Enews_apr_21_03.pdf

PLUK eNews For the Week of April 21-25, 2003
We are proud to present news of interest for Montana families of children with disabilities and chronic illnesses, and for the professionals and educators who serve them, however, it does not constitute an endorsement. Edited by: Roger Holt [email protected] Proofed & condensed by: Elisabeth Mills [email protected] • Feel free to reprint and pass on to others. • To be removed, just send a message to [email protected] with “remove” as the • To be added to the list, send a message to [email protected] with your name/address/telephone and email address. • If you have activities, events, trainings, news or information (or good jokes) you would like to share, send it to [email protected]. • Please be aware that some links provided are time sensitive. Contact us if you have difficulty accessing any of the information.
Highlights:
Montana Legislative Update from Wally Melcher – IDEA Reauthorization: Parent Experience.3 PLUK Approved for Supplemental Education Services.3 MEDICAID RECIPIENTS WITH DISABILITIES BENEFIT FROM DIRECTING THEIR OWN PERSONAL CARE SERVICES, STUDY FINDS.3 eTextbooks are more engaging, users say.4 Federal Rules on Access to Health Records Challenged .5 Finding the Right College, and Getting In.5 Building Bridges: An Act to Reduce Recidivism by Improving Access to Benefits for Individuals with Psychiatric Disabilities upon Release from Incarceration.6 Disabled are found to benefit from having a say in own care.6 Research says Prozac Kills Burkitt's Lymphoma Cells.8 Like to help PLUK? Go shopping!.8 Transition/Employment/Housing/Advocacy:.9 Fair Housing Accessibility First Program.9 Labor Department Offers Employers Free Database of Qualified, Disabled Student Survey of Employers about hiring people with disabilities. 10 Assistive Technology and Taxes: Not a Perfect Fit. 10 Online Educational Opportunities for the Blind and Visually Impaired. 11 Learn ASL Online at SigningOnline.com!. 11 The Learning Clinic “Fast ForWord ” Camp in Billings. 12 ADD/ADHD workshop in PLUK Office April 23. 12 Join PLUK at the Judy Carmichael Concert in Billings, May 2nd . 12 Access to the Arts: “Sherlock Jr” and Blue Grassy Knoll, May 8, Billings. 12 Making Miracles happen, Dinner and Auction, Whitefish, May 3. 12 New Frontiers: A Parent’s Guide to Treatment for Autism Spectrum Disorders. 13 PLUK ITV Learning Series: Kids & IEPs, May 13 with Doug Cochran Roberts. 13 Research to Practice: Impact of Trauma on Childhood Development. 14 Treatment of Anxiety in Children and Adolescents, June 15-17, Billings . 15 North West Rocky Mountain Regional Irlen Conference, June 25-26, MSU-Billings. 15 Government/Legal:
Montana Legislative Update from Wally Melcher –
Greetings, We took another step toward accomplishing one of our critical objectives of this legislative session. House Bill 727 to close Eastmont passed the Senate by a vote of 37 to 13. During the debate on this bill, a number of legislators mentioned that they had received many messages asking them to vote for this bill and why it was important. Thank you for responding when these important items arise. The Legislature will be adjourned for Easter break Friday through Monday. When they come back together on Tuesday, the free conference committee will start on the HB 2, the state budget. It will be important for us to be very vigilant during this process. We are quite certain that amendments will be proposed to restore funding for the Part C early intervention program, as well as, Extended Employment and the Medically Needy program. We will try to keep you informed far enough in advance that you can send messages to the members of the conference committee. In fact, you may want to send messages to them now encouraging them to provide funding for Part C and Extended Employment. The Just a few more legislative days left. We must work hard to make sure that services are adequately funded for folks with disabilities.
