:: IN*SOURCE Reports - Summer 2011
Download Summer 2011 IN*SOURCE Reports 
Inside This Issue
There's No Holding Back
by Jane Fuentes, IN*SOURCE Bi-lingual Program Specialist
Like many of our parents, April Lee, of Monticello, has a story of how IN*SOURCE made a difference in her life and the life of her son, Tyler Geiger. Tyler was born with cerebral palsy, but the diagnosis was a sidebar to his life, not the main theme. Sadly, his life ended in September, 2009 when his school bus crashed on the way home from school, but according to April, “That kid did more in 10-years of life than most people do in a lifetime!”
Lee said she is so thankful for Donna Roberts, her IN*SOURCE program specialist. “She really helped me learn to work with the school, to ask questions, to make suggestions, and to write an IEP that allowed Tyler to live life to the fullest and work to his potential,” she says. “I remember one time his class was going roller-skating, and someone was going to push Tyler around in a wheel chair. “Why can’t we put a pair of skates on him and see how he does?” I asked the teacher. “That’s just what we did, and dang it, if he didn’t just skate around the whole rink!”
“IN*SOURCE does such a wonderful job of helping parents of children with special needs,” Lee says, “and I just can’t believe how few people know about the organization.” Lee says Donna was always there when she needed assistance in dealing with the school. “The day before the crash,” Lee remembers, “Tyler had received approval for a computerized speech board. He was really excited about that.”
Last September, on the anniversary of the crash that killed Tyler and three other students, Lee organized a fundraiser to benefit IN*SOURCE. “It’s (IN*SOURCE) a wonderful, caring organization,” Lee says. “I know there are so many parents out there with special kids who need their services.”
Lee admits the event was bittersweet. “We had a good turnout,” she says, “and Scott Carson, IN*SOURCE’s assistant director was there. The moms of the other three children were there also. We had a bike ride, a car show, and a band that played songs by Nickelback, Tyler’s favorite band. It was a small beginning, but we’re already making plans for next year.”
Right after the crash, Lee wrote a book about her son titled, “Let Them Be Free: The Tyler Geiger Story.” “The point of the book is to encourage parents of children with disabilities not to hold them back from trying new things,” Lee says. “I’m so glad I didn’t hold Tyler back from doing all the things he wanted to do. That kid wasn’t afraid of anything. And, even now I meet people who tell me Tyler influenced them by the way he lived his life so fully. This 10-year-old kid was not afraid of anything.”
Lee says she’s inspired by IN*SOURCE, and particularly Roberts, to stay involved with kids with special needs. “I’ve volunteered at Camp Riley because Tyler loved going there”, she says, “and I’d like to get the training from IN*SOURCE to become one of their parent volunteers.
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From the Desk of the Executive Director...
With this issue of our newsletter, we are beginning a series of articles introducing the Indiana Resource Network (IRN). The IRN has been made possible through the Indiana Department of Education’s Indiana Resource Centers for Improvement Activities special education grants and is comprised of six centers that provide targeted, comprehensive support to schools across the state to improve teaching and learning. The areas addressed through the IRN are: autism, effective assessment and instruction, effective evaluations, effective and compliant individualized education programs (IEPs), positive behavior supports, and transition to adulthood. Additionally, schools are supported by three projects that focus on: parent training and information, assistive and accessible technologies, and training for teachers of students who are deaf, blind or have low vision.
