::Inside this Issue
Welcome Dory Lawrence
DEL Reports
From the Desk of the Executive Director
Improving Parent Involvement
Law Conference
Annie's Story
Success Story
IN-SIG Update
IN*SOURCE Conference
Needs Assessment
Meet Dory Lawrence
It is with pleasure that we introduce you to Dory Lawrence, the new Director of the Indiana Parent Training Program (IPTP). IN*SOURCE was, indeed, fortunate that our need for a new IPTP director was met by an individual with the background, the experience (both personal and professional) and the skills that Dory brings to the position.
As our readers know, Judy Alderton, who had directed IPTP for twenty years, passed away in November and the position had been vacant since then. “It is apparent that the work that Judy Alderton did at IN*SOURCE had a lasting impact on the lives of many people,” states Dory. She adds, “It is my goal to direct this project in a way that will be true to her legacy and the values that guided her service to others.”
Dory has more than 15 years of experience both working with and advocating for individuals with disabilities. She has a Master of Arts degree in Educational and Counseling Psychology from the University of Missouri. Her graduate training included an emphasis on rehabilitation counseling and she began her professional career as a rehabilitation counselor.
When Dory worked with the Rehabilitation Continuing Education Program (RCEP), she designed and conducted continuing education programs on a variety of topics. RCEP is a program that focuses on training and education for rehabilitation counselors and is funded through the Rehabilitative Services Administration (U.S. Department of Education). Dory continues to enhance her extensive background in the design and implementation of training programs.
Dory’s husband, Jeff Burnett, is a licensed psychologist who directs a residential program for juvenile delinquents with mental health issues. Dory and Jeff have three children. Ben is 15 and a high school freshman; Annie is 11 and in the 5th grade; and Mary Claire is 8 and in the 2nd grade. The family moved to South Bend in 1995.
Dory’s experience with disability has been personal as well as professional. As a graduate student, she worked with children in a clinic for students with learning disabilities. Things have since come full circle. Her daughter, Annie, has a communication disorder and receives special education services. Annie has been labeled as “twice exceptional” as she receives services at a middle school that is an academy for gifted children. Her communication disorder is her diagnosis of record, but she also has other diffuse language issues and many signs of dyslexia. In addition to special education services, Annie attends tutoring sessions three afternoons a week and participates in intensive tutoring each summer. Annie, who is quite creative, submitted an essay about learning disabilities which our readers will find on page 5 of this newsletter. The article not only enhances our understanding of learning disabilities, but demonstrates that Annie is, indeed, exceptional in the most positive sense.
Dory states that her experiences as a parent have taught her the value of negotiation and perseverance in the very systems she once helped others navigate. She uses her counseling skills to communicate effectively with others and feels that collaboration and teambuilding are the ways to achieve the best outcomes for children with special needs.
We welcome Dory to the IN*SOURCE staff and the IN*SOURCE family. We are confident that you will all enjoy meeting and working with her in the days ahead.
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DEL REPORTS
The End of the Year…The Beginning of the Future
by: Paul Ash, Assistant Director
Division of Exceptional Learners, Indiana Department of Education
Another school year is quickly coming to a close, signaling the beginning of more and better things to come.
The most obvious end-of-the-school-year-event is high school graduation. Hopefully, more students with
disabilities will be graduating with a diploma (or an Honors Diploma or a Core 40 diploma) than ever before. The
graduation requirements have changed over the years in terms of courses, credits and meeting the Graduation
Qualifying Examination (GQE) Requirement. The GQE Requirement can be met by passing the GQE test or
through the “waiver” or “alternate documentation” process. Students who meet all graduation requirements
EXCEPT passing the GQE test may be eligible for a diploma through the “waiver” or “alternate documentation”
process. See the Division of Exceptional Learners website, under What’s New, for the article, WHAT IF I DON’T
PASS THE GQE?
Some students with disabilities will exit high school with a Certificate of Completion. Though a Certificate of
Completion is not an academic credential, students exiting with a Certificate of Completion are eligible to
participate in any graduation ceremonies the school may sponsor. A student with a disability who exits with a
Certificate of Completion may later change their mind and want to re-enroll in school. Students with disabilities
are eligible to return to school and continue receiving special education services (FAPE) until the age of 22 or
until graduation requirements are met, whichever comes first.
