities that simulate disability experiences
- Gain an appreciation for individual perspectives
- Learn strategies for including people with disabilities
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Special Education
Committee on Special Education Process- An Overview
- Gain an understanding of the CSE team process
- Understand the role of each CSE member
- Learn about the timetable for the CSE process
- Understand the process of developing an Individualized Education Program (IEP)
- Gain advocacy skills
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Discipline and Suspension-Understanding the Rights of Students with Disabilities
- Become familiar with regulatory terms and definitions related to discipline and suspension for students with disabilities
- Understand the due process rights related to discipline and suspension
- Learn advocacy techniques
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Due Process and Procedural Safeguards
- Learn about decision-making in the CSE/CPSE process
- Learn strategies to resolve conflicts
- Understand that due process is one tool that can be used to resolve disagreements with the school district
- Learn about how mediation and impartial hearings work
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- Gain information on the history and provisions of the Individuals with Disabilities
- Education Act (IDEA)
- Understand the rights protected by the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
- Know where to find state regulations online
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Identifying Appropriate and Effective IEP Goals
- Learn to develop goals that measure and support a child’s progress
- Utilize the New York State Sample IEP and Guidance Document
- Become a collaborative partner in developing IEP goals
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Individualized Education Programs (IEPs)
- Understand the roles of the members of the IEP team
- Discover the steps and sequence in developing an IEP
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Preparing for the Annual Review
- Learn about the laws and regulations that govern special education
- Learn how the Committee on Special Education (CSE) and Committee on Preschool Special Education (CPSE) contribute to the annual review
- Learn the process for building an Individualized Education Program (IEP)
- Understand roles of members of the CSE or CPSE
- Learn steps to effective advocacy
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Transition
Transition from Early Intervention to Preschool
- Become familiar with the timeline and process used to transition from Early Intervention (EI) to
- Preschool Services (CPSE)
- Understand who is responsible for each of the tasks involved in the transition process from EI to CPSE
- Learn how to effectively communicate a child’s needs to the CPSE
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Transition from High School to Adult Life
- Review the transition plan requirements
- Explore opportunities that can be included in a transition plan
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Transition from Preschool to School-Age Services
- Learn the differences and similarities between CPSE and CSE
- Discover the services and placements available for school age children with disabilities
- Understand how to use the child’s evaluation to drive the development of the IEP
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Managing the Move- Preparing for Next Year
- Learn to prioritize the information to be shared with the new team
- Examine suggested timelines to ease the end-of-year crunch
- Learn how to develop appropriate goals for the school year
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The Family-School Partnership is the Mid-West Special Education Parent Center funded by the New York State Education Department Vocational and Educational Services for Individuals with Disabilities (VESID)