While the IRN Centers are tasked with helping schools improve outcomes for their students, the Indiana Department of Education and the IRN Centers understand that a critical component of school improvement and better outcomes for students is parent partnership and support. IN*SOURCE is pleased to be part of the resource network and we are working with the centers to help them connect with families. The centers have a wealth of current information and materials. In the coming months we will work with the different centers to set up learning opportunities in different locations around the state for parents. All of the IRN Centers and projects have dedicated web sites with the following web addresses:
Effective and Compliant IEPs Resource Center
www.indstate.edu/blumberg/iep/index.htm
Effective Evaluation Processes Resource Center
www.indstate.edu/blumberg/evaluation/index.htm
HANDS (Helping Answer Needs by Developing Specialists) in Autism Resource Center
www.handsinautism.org
Indiana Center for Accessible Instructional Materials
http://patinsproject.com/
Indiana Center for Assessment and Instruction
www.iidc.indiana.edu/cell
Indiana Secondary Transition Resource Center
www.instrc.indiana.edu
PBIS Indiana: Positive Behavior Interventions & Supports Resource Center
www.iidc.indiana.edu/cell
PATINS Project: Assistive/Accessible Technology
http://patinsproject.com/
Indiana Deafblind Services Project
www.indstate.edu/blumberg/db/deafblind.htm
I encourage you to visit centers’ web sites especially if you have a question or need information associated with a center’s or project’s area of expertise.
So, welcome to the Indiana Resource Network. In this newsletter, we are featuring the Indiana Secondary Transition Resource Center.
Have a great summer. Hug the kids a lot...
Best Wishes,
Richard Burden
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. . . We want to take this opportunity to thank Sundaye Hook for her five years of service as a regional program specialist for the northern-most counties in northeast Indiana. Sundaye’s efforts to support families to work in collaboration with the schools in her area were valued by both parents and school personnel. “Sundaye is fabulous and I welcome her input and expertise,” said a parent after a case conference Sundaye attended with her. “Sundaye is a true advocate, keeping things focused on what is best for the child . . .,” said a school representative following a case conference. Her IN*SOURCE colleagues wish her and her family good health and all the best.
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IDOE REPORTS...
by John Hill, Exceptional Learners Specialist, Indiana Department of Education
The Indiana Department of Education (IDOE), in an effort to help shape the direction of special education services, will be conducting surveys to gather important information from students and families.
 Students with IEPs who exited school during the 2009-2010 school year will receive hard-copy paper surveys and will be invited to participate by either answering the questions and returning their responses in the self-addressed envelope which will be provided or by using a web-based survey. If students have not responded by August 15th, they will be interviewed by phone. This strategy is designed to gather responses from the largest possible sample of former students who had IEPs. Efforts are, of course, in place to protect individual confidentiality. Families are encouraged to support their sons and daughters in responding to these surveys and, in some cases, responding to the surveys on their behalf.
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The second effort, to be implemented at the very beginning of the 2011-2012 school year, is to conduct a survey to learn how Indiana families feel about the special education services their schools provide. Parents whose sons and daughters who received special education services during the 2010-2011 school year will be asked to respond to the survey, which is a simple instrument that will determine parents’ level of satisfaction with both their experiences working with the education staff at their children’s school and the special education services their students received.
The IDOE has contracted with WestEd, an independent, non-profit research firm, to conduct this survey. The IDOE is required to conduct the Indicator 8 Parent Survey and submit the results to the USDOE, Office of Special Education
Each special education director will receive the survey forms by August 1st and will be requested to send them home with the students within the first 10 days of the beginning of the 2011-2012 school year. Each survey (which will be in both English and Spanish) will have a cover letter informing the parents of the various options they have to complete and submit the survey. The surveys must be completed and submitted by September 16, 2011 so that the results can be submitted to USDOE.
Parents who receive the survey are strongly encouraged to participate in this important effort. The responses received will help not only to shape the direction of special education services, but to inform the IDOE how the needs of families and students in Indiana can best be served.
If you have questions about these surveys, please contact John Hill at the Indiana Department of Education (317) 232-0864 or jhill@doe.in.gov.
