Trainings

 

Considering College: Learning what's Available and How to Get It

• Transition Planning for Students with Disability: Online Resources on Transition

• Financial Aid Resources for Youth with Disabilities

• Key Resources for Transitioning Youth with Disabilities from the Secondary Transitioning Tool Kit (2012)

 

Download the handouts from DREDF's special education workshops. Check Upcoming Events for a calendar of our trainings.

 

Sample Letters

• Sample Letter Requesting Initial Assessment for Special Education (Editable)

• Sample Letter for Requesting Initial Assessment for Special Education (Form)

• Sample Letter Requesting Initial Assessment for Special Education (With Instructions)

• Sample Letter requesting Assessment for a student who has an IEP (Disability Rights California, formerly Protection & Advocacy)

• Sample Letter requesting Regional Center Evaluation

• Sample Letter requesting an Independent Educational Evaluation (IEE) 1-2 (Disability Rights California, formerly Protection & Advocacy)

• Sample Letter requesting an IEP Meeting (Disability Rights California, formerly Protection & Advocacy)

 

Understanding the Special Education Process (presented the second Monday of each month, except August and December

Special Education: Basics + Beyond Power Point

• Special Education Rights and Responsibilities (SERR) (Disability Rights California) (Note: specific to California)

• Reasons for Concern (California Department of Education)

• IDEA vs. 504 Chart comparing the 2 laws

• 17 Tips for Getting Quality Special Education Services (Disability Rights California, formerly Protection & Advocacy)

• Robert Crabtree's Nine Rules of Thumb

• IEP Meeting Conversation Stoppers

• IEP Goals – Helpful Websites and Info

• Robert Crabtree's Managing Your Child's Documents

• NICHY's Communicating with your Child's School Through Letter Writing Note: This PDF may not be accessible to some screen readers – please contact NICHCY (www.nichcy.org) if you experience accessibility barriers.

• US Dept. of Education (DOE) Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) Guidance: What Does "A Disability Adversely Affecting Educational Performance" mean?

• Get Involved! Be Leader! Join Your Local Advisory Committee! 2011-2012

• Valuable Special Education Links

• Family Participation Fund (WestEd)

 

Education for Students with Disabilities: The Basics (Presented on 9.24.2011)

 

Effectively Engaging Foster Youth with Disabilities in Transition Planning (Recently presented on 5.13.2011)

• Are We Ignoring Foster Youth With Disabilities? (This report detailing the challenges faced by youth with disabilities)

• Californian Foundation for Independent Living Centers (CFILC) (This websites has links to a number of local programs foster youth throughout the state)

• California Department of Rehabilitation (The California Department of Rehabilitation works in partnership with consumers and other stakeholders to provide services and advocacy resulting in employment, independent living and equality for individuals with disabilities)

• Community Alliance for Special Education (This site contains, Information and legal referral services for special education advocacy)

• Directory of Parent Training and Information Centers (PTI) and Community Parent Resource Centers (CPRC) (This is a list of local agencies that can assist parents and professionals with questions and concerns and the special education system.)

• Disability Benefits 101 (This website features a tool that allows youth to estimate their living experiences for a verity of living situations. It includes information on a variety of cash aid programs)

• Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund (Information on special education advocacy support for foster youth)

• Scholarships and Internships for Youth with Disabilities

• Wrights Law (Information and tips on special education advocacy)

• Youth with Disabilities in the Foster Care System: Barriers to Success and Proposed Policy Solutions (This report provides an overview of challenges that foster youth with disabilities face)

• Yo Disabled and Proud (YO) (This statewide network provides youth with disabilities aged 14-27 with information about independent living, transition services and leadership opportunities. YO hosts conferences, listservs and operates a hotline, where youth can find support around issues of transitions)

• Youth Leadership Forum (An exciting five-day leadership or program that provides information on everything from technology to resource agencies. Plus participants get the chance to meet and interact with leaders in the State and Nation - celebrities, politicians, entertainers, and other role models from the "disability community "The forum takes place July in the State Capitol, Sacramento, California. Student delegates and volunteer staff stay in the dorms at California State University, Sacramento. Sixty students with a verity of disabilities are selected to attend, this free conference.)

 

Understanding the Special Education Process (Recently presented on 3.9.09 and 3.14.09)

An in-depth tour of thespecial education process, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, with emphasis on the rights of children with disabilities, and how parents can assert those rights.

• Special Education Rights and Responsibilities (SERR) (Disability Rights California) (Note: specific to California)

• Reasons for Concern (California Department of Education)

• IDEA vs. 504 Chart comparing the 2 laws

• 17 Tips for Getting Quality Special Education Services (Disability Rights California, formerlyProtection & Advocacy)

• Robert Crabtree's Nine Rules of Thumb

• IEP Meeting Conversation Stoppers

• IEP Goals - Helpful Websites and Info

• Robert Crabtree's Managing Your Child's Documents

• NICHY's Communicating with your Child's School Through Letter Writing  Note: This PDF may not be accessible to some screen readers — please contact NICHCY (www.nichcy.org) if you experience accessibility barriers.

