Free Webinars and Training P.16
TIMES
MAGAZINE
Exceptional
What's Going ON?
From the Executive Director, Mary Jacob PROM TIME: TO PARTICIPATE OR NOT? P.4
SCHOOLSAFETY.GOV
Launches to Help Educators, Administrators, Parents, and Law Enforcement Prepare for Threats P.8
ISSUE 25
march 2020
”What time I am afraid, I will trust in Thee.” P.22
COVER STORY
EXCLUSIVE
COVER STORY: Graham Waller
MISSION The Mission of Families Helping Families of Greater New Orleans is to educate and connect children and adults with disabilities, and their families to resources, services, and supports to attend school, work, and thrive in their communities.
MARCH 2020
BOARD OF DIRECTORS Gregory Brenan, CPA, CCIFP, CGMA Jo Ann D. LoRusso, Ph.D. Denise Barrera, MPH, MSW Debra Dixon M.Ed.+30 Ashley Bourg Michelle Archambault, CPA/PFS
Exceptional Times
04 Prom Time: To participate or not? 06 SchoolSafety.gov Launches to Help Educators, Administrators, Parents, and Law Enforcement Prepare for Threats 08 Children's Hospital Celebrates The Opening of Its New Behavioral Health Center 11 Change of legal Status in Louisiana 12 Choice in Fiscal Agents for Self-Direction Waiver Participants in Louisiana 14 Identification, Evaluation, and Management of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder 15 Jefferson Parish Community Resource Fair 16 What's Going On? 18 Parenting Disabled: An Exercise in Confidence and Creativity 22 COVER STORY: "What time I am afraid, I will trust in Thee." 27 Wings for Autism-Wings for All 28 Resources for Families & Educators 30 March Awareness 32 LSU Recruiting for Cerebral Palsy Research Study, Mardi Gras Ball, Tranings and Conferences 34 Louisiana School Finder
OUR TEAM executive director MARY JACOB mjacob@fhfofgno.org - Ext. 207 community outreach specialist SHARON BLACKMON sblackmon@fhfofgno.org - Ext. 208 director of public relations BEBE BODE bbode@fhfofgno.org - Ext. 226 information & training specialist NICOLE DESROCHE ndesroche@fhfofgno.org - Ext.218 administrative assistant LIZ DUMAS ldumas@fhfofgno.org - Ext. 202 intake specialist MINERVA FLORES mflores@fhfofgno.org - Ext. 217 director of peer to peer support LAURA S. NATA lsnata@fhfofgno.org - Ext. 209 cshs parent liaison THUY NGUYEN thuy.nguyen@la.gov 504.896.1340 phone | 504.896.1360 fax cshs youth liaison STEVEN NGUYEN steven.nguyen@la.gov 504.896.1340 phone | 504.896.1360 fax director of training JESSICA RODRIGUE jrodrigue@fhfofgno.org - Ext. 204 director of administrative services DENISE SWEATMAN dsweatman@fhfofgno.org - Ext. 203
OFFICE HOURS Monday: 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM, 12:30 PM - 4:00 PM Tuesday: AFTER HOURS 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM, 12:30 PM - 8:00 PM Wednesday: 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM, 12:30 PM - 4:00 PM Thursday: 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM, 12:30 PM - 4:00 PM Friday: 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
CONTENTS
700 Hickory Avenue Harahan, LA 70123 504.888.9111 800.766.7736 504.353.2350 fax info@fhfofgno.org fhfofgno.org
If you spend any amount of time on social media this past month, you have undoubtedly seen all the pictures of the special proms held around Louisiana and the rest of the country. Inevitably, every year a parent will reach out to me and say, “If I believe in inclusion, am I a hypocrite for allowing my child to attend a special needs prom?” Whoa – now that’s a loaded question. Can a prom really be that controversial? Well, I’ll get to that later on. According to Merriam-Webster dictionary, the definition of prom is a formal dance given by a high school or college class. It’s traditionally held at the end of the junior and senior year as a celebration. You would never find a young child or older adult at a prom – unless the adult is chaperoning the event. Over the years we’ve seen prom date invites becoming a monumental event. People are skywriting, sending singing telegrams, creating banners and other creative stuff, just to ask that one question – “Will you go with me to my prom?” In more recent years we see people with disabilities featured in a lot of these “prom ask” events. So why do we suddenly seem to have all of these special needs proms popping up and why is there 10 year olds to 60 year olds attending them? I personally think to some degree individuals make assumptions that students with disabilities either aren’t invited, refuse or don’t have the opportunity to attend for a variety of other reasons. Providing them with a special needs prom allows them to have their own night to celebrate. In my experience, students with disabilities in the appropriate grades are invited to attend their schools prom. Some choose to attend while others choose not to participate in the festivities. I think students that are included throughout their school careers are likely to attend more than students that haven’t been included as much or at all. I think the most important thing to consider is if your child wants to attend their prom. If this is something they want to do, parents should do whatever is necessary to make sure they are included in this and all other school rituals they’ve earned the right to participate in. However, if it’s something your child has no interest in at all, I wouldn’t force them to attend. But it should be YOUR CHILD’s decision. When I think about prom I think of dressing up, a nice dinner, maybe a limo – all the makings of a magical night. But prom is that one time a year that all students in that same grade can come together and celebrate their accomplishments and future. It didn’t matter if you were the straight A student still working on your Valedictorian speech or the D+ student celebrating you barely did it – but did enough to get out. Why wouldn’t it be the perfect atmosphere for a student with a disability to attend? This is the one night they should be able to get all dressed up, have fun and fit in. If I was a high school administrator and students with disabilities weren’t attending prom, I’d want to know why. I’d want to find a way to make it more appealing and welcoming. So what’s all the controversy about? The controversy isn’t about the individuals or groups that are financially supporting the proms – it’s more about the fact they are segregated events in a time when we are doing everything in our power to have our children accepted in mainstream America. The more, well intentional people promote segregated events, the more mainstream American thinks that is normal and that people with disabilities really don’t want to be included. For me, I’d love to see these groups funding these events, partner with high school campuses and promote a model of inclusive proms. I’d like to see real thoughtful essays written to funders about how they are going to make their prom great by including and welcoming everyone, regardless of ability, financial status, cliques, lifestyle preferences or race. Wouldn’t this be a wonderful thing? Now to the harder question. Parents that want inclusion generally want their child to have access to more rigorous academics and experiences that isn’t always found in a segregated special education class. So when a parent is at an IEP meeting, challenging non-inclusive placements, but then turn around and announce their child is going to the special needs prom, I can certainly see where people will think you are being a hypocrite. However, I think this requires both parents and others to go beneath the surface level. Let’s take this down to the basic level of inclusion. It’s about opportunities to learn, play, live and work with everyone – not just people with disabilities. Does that mean you’ll never be in a situation where you are just with people with disabilities? Of course not, but it will be your choice to do that. But nobody wants to be told they CAN’T participate. They may also opt into participating in more segregated activities because they truly enjoy them and in my opinion, that is perfectly okay. What’s not okay is to purposely exclude them from school proms or other