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Updated Resources Available
“College and Post-secondary Services for Persons with Disabilities in Indiana” is a document that is revised annually by IN*SOURCE for the Indiana Department of Education. The 2011-2012 edition, listing colleges and technical schools, contact information and resources available for students with disabilities, is now available on the IN*SOURCE website (www.IN*SOURCE.org) and on the Department of Education website (www.doe.in.gov/exceptional.) The 2011 Summer Camp List, containing brief descriptions of summer camps serving students with disabilities is also available on both websites. |
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Indiana Secondary Transition Resource Center
by Teresa Grossi, Ph.D., Project Director, INSTRC and Director, Center on Community
Living and Careers(CCLC) at the Indiana Institute on Disability and Community (IIDC)
The Indiana Secondary Transition Resource Center (INSTRC) supports Indiana schools to improve transition-focused education and services and post-school outcomes for students with disabilities.
Driven by current transition research and practices, the center partners with schools, students, families and community organizations to build statewide and local capacity. Our work is centered on:
Student-focused planning through the development of quality Transition IEPs and planning strategies to promote student involvement and participation;
Student development by providing the foundation for quality transition services;
Family involvement by building partnerships through training and empowerment;
Interagency collaboration to enhance a seamless system of transition through a coordinated service delivery system with community organizations and service providers; and
Program structures to enhance school cultures and climates that effectively and efficiently improve service delivery and outcomes.
In addition to working directly with local school districts, this past year the Center has been busy developing professional development and resources for schools and families. Some of these resources include:
Cadre of Transition Leaders. The Transition Resource Center is developing transition leaders in local school districts to improve transition outcomes and ensure information and resources are getting to the teacher-level.
Website. The center’s website (http://instrc.indiana.edu) and its work is based on the Taxonomy of Transition Planning, a research-based framework for transition-focused education and services. If you click on Professional Development Resources on the website, you will find helpful resources under each of the 5 categories on which our work is centered. These resources include podcasts, webinars, PowerPoint presentations and several documents (such as “Is College for You: Setting Goals and Taking Action,” “Understanding Measurable Postsecondary Goals,” “Diploma Considerations and Terms”).
Online Modules and Tutorials. Two online tutorials are available on the resource center’s website (http://instrc.indiana.edu). The Transition IEP tutorial is a brief overview of the requirements for writing a compliant Transition IEP. The second tutorial is an Introduction to Vocational Rehabilitation Services. Additional modules and tutorials are in the development stage including: Overview of transition planning; Transition assessment; and Peer supports.
Community Resource Map. On the website, you will find useful transition resources for local and state organizations and services. You can use the map by typing or selecting a county or service category from the drop down menus and pins will appear that match your criteria. Once you scroll down, local and state resources will be listed.
Tuesday’s Transition Tips for Teachers (and Families) is a weekly listserv. The weekly "Tip" provides information, resources and the latest statewide happenings and events. Brief "Tips" will cover topics such as quality and compliant Transition IEPs, transition assessments, drop-out prevention strategies, work-based learning, academic and life skill instruction, family involvement, working with Vocational Rehabilitation Services and much, much more. All of the past Tuesday’s Tips can be found at the Transition Resource Center’s website. If you would like to be added to this listserv, please email Susan Henning-Harris at skharris@indiana.edu.
Statewide Transition Forum. Come join the Resource Center at the Sheraton Hotel and Suites in Indianapolis August 3-4, 2011, for the 2011 Statewide Transition Forum: Lights, Camera, Action...A Student-Directed Production. (Please note the article devoted to the Transition Forum on page 5 of this newsletter.) Registration information and the program brochure can be found at http://instrc.indiana.edu/.
The INSTRC has been pleased to have representatives from IN*SOURCE “at the table” with us as we work collaboratively to improve transition-focused education and services and post-school outcomes for Indiana’s students with disabilities.
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INDIANA’S STATEWIDE TRANSITION FORUM
 We hope you’re planning to attend the Statewide Transition Forum on August 3rd and 4th being presented by the Indiana Secondary Transition Resource Center, part of the Center on Community Living and Careers at the Indiana Institute on Disability and Community and sponsored by the Indiana Department of Education. The Forum will be held at the Sheraton Hotel at Keystone Crossing in Indianapolis.
