SPecial EDition
September 2016
Sweetwater Union High School District Volume 4 Issue 1
Message from the Director
I sit in on several SELPA and San Diego County workgroups. Whatever the topic, from transition services to inclusion to IEP compliance to professional development, Sweetwater is typically “ahead of the pack.” I find that my role in these meetings often ends up as a technical advisor to other school districts! It is so rewarding knowing that our district is up on the latest research, is forward-thinking, and develops model programs and services for other districts to aspire. Take pride in being a part of this!
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We are moving towards increased community-based programs for our adult-aged students with disabilities. This year, a Moderate Transition class from CPH joined the existing CVH Moderate class at the Chula Vista Youth Center. This location, at the corner of Fifth and L, is convenient for public transit as well as numerous local businesses. We are excited about this new opportunity!
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We added another dimension to our services this year! Rather than contracting with an outside agency for mental health therapists, we created job descriptions and hired our own. We now have six new ERMHS therapists on board. Two are bilingual in Spanish and one in Tagalog. In addition to clinical work, all have had experience working in school settings with students and their families.
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You’ve probably read that the prevalence of autism in the nation has grown from 1 in 110 people to 1 in 68. I used to be rather skeptical of these statistics until taking a closer look at the incidence within Sweetwater. We currently have over 500 students with autism as their primary disability. That translates to 1 in every 78 Sweetwater students! We are, in fact, trending towards this national average.
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Muhammad Ali, who passed away this last June, was a master of the type of positive self-talk we’d like our students to embrace. Here’s a quote for us to embrace, then pass on to our students: “If my mind can conceive it, if my heart can believe it--then I can achieve it!” If we believe--in our hearts--that there are no limits to what our students can achieve, then they, too, may begin to believe.
Ronald A. Lopez
Special Services Director
TRANSITION SKILLS are LIFE SKILLS!
As educators, one of our most important goals is to prepare students to become fully participating members of their communities. For students with disabilities, the life skills education and training they acquire in school may be the only resources they receive to help them transition from being students to life as independent and productive adults.
Still think providing life skills education for your students isn’t necessary?
Consider the following U.S. national statistics:
• 72% of individuals with disabilities are unemployed (Butterworth et al., 2011).
• More than one-third of people living in poverty in the U.S. (39%) are individuals with disabilities (U.S. Census, 2010).
• Overall, persons with disabilities are far more likely than non-disabled persons to live in poverty (26% compared to 9%) (National Organization on Disability & Harris, 2004).
• Of employed young individuals with disabilities who are post-high school for four years or less, more than half (54%) earn less than $5,000 per year. And only 11% earn $25,000 or more per year (Newman et al., 2009).
THREE vital ways to enable students with disabilities achieve a quality of adult life with sustainable employment are:
1. Supporting Independence
Two lines of research related to supporting independence in transition planning are teaching self-determination skills and fostering the development of social networks.
2. Improving Access to Adult Services
Effective transition planning depends upon linkages between school, rehabilitation services, and other adult service agencies. However, many adult agencies operate in isolation, which contributes to a lack of success in post-school outcomes in employment and community living.
3. Improving Income and Earning Potential
Provide more opportunities for students to participate in the partnerships between school district and vocational rehabilitation. In addition, helping families and individuals apply for Supplemental Security Income and learn about alternatives to conservatorship leads to optimal financial outcomes.
Michelle Sturm-Gonzalez
Program Manager
Smirni……..what?
Smirniotis!!!!! His first name is Dan and he is the newest member of the Special Services TOSA team. We are fortunate to have him working to support the Moderate Severe program across the district. He has a Master's Degree in Special Education from SDSU and has taught for 15 years – seven of these years were at East Hills Academy. His extensive experience and expertise will undoubtedly make him invaluable to our teachers, students and the community. Please be sure to introduce yourself if you catch him on your campus. He is definitely a good person to know.
In his free time Dan will not be competing in equestrian events in the Rio Olympics or any other venue.
Mabelle H. Glithero
Program Manager
Summer Bridge Program
This summer Special Services announced a new course for our 8th grade students transitioning to high school. The course was taught at Bonita Vista High, Chula Vista High, and Southwest High. Being a secondary district, we are in a unique position to nurture and support our students as they take the giant step across the bridge from middle school. Research identifies 9th grade as the “make or break” year for students for determining future drop out and has the highest rate of failing grades. Freshman face cognitive, social, emotional, and physical challenges in a new environment, with higher expectations of autonomy and increased homework.
Summer Bridge has been designed to teach students effective academic and study strategies, create opportunities to work collaboratively to solve real world problems, engage with current high school students to learn about how to be involved on campus, and meet with high school support personnel prior to school starting. This exciting course provided our students with an advantage on that first day of school and beyond.