IDEA Reauthorization: Parent Experience
Are you following the reauthorization process of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)? Debbie Brown of SPARC – The Special Parent Assistance & Resource Center of New Jersey has been to Washington and seen first hand how the process is going. She’s put together an informational website for parents about her experience and has this “On the website, you will get a full public statement about our trip, a sample letter to send out to legislators, and a list of email addresses for senators, and a direct link to write your Rep. I wanted to make this is as simple as possible for you act. I know we are all busy people raising a child with a disability and trying to live the lives of typical people to boot, but now is the time to act. You must contact your legislators. The time has never been so critical. We thank you so much for all your past support, beautiful letters, and signing the petition. We hate to ask for more and yet we do.” News:
PLUK Approved for Supplemental Education Services
Parents, Let’s Unite for Kids (PLUK) has been approved through the Office of Public Instruction as a Provider of Supplemental Education Services under Title I, Part A of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. PLUK is currently accepting applications from teachers who hold a valid Montana Educators License and want to provide after-school tutoring in math and/or reading at schools in the following areas: Billings, Box Elder, Brockton, Browning, Butte, Fortine, Frazer, Hardin-Crow Agency, Harlem, Hays, Heart Butte, Lame Deer; Lodge Grass, Poplar, Pray, Pryor, Rocky Boy Reservation, St. Ignatius, Vaughn, Willowcreek, Wyola, and Wolf Point. If you know someone interested in providing tutoring services in one of these areas, please have them call 1.800.222.7585 or e-mail [email protected] for more information. Resumes can be faxed to 406-255-0523. Please include a folio
MEDICAID RECIPIENTS WITH DISABILITIES BENEFIT FROM DIRECTING THEIR
OWN PERSONAL CARE SERVICES, STUDY FINDS
Tuesday, April 15, 2003, Medicaid recipients with disabilities who direct their own supportive services were significantly more satisfied and appeared to get better care than those receiving services through home care agencies, according to initial findings of a demonstration project jointly supported by HHS and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. With self-direction, the recipients' satisfaction and quality of life improved substantially and unmet care needs were reduced, without compromising health or safety, the study found. The initial findings, from an ongoing evaluation of the Cash and Counseling demonstration project, were released in a web exclusive edition of the journal Health Affairs. In the project, participants are given an allowance and a high degree of flexibility and freedom to choose personal care assistants. The first phase of the evaluation examined whether this self-directed care succeeded at protecting recipients' health and safety in addition to enhancing their satisfaction. The study looked at both elderly and non-elderly adult Medicaid recipients with disabilities who receive Medicaid-supported home services. "This approach gives people with disabilities more freedom and responsibility, in the same way that all of us want to be in charge of our lives and our choices," said HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson. "It lets the individuals themselves decide how best to use the Medicaid dollars they are already entitled to. The study confirms that these Medicaid recipients make good choices that maintain their health and safety, even as they improve their convenience, satisfaction and quality of life." To read the complete article, go to:
eTextbooks are more engaging, users say
By Cara Branigan, Associate Editor, eSchool News, April 18, 2003 A Florida school district that tested an interactive, web-based textbook in place of a traditional textbook for a half year in six classrooms found that students were more focused and engaged and completed more homework. Despite the pilot project’s success, however, educators involved in the program say few schools are ready to replace their print versions with electronic ones anytime soon.
Disabled Are Suing States on Voting
Blind voter triggers suit for 20,000 in Maryland Alan Fisk, The National Law Journal, 04-14-2003 For years, William Poole Jr., who is blind, was frustrated when he voted in Maryland Since the voting machines were inaccessible to the visually impaired, he had to have someone in the voting booth with him to read the ballot, and then tell that person how he Now he's at the forefront of a movement that has spread to several other states -- filing federal class actions aimed at forcing state and local election officials to provide voting devices that can be used by the disabled. Such machines -- typically a kind of laptop with a touch screen and earphones -- are required under the Help Americans Vote Act passed by Congress after the contentious 2000 presidential election. But many state and county officials say they have not bought the new machines because the federal government hasn't provided the promised money. Federal Rules on Access to Health Records Challenged
Shannon P. Duffy, The Legal Intelligencer, 04-14-2003 A coalition of privacy advocates and medical professionals filed suit in U.S. District Court in Philadelphia last week to challenge new federal regulations set to go into effect today that, they say, will illegally eliminate the duty to obtain a patient's consent before disclosing The suit alleges that the new regulations -- promulgated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 -- will give insurance companies, drug companies and police virtually unfettered
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Finding the Right College, and Getting In
By JOHN O'NEIL, The New York Times, 04-13-2003 Ask B. J. Weimer how long she has been thinking about college choices for her daughter, Rachel, a senior in St. Louis with a learning disability, and she lets out a sound that's both a laugh and a sigh. ''Oh, about since seventh grade!'' she says. Mrs. Weimer may be joking, but her timing is not far off, according to administrators, advocates and educational consultants. Their message: the college search process is the same for learning disabled students as for everybody else -- but more so. ''A lot of the questions are not that different than for any student,'' says J. Thomas Viall, executive director of the International Dyslexia Association. ''They're just in a little more depth.''