events and force a special needs prom to be created in order to give them the same opportunities. Think about this like race – it wasn’t that many years ago that African-Americans had their own prom because they weren’t allowed to attend the prom all of the Caucasian students attended. This was not and still not okay. Personally, I don’t see the need for special needs proms. This doesn’t mean I’m an opponent of them. I just believe we should be spending our time and efforts on creating inclusive opportunities. I knew many people without disabilities that didn’t attend their school proms. If a student with a disability chooses not to attend, I don’t think it’s any different. It should just mean the person made the decision they didn’t want to go. There is one thing I am more passionate about – students who are not prom age attending special needs proms. When we create segregated proms for younger students, we are removing the uniqueness of the school prom. It no longer becomes something to look forward to or something truly special. It’s no longer viewed as a milestone or right of passage. It’s no big deal if they’ve been going to proms for the previous 5 years. So I do believe – special needs or not – it should be reserved for high school juniors and seniors. I feel the same way about adults attending special needs proms. Treat people with the respect and dignity they deserve and don’t invite someone that is older to do something only high school and maybe college students do. Yes, both younger and older people may really enjoy them – but it still doesn’t make it right. They would never attend a school prom at that age, so why would they need to attend a special needs prom? But let’s talk about what can happen. People that care enough about individuals with disabilities that want to host and promote events for them can still host dances and other events where they include others in the community. If your son or daughter loves to dress up and dance, do it – you certainly don’t need to wait for prom season. Find or create opportunities for your child to be accepted in many different circles. Look for opportunities that help them grow. It really shouldn’t matter what side of the fence you are on, at the end of the day, most people with disabilities just want to be accepted and live their best life – which isn’t any different than the rest of us. So instead of judging them, give them the right to make a decision, embrace their decision, and give them the dignity risk. Failure doesn’t mean they failed – it means they tried their best with the tools they had available. I would rather have the opportunity to fail, than never have any opportunity to succeed.
by Mary Jacob
Prom Time: To participate or not?
ET
SchoolSafety.gov Launches to Help Educators, Administrators, Parents, and Law Enforcement Prepare for Threats
February 10, 2020 U.S. Department of Education
WASHINGTON — The Trump Administration today launched the Federal School Safety Clearinghouse website: SchoolSafety.gov. This website is a one-stop-shop of resources for K-12 administrators, educators, parents, and law enforcement to use to prepare for and address various threats related to safety, security, and support in schools. President Trump established the Federal Commission on School Safety to review safety practices and make meaningful and actionable recommendations of best practices to keep students safe. "School safety is the number one priority of parents across the country, which is why the President directed DHS and other federal agencies to form a taskforce and provide schools, teachers, parents, and law enforcement with resources to identify, prepare for, respond to, and mitigate threats," said Chad Wolf, Acting Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. "The Department provided expertise and resources on a range of school safety issues including threat assessments, physical security, emergency planning, and trainings and exercises designed to help schools and local law enforcement prepare for incidents. With these resources, schools and law enforcement will be better equipped to handle a crisis." "All students deserve a safe learning environment, and the Federal School Safety Clearinghouse is an essential resource for information and best practices," said U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, chair of the Federal Commission on School Safety. "Because every school community has its own unique needs, SchoolSafety.gov equips decision makers with resources for developing, customizing, and implementing actionable school safety plans." "Every child should feel safe at school, and every parent should feel their child is safe each day, too," said HHS Secretary Alex Azar. "SchoolSafety.gov will help equip schools with the tools they need to create safe, healthy environments, including resources for how to provide mental health services in schools. This new one-stop shop complements the evidence-based technical assistance HHS provides to local communities around mental health treatment, and we hope to see more and more schools explore these opportunities." "The Department of Justice has no higher priority than making sure our schools are safe and secure for our nation's students, teachers and administrators," said Attorney General William P. Barr. "I am grateful for President Trump's leadership in this cause and am honored to stand with the rest of the leadership of his Administration as we continue our efforts to promote school safety through SchoolSafety.gov. The Department of Justice is deeply grateful for the sacrifice and commitment of our nation's school resource officers and police officers who are on the front lines of keeping our schools and country safe every day." SchoolSafety.gov is a resource for the American public, primarily K-12 school administrators, to access free information, guidance, best practices, and tools that make school safety initiatives more actionable in schools. Today's launch represents the first phase of SchoolSafety.gov, and we look forward to continually expanding and refining resource materials in coordination with our partners and stakeholders. The Federal School Safety Clearinghouse and SchoolSafety.gov were developed to fulfill one of the key recommendations from the Federal Commission on School Safety. SchoolSafety.gov includes: The School Safety Readiness Tool, an assessment that assists users in evaluating their respective school's safety posture across 10 foundational elements of school safety. After completing the assessment, users are provided an action plan with task prioritization, options for consideration, aligned resources, and grant opportunities specific to individual needs; A Secure Information Sharing Platform for designated school personnel to share school safety ideas, practices, plans, and tactics in a protected environment; and A wide array of resources and best practices on key school safety topics to assist with building awareness within the school community to promote vigilance and build capacity to respond to incidents. SchoolSafety.gov empowers districts and schools to improve safety and security. In March 2018—following the school shooting in Parkland, Florida, on Feb. 14—President Trump signed an executive order establishing the Federal Commission on School Safety to make meaningful advancements in keeping students safe. The Trump Administration and DHS also released the 2019 strategy for targeted violence that defines ways that the Department of Homeland Security will enhance security with increased preparedness, promoting community readiness, and enhancing defensive measures. The Department of Homeland Security will continue to develop new techniques in protective practices.
Children's Hospital Celebrates The Opening of Its New Behavioral Health Center
The 70,000 square foot, 51-bed Behavioral Health Center at Children’s Hospital New Orleans supports the growth of specialized pediatric mental and behavioral health services for the state of Louisiana, as part of Children’s $300 million campus expansion effort.
