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Advocates
for Special Kids - ASK
January 2002 News Brief |
Volume
1, Issue 2 |
"For families
with children receiving special education in Manhattan Beach & the
South Bay"
"ASK
Launches Website!!"
Since
its inception almost five years ago, Advocates for Special Kids has
resolved to bring information and assistance to parents, teachers and
the community regarding the needs of children with disabilities. With
the start of the New Year 2002, it seems timely that we are introducing
a new resource that we hope will put information and ideas at your
fingertips. It is with great pleasure that we announce the launching of
our new website at:
http://www.advocatesforspecialkids.org
As
our welcome page makes clear, ASK’s website is dedicated to special
education issues and advocacy for children with special needs. There is
much that we as parents, teachers and friends can do to help make the
world a better place for children with special needs. All that we learn
and do on behalf of children with special needs not only benefits each
individual child, it benefits that child’s classmates, their school
and their community. The result? Everyone wins!
We
hope you will take the time to browse the website! Our goal is to
provide a place for parents, friends, school staff and concerned
citizens to find information about disabilities and about navigating the
sometimes treacherous waters of special education. We hope this website
will educate our community about tolerance and acceptance, and the
fundamental principle that we are more alike than we are different. We
want our visitors to see this website as a resource that they can come
back to again and again for helpful information, positive direction, and
useful educational interventions that work not just for those with
disabilities, but for the differently abled and for the vast majority of
children.
As
you will see, we’ve only just begun! Although our website is in its
infancy, it is healthy and growing! There are many topics, articles and
links yet to come! If you know of a really fabulous link that you think
would be helpful to others, if you have a question or comment about
anything on the site, or if you just want to tell us how great you think
it looks, click on "Contact us."
We
hope you will tell your family, your friends, your child’s teacher
about www.advocatesforspecialkids.org. Help us spread the word!
-
Deborah Blair Porter - Secretary/Editor
"Disability
is a natural part of the human experience and in no way diminishes the
right of individuals to participate in or contribute to society.
Improving educational results for children with disabilities is an
essential element of our national policy of ensuring equality of
opportunity, full participation, independent living, and economic
self-sufficiency for individuals with disabilities."
Congressional
Findings and Purpose "Individuals with Disabilities Education
Act" [IDEA] 1997
Advocates
for Special Kids -
Parents Networking Together
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Advocates
for Special Kids (ASK)
was formed in May 1997 by Manhattan Beach parents whose children
received special education services in the district. These
parents had become aware of the need to understand all placement
options that were supposed to be available to their children, as
well as services to support their children in their least
restrictive environment [LRE] pursuant to the Individuals with
Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Section 504 of the
Rehabilitation Act.
Since
then, many more families have become involved with ASK and
benefit from the support and education they gain from attending
our regularly scheduled meetings. These meetings provide
information about services within the district, resources in the
community, upcoming trainings and workshops, as well as the most
current updates on special education law and pending legislation
affecting their child’s education.
ASK
Meetings 2001-2002 School Year
ASK
meetings are 7 PM the last Monday of each month. Our schedule
this year is:
September
24, 2001
October 29, 2001
November 26, 2001
No December Meeting
January 28, 2002
February 25, 2002
March 25, 2002
April 29, 2002
May 20, 2002
June 24, 2002
Pacific
Christian Center, 1403 Pacific Ave, M.B.
ASK
E Group
ASK
recently established an E-group through Yahoo! which allows
subscribers to communicate with other ASK members in an
effective, efficient manner.
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To
join this e-mail group contact the moderator [Marilyn Barraza]
by emailing ASK_group-owner@yahoogroups.com. She will let you
know how to get started.
ASK’s
Board of Directors & Advisory Board
consists of the following individuals who meet monthly to plan
ASK’s activities:
Board:
Marilyn Barraza
[President], Dona Wright [Vice-President], Deborah Blair Porter
[Secretary], Karen Mohan [Treasurer], Eunice Kramer, Alicia
Delgado.
Advisory
Board: Shari
Chang, Becky Grossman, Mary Anne Fontana, Rebecca Schulman,
Susan Viker, Alyse Zwickel.
ASK
Board Mtgs. 2001-2002 School Year
Scheduled
for the first Thursday of each month, upcoming meetings are as
follows:
October
4, 2001
November 1, 2001
December 6, 2001
January 10, 2002
February 7, 2002
March 7, 2002
April 4, 2002
May 2, 2002
June 6, 2002
Location
subject to change.
Call
Marilyn Barraza
ASK’s
Mission is to
promote the principle that ALL CHILDREN can learn together; the
acceptance of diversity; family awareness of rights and options
for receiving special education services for their child;
children being taught in their least restrictive environment [LRE];
district collaboration and community awareness of the importance
of educating all students together to reach their individual
potential. ASK supports family choice and advocates for the full
continuum of special education services for ALL CHILDREN. |
Upcoming
Events! Items of Interest!