Many students with disabilities exiting school this spring will be planning on college or other post-school
training. This is a realistic goal for many students. Each year IN*SOURCE staff assists the Division of
Exceptional Learners by updating the COLLEGE AND POSTSECONDARY TRAINING FOR STUDENTS
WITH DISABILITIES IN INDIANA. This publication lists over 60 Indiana institutions, provides contact
information on the respective disabled student coordinators (not PC, but it is the only way the title sounds
correct), and lists the accommodations and services provided for students with disabilities. Since IDEA does not
apply to post-secondary institutions, parents and students must be informed self-advocates with regard to post-secondary Section 504 services! The College List is available from IN*SOURCE and from the Division of
Exceptional Learners. Thanks to IN*SOURCE (especially Lynn Ham) for again updating this popular publication.
With Spring come thoughts of summer camp. SPECIAL SUMMER CAMPS is another Division of Exceptional
Learners-sponsored publication. Dozens of special summer camps designed for children and young adults with
disabilities are listed and described. Specialized camps, such as Camp About Face for children with facial birth
defects, is one of the many specialized camps listed. Again, check the Division of Exceptional Learners website.
Annual Case Reviews are a traditional spring special education activity, though many schools have worked to
balance the workload by scheduling ACRs around birthdays or otherwise balancing the conference schedule.
Prepare for your ACR and be an active participant. Ask questions. Be sure that services are clearly stated so the
student, teachers, parents and related service personnel all have the same understanding. Vague or confusing
language is an enemy of understanding. This is the plan that will determine next year’s success.
Finally, Article 7 rule revision discussions continue. For IN*SOURCE in general, and for students with
disabilities in particular, a new member with years of experience advocating for students with disabilities has
joined the State Advisory Council. IN*SOURCE’s own Richard Burden has been appointed to the State Advisory
Council and has been attending the monthly meetings as a member since being appointed by Dr. Suellen Reed
earlier this school year. Having the IN*SOURCE Executive Director at the table, participating in discussions,
representing students with disabilities from a parent/advocate perspective, and contributing to the rule revision
process will no doubt result in the best and most readable Article 7 revision to date. Welcome aboard Rich!
Again, another school year is quickly closing, but more and better things are coming.
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From the Desk of the
Executive Director
Spring is here. Our spring break is next week. For the second time ever, we are driving
to Florida. Six Burdens in a minivan. By the time you read this, I hope we will have
returned intact. Good wishes and prayers will be greatly appreciated.
Indiana continues to do the work necessary to revise its state special education rule to
bring it in line with the federal regulations. The state is also taking the opportunity to
consider not only the new or different federal requirements, but the overall rule looking
broadly at current emerging and best practices that might warrant additional changes to
the rule. The review, consideration and change process is very involved and does take
time. After the Division of Exceptional Learners (DEL) wades through the federal law,
the federal regulations and the commentary and interpretations and compares and
contrasts all that to our state rule, the next formal stop on the journey is the State
Advisory Council on the Education of Children with Disabilities. That body is mandated
by federal law.
Members of the State Advisory Council (SAC) must be citizens of Indiana, who are
representative of the state’s population and selected on the basis of their involvement in
or concern with the education of children with disabilities. A majority of the members
must be individuals with disabilities or the parents of children with disabilities. Members
must also include teachers, state and local education officials, program administrators,
representatives of various state agencies, representatives of higher education
institutions that prepare special education and related service personnel,
representatives of nonpublic schools and representatives of vocational, community, or
business organizations concerned with the provision of transitional services to children
with disabilities. I have had the opportunity to serve as a member of that group for
about six months. I have been so impressed with the commitment of the members and
how conscientious they are in addressing their work. I wish that more people could
experience those meetings and see for themselves how deliberate, thorough and
careful we try to be. I believe that all would be convinced that the group is trying to do
the right thing...trying to say it in the right way...trying to understand the consequences
(both intended and unintended) of their recommendations. Dr. Marra, our state
director, has often said that rule making is based on compromise in that no one
individual or one group writes the rule. It is a representative process. There are so
many voices and different perspectives that need to be heard, that are heard.
Sometimes, as we know, the parent or family voice is not heard or not attended to.
That is not the case in the SAC. Dr. Marra and his staff have done an exceptional job
in finding parents and/or persons with disabilities to serve on the council. Also many of
the folks who wear other hats (i.e. school administrator or state agency representatives)
are also parents of children with disabilities. The parent/family voice is heard and
respected. I personally, feel very good about that.