There will be multiple options for your participation and information sharing. You will have the opportunity to enjoy inspiring national and state speakers and to network with others both formally and informally. It is hoped that the Forum will reignite our commitment to advancing transition outcomes for students in our state.
Special networking opportunities include a Brown Bag Lunch and Table Talks. During the Brown Bag Lunch participants can network with one another or spend time with national and state speakers to learn additional information or to get answers to specific questions. There will be a schedule of Table Talks throughout the day to provide opportunities for individuals to chat with presenters and other stakeholders to get more information on the content presented and/or to ask individual questions. A networking reception will be held on Wednesday, August 3 from 4:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Registration is $105.00 per person and covers the cost of lunches, the reception and beverages at break time. The deadline for registration is July 25, 2011. A block of rooms has been reserved at the Sheraton Hotel, 8787 Keystone Crossing in Indianapolis. Please call (800) 325-3535 or (317) 846-2700 and refer to “Transition Forum” to reserve your room at the discounted rate. The cut-off date for accepting reservation at the special rate is July 2, 2011.
A limited number of stipends are available for students with disabilities and/or their family members to financially assist them in attending the Forum. For stipend application and information, please call Linda Dawalt at (812) 855-8243 no later than July 7th.
For detailed information on the agenda, go to http://www.iidc.indiana.edu/instrc. The website also contains conference registration and hotel reservation information.
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"Goals are dreams with deadlines."
--Diana Scharf Hunt |
Welcome New Staff
An official welcome to Jacki, who began as a part-time temporary administrative assistant for IN*SOURCE in October of 2009 and, since August of 2010 has been working on a part-time permanent basis, joining the team of our other very capable assistants, Brenda McCray and Carolyn Honeycutt. During the week, Jacki lives in South Bend and, on the weekends, she and her husband, Richard (better known as “Pudge”) live in rural Three Oaks, Michigan. Her son Daniel experienced some serious learning challenges while in school, during which time, her good friend Mary Lovett, a long time program specialist in our central office, introduced her to IN*SOURCE. We are happy to have Jacki as a part of the IN*SOURCE team.
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I am so happy to help parents of children with disabilities as an IN*SOURCE employee! I am the grateful mother of three boys. Brandon is 18, graduating from Ben Davis High School and about to enter IUPUI as a biomedical engineering major. Ryan is 15, an academic whiz kid, and an avid musician who plays French horn, mellophone and trumpet. Kyle is 11 and in fourth grade with a very individualized education plan! Kyle has Down syndrome and autism, he is a leukemia survivor, and he has a number of other special health care needs. He is also loving, cute as a button and very fond of computers and dancing. My husband Brad and I have been married for 24 years this June.
As a mom to Kyle, I have spent my time learning an awful lot about systems and services for people with disabilities in Indiana, and I am grateful to be able to apply what I have learned to help other parents. For the last six years, I’ve locally, statewide and nationally served in disability ministries with the United Methodist Church, and recently, I have been the family trainee at Riley Child Development Center. In all of these roles, I’ve come to know lots of service providers in central Indiana and beyond as well as a lot of information on special education, health care financing and many other issues. I’m pleased to be able to share what I know with other parents and to constantly learn from other families as well.
Like myself, many parents of children with disabilities eventually want to share their knowledge with other parents and make the world for children with disabilities a little better. I’m so glad to serve as IN*SOURCE’s central Indiana Volunteer Development Specialist in addition to the support I provide to parents with special education questions. In my volunteer development role, I can help parents get involved as an IN*SOURCE Parent Support Volunteer. It’s an awesome program that helps parents enhance their own knowledge and leadership skills and use that to help other parents. In so doing, these parent support volunteers make a huge difference by helping IN*SOURCE serve more families. If you’re interested in volunteering in central Indiana, please email me at bdehoff@IN*SOURCE.org or call me at (317) 209-9551.
Remember, even on the darkest days, the encouraging words of Dory the Fish in Finding Nemo: “Just keep swimming!”
