INSOURCE Reports - Spring 2010

Photo of Wilner Cusic and daughter, Amber

I am thoroughly convinced that we can have a profound effect on those with whom we come in contact. Acts that seem insignificant can shape someone else’s future. The right words or acts of kindness at just the right time can totally change someone’s life. This is what happened to me 22 years ago. My daughter Amber’s and my life were dramatically changed because of dedicated and compassionate teachers, administrators and related service providers.

While tending to the menial task of cleaning closets, I stumbled upon Amber’s old communication notebooks from her years in the special education program at McKinley School. I immediately sat in the middle of the hallway floor and began reading. Looking through these old notebooks brought back many memories and caused me to reflect back on my daughter’s life and educational experiences.

I remember it as if it were yesterday; the day Amber’s dad and I went to the Education Center to meet with Chuck Moore (Special Education Supervisor). That was the day we were told what we already knew but weren’t ready to face. Chuck had to tell us that our beautiful daughter, Amber, had a significant disability...autism. Surprisingly to me now when I think of that day, it’s not the horrific diagnosis that first enters my mind, but the compassion Chuck showed towards us as he delivered the bad news. It was as if it hurt him as much to tell us as it was for us to hear it. I remember him consoling us as we cried, giving us the time and space we needed to compose ourselves. I will be forever grateful to him for his kindness. I’m pleased to say the first impression made by Chuck would be echoed over and over again through others on staff.

When Cyndi Smith (Autism Resource Consultant) and I met, not a lot was known about autism. There were certainly many more questions than answers. I remember days when I would drop Amber off at school feeling totally overwhelmed and depressed. Cyndi would take me aside with words of comfort and encouragement. If she didn’t know the answer to a question she would say, “I don’t know, but I’ll find out.” Her honesty garnered a relationship of trust. Thank you, Cyndi.

Michelle Hack (teacher) was an angel of kindness. No matter what kind of day Amber had, she never sent her home and always wrote something positive in her communication log. Looking back I realize I didn’t know how good we had it. Michelle and her family were wonderful supports to my family. I still miss and think of her often.

The list goes on. Tom Spencer, Jeff Myers, Pauline Busby, Denise Domonkos, Barb Deitz and so many others. I often think of and make mention of you during my IN*SOURCE Regional Parent Resource (RPR) trainings. I share that we didn’t always see eye-to-eye and even had some contentious moments. However, through good and bad, the victories and defeats, there is “The Other Side of Through.”

On the other side is a beautiful 28-year-old woman living a fulfilling life in her own home with the support of the Medicaid Waiver. As I look back, I realize that it took all of us to get Amber to this place. Whether you’re a parent who was drafted into this army or an educator who enlisted, we’re all in this battle together and together we win.

I say to all parents and educators--stay focused and encouraged. I end this as I started. I’m thoroughly convinced that we can have a profound effect on those with whom we come in contact. We’re proof that you have made a difference in our lives!

Another school year is winding down. Annual Case Reviews (ACRs) or annual IEP meetings are being scheduled. IEPs have standing for only twelve months, so they must be formally reviewed annually. Most districts try to convene these meetings in the spring. The meeting toward the end of the school year permits the team to review and assess student success, to plan for the coming school year and to formally consider the student’s continued eligibility for special education if it is time for the triennial eligibility redetermination. Eligibility redetermination may be fairly straightforward if the parents and the school agree that they have sufficient data and information on hand to substantiate continued eligibility or ineligibility. Either party might believe that additional information is necessary and request additional testing or assessments. Assuming all agree, preferably that work will be done in advance of the ACR, but the need might not be identified until the ACR is convened. In that case, the ACR will need to reconvene after the testing is completed.

In reviewing the past school year, I hope that has been an ongoing process for parents, students and schools. In my case, I try to check in regularly with our kid. How is it going? Are things getting easier? If yes, can you describe how it is easier and is it because of something that you are doing, something the school is doing, or something that we are doing together? If no, can you think of something that we could do or do differently or something that you could do that might make things easier?...just that sort of ongoing conversation. We talk about goals–those things that are important to him and those things that simply must happen, some being more important to him than others. We talk about time lines because activities or goals that are somewhere off in the future lose meaning for him. Of course, we also try to keep very current on assignments and grades. It is not good for any of our kids to get behind, but in my kid’s case, he gets easily overwhelmed and when that happens, he tends to shut down and then nothing gets done.

In preparing for the ACR, our conversation becomes more focused. We write down those things we want to be sure to talk about-- especially those what’s working, what isn’t and what we might do differently pieces. We talk about those things or issues that may be difficult for him to hear so he is not taken by surprise. He carefully writes down those things that he wants to be sure to say. We rehearse and edit until he is comfortable. We always talk about who he wants to thank. There has never been an ACR that he attended when he did not want to thank someone and more often than not there is more than one person. If there is anything that I have learned over the years and I believe my son has also learned, it is the importance of a simple thank you. Even when the meeting has not gone particularly well, we try to end in that way and it makes all the difference in the world.