Jan 22, 2020
NEW ORLEANS – On January 22, Children’s Hospital New Orleans will celebrate the opening of its new free-standing Behavioral Health Center with a ribbon cutting ceremony and tours of the new center, just a few weeks away from opening for patient care and expanding services for the region. The new Behavioral Health Center at Children’s Hospital is among the largest and most comprehensive programs in the nation, serving patients and families from across the Gulf South in a comprehensive center that is exclusively dedicated to serving children and adolescents with a wide range of mental and behavioral health disorders. The $25 million project located on Children’s Hospital’s main campus is one of the largest free-standing pediatric facilities of its kind in the United States. “Children’s Hospital is dedicated to providing extraordinary healthcare for all kids and only kids,” said John R. Nickens IV, President and Chief Executive Officer at Children’s Hospital New Orleans. “Sometimes that means running to the problem and developing innovative ways to change the dynamics of pediatric healthcare. With one in five children affected by behavioral and mental health disorders, we must amplify the way we are proactively addressing behavioral healthcare for children—a concern the country’s top children’s hospitals have struggled to adequately address.” Children’s new Behavioral Health Center will offer acute inpatient behavioral health treatment in a safe, structured, and nurturing environment for kids who are 7-17 years old. The program focuses on teaching and empowering each patient to develop healthy life skills to improve his or her function and future quality of life. Together with its two medical school partners, LSU Health New Orleans and Tulane University School of Medicine, Children’s is leading the way in mental and behavioral health services, adding talented leaders from across the country who want to be a part of this incredible expansion of services. The inpatient unit will have 51 beds available for children who need mental health services such as treatment for severe depression, anxiety or mood disorders. With an interdisciplinary model of care, social workers, recreational therapists and music therapists work collaboratively with psychiatrists to develop individualized treatment plans. With expanded capacity from Children’s existing Behavioral Health Unit located on the hospital’s Calhoun St. Campus, an additional 500 inpatients will be cared for annually, in addition to an expanded outpatient psychiatry program that will more than double its capacity wih more than 2,000 visits per year. “The new Behavioral Health Center, designed by Fernandez & Johnson Architecture and built by our construction partners at The Lemoine Company, facilitates a team approach to family-centered care,” says Ben Whitworth, Vice President of Hospital Operations at Children’s Hospital New Orleans. “The innovative design fosters a healing environment while keeping patient safety and quality at the forefront.” Outpatient services will also be provided at the new center to complement inpatient care, including assessment and treatment of psychiatric and behavioral disorders such as autism spectrum disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and mood disturbance. An interdisciplinary team of professionals will provide evidence-based management for a range of challenges facing children, adolescents and their families. Telemedicine services will also be based at this location and provide specialty resources for the entire region, improving access and support. “Our program is not only about investments in bricks and mortar,” says George Bisset, MD, Chief Medical Officer at Children’s Hospital New Orleans. “It’s about providing a continuum of care that supports mental wellbeing for our patients and families at all levels. We’re building programs that expand access, forming new partnerships in the community, and giving our patients and families the tools and support they need to best cope with a wide variety of conditions.” The Behavioral Health Center at Children’s Hospital is made possible with the support of the Goldring Family and Woldenberg Foundations, who have contributed $2 million to Behavioral Health services through the foundations’ support of Children’s Hospital’s capital campaign, Extraordinary Together: The Campaign for Louisiana’s Children. About Children’s Hospital New Orleans Children’s Hospital New Orleans is a 229-bed, non-profit academic pediatric medical center that offers comprehensive healthcare services, including over 40 pediatric specialties, delivered just for children. With more than 400 physicians trained in more than 40 pediatric subspecialties, Children’s offers a comprehensive array of pediatric healthcare services in Louisiana and the Gulf South. In addition to its main campus located in New Orleans, the hospital operates a network of specialty clinics across Louisiana and in Southern Mississippi, including in Covington, Baton Rouge, and Lafayette. Children’s Hospital offers primary care services at 15 convenient locations throughout Southeast Louisiana and remotely via its Virtual Care app. Children’s Hospital is a proud member of LCMC Health, a Louisiana-based, not-for-profit hospital system which also includes New Orleans East Hospital, Touro, University Medical Center New Orleans and West Jefferson Medical Center. Learn more at chnola.org.
Change of Legal Status in Louisiana
From a parenting standpoint, transitioning a child from being a kid to becoming an adult isn’t for the weak. There is usually graduation from high school; applications to colleges, vocational schools, or jobs; shopping for adult doctors and dentists; and sometimes (one can hope), moving them out of the house! When you consider the transition of a child with a disability to adulthood, the process can be simply terrifying. And if the adult child will need help managing his affairs, the question of competency and who will be able to make important decisions for them also comes into play. And—you may need to sit down for this part—at the very moment a child turns 18, they are considered an adult and will have decision-making authority for their own affairs. Actually, without legal intervention, they and ONLY they will have that decision-making authority. Competency is a legal term referring to the ability of a person to manage his or her own affairs and make decisions. A person is considered to be competent if he is able to make personal, financial, medical and other important decisions. According to Louisiana law, individuals 18 years of age or older are competent and capable of governing themselves. So what if your child is approaching the age of majority and you know that because of their developmental disability they will not be able to make their own decisions? Or what if your child is already above the age of 18 and they cannot make their own decisions?? In order to obtain the legal authority to act on behalf of another person when that person is not competent to grant the authority, one may request that the state court transfer decision-making authority by an Interdiction, Limited Interdiction or Continuing Tutorship. All of these legal proceedings require the assistance of an attorney. Interdiction is considered to be the most intrusive procedure affecting an individual's rights and responsibilities. And it often has a more sweeping effect than is actually necessary to meet the needs of the individual. Through interdiction several rights are lost by the person being interdicted, including the right to contract, the right to marry, the right to vote, and the right to sue or be sued (except to sue in his own name to revoke the interdiction). Interdiction also removes the right of an individual to drive a motor vehicle, consent to medical treatment, leave the state without permission, and engage in most decision-making about his own life. One alternative to full interdiction is a limited interdiction, which only grants certain rights to the curator, or the person who is authorized to act on behalf of the interdicted person. For example, an adult with a moderate intellectual disability may need assistance with financial matters, but be otherwise fully capable of taking care of matters not involving money management. Through a limited interdiction, a curator can be given the authority to manage this individual's funds without taking away his right to vote, marry, and make all of those daily decisions of which he is capable. The third type of legal status change involves what’s called a continuing tutorship. A tutor is a person who is legally responsible for the care of a minor child under the age of eighteen. For example, the law recognizes a parent as the natural tutor of his own child. While the tutorship of a parent normally would end when a child becomes eighteen, through this legal procedure the tutorship becomes permanent or remains in effect forever or until it is formally revoked by a court. A continuing tutorship may be obtained for someone who is between the ages of fifteen and eighteen, and when an individual under a continuing tutorship turns eighteen, the parent or tutor maintains legal authority to act for the individual. Some of an individual’s rights may be limited or terminated, but the legal effect of a continuing tutorship on an individual's rights is less severe than the effect of a full interdiction. For example, a person subject to a continuing tutorship is not totally barred from marrying, but he must obtain the permission of the tutor before tying the knot. The individual does, however, lose the right to consent to medical treatment and educational plans under continuing tutorship. Additionally, the tutor has the right to obtain any medical, educational or other records relating to the individual, which may result in the loss of his right to confidentiality. The limited interdiction may be the most flexible of the three legal status change options under Louisiana law, but it is still one of the more expensive options. Both limited and full interdiction are basically lawsuits, so attorneys must be employed for both the person seeking interdiction (petitioner) and the individual who is the subject of the interdiction (defendant). There are court costs involved with all three procedures as well, but interdiction proceedings also require a court hearing. There are also two other important differences between interdiction (full or limited) and continuing tutorship. Unlike interdiction, continuing tutorship can be obtained before an individual reaches the age of majority and only applies to individuals with an intellectual disability. Severe physical disability or mental illness of a child or adult is insufficient to warrant a continuing tutorship. Seaux, is your head spinning yet? Trust me, I totally understand! Keep in mind that I’m not an attorney, and I can’t give you legal advice; I can only give you an overview of these procedures and let you know that it’s something you may need to think about at some point. Thankfully we knew to look into a change of status well before my son turned eighteen, so we were able to take care of it in a timely fashion. And yes, we have been asked to produce the documents at appointments with our new adult doctors since my son has started those transitions. For more information you may contact Disability Rights Louisiana (formerly The Advocacy Center) at 1-800-960-7705, or your local Families Helping Families center.