• US Dept. of Education (DOE) Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) Guidance: What Does "A Disability Adversely Affecting Educational Performance" mean?

 

Supporting Students with Emotional and Behavioral Disabilities in School (Recently presented to students at California State University, East Bay, on 11.09.10)

• Helping Your Child Succeed in School: An Education Handbook for Parents and Caregivers of Children and Youth in the Foster Care System(Alameda County Office of Education)

• Guide to Mental Health Services for Children and Youth in San Francisco (Support for Families of Children with Disabilities

• San Francisco Department of Mental Health Policy/Procedures AB3632 Services: Children Referred through Special Education (San Francisco Department of Public Health)

• Marin County District Liaison Contact Information (Marin County Office of Education)

• IDEA 2004 Definition of Emotional Disability/Emotional Disturbance(School Psychologist Files)

• IEP Model for Bipolar Children (The Bipolar Child)

• Advocacy Tools: Mental Health Services for Students with Disabilities (Disability Rights California)

• Coordination of Plans: Behavior Support, Accommodation, and Mental Health Treatment (Diana Browning Wright)

• Planning for a meeting about your child's behavior needs (PACER Center Action Information Sheets)

• Behavior Plans in CA (Diana Browning Wright)

• Bazelon Center Report on School Success (Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law)

• SERR Information on Interagency Responsibility for Related Services (AB 3632) (Community Alliance for Special Education and Disability Rights California)

• IDEA 2004 Close-up: Disciplining Students with Disabilities (ASK Resource Center)

• "My Child Just Got Expelled" (New America Media)

• "YIKES! My Child with a Disability is Being Considered for Expulsion!"(Disability Rights California)

• The Detrimental Effects of Group Placements/Services For Youth with Behavioral Health Problems

• What You Need to Know about IDEA 2004: IEPs for Children with Behavior Problems (Wrightslaw)

 

School Issues and Special Education Advocacy (Recently presented on 3.22.2011)

 

Behavior Support for Students with Disabilities (Recently presented on 3.21.2011)

 

Webinar: Connecting Foster Youth with Disabilities to Centers for Independent Living (Presented on August 16, 2010)

 

Transition to Adulthood

Training delivered to YOLO CAC May 2010, and is focused on developing IDEA compliant transition plans as part of the IEP process, providing tips and advocacy strategies to families and caregivers regarding how to use this process effectively, and focuses on ways to shift the focus of the IEP from the parent and school goals to a person centered approach.

 

Webinar: Navigating the Systems to Support Foster Children with Developmental Delays and Disabilities and Improve Education Outcomes (Recently presented on 5.29.2010.)

 

Navigating the Systems to Support Young Foster Children with Developmental Delays and Disabilities and Improve Education Outcomes (Recently presented to the SEED Program on 7.14.2010.)

 

Special Education Resources:

• Advocacy Tools: Mental Health Services for Students with Disabilities

• Bazelon Center Report on SchoolSuccess

• Behavior Plans in California flow charts

• Behaviors occurring that are NOT requiring emergency interventions

• A behavior requiring an emergency intervention occurs

• Coordination of Plans: Behavior Support, Accommodation, and Mental Health Treatment

• The Detrimental Effects of Group Placements/Services for Youth with Behavioral Health Problems

• Disability Rights California Publications List

• Dos and Don'ts of Functional Assessment (Diana Browning Wright)

• "EEK! My Child with a Disability Keeps Getting Suspended! What can I do? What are my rights?"

• IDEA 2004 Close-up: Discipline Students with Disabilities

• IDEA 2004 Definition of Emotional Disability/Emotional Disturbance

• IEP Model for Bipolar Children

• Legal Services for Children (LSC) Suspension/Expulsion Manual

• "My Child Just Got Expelled"

• Planning for a meeting about your child's behavior needs

• SERR Information on Interagency Responsibility for Related Services (AB 3632)

• Summary of Behavioral Terms and Correlations in Federal and State Law (Diana Browning Wright)

• What you need to know about IDEA 2004: IEPs for children with Behavior Problems (Pat Howey)

• "Yikes! My Child with a Disability Is Being Considered for Expulsion! What can I do? What are my child's rights?"