In August and September, IN*SOURCE will work with Dr. Marra, his staff, the SAC,
ASK, Dr. Loui Lord Nelson and others to hear directly from parents. We hope there will
be a draft of the proposed rule by that time. Planning is in the earliest stage and I do
not yet know how we will hear from and interact with families. There may be some
number of regional meetings and other opportunities. I believe the meetings will not be
formal or “public hearing like,” but more informal, more conversational. Anyway, we will
let you know as soon as plans are final.
This year our annual golf outing and fund raising event is June 13 th at a great course in
Nappanee, Indiana. We need golfers and sponsors and donated raffle items. Please join us.
We’ll have fun and we appreciate your support.
Welcome Dory!
Have a great summer. Hug the kids and...
As Always, Best Wishes!
Rich Burden
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Improving Parent Involvement
by: Louise Lord Nelson, Ph.D.
Reliable Alliance in Special Education, Inc. (R.A.I.S.E., Inc.)
Is the participation of parents in schools different for parents who have children with
disabilities?
This past fall the Division of Exceptional Learners at the Department of Education
funded a project titled Improving Parent Participation through Action Research: A
Collaborative Approach. Three Indiana elementary schools agreed to participate and
brought together teams of parents of children with disabilities, educators and principals.
By the end of the project, each group will create a specific plan for increased parent
involvement based on their school culture.
Other project outcomes include improved communication between educators and parents
participating in the research teams; information sharing about community support
groups; and information sharing about resources and strategies on parent involvement.
This article lets you know where the schools are at this point.
At each of the three schools, the groups have worked together to (a) define what parent
participation currently looks like in their school, (b) consider whether parents of children
with disabilities see barriers to participating in their child school or in their child
education, and (c) decide whether they want to specifically focus on parents of children
with special needs or whether they want to focus on improving overall parent
participation.
Each school decided their own path based on what they knew about the involvement of
their parents and families. Everyone involved in the research teams played an important
role . . . the administrators in each group provided important data and behind-the-scenes
information about how data is collected and used; the teachers were able to provide
examples they have used to enhance participation; and the parents gave open and honest
feedback about how previous school efforts were either effective or ineffective for
parents of children with special needs.
Though this project will continue through the end of September 2007, the groups have
clearly identified and discussed the personality traits of their own school culture. One
school decided it would be more effective to concentrate on improving parent
participation throughout the entire school rather than concentrating on parents of children
with special needs. While designing their invitation method, they e worked hard to
consider how to make the school and school events more welcoming and inviting to all
parents and how to help parents see their role in their child education. They initially
worked with a small number of families who have traditionally been disconnected from
the school. Based on those results they have decided to implement the method they used
to include these parents at a school-wide level next year.
Another school group has talked about opening any school based training to teachers and
parents so they can sit side-by-side and learn together. Their goal is two-fold. First, the
team vision is to inform and empower as many parents and teachers as possible about
educating children with disabilities. They see that step leading to their next vision . . .
seeing parents as equal partners when planning each child education. This particular
school team has also considered how to improve their parent resource room and include
more information and resources that could be used by parents of children with disabilities
and teachers alike.
The third school is in the process of getting back their parent surveys which are sent to all
parents. They concentrated on making their parent participation questions more specific
in hopes of getting a more clear picture from parents about what they would like to see
and how they want to participate. This team has also concentrated on improving
involvement opportunities for parents of children with special needs. Once the surveys
are returned and have been processed, the team will be ready to make decisions.
This has been an exciting project and one that has led to change for each school. An
additional article with updates on those changes will come next fall. Until then, you can
read more about participatory action research at http://www.beachcenter.org/resource_libra317-598-6224317-598-6224ry/default.aspxs.
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Law Conference
From Policy to the Classroom: Practical Strategies for Behavior Management and Compliance Issues is the theme of the Fifth Annual Conference on Health, Disability and the Law. The conference will be on Friday, June 8, 2007 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the William S. and Christine S. Hall Center for Law and Health, Indiana University School of Law in Indianapolis. The conference is being co-sponsored by the William S. and Christine S. Hall Center for Law and Health; Riley Child Development Center; Indiana Department of Education, Office of Student Services; ASK (About Special Kids, Inc., formerly IPIN); and IN*SOURCE.
For more information about the conference, visit www.indylaw.indiana.edu or call (317) 274-1951 or e-mail hamccabe@iupui.edu.
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Annie's Story
Learning Disabilities
Have you ever thought about what it would feel like if you couldn’t read or
do math problems? Try to read the sentences below:
Thew wor dsaren otspa ced cor rect ly. Th wrds r speled axtle as tha snd.