by Sharon Blackmon
Continued on p.26
*What is Self-Direction? Self-Direction is a service delivery option which allows participants to become the employer of the people they choose to hire to provide supports for them. As the employer, participants (you) are responsible for recruiting, training, supervising, and managing the people you choose to hire. This option gives you the most control over your supports, but also requires the most responsibility. With Self-Direction, you control the amount spent on wages for your employees within the guidelines established by the program in which you are enrolled. With assistance from your support coordinator, you, as the employer, are required to budget payments for wages and required employment-related taxes. Your support coordinator will provide you with information on Self-Direction, followed by ongoing support and assistance as needed. Your support coordinator will continue to assist you with developing your Plan of Care, planning your budget, evaluating supports and services on an ongoing basis, and organizing the unique resources that you need. The fiscal agent (also called fiscal intermediary agency) will process payroll for your employees at least twice per month and make the required tax withholdings and deposits with state and federal agencies on your behalf. All payrolls will be processed utilizing a state-approved payment mechanism. The fiscal agent will send you reports of your spending so that you can keep track of the amount of service hours you have used and the amount you have remaining for use. Fiscal Agents for Self-Direction in Louisiana There are now two fiscal agent providers Acumen Fiscal Agent, LLC Louisiana Representative - Elizabeth Kiefer – Executive Director of LA Programs for Acumen Fiscal Agent, LLC elizabethk@acumen2.net (504) 655-8754 Morning Sun Financial Services Louisiana Representative - Laci Polotzola – Program Administrator lpolotzola@morningsunfs.com (833) 239-3768 Your choice of Fiscal Agent is entirely voluntary. If you are with one Fiscal Agent and decide to change to the other, you will have the ability to switch before the start of each quarter (4x per year). This is restricted for tax filing purposes. If you chose to switch your Fiscal Agent, a new employer and employee packet must be completed. You need to consult with your support coordinator before changing Fiscal Agents. The Louisiana Office for Citizens with Developmental Disabilities has a presentation online with information regarding both Fiscal Agents. Electronic Visit Verification (EVV) “EVV” stands for Electronic Visit Verification. EVV is a way to record the date, time, and place your workers provide services to you. EVV is required by federal law under the **21st Century Cures Act for Medicaid personal care services (PCS) effective January 1, 2020. To understand EVV, we’ve broken it down for you as follows: “Electronic” means using an electronic device to record the date, time, and place your worker provides services to you. Common devices are cell phones, tablets, and computers. “Verification” means using technology to prove that both you and your worker are at the same place at the same time. This verification only needs to happen when your worker starts each shift and ends each shift. Services that fall under the EVV requirements include all Medicaid funded personal care services and home health care services, either provided under a state plan or waiver. This would include Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS). For more information about the Self-Direction Option, for Children’s Choice and the New Opportunities Waiver *Self-Direction Option Employer Handbook and the Community Choice Waiver Community Choice Waiver: Self-Direction Handbook. For more information on waiver “What the heck is a waiver?” Resources: Louisiana Department of Health, Office for Citizens with Developmental Disabilities, Waiver Services, Self-Direction, OCDD Waiver Guideline Documents & Forms – Related FILES Applied Self Direction (asd), EVV resources **The 21st Century Cures Act, SEC. 12006. ELECTRONIC VISIT VERIFICATION SYSTEM REQUIRED FOR PERSONAL CARE SERVICES AND HOME HEALTH CARE SERVICES UNDER MEDICAID
By Bebe Bode
Morning Sun Brochure
CHOICE in Fiscal Agents for Self-Direction Waiver Participants in Louisiana
Acumen Brochure
Identification, Evaluation, and Management of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder
For the first time in 12 years, the American Academy of Pediatrics has issued a report that includes updated clinical recommendations on autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The 71-page report provides updates on the increasing number of children with ASD, as well as expanded knowledge on risk factors, co-occurring medical and behavioral conditions, genetic contributions, and the body of research on evidence-based interventions. The document is searchable by topic and includes a glossary. Access the full report. Additional Information about the Report Authors: Susan L. Hyman, Susan E. Levy, Scott M. Myers and the Council on Children with Disabilities, Section on Developmental and Behavior Pediatrics. Pediatrics January 2020, 145(1) e20193447; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2019-3447 The updated clinical report builds on previous reports and guidance for care of children and youth with ASD. It also reflects changes in diagnostic criteria after publication of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM5) in 2013. The DSM-5 established a single category of ASD to replace the subtypes of autistic disorder, Asperger syndrome, and pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (as set forth in the earlier Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision, the DSM-IV-TR). This updated document aims to provide primary care providers with a summary of current information in a single report that will help guide them in providing a medical home for the patient with ASD. The report is divided into the following sections: Introduction 1 | Prevalence 2 | Clinical Symptoms 3 | Screening and Diagnosis 4 | Etiologic Evaluation 5 | Interventions 6 | Working with Families 7 | Research and Service Needs
Free WEBINARS
What's Going On?