A Mother's Journey
Sitting in the surgeon's office with my 11-year-old son, Ross, I prepared myself for bad news. Instead, I heard his doctor say, ''He looks great. He won't need surgery for another couple of years.'' I exhaled, relieved that Ross would have a reprieve from this drawn-out and painful procedure. Of course, even the best news comes with a dark side. ''Now,'' I thought, ''I Talk about painful ordeals. As the parent of any child with special needs will attest, finding a school may not be the biggest challenge, but it is one that rears its head again and again throughout a child's development. And while inclusion gets a lot of lip service, it is one thing to say it, another to do it. Even for schools with the best intentions, true acceptance comes at the end of a long learning curve.
Botox Helps Kids with Cerebral Palsy
By Serena Gordon, HealthScoutNews Reporter
THURSDAY, April 3 (HealthScoutNews) -- Botox is being used to treat everything from migraines to wrinkles, and researchers from the Walter Reed Army Medical Center have now confirmed another safe and effective use for the toxin: helping children with cerebral palsy. Lead researcher Dr. Marc DiFazio reports that botulinum toxin type A helps improve movement in youngsters who have the neurological disorder. "The most important part of the study was not so much that we were demonstrating improvement in the kids, but that we demonstrated that this medication is really safe," say DiFazio, who presented his findings April 2 at the American Academy of Neurology's annual 03/hl_hsn/botox_helps_kids_with_cerebral_palsy
Building Bridges: An Act to Reduce Recidivism by Improving Access to Benefits
for Individuals with Psychiatric Disabilities upon Release from Incarceration
As the number of people with psychiatric disabilities in jails and prisons continues to rise, prison officials, state lawmakers and mental health advocates have become increasingly concerned about the effect of this trend on inmates, staff and state budgets. Building Bridges offers states a strategy to reduce recidivism and help recently released inmates with psychiatric disabilities successfully transition to community life.
Seeking the First Signs of Autism
Researchers Hope Early Diagnosis, Intervention Can Improve Outcomes By Suz Redfearn, Special to The Washington Post, Tuesday, April 15, 2003 While Winnie the Pooh and Tigger look down from the wall, a young woman sits at a low table enthusiastically attempting to engage a baby in play. She hands the child a bright orange block, then a bucket for slam-dunking it. She initiates a round of peek-a-boo, shielding herself behind her hands then suddenly revealing her beaming face and sing-song voice. Next come the bubbles, then a nifty plastic penguin. It may seem like ordinary play, but it's serious business. Behind the room's two-way mirror sits Rebecca Landa, director of the Center for Autism and Related Disorders at Baltimore's Kennedy Krieger Institute and associate professor of psychiatry at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. From her hidden perch, Landa scrutinizes the little one's reactions, gathering data for the first study funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to detect autism in children aged 14 months and younger. Currently, autism usually isn't diagnosed until around age 3, by which time some experts believe key therapeutic
Disabled are found to benefit from having a say in own care
Tried in three states, a pilot program may be replicated
By Laura Meckler, Associated Press, 4/16/2003 WASHINGTON -- People with disabilities who rely on Medicaid to pay for help bathing, eating, and housecleaning were much happier under an experimental program that let them Medicaid, the health care program for the poor, traditionally hires people to assist some 1.2 million people with disabilities who need help with basic activities of daily life. Under an experimental program, patients get the money directly and decide how to spend it. They can hire whomever they want to help provide care, including friends and family. ''Apparently, [participants] find that having intimate care, such as help with bathing and dressing, performed by a person of one's own choosing is much more satisfying that having it performed by a stranger,'' said the study, released yesterday, by researchers at
TELEPHONE NEWS SERVICE FOR THE BLIND
By Mitch Jeserich, Staff Writer, AT News Every weekday at 5:45 a.m. Jessica Lorenz's alarm clock goes off. Immediately she gets out of bed and goes to her kitchen to brew coffee. At 6 a.m. in the morning Lorenz does what most people would not: she makes a phone call. However, it is not a groggy voice that answers her call, but an awake digitalized voice, loyal as a dog, eager to bring Lorenz her morning news. Lorenz is blind so the printed newspapers do not provide much news for her. Through the NFB-Newsline, a toll free telephone service by the National Federation of the Blind (NFB), Lorenz is able to listen to her local paper the San Francisco Chronicle. She can also listen to 90 other newspapers, including the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal. Like many commuters on the morning train, Lorenz gets her news while traveling to work. But while most commuters are hidden behind fully opened newspapers, Lorenz is on her cell phone getting the latest developments of the world just by calling 1-888-882-1629.