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I feel so blessed to be one of the newest member of the IN*SOURCE team. In the past, I have been active in the UMDF (United Mitochondrial Disease Foundation), serving as Vice-President and Educational Liaison. I have also helped one of my sons serve as the Indian State Ambassador for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. I am very well-acquainted with many aspects of caring for children with special needs.
My husband Clint and I are the parents of three boys, all of whom have conditions that affect their ability to learn and to relate to the world around them.
Our youngest, Andrew, is 10 and has Mitochondrial Myopathy, a degenerative disease in the Muscular Dystrophy family. Andrew attended public school for kindergarten and part of 1st grade, until it became clear that his physical needs were better met at home. After discussions with the school and doctors, we determined that his educational needs would be met with homebound services. He has done well at home with his studies and continues to prove his intelligence and creativity.
Zachary, 11 years old, has dyslexia and is currently being helped tremendously by The Learning Center at the Scottish Rite Cathedral. David, at 15, has Asperger’s Syndrome, a form of autism. In spite of these conditions, they do well in both school and social situations.
My husband, Clint, and I are active members of our church and community. We are always looking for ways to challenge the boys to work up to their potential, instead of focusing on their limitations.
Again, I am so excited to be apart of the IN*SOURCE team!
(Karen is assisting families in Johnson, Southern Marion, Morgan, Shelby, and RISE Special Services counties.)
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Mary Ann and her husband, Brian, had been foster parents for several years and now have adopted two children. Their son, Victor, who has Fetal Alcohol Effects, is 12 and is in the 6th grade. He is active in cross country and track and field and is on the swim team. Their daughter, Maria, is 11, is in the 5th grade and is on school patrol. She has Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, ADHD and other diagnoses. Mary Ann has a special interest in how alcohol and drugs affect the developing fetus as well as their effect on learning and behavior.
Mary Ann, who grew up in Bedford, Indiana, is a registered nurse with experience in multiple settings and has been a Girl Scout leader for four years. She has been an education surrogate parent for four years and took the Regional Parent Resource (RPR) training one year ago. She is very excited to be a part of the IN*SOURCE family and is enjoying the challenge of being a regional program specialist helping families understand their educational rights and responsibilities. She is interested in helping to facilitate communication between parents and school personnel. She says, “I get excited when a child ‘gets it’ and is moving on to the next milestone.”
(Mary Ann is assisting families in Allen, DeKalb, LaGrange, Noble and Steuben counties.)
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Hello parents, agencies, guardians and others. My name is Tracey Malesa-Wheaton, and I am the new Program Specialist /Technology Specialist at IN*SOURCE.
I have been a legal guardian for a gentleman with disabilities for over 11 years and have worked in a number of supervisory and direct care capacities within the disabilities field for more than twenty years. I have had the pleasure of working with some of the best and brightest stars in our field and have learned so much along the way.
It is my sincere hope that I am able to bring information and creative ideas to the table that can get us all talking, thinking and collaborating on how we as a collective can find new ways to better serve individuals with disabilities as they strive to live their lives in ways that are meaningful, enriching and as self-directed as possible.
There are a lot of really wonderful programs going on out there to help young people with disabilities to this end, and it is my sincere hope to be able to get people talking and to bring folks together through the use of technologies such as blogs, Facebook,Twitter, podcasts and other social media. With that having been said, if you have anything that you would like to contribute, please do make it a point to contact me so that we can integrate those ideas into IN*SOURCE's technology strategy.
I will be working part-time both as a program specialits and as a Technology Specialist, which essentially means that from time to time I may have the pleasure of working with any number of you at conferences and IEP's while also being responsible for maintaining our agency ‘s social network vis à vis the internet.
My main objectives this year are to 1) enhance our internet presence, 2) to enhance the quality of the information that we provide to you in the form of blogs, podcasts, tweets and the like - 3) to ensure that the information we bring you is both interesting and informative as you strive to make the best choices for your children, 4) to create an open and transparent forum for real-time discussions on the issues that matter to the parents of children with disabilities and 5) to encourage the development of mentor/peer groups comprised of students and parents and other agencies to help one another problem-solve and think outside the box, 6) and to celebrate the successes of our children as often as we possibly can.