IEP Tips and Pointers - This webinar features tried and true tips on how to positively advocate for your children, strengthen the relationships between parents and service agencies, and help create the appropriate IEP program. This webinar is perfect for families looking for ways to make the IEP meeting a more positive experience for everyone involved. Co-Sponsor:Bayou Land FHF Date: Monday, March 2, 2020 Time: 9:00 pm – 10:00 pm Audience: Parents, Caregivers, and Professionals of School-Aged Children/Students. Introduction to Special Education - Do you suspect your child could benefit from special education and related services?Or, Is your child newly evaluated?If so, this training is perfect for you.This intro to special education will give you a strong foundation to build future knowledge.You will learn the very basics through the philosophy of special education, the laws, evaluation process, and ultimately an IEP. Co-Sponsor: Northshore FHF Date: Thursday, March 5, 2020 Time: 10:00 am – 11:00 am Audience: Parents, Caregivers, and Professionals of School-Aged Children/Students. Basic Rights in Special Education - Whether you’re new to special education or involved for a while, this workshop is for you. This presentation provides families with an introduction to their rights and responsibilities as parents of children with special needs under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Parents begin to identify dreams and goals for their children, understand laws and learn advocacy strategies that will help them help their children reach those goals. Co-Sponsor: FHF of Greater Baton Rouge Date: Thursday, March 5, 2020 Time: 11:30 am – 12:30 pm Audience: Parents, Caregivers, and Professionals of School-Aged Children/Students. Anatomy of the IEP - Like a biology student, this presentation will dissect the parts of the IEP document and examine their functions individually, learning their meanings and application. It will provide constructive and practical tips to help create an IEP that supports all of the student's needs. We will explore the parent’s role in the IEP process and learn the basics of their child’s right to special education services, the process of developing special education plans, and the parent’s role. Co-Sponsor: FHF NOLA Date: Monday, March 9, 2020 Time: 11:00 am – 12:00 pm Audience: Parents, Caregivers, and Professionals of School-Aged Children/Students. Dyslexia: The Importance of Identification and Early Intervention - Often times schools, teachers, and parents have the unfortunate experience of witnessing students struggle with reading. If examined closely, knowing the cause and doing something about it can make the world of a difference in a child’s life. There are steps all key stakeholders can take to ensure the long-term success of students. Presenter: DeJunne’ Clark Jackson, MA, MAT, MEd, CALT Decoding Dyslexia Louisiana State Leader Learning Fundamentals Educational Therapy & Consulting, Owner/Therapist Date: Tuesday, March 10, 2020 Time: 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm Audience: Parents, Caregivers, and Professionals of School-Aged Children/Students. Related Services - Children with disabilities are entitled to special education and related services. The IEP must contain a statement of the special education, related services, and supplementary aids and services to be provided to the child. Participants will learn several critical elements used to determine what related services a student needs. Co-Sponsor: FHF of Greater Baton Rouge Date: Wednesday, March 11, 2020 Time: 10:30 am – 11:30 am Audience: Parents, Caregivers, and Professionals of School-Aged Children/Students. All About Test and Assessments - This webinar will talk All About Assessments and Testing. It will answer some frequently asked question regarding assessments and testing, when to have your child evaluated and interpreting those assessment results. Co-Sponsor: FHF of Southwest Louisiana Date: Wednesday, March 11, 2020 Time: 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm Audience: Parents, Caregivers, and Professionals of School-Aged Children/Students. Mapping Dreams (Transition to Adulthood) - The transition your child will make from being a child to becoming an adult member of the community is an important journey, and one that requires a plan. It's important to begin thinking about your child’s transition to adult life as early as possible. Your child will need to make many significant decisions during this journey to adult life. In this presentation, we will explore what families and youth can do to help plan for the student’s transition from high school to adult employment, postsecondary education or training, and independent living. Co-Sponsor: FHF of Acadiana Date: Tuesday, March 17, 2020 Time: 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm Audience: Parents, Caregivers, and Professionals of School-Aged Children/Students. Special Education FAQ - Can the school send home my child’s IEP for me to sign without a meeting? Can the school suspend my child with an IEP? What happens if I disagree with the IEP team? Can the school keep calling me to pick up my child due to meltdowns? Get answers to these questions, and more in our Special Education Frequently Asked Questions training. Co-Sponsor: FHF at the Crossroads Date: Tuesday, March 17, 2020 Time: 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm Audience: Parents, Caregivers, and Professionals of School-Aged Children/Students. Section 504, Title II and Student’s with Disabilities - Section 504 is a federal law designed to protect the rights of individuals with disabilities in programs and activities that receive Federal financial assistance from the U.S. Department of Education (ED). Section 504 provides: "No otherwise qualified individual with a disability in the United States . . . shall, solely by reason of her or his disability, be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance. Learn more about this civil rights law. Co-Sponsor: FHF of Northeast Louisiana Date: Wednesday, March 25, 2020 Time: 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm Audience: Parents, Caregivers, and Professionals of School-Aged Children/Students.