So, I hope you take the time to prepare for the meeting. It will be a better experience for everyone. If you are not seeing the outcomes that were expected, please talk about it. What is not working as we expected? What do we need to do differently? We can not expect that doing the same things will give us a different result. Remember to thank those whose efforts you have appreciated.

Two new on-line training modules – one on Advocating for Your Special Needs Foster Child and one on Discipline -- will be added to the INSOURCE website by early this summer. The modules, presented by INSOURCE program specialists, are available for parents and/or service providers to view on their own schedule and at their own pace and the PowerPoint slides accompanying each module may be downloaded for reference. Additional options for web-based learning are being explored and will soon be added to the menu of opportunities available.

Additional podcasts have been posted to the INSOURCE website. Readers are encouraged to check periodically to listen to the podcasts and to suggest topics of interest for potential future podcasts.

Anne Davis joined the IDOE in February as an Educational Specialist. She has 19 years of experience working in the public schools as a teacher, building administrator and special education administrator. She and her husband, Brian, are originally from northwest Indiana and have two young children . . . Griffin age 3 and Audrey age 1.

Anne is excited to be working on her first project which is facilitating the Indiana Resource Centers for Improvement Activities (INRCIA) grants as they get up and running. There are six INRCIA focus areas:

Effective Assessment and Instruction, Director, Dr. Sandi Cole, Indiana Institute on Disability and Community, Indiana University

Effective and Compliant IEPs, Director, Dr. Leah Nellis, Blumberg Center for Interdisciplinary Studies in Special Education, Indiana State University

Effective Evaluations, Director, Dr. Leah Nellis, Blumberg Center for Interdisciplinary Studies in Special Education, Indiana State University

Positive Behavior Supports, Directors, Dr. Russ Skiba and Dr. Sandi Cole, The Equity Project, Indiana University

Transition to Adulthood, Director, Dr. Teresa Grossi, Indiana Institute on Disability and Community, Indiana University

More information will be forthcoming about the activities of each of the Resource Centers in future issues of INSOURCE Reports and on the IDOE website at www.doe.in.gov.

(Note: INSOURCE is pleased to be “at the table” as part of the leadership team involved in the planning stages as the INRCIAs take shape.)


Donna Adams Dr. Kenneth & Pam Alderton Alford’s Mortuary Apollo Printing & Graphics Center AWS JoAnn Barrett Billy & Eleanor Brant Richard & Sharon Burden Builders Iron Works Centier Bank Commercial Offices Products & Supply, Inc. Cullar & Associates Debbie Cook Ken & Margaret DeBoer Edward Jones/ Tyler Glynn Eugene & Carolyn Faulstich Mike Geglio Dr. Robert & Marlene Grief Mark & Janet Grondin Phillip & Holly Hamburg Roger & Sally Hamburg Bruce & Pamela Hanaway Francis & Barbara Heffernan Holland Insurance Group, LLC Walter & Gayle Humes Indiana University South Bend	International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local #668 John Kelly Dave Kennedy Tom & Sharon Kroll Johanna Lambert Dory Lawrence/Jeff Burnett Gurley Leep Automotive Family Wanda Leonard Logan Center Martin’s Super Market Donald & Linda McKinley Theda Nixon Bernhard & Donna Olsen Charlotte Pfeifer Bill & Sharon Przybysz Queen of Peace Church Sheet Metal Workers International Assn. Slatile Speech Pathology Terrance Tahara Barry Allen Wagoner Jr. Fund Mildred Wales David & Linda Weyrick Jon & Bianca Zenor Zolman Tire

Last fall, a statue of Helen Keller was installed by the state of Alabama in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda in Washington, D.C. Helen Keller was born in Tuscumbia, Alabama in 1880 and, as the result of an illness when she was 19 months old, she lost her sight and her hearing. The statue depicts the moment when, at the age of seven, she solved the “mystery of language” through the use of the manual alphabet taught by her teacher, Anne Sullivan.

In 1904, at the age of 24, Keller received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Radcliffe College which, at the time, was the women’s branch of Harvard University. She became a tireless advocate for people with disabilities and played a leading role in many of the political, social and cultural movements of the 20th century. She authored many books and articles and gave many speeches and, in 1964 was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Lyndon B. Johnson. Keller died in 1968 at the age of 87.