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Digital radio 'shuns' the blind
Digital broadcasters are ignoring the people who are among the heaviest consumers of radio, the blind and visually impaired, argues broadcast professional Ian Macrae. Digits matter a lot to visually impaired people. The ones attached to our hands, as well as those which carry crystal clear radio to our ears. Some of us use them for reading. Many of us use them for exploring what's around us. Even more of us, perhaps even enough of us to make the stereotype valid, use our digits But when it comes to the other sort, or rather to the people who design and manufacture the equipment for receiving DAB, (Digital Audio Broadcasting), they seem to have forgotten that the stereotype of the visually impaired radio fanatic even exists. They have come very close to designing something which is unusable or at least very difficult for us, perhaps the most avid, hungry and, let's face it, needy group of radio
Mental Illness Strikes Babies, Too
By Randy Dotinga, HealthScoutNews Reporter WEDNESDAY, April 16 (HealthScoutNews) -- Babies and toddlers are too young to take Prozac or complain about their childhoods, but psychologists are finding their tender age doesn't protect them from mental illness. Children under the age of three can suffer from symptoms of depression, including disruptions in eating and sleep. In recent years, researchers have discovered the youngest humans can even suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, once thought to be only an illness of adults. 16/hl_hsn/mental_illness_strikes_babies__too
Research says Prozac Kills Burkitt's Lymphoma Cells
By Richard Woodman
LONDON (Reuters Health) - British scientists said on Tuesday that early lab research suggests Prozac and similar antidepressants could treat at least one form of the cancer The University of Birmingham team said they had discovered that, in the test tube, the drugs could make Burkitt's lymphoma tumor cells commit suicide. Burkitt's lymphoma is a fast-growing cancer that makes up only a small percentage of all lymphomas, but is Like to help PLUK? Go shopping!
That’s right, go head and buy something for yourself –– from Amazon.com, eBay, Dell or any of the internet’s most popular shopping sites. First join by visiting this link: ou shop at one of the over 410 name-brand stores in the Mall at iGive.com, we will receive a donation of up to 25% of each purchase you make, at no cost to you. Remember, donating to PLUK will not cost you a thing. We will miss a lot of extra dough, Through April 30, 2003, we will receive a $5 Free Donation for each new member who registers at iGive and shops. Joining and shopping is easy! Visit Transition/Employment/Housing/Advocacy:
Self-Advocacy Publication from PEP-WI
PEP-WI announces the publication of “I am More Than You Think: Plain Talk About Me
and My Disability and Other Things You Ought to Know”. This family activity book is designed to support and increase self-concept development among children and youth with PEP-WI incorporated the latest research in child development, self-advocacy/self- determination, and special education to create this interactive, reusable activity book. Plastic bound for easy use and copying, this book is designed to be used repeatedly by children and youth with (and without) disabilities as a communication tool and self-awareness opportunity. "I am More than You Think: Plain Talk about Me and My Disability and Other Things You Ought to Know", can now be ordered at $8.00 per copy (bulk orders available too) from the Milwaukee WI 53216 [email protected]
Fair Housing Accessibility First Program
Adaptive Environments, under contract with Bearing Point (formerly KPMG Consulting) in conjunction with the Department of Housing and Urban Development, will launch the Fair Housing Accessibility First Program. This program will promote compliance with the Federal Fair Housing Act accessibility guidelines by providing technical assistance to builders, design professionals, housing authorities, fair housing organizations, advocates, service providers
Labor Department Offers Employers Free Database of Qualified, Disabled
Student Job Seekers
WASHINGTON -- Government and private sector employers may take advantage of a free resource to identify college students and recent graduates with disabilities for their summer and permanent job openings, U.S. Labor Secretary Elaine L. Chao announced today. The department's Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP), in cooperation with the Department of Defense, now offers a database of more than 1,600 job seekers with disabilities through its Workforce Recruitment Program (WRP). "WRP gives many students with disabilities the break they need to launch successful careers. They acquire valuable work experience, gain confidence, and make important job connections," Chao said. "The WRP also fulfills President Bush's New Freedom Initiative pledge to promote employment opportunities for people with disabilities throughout the Survey of Employers about hiring people with disabilities
The Heldrich Center at Rutgers recently released the results of a survey of employers about people with disabilities and lowering barriers to work. Findings reveal a resistance on the part of employers to hire people with disabilities because of their own discomfort with having these types of people in their workforce, concern about costs of accommodations, and their belief that people with disabilities do not have the skills necessary to be effective employees. Technology/Web/Resources:
Books on Tape Without the Tape!
