Special Programs & Services News
January 2023
In This Issue
Family Education Events
Be sure to save the dates for our upcoming meetings! We will send out weekly reminders in our Special Programs Remind classes.
- Wednesday, Jan. 18th - Family Education Night
- Friday, Jan. 20th - Coffee Chat
- Tuesday, Jan. 24th - Special Programs Parent Advisory Council (The PAC)
- Thursday, January 26th - LISD Parent Support Group
All previous Parent Night presentations are housed on the Parent Meeting Archive for asynchronous access.
Department Spotlights
Early Childhood
Leander's Early Childhood Department has a variety of services for our youngest learners. School based Early Childhood Services include PreKindergarten (link Pre-K page here here) and Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) Services. School based services are offered on 17 of the district's elementary campuses that have EC Communities. Each EC Community has at least one PreK class and one ECSE classroom. Our goal for our EC Communities is that they are an inclusive early childhood program that offers rich, play-based experiences that meet each and every child at their own development level and allows us to support student learning and growth. If you have concerns about your child's development and/or think they may meet eligibility for special education services, please contact Child Find.
Parents as Teachers
Parents as Teachers (PAT) is the district's early childhood and family education program. The PAT program believes that a parent is a child's most influential teacher and that parenting is hard and meaningful work. Did you know that the brain grows the fastest during the first three years of life?!
Leander ISD's PAT Program is honored to partner with families who want to play, learn, and thrive together. PAT offers everything from personal visits with an Early Childhood Educator to play groups and classes that support each stage of a child's development...and celebrates the work of a parent. Whether you are looking for a play group where you and your child can socialize and connect with other families or join parent-child classes, PAT has something to offer every family.
Who qualifies for PAT? ANY family living within the boundaries of Leander ISD who is pregnant or has a child birth to five years of age. PAT is part of the district's birth to five early childhood continuum and everything offered is free.
You can learn more about PAT in pictures by going to www.facebook.com/LISDPAT. You are also invited to come and play with PAT and other families today! The PAT center is located near the main LISD administrative building. For more information, please contact Erin Garner, Prenatal to Five Coordinator, at erin.garner@leanderisd.org or by calling 512-570-0320.
Upcoming Program Tours
Do you want to learn more about Skills for Enhancing Lifelong Fulfillment (SELF) and 18+ Transition Services? We still have a few more dates available for you to take a tour of our SELF locations. Parents, students, and staff are all welcome to join. Our team will also be hosting a day habilitation tour to Brookwood in Georgetown (BIG) on February 1st. View the flyer for more information and to RSVP. Please reach out to justin.pine@leanderisd.org with any questions.
Building Independence
Autonomy Checklist
Age Appropriate Chores
Developmental Checklist
- Start talking about work
- Encourage interests and strengths
- Promote choice-making by offering choices
- Teach the student the consequences of behavior and choice making
- Promote employability skills
- Talk about the future “What will you do when you grow up?”
Here are some tools that you can download and utilize at home to build independence:
Self-Determination
Self-Advocacy is our skill of the month. Self-Advocacy is a person’s ability to effectively communicate their own desires, needs, and rights. As a parent you can help your child become a Self Advocate by allowing them to do activities on their own. Instead of taking the initiative to assist them, allow them to work their way through the activity and signal for assistance as they need it. Click here for more information and tips on Self-Determination.
Free Texas Education Agency Funds
SSES
TEA's Supplemental Special Education Services (SSES) funds are available. SSES credits will be distributed through online accounts that are used to obtain special educational resources, supplies, and services such as additional speech therapy or other specific services through a marketplace. SSES credits can amount up to $1,500 per student to be used to supplement what otherwise happens in school to help students continue to make educational progress. Take a moment to learn more about the program and apply.
SSES+
Supplemental Special Education Services (SSES)+ Medically Fragile is a new resource offered through the Texas Education Agency (TEA). SSES+ differs from the original SSES program as families will be able to use these funds to purchase goods or services that help her students access public school and/or health related services at home. This program also starts funds at $5,000 dollars instead of being limited to a cap of $1,500. SSES+ families are able to request additional funds from TEA depending on their needs. All funding for this program is separate from the original SSES program. Visit the SSES+ webpage to learn more about the program, who qualifies as medically fragile, and how to apply for funds.