Parenting Disabled: An Exercise in Confidence and Creativity
My Instagram inbox is full of messages from disabled people who are somewhere on the spectrum of awaiting or seeking parenthood, and they are terrified. They know it’s something they want, but have been told overtly and subtly that they’re not cut out for it. They’ve absorbed the narrative that disability precludes them from doing the things parents are supposed to do for their kids: playing catch, taking them down water slides, tossing them in the air, giving piggy back rides, you get the idea. Inability to walk or open a jar or tie a shoe translates to an inability to bond with and provide for a child. They scan my feed, full of pictures of my family — me in my wheelchair, a supportive husband, and two busy, smart kids — and feel hopeful, but their messages indicate that they still doubt they can have the same thing. There’s a lot to unpack here. Society sends unfair messages to all kinds of parents. Didn’t make it to that PTA meeting? You failed. Didn’t throw a Pinterest-worthy first birthday party? You failed. Didn’t send your kid to the first day of school with a healthy enough lunch? You failed. Too much screen time? Failed. The unattainable expectations for parents create a culture of competition and inadequacy, and in light of that, disabled people are often left feeling like they don’t stand a chance. And on top of it all, disabled parents are stripped of their rights to their kids more often than nondisabled parents, as found in a 2012 report by the National Council on Disability. I had some concerns about pregnancy and childbirth as they relate to my mobility, and like anything I’ve never tried before, I wondered how I’d manage certain tasks involved in taking care of a baby, but I had a leg up when it came to confidence in my ability to parent: My mom. My own mother was born without her right arm from just above her elbow. Our disabilities are undeniably different, but they come with their own obstacles, and I grew up watching her take every single one of them in stride. As a mother, she was capable and confident managing a very physically needy oldest child and a spirited, stereotypically busy, sometimes difficult second child, and then she started all over with another baby when I was eight. She adapted all kinds of things, but the most memorable for me is how she’d sit me on the toilet lid backwards and braid my long, slippery, blonde hair with her left hand and her right foot, balancing like a flamingo and calling on me to hand her the hair tie when she was done. I loved my long hair, and though it’d have been easier for Mom if I’d kept it short, she never pushed me to cut it. My thoughts on my mom as a role model aren’t about all the stuff she did “in spite” of her disability. They’re about how, even when her disability prevented her from easily doing something the average parent could’ve done, she was no less of a parent. She created a home where we were safe, advocated for our needs in school, celebrated our victories, counseled us in difficulty, and disciplined us when she needed to. It never crossed my mind that we were missing out on anything because she was missing an arm. I don’t think my kids will feel like they missed out, either. Starting from the very first day of my daughter’s life, I’ve been adapting the standard methods of child rearing to fit inside the constraints of my physical limitations, and I imagine that’ll continue indefinitely. When Arwen was a little baby, I carried her one of two ways: In my lap, with a pillow or rolled up blanket wedged under whichever end of her was at my knees—under her neck and head if she was on her back facing me, with her feet toward my belly, or under her knees and thighs if her shoulders and head were propped against me—or I wore her in a sling or soft structured carrier or wrap. The process of figuring out which carrier I’d be able to use was entirely based on trial and error, and it was frustrating and lonely. I’d do research, scouring the internet for pictures of people wearing my chosen contraption, find no evidence that people ever mothered sitting down, and end up feeling defeated, but also indignant. Eventually, I’d take my chances and buy one, often to find that it wasn’t going to work for me. (For the record, a ring sling and an ergo have ended up being my go-tos, no matter how badly I wanted to love beautiful wraps and woven carriers.) As Arwen grew, I had to come up with new ways to get her into the carriers. The heavier she got, the harder it became for me to load and unload her the way all the online video tutorials said I had to. For weeks, I tried to comply with manufacturer’s recommendations, feeling the pressure of the warnings that I’d surely drop and kill my baby if I didn’t. Then it dawned on me: Those tutorials were not made for me. Those guidelines and recommendations were set for people with typically functioning hands and strong arms, and who would be standing while they performed tasks in ways that were becoming impossible for me. The absence of representation can feel like disqualification. A glaring, cold message: “Turn back. This isn’t for you. You don’t belong here.” So I was going to have to blaze my own trail and not worry about judgement. I had to shake off fears and guilt that were based on a system that was telling me that its way was the only good way, the only safe way.
by Alex Wegman
Alex Wegman is a mother of two, writer, private tech consultant, frequent traveler, outdoorswoman, and full time wheelchair user. She writes about her experiences as a disabled person and parent, always with the goal helping to connect the disability community and increasing its visibility in mainstream culture. She regularly authors short essays, which she shares on instagram at @alexwegman. She lives in the Santa Cruz Mountains in California with her one and three year old kids, husband, and Labrador. Alex can be contacted at alexwegman@icloud.com.
So I did. I started experimenting with the sling, sitting in front of the mirror in my bedroom so I could see what the fabric was doing as I tugged and lifted it, situating Arwen comfortably and securely. If something felt precarious, I changed course. After a few 15 or 20 minute sessions, I had devised and mastered two new ways to get Arwen into and out of the sling. Then I did the same thing with the ergo. Bam. Two new ways to get her into and out of that, too. Guess how many times I dropped her in the process. None. Guess how many times I’ve dropped her or her little brother since. Right. None. Because I listened to my instincts and went my own way. This pattern of searching for examples or ideas or resources and then eventually putting my own creativity to work has repeated itself in everything from getting kids into and out of the car to preparing meals while the baby wants to be held. The parenting world is not used to people like me, but do you know who is used to people like me? My kids. Arwen approached her dad with a very serious query awhile back: “Mama have a wheelchair. Why you not have a wheelchair like Mama, Daddy?” She had never asked me why I did have a wheelchair — that was her normal because I was her primary caregiver. She was used to having a lap to sit in at all times, a portable jungle gym always at her disposal, and she wanted to know why Daddy was missing such an important characteristic. I’m not naive; I know her sense of normal will change as she spends more time at friends’ houses and at school. It already has, and we tackle questions about how our life is different from average with openness and encourage her curiosity, and approach disability and other differences simply as variations of normal. Almost four years into motherhood, I don’t feel even remotely like I’m lacking any of the skills necessary to be a really good mom. I’ll never give my kids shoulder rides or take them to the beach without a helper, but I’m well equipped to love them and give them a full, rich childhood — and in seasons when I need help with some of the physical stuff, I call on my community. There are lots of things that can make a person a person unable to parent. Disability doesn’t have to be one of them.
Louisiana Student Standards
The National Resources for Access, Independence, Self-determination and Employment (RAISE) Technical Assistance Center is a project of the SPAN Parent Advocacy Network and is funded by the U.S. Department of Education Rehabilitation Services Administration. The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the positions or policies of the Department of Education. No official endorsement by the U.S. Department of Education of any product, commodity, service or enterprise mentioned on this website is intended or should be inferred. This product is public domain. Authorization to reproduce it in whole or in part is granted. While permission to reprint material from this website is not necessary, the citation should be: National RAISE Center@SPAN, (12/10/2019). Parenting Disabled: An Exercise in Confidence and Creativity, Newark, NJ, Author. © 2019 RAISE Center
Have you ever wondered what your child is supposed to be learning in school? Academic Standards define the knowledge and skills that students are expected to learn in a subject in each grade level. Louisiana’s Department of Education has a comprehensive list of all academic standards on their website. All students, even students receiving special education are supposed to be working on these standards.