While I'm just now getting settled in my new job, in the coming months I hope to get to know you all better, and as such I encourage calls, emails and other forms of communication if you have any questions either about how IN*SOURCE can be of assistance to you and your child with a disability, or how IN*SOURCE can do better at getting our message out vis à vis this crazy thing called the internet.
I look forward to working with all of you and hope that you will always feel free to contact me with your suggestions.
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Thank You To Our 2010 Donors
INDIVIDUAL
Donna Adams
Dr. Kent Alderton
James & Rebecca Bowman
Richard & Sharon Burden
Peggy & Nick Burlison
Graciela Cortes
Kenneth DeBoer
Ed & Cathy Flowers
Jane Fuentes
N. Renee Gallagher
Michael Geglio
Robert Goodrich
Vendetta Gutshall
Thomas & Joan Halford
Phillip Hamburg Family
Roger & Sally Hamburg
Bruce Hanway
Robert Hawley
John & Tamyra Hill
Clarence & Kathryn Hutchings
Joe Irelan
Ron & Nancy Karch
John Kelly
David Kennedy
Deborah Knabe
Thomas & Sharon Kroll
Mr. & Mrs. Kent Lawrence
Lawrence/Burnett Family
April Lee
Wanda Leonard-Christina
Mary Lovett
Robert & Linda McCaslin
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Rodney & Debra McClain
Donna Marginson
Dale & Anna Matson
Robert & Teresa Melin
Marvin Moore
William & Theda Nixon
Charlotte Pfeifer
William Przybysz
Jeanne Rockwell
Dan Ryan
Tim & Nancy Sacha
Jeremy Seabolt
Cindy Schrock
David & Carol Schulman
Richard & Jacki (Stam) Stanage
Roger Swallow
Eleanor Thurston
Cynthia & David Truax
Kathlyn Von Rohr
Mildred Wales
CORPORATE
ADP
Advanced Imaging Solutions
Apollo Printing & Graphics Center
AWS
BKR Studio
Bonefish Grill
Commercial Office Products
Cullar & Associates PC
DC Meats, Inc.
Deer Run Church of Christ
Edward Jones/Tyler Glenn
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Erskine Golf Course
Frick’s Dairy Queen
Gurley-Leep Automotive Family
Hacienda Mexican Restaurants
Hammes Bookstore/Notre Dame
Patti Hoffman Insurance Agency
Holland Insurance
IN Society of Pediatric Nursing
INKS
ITR Concession Company, LLC
J. R. Fox Jewelers
Juday Creek Golf Course
KADA Partnership/McDonalds
Logan Community Resources
Martin’s Supermarkets
McCormick Creek Golf Course
MED-EL Corporation
Midwest Orthotic Services, LLC
Papa John’s Pizza
Pepsi-Cola General Bottlers
Quality Dining
Sam’s Club
Sander’s Agency
South Bend Medical Foundation
South Bend Silver Hawks
South Bend Symphony
Slatile Roofing and Sheet Metal,
Stamp It Up
SureStep, LLC
TGI Friday’s
Target
Tri-County -Special Needs Support
Zoleman Tire, Inc. |
THANKS TO EVERYONE THAT PARTICIPATED IN THE FUNDRAISING EVENTS:
ARBONNE, AVON, GOLF, SCRAPBOOKING, AND TRIVIA NIGHT.
IN*SOURCE REPORTS is published three times a year by the Indiana Resource Center for Families with Special Needs, 1703 South Ironwood Drive, South Bend, Indiana 46613. IN*SOURCE REPORTS is funded, in part, through grants from the U.S. Department of Education and the Indiana Department of Education. Views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the funding sources. |
Raise money for INSOURCE - Indiana Resource Center for Families with Special Needs just by searching the web and shopping online! 