Audible.com offers the same commercially available audiobooks that can be found in most bookstores on tape or CD, plus lots of proprietary magazine and newspaper content— all without the tapes or CDs. You can listen to them on your personal computer (PC), transfer them to a small portable player, or even burn them on your own. Audible.com converts audiobooks and other spoken audio programs into digital files that can be delivered directly to your PC over the Internet and enjoyed in a variety of ways. You can download and listen at your convenience on your desktop or laptop PC or transfer files from your computer to a portable device, such as an MP3 player. The online catalog includes these categories: fiction, nonfiction, business, information age, science, foreign language, spirituality, kids, comedy, history, mystery, great talkers, drama and poetry, self- development, arts and leisure, news, newspapers, magazines, radio, speeches and lectures, audio books, and exclusives. Overall, it is certainly enough to find something to satisfy everyone’s reading preferences. The best thing aboutAudible.com is that the material is available both in an accessible format and in a timely manner. For more information, visit the web site above.
How to Evaluate a Website
This quiz, developed by the folks at Schwab Learning, test your skills at separating the Internet gold from the Internet garbage. Can you sort out quality sources of information online? Take this quick quiz to find out:
Positive Behavior Support Plans
If you are new to the topic of behavior support or would just like to peek at someone else’s, check out this page. It has three sample plans for students with ADHD, autism, and Asperger Syndrome. It also has a working document that you can use as a template.
Assistive Technology and Taxes: Not a Perfect Fit
By Mitch Jeserich, Staff Writer, AT Journal From wheelchairs to adaptive computer software, people with disabilities spend a lot of money on assistive technology every year. What many people may overlook, though, is they may be able to claim AT purchases as deductibles when filing their federal tax forms. However, it is not evident because neither the tax forms nor the tax guidelines have the words assistive technology printed in them. "It is difficult to claim assistive technology," said Steve Mendelsohn, author of the 1996 book Tax Options and Strategies for People with Disabilities. "You have to figure out what tax deductible category it goes under." To claim an AT device as a deductible, it must fit under an already existing IRS category: such as Medical Expenses, Payment Related Work Expenses or Miscellaneous Work Expenses. Medical Expenses could include such items as a wheelchair, special phone equipment and accessible modifications to a home or vehicle. Items that assist a person in employment, such as accessible computer programs, may qualify under Work Related To read the complete article, go to:
Online Educational Opportunities for the Blind and Visually Impaired

Peirce College Online offers complete online degree programs for students beginning their education, completing a bachelor’s or associate’s degree, or adding courses to further their professional development. Their online degree programs feature accelerated, 7-week courses, tailored to provide a quality, interactive experience for online students. With Peirce College Online, you learn from faculty who are experienced practitioners, and you plan your academic career with dedicated online Program Advisors. Most importantly, Peirce online courseware and web site are 508 compliant to meet the needs of blind and visually impaired students. Visit their web site above for more Learn ASL Online at SigningOnline.com!
SigningOnline.com offers web-based courses, designed to teach American Sign Language at your own pace from anywhere in the world. The courses focus on conversational ASL and make extensive use of digital video to demonstrate the visual nature of signing. Visit the web site for more information, course descriptions and pricing.