Sometimestheletterareallpushedtooclosetogether. Ynam semit eht sdrow era
sdrawkcab.
For some people with learning disabilities, reading is always this confusing. Having a
learning disability can be very hard and require lots of extra work, but learning
disabilities are common and many people with learning disabilities have been very
successful.
People with a learning disability have to work extra hard. It takes people with a learning
disability extra time to do their work. Some things may be obvious to others but not to
them. People with a learning disability have to work out of school like tutoring or
summer school. Having a learning disability is hard but it does not stop you from being
successful.
Having a learning disability can be very frustrating and make you feel bad about
yourself. A lot of people with learning disability think they are not smart. People with a
learning disability can’t get some things like others. So they think of themselves as being
dumb, stupid or slow, but they’re not! Sometimes they might get frustrated and throw a
pencil or wrinkle up a paper or rip it.
Testing, testing, testing … Have you ever thought you’d never get out of testing? Well, people with learning disability have to take lots of testing. They have to take testing so
people can find out what’s wrong with them and what they need to learn and how they
learn best. Has a math test ever blown your mind like you couldn’t figure out the
problems? That’s how some people feel with learning disability. They feel frustrated,
torn, confused.
A lot of people have a learning disability. Let’s face it, you need help sometimes, but
people with learning disability need just a little more help. Learning disabilities are
common. Thomas Edison, Albert Einstein, Walt Disney and Tom Cruise all have
learning disability. So believe me, if you have a learning disability you are not alone.
Three million school age children have a learning disability and receive help at school. (Twenty-second Annual Report to Congress, U.S. Department of Education, 2000.)
People with a learning disability can be very successful and make important
contributions to our world. Thomas Edison couldn’t read until he was 12, but he was
very successful. He invented the light bulb. A learning disability didn’t stop him.
Albert Einstein had a very hard time with math when he was little. Also in school he was
very frustrated and couldn’t get some things like others. But that didn’t stop him from
being successful. Albert Einstein was a brilliant scientist. Walt Disney also had learning
disability and an amazing imagination. He gave us a wonderful amusement park. Tom
Cruise is an actor with a learning disability. He is very creative and has been in movies
we enjoy. What would we do without these people?
Learning disabilities are common, but people with learning disabilities are successful. I
hope this paper has helped you see the ability in disability!
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A Family Affair
by: Susan Bassett
(Note: Susan, who lives in Howe, Indiana, has been a dedicated Regional Parent Resource
(RPR) for nearly seventeen years and sumbitted this article to share the success achieved by
her son, Kurt, and her daughter, Kylee.)
In 1986, when my son, Kurt, was two years old, he was diagnosed with autism. My
husband, Jeff, and I sought the help of specialists and, with an all inclusive educational
program of nursery school and K-12 public school, a dedicated staff, an excellent
instructional assistant, JoAnn Bontreger, and many evening hours at the kitchen table
with Mom, Dad and sister, Kylee, assisting with homework, Kurt graduated from
Lakeland High School with a Core 40 diploma.
Kurt was involved with Special Olympics throughout his school years. While in high
school, he managed the Lakeland High School’s football team, participated in the
Academic Bowl, was a member of the National Honor Society, and was voted the Junior
Homecoming Attendant for his class. He participated in choir, the Boy Scouts of
America, his church youth group and worked part time at Wal-Mart. He took drivers’
training the summer of his 8th grade year at school and was so proud when he received
his own Indiana drivers’ license! After graduation, he continued working at Wal-Mart for three years and took classes at Glen Oaks Community College.
Kurt, 23, now lives in his own apartment in Indianapolis and works at the Indiana
Department of Education. He enjoys his independence. It’s been quite an adventure
for all of us to allow him to be three hours away and to handle the circumstances that
tend to arise throughout the week. But, as always, Kurt is adapting quite well. It has
been a major change for him learning to keep house, cook and start a brand new job
with one giant move.
My children grew up with IN*SOURCE. They are “IN*SOURCE Kids.” They both have
benefitted over the years from benefitting and belonging to such a wonderful
organization. My son has benefitted so much over the years from the knowledge
IN*SOURCE has given me to pursue his education to the fullest.