At the unveiling of the statue, the Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, stated that “the statue will always remind us that people must be respected for what they can do rather than judged for what they cannot.” Carl Augusto, president and CEO of the American Foundation for the Blind (an organization for which Keller worked for the last 44 years of her life), stated that Keller “embodies the American spirit of limitless possibility . . . her biggest desire was to leave the world a better place than she found it and . . . that’s the legacy she leaves all of us.”

In raised letters and in Braille characters, the pedestal base bears the following words of Helen Keller: “The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched, they must be felt with the heart.”

The Indiana Parent Road Map: Your Guide to Raising a Child with Combined Hearing and Vision Losses is a document that includes information to help families gain an understanding of deaflbindless and common areas of concern. This colorful and informative publication includes stories and pictures both from and about families and includes helpful Indiana resources. The content was adapted, with permission, from Minnesota’s Deafblind Project’s original Parent Road Map booklet, in order to meet the needs of families in Indiana. Copies are available, free of charge, by sending an e-mail to DB@indstate.edu with your name and address and your request for a copy of the Road Map.

The Indiana Governor’s Council for People with Disabilities is recruiting candidates for the Partners in Polilcymaking (PIP) Academy. PIP is a leadership training program for adults with disabilities and parents of children with disabilities. PIP helps to prepare disability advocates with skills needed to become active partners in their communities and to influence public policy. Session topics may include disability history, civil rights, education, community living, employment, state and local policy, legislative issues, media relations, community organizing, and others.

PIP participants attend eight weekends of training in the Indianapolis area from October through May. The sessions are at no cost to participants and travel and other expenses are covered. Those interested in submitting an application must do so before Friday, June 4, 2010. For more information or an application, call the Governor’s Council at (317) 232-7770 or e-mail PIP@gpcpd.org, or visit http://www.in.gov/gpcpd.

JoAnn began her work with INSOURCE in 1983 and has worked in our central office and in addition, more recently, also worked from a regional office, serving families in several counties in North Central Indiana. In her first several years with INSOURCE, she was instrumental in the development of a curriculum to train educational surrogate parents and the development of a resource manual for Parent Advisory Councils. When Article 7 was revised in 2008, JoAnn worked to revise existing materials and was responsible for developing new training curricula. Most importantly, JoAnn’s assistance to families and her support to them was highly valued and appreciated by those she helped.

After a case conference that JoAnn attended, a parent commented, “JoAnn is wonderful. If the school is not doing something correctly, she’ll tell us – and if the parents are not reasonable, she’ll work to try and resolve those issues. She is a true advocate!” A comment from school personnel is indicative of how JoAnn approached her work with families – “Thank you so much for your positive, supportive and objective input at our recent case conference. You were focused entirely on the student’s needs.”

Nancy was INSOURCE’s first bilingual program specialist and served in that capacity for over six years. She worked with many Spanish speaking parents to support them when they called for assistance in navigating the special education process. She also translated materials and conducted trainings for Spanish speaking families.

A comment from a parent whose case conference Nancy attended illustrates how she was appreciated by those she supported – “If it were not for INSOURCE and Nancy Karch in particular, my daughter would still be in an impossible situation . . . You guys rock!!!”

On February 1, 2010, a new provision regarding the revocation of parental consent was added to Article 7.

Children and adults with special needs due to a physical or cognitive disability can benefit from courses offered through the Indiana University School of Continuing Studies (SCS) distance education program.

SCS offers a wide variety of educational options including flexible and self-paced correspondence and online courses, one-on-one feedback and reasonable support services and/or auxiliary aids that facilitate learning. The extent to which these services are supplied is based on documented individual needs and on the academic requirements of the courses.

I am a strong believer in giving back to my community and being bilingual has opened up many opportunities to do so. For the last few years I have been a volunteer parent and substitute teacher with the Plymouth Community Schools, working mostly with students in middle school. I have also been involved in Spanish language adult education classes and in teaching basic computer skills for Spanish speaking students. At the other end of the spectrum, I have taught industry specific Spanish for English speaking individuals in a variety of businesses.

I became involved with the schools because I saw first-hand how difficult it was for parents who do not speak English to navigate through the U.S. public school systems. Many parents came from countries where the educational system and values were so different. Their lack of knowledge of our school systems and the language barrier sometimes hindered the education of their children due to failure to take advantage of educational opportunities. Also, studies show that drop-out rates among Hispanics are very high, and I wanted to make a difference in changing those statistics.

I learned about INSOURCE through my involvement with the schools and was glad to find yet another area where I could be of help. I realized that if students in general education could fall through the cracks because of cultural and language barriers, how much more disastrous this could be for students receiving or needing special education services. I feel blessed to be part of an organization with such a big heart and desire to make a difference in the lives of students in special education.

Except for a few years in Tennessee and Massachusetts, I have lived most of my life in Plymouth, Indiana. I have one son, a precious daughter-in-law, three grandsons and a parrot.