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Easy Talking Notepad
Easy Talking Notepad enhances the ability of a computer to talk and read emails, documents, and web pages in one of its many voices and converts them into WAV or MP3 files. For more information and free demo, visit the web page above. Summer Activities
The Learning Clinic “Fast ForWord ” Camp in Billings
June 23 –August 8,2003
These half-day sessions are designed to help children improve language, reading and learning skills, while interacting with other students and enjoying entertaining activities. For The Learning Clinic, 406.259.3110, [email protected] Events:
ADD/ADHD workshop in PLUK Office April 23
PLUK will be holding an ADD/ADHD workshop at the Billings office on April 23 from 6 to 8pm. Space is limited to ten participants. If you are interested, please contact Sheryl at ##
Join PLUK at the Judy Carmichael Concert in Billings, May 2nd
Judy will be performing piano works of Duke Ellington, “Fats” Waller and Count Basie at the Alberta Bair Theatre on May 2 at 8:00pm. Proceeds of the concert will support PLUK activities. For ticket information, contact the Alberta Bair Theatre at 256-6052,
Access to the Arts: “Sherlock Jr” and Blue Grassy Knoll, May 8, Billings
You are invited to join PLUK and the Alberta Bair Theatre in an “Access to the Arts” event. It should be interesting and great fun! Buster Keaton’s classic silent film, Sherlock Jr., features an original score performed live by the Australian band, Blue Grassy Knoll. Thursday, May 8 at 7:30pm at the Alberta Bair Theatre. If you would like to reserve tickets, call the PLUK office at 255-0540. There is no charge for the tickets, but seating is limited, so call soon! Making Miracles happen, Dinner and Auction, Whitefish, May 3
Everyone is invited to the 2nd annual dinner and auction to support Human Therapy on Horseback in Whitefish on May 3rd at the Diamond B Ranch Arena in Whitefish. Doors open at 4:30pm, pig roast by Shamrock Catering is at 6:00pm. There will be music throughout the evening by the Roy Wilhelm Band, and also door prizes and a silent and live auction. To donate items for the auction, call 881-4192. Cash donations may be mailed to PO Box 1541, Whitefish MT 59937, Tax ID=84-1423503. Tickets are $30 by calling 881-4192 or $35 at New Frontiers: A Parent’s Guide to Treatment for Autism Spectrum Disorders
May 10, 9am-5pm at Mansfield Center, Billings For information and registration, contact [email protected] or 256-0558.
PLUK ITV Learning Series: Kids & IEPs, May 13 with Doug Cochran Roberts
Kids and IEPs
Tuesday, May 13, 2003
6:00 - 8:00 pm, MST
Doug Cochran Roberts, MA, LPC
Session Description: Research shows children and teens can take charge of their
behavior and learning by setting their own goals and participating in the development of their own programs. This presentation shows professionals how to help kids - as young as 3rd grade; develop their own behavioral and academic goals and make a self-efficacy plan with specific goals and strategies. This presentation shows how a student can be prepared in 30-45 minutes to take the lead at his own student assistance meeting or IEP meeting. ABOUT DOUG: Doug is noted for his summer university courses and workshops
throughout the state of Montana. He blends cutting edge research with his everyday experience of working with children and youth with very challenging behaviors. His practical examples and demonstrations illustrate a realistic and compassion approach for reaching difficult, troubled kids. He inspires and informs; and audiences give great reviews. He is a father of four grown children; one of who has multiple disabilities - and two grandchildren. He has worked in schools and all grade levels for twenty -two years. He was a therapeutic foster parent for nine years. He is presently a school counselor/psychologist in the Corvallis Schools and has a small private practice in Missoula as a licensed professional counselor. Please join us for the continuation of our popular free monthly interactive training. There 1. Attend one of the 80 possible VisionNet ITV studios in the state. We will try and book sites by request with 3 or more registrants. 2. View the session "live" on the Internet using RealPlayer (see below). 3. Participate "live" (audio only) over the telephone by calling 415-455-4580 during the session. (If you cannot afford the long distance fees, contact us for a toll-free 4. View videotapes of this and all previous sessions that are available at the TRIC/PLUK Library. Call the PLUK office to check them out. (View list at the end of this page.) 5. View the archived sessions on the Internet using RealPlayer. Click here to go to
the streaming archives.
PLUK is offering this series of free monthly trainings to reach out to families and other interested individuals in all regions of the state. If you plan on participating: Please register as soon as you can!!!
call the PLUK office at 800-222-7585 or 255-0540.