A few weeks into the new school, and Summer Bridge has proven to have a positive impact on our students.
“My daughter has a new confidence that I have never seen. Summer Bridge helped her to be better prepared for high school. I wish my older son would have gone through this program because he struggled his freshmen and sophomore year.”
– Y. Hernandez, parent of Eastlake High Freshmen
“I would recommend Summer Bridge to future students because it prepared me for high school. I learned how to read my IEP. Growth Mindset helped not to think of the negative. I liked how we met other people from my future high school so I know where to go if I need help.”
– SBG, freshmen at Bonita High
" I enjoyed the teamwork when we worked on the advertisement activity with Ms Villaflor"
- MB, freshman at Castle Park High
Valerie Ruiz
Carla Jacobs
Special Services Resource Teachers
Ways to help students with Visual Impairment become independent
Although written for students with visual impairments, these tips apply to students in all of our programs:
1. Let your students make mistakes and get into trouble. It’s part of the human experience!
2. Teach students to decline assistance: “Thanks, but please let me try it by myself.”
3. Have students discreetly ask their classmates for information (what page they are on, what is the school lunch, who the teacher is talking to, etc.) Coach them to do this on the telephone in the evening as well as during school hours.
4. Remind yourself that you’re stepping back so that students can become independent. It’s harmful when you cover for them. Don’t be responsible for holding them back in this area.
5. Unless you are the classroom teacher, catch yourself before you correct students’ work. Remember, this is about students’ skills … not yours.
6. Make sure team members (especially the principal) know your reasons for stepping back so it doesn’t seem like you are shirking your responsibilities.
7. Sit further away. If you have been within arm’s reach, sit just within earshot. If you have been sitting just within earshot, sit across the room.
Angela VanAppelen
Braille Transcriber
AUTISM GRANTS
There are two very simple grants that are available for supporting students with autism.
NFAR GRANTS
http://www.nfar.org/item/247-teacher-s-grants-apply-today.html
NFAR awards funding to educators to support the specialized academic needs of their students with autism. These grants give educators a vehicle for piloting new methodologies, as well as funding of technology and programs that address key areas of concern for students with autism, such as social skills training, developing effective communication skills for verbal and non-verbal students, as well as reducing sensory and behavioral issues that interfere with learning.
These grants are for $250 to $500 that can be applied for on line. There is a new deadline date of September 30th this year.
AUTISM RIDE FOR AUTISM SCHOLARSHIPS
The autism team has set aside $1000 from The Ride for Autism for a scholarship for staff who are supporting students with autism. The Ride for Autism Scholarship is a way to purchase supports for students on the autism spectrum that are not funded by other means. The funds were raised by community, motorcyclists and district staff coming together for a day of fun, food music, and raffles. A form will be sent out by mid-September to apply for these funds.
For more information, contact:
Colleen Finn – colleen.finn@sweetwaterschools.org.
Back to School Supports
This time of year we understand that many of our students on the autism spectrum may experience difficulty with transitioning to a new school and or different schedule. We encourage you to visit the autism page, under Special Services, on Sweetwater Districts Website. There you will find some videos on how to support students with autism in the classroom and on handling difficult behaviors. You will also find the autism referral form, if you need assistance from our team.
http://specialservices.sweetwaterschools.org/programs-services
Lorna McMurray
Autism Resource Specialist
SEIS STUFF
* Are you thinking about going to the 2016 CEDR Systems (SEIS) Conference?
The conference will take place October 12-14, at the Manchester Grand Hyatt, in San Diego. If your site can send you, go to http://cedrconf.org to register. It will consist of 3 days of beginner, advanced, tech and user suggested sessions!
* Would you like to know more about productive tips for using SEIS? Have a burning question or two? Check out the SEIS YouTube channel for all SEIS Quick Tip videos by going to: http://tinyurl.com/SEIS-Tips.
* Don’t forget, IEP Reviews will be coming up for all of us soon. We know that crafting high quality IEP’s is time-consuming and challenging. The IEP review was implemented in order to allow you and your peers to collaborate, come to a consensus upon, and share best practices for crafting such IEP’s.
For an inspirational reminder about why these documents are so crucial and relevant, please visit http://thisautisticlife.com. The author (Hank Smith) was a guest speaker at the 2015 CEDR Systems (SEIS) Conference, where he emotionally praised and thanked his son’s teachers for helping to create and implement a high quality IEP in which the story of his son’s educational career was documented and shared with other educators. I highly recommend the book, but don’t forget the Kleenex. :-)
Christine Fax-Huckaby
Special Education Resource Teacher