Soy una firme creyente en retribuir a mi comunidad, y siendo bilingüe ha abierto muchas oportunidades para hacerlo. Por los últimos años he sido voluntaria y profesora sustituto, con las Escuelas de la Comunidad de Plymouth, trabajando fundamentalmente con los estudiantes en la escuela intermedia. También he estado involucrada en las clases en español de educación general para adultos, y en la enseñanza de conocimientos básicos de computadoras para los estudiantes de habla español. En el otro extremo del espectro, he sido profesora de español para personas que hablan Inglés en diversas industrias.

Me involucré en las escuelas, porque vi de primera mano lo difícil que era para los padres que no hablan Inglés para navegar por el sistema de escuelas públicas de EE.UU.. Muchos padres proceden de países donde el sistema educativo y los valores educativos eran muy diferentes. Su falta de conocimiento de nuestros sistemas escolares y la barrera del idioma era a veces un estorbo para la educación de sus hijos debido a la imposibilidad de aprovechar las oportunidades educativas. Además, los estudios muestran que la tasa de hispanos que no se gradúan son muy altos, y yo quería hacer una diferencia en el cambio de dichas estadísticas.

Me enteré con INSOURCE a través de mi participación con las escuelas, y me alegré de encontrar un nuevo ámbito en el que podría ser de ayuda. Me di cuenta de que si los estudiantes en la educación general podría caer a través de las grietas debido a las barreras culturales y lingüísticas, ¿cuánto más podría ser desastrosa para los estudiantes que reciben o que necesitan servicios de educación especial. Me siento bendecida por ser parte de una organización con un gran corazón y deseo de hacer una diferencia en las vidas de los estudiantes en educación especial.

A excepción de unos pocos años en Tennessee y Massachusetts, he vivido casi toda mi vida en Plymouth, Indiana. Tengo un hijo, una nuera preciosa, tres nietos y un loro.

I live in Fishers, Indiana, a northeast suburb of Indianapolis, with my husband and two children. My daughter, Hayden, is in sixth grade, and my son, Jack, is in fourth grade.

My interest in special-needs-related issues developed after Jack was born prematurely. He has cerebral palsy and hydrocephalus. Having Jack has helped me realize that we all have many disabilities and many gifts -- they just present themselves differently in each individual.

I grew up in Cincinnati and Chicago but have been a Hoosier since 1986 when I enrolled in Indiana University from where I received my degrees. After my son, Jack, was born, I decided to be a stay-at-home mom for awhile. In addition to caring for my children, I have kept very busy over the past several years. Some of my activities include serving as a PTO executive board member, working with a nonprofit organization that provides activities for children with disabilities, teaching religious education at my church, coaching my daughter’s volleyball team and co-founding a special education parent support/advocacy group in our school district.

Special education is one of the many challenging areas through which parents of children with special needs must navigate. I look forward to helping families make their way through this process.

Jennifer Littlefield, New Regional Program Specialist

I grew up in Indianapolis, IN and attended Indiana University where I received my degree in 1991. After graduation, I opened a restaurant and ran it for 8 years; but after having children, I closed this business and began working in the accounting field until recently when I applied for this position and got the opportunity to become part of the INSOURCE team.

My husband, John, and I have two children. Our oldest, Jessie, is 17 and was diagnosed with ADHD in 3rd grade. He currently attends Northwest High School’s International Baccalaureate Program in the Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS). Our youngest, Amaci, is 12, and was diagnosed with Autism in 1st grade and ADHD in 5th grade. She is a student at Irvington Community Charter School.

I have been actively involved with many different volunteer groups in various ways. Some of the things I have done or currently do are: PTA founder/President/Fundraiser/Newsletter publisher/event organizer/member, Charter School organizer/board member, International Training in Communication member/Secretary/Treasurer/Regional Presenter, Hemophilia of Indiana - volunteer/Event committee member, Regional EPA Grant reviewer and Irvington Community School Special Education Support Group member.

I come to this position after using Article 7 to help my daughter and many other friends’ special needs children receive the support they needed to succeed in the public school system. I want to help others assure their children get what they need to be as successful as possible educationally and eventually become productive and contributing citizens. It is my belief, as a parent, that only through working as a team with the school and their staff can we achieve this goal. I believe it is the duty of all involved to do our personal best to communicate, know and respect others’ opinions, compromise and be a good working team for the sake of the child.

The Parent Educational Advocacy Training Center (PEATC), located in Arlington, Virginia, has developed an Individualized Education Program (IEP) Checklist iPhone application to help parents of students with special needs become better informed advocates by making IEP information easier to access. The IEP app is offered free of charge. To download the iPhone application, go to the PEATC website at www.peatc.org.

:: INSOURCE Reports - Spring 2010

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