Current sites for May session:
(We will book sites by request if there are 3 or more registrants.) Billings:
Missoula: (instructor site)
Great Falls:
Room 105 Main Entrance, 1st door on left
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Research to Practice: Impact of Trauma on Childhood Development
Saturday May 31, 2003 9 AM - 4 PM O'Shaughnessy Cultural Center - Whitefish, MT Spend the day with Dr. Bruce Perry to gain a deep understanding of the long-term effects of early childhood trauma. An expert for over 15 years on the neurobiology of maltreated children, Perry's research demonstrates that environment and human contact play crucial This daylong symposium will give all those working with children a new perspective as Perry illustrates the tangible anatomical differences found in children exposed to trauma at an early age. The symposium is appropriate for caregivers and professionals working with Fee including lunch - $90.00 CEU's available To be added to the mailing list or for a full conference brochure please email [email protected], Melody Domph at:
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Treatment of Anxiety in Children and Adolescents, June 15-17, Billings
The Montana Association of School Psychologists, PLUK and LDA are sponsoring the MASP Summer Institute with Philip C Kendall, Ph.D., ABPP, Director of the Child and Adolescent Anxiety Disorders Clinic at Temple University, June 15-17 at the Mansfield Health Education Center in Billings. Cost is $110-$145. A limited number of Parent scholarships will be available through PLUK. Contact the PLUK office for the informational brochure with North West Rocky Mountain Regional Irlen Conference, June 25-26, MSU-
Billings
Educational Psychologist, Helen Irlen, first identified Irlen Syndrome while she was working with adult-learners in California in the early 1980s. She observed that some of her students read with greater ease when they covered a page of print with a Coloured overlay. The patented treatment-method uses specially formulated, coloured overlays or coloured lenses worn as glasses or contact lenses to reduce or eliminate perception-difficulties. The conference will give Irlen Method users, their families, co-professionals, and Irlen professionals the opportunity to learn together and from each other. Contact Sally Keele, P.O. Box 546, Billings, Montana, 59103. She can be reached at 406- 245-0989, or on email at [email protected] for information or registration material. CSPD “Goings On ”
Montana CSPD is a unified personnel development system that ensures quality educational programs and services for all children and youth. June 9 –11 • “S ’Cool Moves”, Debi Heiberger, Dawson Community
College, Glendive There is no registration fee, deadline for registration is May 18.Contact:
Helen Murphy for further information at 406-485-2140 (W), 406-48-2143 (H),
REGION III
June 12, 8:30 –4:00pm, “Handwriting without Tears,” Katrina Erickson, O.T.R, MSU-
Billings. To register call 406-657-2312, or register online at Region V has an online registration website. Sign on at have signed on, you will receive information about upcoming trainings in our region. June 17–18 • Paraeducator Academies • Missoula 2-day Academy: Choice of
Orientation to Special Education, Behavior Management, or Instructional Technology. June 17–18 • Paraeducator Academies • Kalispell 2-day Academy: Choice of Behavior
August 11–13 • Severe Communication /Autism Conference • Grouse Mountain
Lodge in Whitefish. This second annual conference includes workshops on TEACCH, Sensory Integration Toolkit, Assistive Technology, and Asperger Syndrome. Sponsored by NWCASE. August 13–15 • Together We’re Better • Region V CSPD ’s sixth Annual August
Institute, UM Education Building, Missoula. Get geared up for the new year with strategies to help you work with all students. Workshops on Reading & Literacy, low incidence disabilities, behavior, differentiated learning, legal issues, early childhood, social skills, paraeducator academies, transition, and more. August 18–19 • Paraeducator Academies • Kalispell 2-day Academy: Choice of
Behavior Management, Instructional Strategies, or Student Supervision. More information Sign up on the Region V CSPD Online Registration Web site at Selected Sources:
• Monday Morning in Washington, DC, • Transition Newsflash, Montana Center On Disabilities, • Reference Points: Transition updates from the TATRA Project,
PLUK eNews is published by:
Parent's, Let's Unite for Kids – PLUK
800-222-7585; 406-255-0540; 406-255-0523 (fax) [email protected] Statement on accessibility: Today, we endeavor to be conscious of the need for making all electronic information accessible, because we are aware of physical accessibility issues in our communities. For design guidelines vis . 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 Vision Statement: Given information and support, individuals with disabilities and their families will feel empowered to advocate for themselves and participate fully in educational

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