Our daughter, Kylee, is 26 and has a B.A. degree in Special Education and a J.D.
degree from Indiana University School of Law in Indianapolis. Kylee took our family
situation and turned it into a career that she is passionate about. Her love for the
disabled community has opened her life to include so many other lives that otherwise
she would not have encountered. She took RPR training when she was in college to
better understand what Kurt’s rights were for the best education possible for him. Who
would have known that Kylee would end up being her brother’s best advocate? During
her student days at Purdue University, she used her RPR training to advocate for
students at many case conferences in the West Lafayette area.
Kylee is currently working at the Indiana Department of Education in the Division of
Exceptional Learners. Due to her position there, she can no longer serve as an RPR for
IN*SOURCE but is very grateful for the educational knowledge base that IN*SOURCE
has given her through the years.
Thanks, IN*SOURCE, for giving to parents the opportunity to better their children’s lives
through education. I will always be grateful.
(And those of us at IN*SOURCE are grateful to Susan for her nearly seventeen years of
dedicated service as an RPR. We share her pride in Kurt and Kylee and are so pleased to now
be working with them as well as with their mom.)
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IN-SIG Update
by: Julie Havill-Weems, Family Coordinator, IN-SIG
On June 7th, 2007 the Indiana State Improvement Grant (INSIG), in partnership with the Equity Project at the Center on Evaluation and Education Policy, is holding the Indiana Summit on Equity and Educational Partnerships. The Summit will include sessions highlighting activities in Indiana aimed at increasing partnerships between families, schools, and communities and developing equity in education. The keynote speaker for the Summit is Dr. Beth Harry, author of Building Cultural Reciprocity in Special Education: Case Studies in Special Education. The Summit is will run from 9am – 3pm with lunch provided. There is no cost to participate in the Summit. For more information and to register for the conference, visit the website www.equityinindiana.org or contact Julie Havill-Weems at jhavill@indiana.edu or 1-800-825-4733.
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IN*SOURCE Annual Conference
Featured at the 2007 IN*SOURCE Conference this year will be keynote speakers, Karen Gaffney and Dr. Al Condeluci.
Please plan to join us in Muncie on November 9th and 10th for
Taking the Next Steps...Building for the Future. |
Karen Gaffney
From the moment she was born, Karen Gaffney began an incredible journey that continues today. She is the President of a non-profit organization dedicated to championing the journey to full inclusion in families, schools, the workplace and the community for people with developmental disabilities. She is doing this by creating awareness and calling attention to the tremendous capabilities of people with disabilities. Karen accomplishes this through presentations and workshops delivered all over the country. One of the workshops Karen presents is on the importance of physical fitness and how to set up a regular fitness plan. She has also started a program that she calls “The Friends First Network ™” in schools around the Portland area. She hopes to take this program nationwide.
Karen graduated from St. Mary’s Academy in Portland Oregon and earned a two-year Associates of Science degree from Portland Community College. She successfully swam the English Channel as part of a six-person relay team. Karen travels the country speaking to a wide range of audiences about overcoming limitations and about what can be accomplished with positive expectations. Karen tackles any challenge she faces with determination and commitment, knowing she has limits, but not allowing them to limit her drive to succeed. Oh, and by the way…. Karen Gaffney has Down syndrome.
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Al Condeluci has been an advocate and catalyst for building community capacities and understanding culture since 1970. Born and raised in the steel town of McKees Rocks, PA, still making his home there, Al received his Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Youngstown State University, his Master’s in Social Work and Ph.D. in Education from the University of Pittsburgh. He has worked as an attendant, caseworker, advocate, planner, program director and now, CEO of his organization, UCP/CLASS of Pittsburgh, since 1973. UCP/CLASS has created a family of corporations and is dedicated t its mission – “working towards a community where each belongs.”
Since 1975 Al has emerged as a national leader and consultant on human services and community issues. He speaks annually to national and international audiences reaching some15,000 people each year. His books have won praise and awards for their thoughtful approach to culture and community and are now used at many colleges, universities and in-service settings. His most recent books are ADVOCACY FOR CHANGE: A MANUAL FOR ACTION (2004, ANCOR Foundation Press) and TOGETHER IS BETTER (2004 UCP Press).
Along with his professional activities, Al is involved in a variety of civic volunteer roles. He is on the board of the United Way of SWPA, a member of the Southwest PA Partnership for Aging Board of Directors and the immediate past chairman of the PA Statewide TBI Advisory Board.
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Plan to join us at the IN*SOURCE Annual Conference, November 9-10, 2007, Muncie, Indiana.
Look for registration information at www.insource.org and in our fall newsletter.
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