MBUSD
School Board Meeting Agenda On ASK Website
MBUSD’s
School Board typically meets the first and third Wednesday of each month
in Manhattan Beach’s City Council chambers [ 6:30 PM, time subject to
change]. Open to the public, these meetings provide an opportunity for
parents and citizens to provide their input regarding district programs,
services, policies and procedures. ASK members regularly attend and
participate in these meetings to ensure the Board considers the needs
and perspective of our children with special needs. Join our efforts!
For
your information and review, school board agendas will be posted on ASK’s
website prior to each meeting.
Look for the PDF Agenda link on the bottom left corner of ASK’s
Welcome/Home Page. If you can’t attend meetings, they are usually
carried live on Adelphia Channel 8. Meetings through the end of the
school year are: February 2, February 20; March 6, March 20; April 17;
May 1, May 15; June 5, June 19, 2002.
March
14, 15, 16, 2002 - The Sensory System Connection to Dyslexia-Hyperlexia-Autism
Lindamood-Bell
Learning Processes: 10th Annual Internatl. Conference featuring
workshops to develop language and literacy processing or research
sessions on brain processing functions. Disneyland Hotel, Anaheim, CA.
For registration information, call (800) 233-1819 X112.
March
15, 16, 17, 2002 - Journey to Solutions 2002
10th
Annual Autism Society of Los Angeles Conference with Keynote Speakers
Stanley I. Greenspan, M.D. [03/15/02], "Tito" Mukhopadhyay
[03/16/02], Reed Martin, J.D. [03/17/02] Pasadena Convention Center
& Civic Auditorium, 300 E. Green Street, Pasadena, CA. Registration
before 3/1 ranges from $50 for one day to $220 for three days.
Registration available on-line at www.autismsocietyla.org.
March
20, 2002 - SELPA Meeting on Accommodations and Modifications
Southwest
SELPA Community Advisory Committee Meeting will have a presentation on
accommodations and modifications that support learning, presented by
Rick Clemens, M.A. Washington School Cafeteria, 1100 Lillienthal Lane,
Redondo Beach. (310) 921-2901 for info.
SELPA
Drop In Support Group
Christy
Cole of Southwest SELPA will facilitate a drop in support group Tuesday
evenings, 6:30-7:30 PM, Launch/Arnold Elementary School, 4100 W. 227th
Street, Torrance. Dates: January 22, February 5, February 19, March 5.
Child care is available at no charge, but you must RSVP in advance (310)
921-2252.
Children
and Adults with Attention Deficit Disorders [ C.H.A.D.D.]
Gain
insight from speakers and share with others experiencing similar
challenges. Donation of $3.00 from non-C.H.A.D.D. members. Little
Company of Mary Hospital, Del E. Webb Center for Health Education. Call
(310) 326-2322 for dates and information.
Upcoming
ASK Meetings - January 2002 through June 2002
[All ASK Meetings are at the Pacific Christian Center, 1403 Pacific
Avenue, Manhattan Beach.]
01/28/02
- 7 PM: ASK Meeting: Special Education, IEP’s and the Law:
Speaker: Steven Wyner, Esq. A special education and civil rights lawyer,
Mr. Wyner will discuss special ed and IEP’s. He will not provide legal
advice or discuss individual cases, but will answer general interest
questions regarding special ed.
02/25/02
- 7 PM: ASK Meeting: ASK Networking, Resources and Discussion:
Join us in an old-fashioned ASK tradition of support, education and ASK
action.
03/25/02
- 7 PM: ASK Meeting: ADHD/ADD and Medications: Speakers:
Drs. Harjani and Green will discuss Attention Deficit and the use of
medications and other interventions.
04/29/02
- 7 PM: ASK Meeting: Inclusion
Research: Speaker: Elinor Ochs, U.C.L.A. Prof. of Anthropology and
Applied Linguistics, winner of a prestigious MacArthur Fellowship, will
discuss "Inclusion as Social Practice: Views of Children with
Autism," research conducted here in Manhattan Beach and throughout
CA
05/27/02
- 7 PM: ASK Meeting: Transition: Grade to Grade; School to School:
An ASK organized meeting to help our children prepare for their
transition to new sites, grades and placements.
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ASK
is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping parents with
issues related to special education. To contact ASK, call
Marilyn Barraza, Dona Wright or
Deborah Blair Porter. ASK does not accept payment
for assistance provided to families, rather raises money in
furtherance of our efforts through fundraising and accepting
donations. We will also be accepting sponsorships of our
newsletter, which entails covering the typical costs associated
with printing and mailing the newsletter. Your sponsorship will
be gratefully acknowledged on the newsletter cover. If you wish
to donate toASK or sponsor an issue, please contact Marilyn,
Dona or Deborah or
speak to an ASK Board member. |
Advocates
for Special Kids - January 2002, Volume 1, Issue 2
[Sponsored by the William and Janet Hodgman Family]
Advocates
for Special Kids
c/o 3109 Walnut Avenue
Manhattan Beach, CA 90266
"Families
and friends of children receiving special
education in Manhattan Beach & the South Bay"
"Tell
me, I will forget.
Show me, I may remember.
Involve me, and I will understand."
-
Chinese Proverb
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