homeworkla.org/
by Graham Waller
I was born in Metairie and grew up in Kenner. I have an older brother, and we were homeschooled. Around the time I was seven or eight years old, I began to have headaches occasionally that were like migraines. Sometimes when I stood up, I would also experience instances when I would see “black dots” that would disappear after a few moments. When I described this, my mom thought that I might have low blood pressure. She mentioned this to a friend who is a nurse. She told my mom it was kind of uncommon for a child to have low blood pressure and suggested she might want to get our doctor to check me out. Because of this, my mom got me an appointment with our pediatrician. He checked my blood pressure, and it was normal and checked my ears for infection. He did a couple of quick neurological tests. While I could do what he asked, I could not perform the tasks precisely. He had a tile floor in his office, and he asked me to walk heel-to-toe along the line between the tiles. I could not do this. He recommended that we go to another doctor--a pediatric neurologist. My parents took me to the neurologist our doctor recommended. This doctor shined a light in my eyes and asked me some questions. The doctor went out of the room. When she returned, she said she had called Children’s Hospital and ordered an MRI. She directed my parents to take me to Children’s. My parents and I went over to the hospital thinking it was just a scan. My mom said that after I had the MRI, we could go by McDonald’s, and I could get a happy meal, but as it turned out I did not get that meal that day. When we got to Children’s Hospital, we got checked in, and I had an MRI of my brain. After that MRI, the technicians told my parents they were going to do an MRI of my spine. When this scan was completed, one of the technicians took me to the cafeteria to get a soft drink while the doctor talked with my parents. The doctor told them that the MRI showed that I had a brain tumor, but that was not the worst part. The brain tumor was blocking spinal fluid from going out of my skull and down my spine. He said that if we wanted to get a second opinion on the tumor we could, but he told my parents that it was urgent that he operate and put a shunt in my head to help relieve the pressure. On January 8, 2002, I was admitted to the hospital, and my neurosurgeon put the shunt in my head. Six days later, I had surgery to remove the brain tumor. During this surgery, the doctor discovered that the tumor was attached to my brain stem so he had to leave a small piece of the tumor on the brain stem. The next number of weeks I stayed in the hospital, and many people prayed with my family and me during this time. One of the activities at church that my mom and dad took my brother and me to in the few years preceding my stay at the hospital was Bible Drill. It was a time for children to learn Bible verses. I remember that one of the verses we learned was Psalm 56:3 that says, ”What time I am afraid, I will trust in Thee.” God used that prayer from the psalmist to encourage me during my stay in the hospital. After the brain tumor surgery, I spent nine weeks in the hospital recovering. I was released from the hospital on March 12, 2002, my ninth birthday. I cannot remember much from the time in the hospital and the first few weeks after we got home. I did not talk for almost three months following the surgery, so all of my communication with my family consisted of nodding or shaking my head in response to questions they asked. The neurosurgeon had told my parents that it was not unusual for patients to take a while to start talking after this surgery, considering the part of the brain that had been affected by the tumor. But apparently I took longer—a LOT longer—to decide to talk! At some point I finally realized that my sight was gone; it was very discouraging for me. It took a long time for me to gain the courage to communicate with my family that I could not see, but when I finally did, they were very understanding. My brother Joe, who is two years older than I am, had wheeled me into the living room to watch TV one day in May of 2002. I wasn’t walking again just yet since all this had started. As he tried to position me to where I could see the TV, he kept asking me, “Can you see it now, Graham?” I shook my head no. After several times of readjusting the chair and asking the same question, my mom started to catch on. She started asking me if I could see the French doors, the speakers, other things in the room, and I said no. She finally said, “Graham, can you see anything at all?” And I admitted that I could not. Then she asked if I had kept it from them to keep from upsetting them, and I nodded my head. They were discouraged like I was, but they encouraged me that with God’s help we could figure out how to live with this. I mentioned earlier that my brother and I were homeschooled. With help from a local teacher of the visually impaired, my mom taught me to read braille. In 2009, I went on a mission trip to Romania with a group from church. We stayed in an orphanage and served in surrounding villages playing games with the children and teaching Bible stories. The four summers I was in high school, I sang with the Louisiana Baptist All State Youth Choir. The choir sang concerts in churches as well as other venues across the United States. In 2012, I went to the Louisiana Center for the Blind so that I could gain skills and confidence to help me better know how to live life as a blind person. I graduated in September after nine months of training. The training encouraged me, and in January of 2013, I took my first online class with the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. In the fall of that year, I was able to take a class on campus, and I’ve been taking classes there every semester since then. I’m working on getting a Bachelor of Arts in Music, but I’m not sure how long it will take. There are some research requirements for a couple of the classes that are very time-consuming because I have to have my mom or dad read the books for me and help me organize and keep track of the information. Braille books, while they are a wonderful resource, are very large and very expensive, and they aren’t available in the books that I need. I use a lot of books on digital format, but again all the resources I need for papers aren’t in that format. The opportunity to study with faculty members and fellow students has truly been a blessing, though. I have faced difficult and discouraging times, but God is always faithful. Returning home after my training at the Louisiana Center for the Blind, I spent a lot of time learning my way around our neighborhood. I learned a path to a coffee shop and still enjoy walking there to drink coffee and visit with other customers there. I have volunteered at my church helping in Vacation Bible School during the summers. I also help in the children’s department at our church on Wednesday evenings. I attend Bible studies and local concerts with other people around my age. A little over a year ago, I started volunteering at the National World War II museum in New Orleans. I am very interested in history so this has been very enjoyable for me. I have had the opportunity to meet many veterans of our armed forces and work with a number of them. I have also gotten to meet others in the area who enjoy volunteering at the museum like I do. Though blindness seems to be a very difficult burden, I have found many ways to be involved in my community and help others. There are still questions I do not have answered concerning my life and my future, but I know that I need to persevere and continue to look for opportunities.
"What time I am afraid, I will trust in Thee.”
Graham at the Louisiana Baptist All-State Youth Choir
Graham Volunteering at the National WWII Museum
Graham at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum
Legal - cont. from p.11
Information for this article was taken from the document “Legal Status in Louisiana,” Disability Rights Louisiana, 8325 Oak St. New Orleans, LA 70118 | 1-800-960-7705
RESOURCES for PARENTS & EDUCATORS
Legal Limits on Restraint and Seclusion The Office for Civil Rights published a useful bundle of information about the Legal Limits on Restraint and Seclusion. These documents clarify limits on the use of restraint and seclusion by public schools. The bundle includes a Dear Colleague Letter, Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) and a two page Fact Sheet. Sample FAQs: Does Section 504 prohibit the use of restraint or seclusion in all situations? When does Section 504 require a school to treat a student with a disability differently from students without disabilities? How could a school’s use of restraint or seclusion be different treatment that violates Section 504? Could a school’s use of restraint or seclusion have a discriminatory effect on students with disabilities in violation of Section 504? Can the use of restraint or seclusion deny a student’s receipt of Section 504 FAPE Services? Fact Sheet: Restraint and Seclusion of Students with Disabilities (two pages)
Prepare with Pedro Hi! I’m Pedro the Penguin! I’m traveling around the United States to visit my friends and learn how they prepare. I’d like you to come. Emergencies and disasters can happen anywhere, but there are ways to help you stay safe. Follow along, and we can learn together!