• Special Education Rights and Responsibilities (SERR)

• IDEA v. 504

• 17 Tips for Getting Quality Special Education Services for Your Child

• DREDF Info-to-Go: Transitions Helpful Links Early Intervention (IDEA Part C) to Pre-K (IDEA Part B) and Pre-K to Kindergarten

• Fostering Futures (Geenen & Powers, Fostering Futures Project, Portland State University)

• Blueprint for Change: Education Success for Children in Foster Care (Legal Center for Foster Care and Education)

• Checklist: Questions to Ensure That the Educational Needs of Children and Youth in Foster Care Are Being Addressed (National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges)

• Foster Care and Education: Tools and Resources for Improving the Education Success of Children and Youth in Foster Care (National Working Group on Foster Care and Education)

• Issues Facing Youth Aging Out of Foster Care PowerPoint Presentation

• Transition IEP: Checklist for Tracking Foster Youth Stakeholders (DREDF Info to Go)

• Transition Planning for Foster Youth with Disabilities: Are we falling short? An Awareness Document (Foster Futures Project)

• Understanding the Child Welfare System in California: A Primer for Service Providers and Policymakers (California Center for Research on Women & Families)

• Supplemental Security Income (SSI) for Foster Youth with Disabilities (State of CA Health And Human Services Agency, Dept. of Social Services)

California State Resources:

• California Parent Training and Information (PTI) Centers

• Foster Youth District Liaisons (California Department of Education)

• California State Ombudsman for Foster Care: County Contact List

• Family Resource Centers Network of California: County Contact Map

• Early Start (State of California Department of Developmental Services)

• Regional Center of the East Bay Prevention Program Plan

• Prevention Program Policies and Procedures - Children and Family Services Branch, Community Services and Supports Division, Department of Developmental Services

 

Advocating for Foster Youth with Disabilities in Our Work (Presentation to Region 6 Parent Training and Information Centers and CPRCs on May 6^th, 2010)

This training focuses on the laws and advocacy strategies to ensure appropriate educational support for children with or suspected of having disabilities. Contains brief overviews of relevant laws, statistics related to education outcomes, and key issues for advocates and other professionals working with this population of vulnerable children. Supporting materials provide information about laws, how child welfare works, who key point people are, best practices, and key policy issues.

• Blueprint for Change: Education Success for Children in Foster Care (Legal Center for Foster Care and Education)

• Checklist: Questions to Ensure That the Educational Needs of Children and Youth in Foster Care Are Being Addressed (National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges)

• Contact Map for Key Child Welfare Staff in California from Foster Care Ombudsman in CA

• Foster Care and Education: Tools and Resources for Improving the Education Success of Children and Youth in Foster Care (National Working Group on Foster Care and Education)

• Foster Youth Resources for Education (FYRE) (DREDF Flyer)

• Foster Youth with Disabilities in Transition (FYDT) (DREDF Flyer)

• Issues Facing Youth Aging Out of Foster Care PowerPoint Presentation

• Special Education Decision Making: Role of Youth in Foster Care (Legal Center for Foster Care & Education)

• Transition IEP: Checklist for Tracking Foster Youth Stakeholders (DREDF Info to Go)

• Transition Planning for Foster Youth with Disabilities: Are we falling short? An Awareness Document (Foster Futures Project)

• Understanding the Child Welfare System in California: A Primer for Service Providers and Policymakers (California Center for Research on Women & Families)

• Supplemental Security Income (SSI) for Foster Youth with Disabilities (State of CA Health And Human Services Agency, Dept. of Social Services)

• Why Special Education Teachers Should Care About Foster Care (LD Online)

 

The ADA, IDEA, and Section 504 in Education: Understanding the Laws, Advocacy Strategies, and Current Issues for our Children with Disabilities (Recently presented on 3.3.10)

A training designed to give an overview of the rights and protections for children under the ADA, IDEA and Section 504 laws, update participants on the latest developments under these laws, and discuss how to work collaboratively and effectively with school districts under IDEA and Section 504 laws.

• Reasons for Concern (California Department of Education)

• IDEA vs. 504 Chart comparing the 2 laws

• Letter to A Stranger (Wrightslaw)

• 17 Tips for Getting Quality Special Education Services (Disability Rights California, formerlyProtection & Advocacy)

• Robert Crabtree's Nine Rules of Thumb

• IEP Meeting Conversation Stoppers

• IEP Goals - Helpful Websites and Info

• Robert Crabtree's Managing Your Child's Documents

• NICHY's Communicating with your Child's School Through Letter Writing Note: This PDF may not be accessible to some screen readers please contact NICHCY (www.nichcy.org) if you experience accessibility barriers.

• US Dept. of Education (DOE) Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) Guidance: What Does "A Disability Adversely Affecting Educational Performance" mean?

• Questions and Answers on Discipline Procedures (OSEP)

• Office for Civil Rights

• Office of Procedural Safeguards & Referral Services (PSRS)

• Office of Administrative Hearings (OAH) Special Education Division

• Center for Accessible Technology

• The Alliance to Prevent Restraint, Aversive Interventions and Seclusion

• State Policies on Seclusion and Restraint

• Indicator 13 Checklist (NSTTAC)

 

Education: It's Not Just a Degree (Recently presented on 5.10.2011)

 

Navigating Rough Waters: Supporting Students with Disabilities in Transition

For parents of children with disabilities who are 14-21 working on a Transition IEP. Learn about postsecondary options, jobs, community living, home living, and recreation and leisure. Transition aged students (16+) are also invited!