Learn With Homer Price: Free | Grade level: Pre-K, K Skill: Comprehension, Phonics Device: iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch A learn-to-read app incorporates drawing, voice recording, stories, songs, and more, along with more traditional phonics exercises. Encourages kids to think critically about what they've read or listened to through answering questions. LightSail Price: Free | Grade level: Pre-K, K, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 4th and above Skill: Comprehension Device: Android, iPad An e-reading literacy platform to support independent reading. Students can use LightSail to check out texts from their schools' digital libraries and read the books directly on their devices. As students progress through a book, questions appear to gauge their comprehension. Kids can earn badges and a Lexile measure. Tell About This Price: $2.99 | Grade level: Pre-K, K, 1st Skill: Comprehension, Storytelling, Writing Device: iPad Photo and word prompts inspire storytelling, and the app records the results. This versatile tool can be used as a pre-writing or publishing activity. Professor Garfield Fact or Opinion Price: Free | Grade level: K, 1st, 2nd Skill: Comprehension Device: iPad Professor Garfield Fact or Opinion is part story, part game, and part online safety lesson. When Garfield's friend receives an "F" on his report about goats for using opinions instead of facts, Professor Garfield steps in to explain the differences between a fact and an opinion (particularly with regard to the Internet), how to read with a questioning mind, and how a fact can be verified. Developed by the Virginia Department of Education. Popplet Price: $4.99 Grade level: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and above Skill: Comprehension, Writing Device: iPad, iPhone A versatile mind-mapping tool. Students create "Popplets" that can be filled with text, drawings, images, or video, with the ability to share and collaborate in real time.
Behavior Support for Intensive Intervention NCII, through a collaboration with the University of Connecticut, developed a set of course content focused on developing educators’ skills in designing and delivering behavior support in intensive intervention. This content is designed to support faculty and professional development providers with instructing pre-service and in-service educators who are developing and/or refining their implementation of behavior support in intensive intervention.
Access for Learning Welcome to the National Center on Accessible Educational Materials. We provide resources and technical assistance for educators, parents, students, publishers, conversion houses, accessible media producers, and others interested in learning more about AEM and implementing AEM and the National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standard (NIMAS). Learn about Accessible Educational Materials
26th - Purple Day – Epilepsy Awareness Day - Purple Day is an international grassroots effort dedicated to increasing awareness about epilepsy worldwide. On March 26th annually, people in countries around the world are invited to wear purple and host events in support of epilepsy awareness. Last year, people in dozens of countries on all continents including Antarctica participated in Purple Day!
21st - World Down Syndrome Day
MARCH awareness
World Down Syndrome Day (WDSD), 21 March, is a global awareness day which has been officially observed by the United Nations since 2012. The date for WDSD being the 21st day of the 3rd month, was selected to signify the uniqueness of the triplication (trisomy) of the 21st chromosome which causes Down syndrome. Down Syndrome International (DSi) encourages our friends all over the world to choose their own activities and events on WDSD to help raise awareness of what Down syndrome is, what it means to have Down syndrome, and how people with Down syndrome play a vital role in our lives and communities.
Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month Kidney Cancer Awareness Month Multiple Myeloma Awareness Month National Nutrition Month (United States) 2nd - Read Across America Day (United States) - Join us as we celebrate a nation of diverse readers with these recommended books, authors, and teaching resources that represent an array of experiences and cultures. 3rd - World Wildlife Day 8th - International Women’s Day - An equal world is an enabled world. 14th - World Kidney Day - a global campaign aimed at raising awareness of the importance of our kidneys. 15th - World Sleep Day
21st - International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination 21st - International Day of Forests 21st - World Poetry Day 22nd - World Water Day 23rd - World Meteorological Day 24th - World Tuberculosis Day - Each year, we recognize World TB Day on March 24. This annual event commemorates the date in 1882 when Dr. Robert Koch announced his discovery of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacillus that causes tuberculosis (TB). 30th - Earth Hour - Join millions of people around the world and switch off your lights in support of nature and our planet on Saturday, 28 March, 2020 at 8:30pm.
Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Month - Every day, people living with MS do whatever it takes to move their lives forward despite the challenges. By sharing their stories, we help people better understand life with MS and become inspired to do whatever it takes to change the world for people living with MS.
Brain Injury Awareness Month - March is Brain Injury Awareness Month. For more than three decades, the Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA) has proudly led the nation in observing Brain Injury Awareness Month by conducting an engaging public awareness campaign in March of each year. The theme for the 2018 to 2020 campaign is Change Your Mind.
National Women’s History Month (United States) The Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum join in commemorating and encouraging the study, observance and celebration of the vital role of women in American history.
Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month - The month of March is designated as National Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month. National Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month is committed to raising awareness of the disorder as well as the ongoing research efforts being done to find new treatments and hopefully a cure.
The Louisiana Department of Education is committed to helping families find the right school or early childhood center for their children, and providing them with helpful information about Louisiana’s schools. The Louisiana School Finder is an interactive, online tool that provides families with: school performance scores and early childhood performance ratings to show how well schools and centers are preparing students for the next grade-level; basic information about schools and centers such as their address, website, hours of operation, and principal or director’s name; and listings of course offerings, clubs, enrichment and extracurricular activities. To find out information about schools and early childhood centers in your area, visit www.louisianaschools.com, and type in a school or center’s name, or your zip code.
The Louisiana Parent Training and Information Center (LaPTIC) is a program of Families Helping Families of GNO and a grant from the US Department of Education; Office of Special Education (OSEP) as Louisiana's official and only statewide federally funded Parent Training and Information Center.
Any information provided by Families Helping Families of Greater New Orleans (FHF) and/or Louisiana Parent Training and Information Center (LaPTIC), its staff, and/or its volunteers is intended for informational and educational purposes only. Any information expressed or implied is not intended nor should be construed as legal, medical, or other professional advice. FHF and/or LaPTIC does not render legal, medical, or professional advice or recommendations; nor is legal, medical, or other professional advice implied by any information given. Any information provided should not replace consultations with qualified legal, educational, healthcare, or other professionals to meet individual or professional needs. Reference to any program, service, therapy, or treatment option does not imply endorsement by FHF and/or LaPTIC or by its organizational staff/members and should not be construed as such.
e-Learning Mini Modules are formatted for all devices so even if you are at a ball game, dance practice or waiting for your dinner to arrive in a restaurant, you can log onto our website and watch one of our e-Learning Mini Modules in approximately 10 minutes. That's right - you only need about 10 minutes! CLICK HERE to go to our website and learn more about the e-Learning Modules!
700 Hickory Avenue Harahan, LA 70123 504-888-9111 800-766-7736 504-353-2350 fax info@fhfofgno.org fhfofgno.org
The Office for Citizens with Developmental Disabilities (OCDD) has four developmental disability home and community-based waivers, New Opportunities Waiver (NOW), Residential Options Waiver (ROW), Supports Waiver, and Children's Choice Waiver have now been operationalized to a tiered waiver system of service delivery, which will allow for individuals to be supported in the most appropriate waiver. To learn more, click here.