 

Resources for Youth:

• Financial Aid Resources for Youth with Disabilities (DREDF)

• Help for College Students with Disabilities from Wrightslaw.com

• Key Resources for Transitioning Youth with Disabilities from the Secondary Transition Toolkit (DREDF)

• Moving On: Transition Tips for Young Adults (Shriners Hospitals for Children)

• Sample Delegation of Rights to Make Educational Decision

• Sample letter of introduction, college accommodation letter to an instructor in a college setting (www.dredf.org)

• Students with Disabilities Preparing for Postsecondary Education: Know Your Rights and Responsibilities (US Department Of Education, Office for Civil Rights)

• When You Become 18: A Survival Guide for Teenagers (The State Bar of California)

 

Resources for Parents:

• Guardianship and Developmentally Disabled Individuals (DREDF)

• Social Security Administration: Benefits For Children With Disabilities (SSA)

• Supplemental Security Income: So You Have Decided to Apply (National Center on Secondary Education and Transition (NCSET)/PACER Center Parent Brief)

• What does Health Have to Do with Transition? Everything! (National Center on Secondary Education and Transition/PACER Center Parent Brief)

 

Transition Resources (General):

• Age Appropriate Transition Assessment Guide (National Secondary Transition Technical Assistance Center)

• Assessment (NCWD/Youth)

• Hidden Disabilities (NCWD/Youth)

• Helping Youth with Mental Health Needs Avoid Transition Cliffs: Lessons from Pioneering Transition Programs (NCWD InfoBrief)

• IEP Transition Planning Summary Information Tools (Colorado Department of Education, Special Education Services Unit)

• Postsecondary Education referrals for students with disabilities (DREDF)

• Sample Summary of Performance (SOP) (Council for Educational Diagnostic Services)

• Transition Checklist (NSTTAC Indicator 13 Checklist: Form B)

• Transition IEP Goals, Objectives and Services Checklist (Connecticut Parent Advocacy Center)

• Transition Plan, Sample (United Cerebral Palsy)

• Transition Planning: A New Paradigm for the IEP Process PowerPoint (Matt Cohen, Esq., OSEP National Parent Training Conference)

• Transition Planning: A Team Effort (NICHY)

• Transition to Adult Living: An Information and Resource Guide (CalSTAT)

 

Other Resources:

• Sexuality and Disability: Where Have We Come From? Where are we going? PowerPoint (PACER Center)

 

Foster Care Resources

• California Foster Care Education Task Force's Law Fact Sheets

Early Childhood Transition Resources:

• Preschool Services under IDEA, National Center for Learning Disabilities.

• Moving from Preschool to Kindergarten, Indiana Resource Center for Autism

• When Your Child Turns Three: Moving From an IFSP to an IEP or IIP, PACER Center (2005)

• Preparing for Transition from Early Intervention to an Individualized Education Program, PACER Center (2005)

• DREDF Info-to-Go:Transition - Helpful links for parents of children with disabilities transitioning from Early Intervention to PreK or from PreK to Kindergarten

• California Preschool Learning Foundations
  This is a helpful resource from the California Department of Education when thinking about and developing IEP goals for young students.

 

Advocacy Skills (Recently presented on 2.2.09)

Good advocacy skills help parents obtain the supports their children need. Learn skills to ensure that IEP members truly hear your perspective, take you seriously, and know that you understand the IEP process and your rights.

 

Advocacy Tips for Parents: Negotiating the Special Education Process (Presentation rev 2.09)

Advocacy Skill Handouts:

• Quick Advocacy Tips

• Five Elements of Successful Advocacy (Adapted from Wrights Law at www.wrightslaw.com)

• Resources for Goal Writing

• Your Discovery Mission(Adapted from Wrights Law at www.wrightslaw.com)

• What Ifs

• 17 TipsFor Getting Quality Special Education Services For Your Child (Disability Rights California, formerlyProtection & Advocacy)

• 12 Rules for Writing Great Letters)

• Tips for Organizing Your Child's File(Adapted from Wrights Law at www.wrightslaw.com)

• NCLD's "IEP Conversation Stoppers"

• CADRE's "Steps to Success: Communicating with your Child's School"

• Robert Crabtree's "The Paper Chase: Managing Your Child's Documents Under the IDEA"

• Robert Crabtree's "Special Ed Advocacy: Nine Rules of Thumb"

• NICHY's Communicating with your Child's School Through Letter Writing

 

updated 5.16.12