Parent Resources
By Gay Giles, Daniel Maier, Shaina Parm, Stephanie Underwood
District Resources
Prince William County School (PWCS) district is proud to offer a Parent Resource Center (PRC) for parents of children with special needs. The PRC’s goal is to foster a positive connection between parents and educators of students with disabilities. On staff at the PRC is a Parent Coordinator, who is a parent of a child with special needs, and an Educator Coordinator.
The Parent Resource Center offers monthly meetings and workshops to assist parents in becoming effective contributors in their child's education. For example, this month the PRC is offering a class on effective parenting strategies, and a three part workshop called Understanding Special Education. All meetings and workshops are offered at no charge to the parent. (Link to October calendar http://specialeducation.departments.pwcs.edu/modules/calendar/showCalendarMonth.phtml?com=t&oc_id[]=9642&5226d8)
The PRC also puts out a newsletter called Special Focus that is full of information and current events for parents of exceptional students. The newsletter, as well as the PRC web site, also provides information on community based services for parents. (Link to latest edition of newsletter http://specialeducation.departments.pwcs.edu/modules/groups/homepagefiles/cms/1007119/File/SpecialFocusFall2014R.pdf?sessionid=1b2ec3c678fea6a19a8bf0175d3afe8c)
The Parent Resource Center has a lending library available to parents that has books, DVDs and CDs on disability-related topics. Also available are children's book on disabilities that is useful for disability awareness. (Link to Lending Library resources http://specialeducation.departments.pwcs.edu/modules/groups/homepagefiles/cms/1007119/File/PRC/PRC_biblio%20Sept_%204%2C%202014.pdf?sessionid=3fb55b41cc20080832452b9ea287e3ea)
Other information provided by the Parent Resource Center includes, but is not limited to:
- PWCS Special Education programs
- Individualized Education Program (IEP) and related services
- Regional conferences and seminars
- How to be an active participant in your child’s special education program
- Long-term planning for your child’s adult years
- PWCS Special Education Advisory Committee (SEAC)
- Special education regulations
- Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) 2004
- Section 504
- Augmentative communication
- Assistive technology
- Parent support groups
- Tutors
- Sports/Recreation for children with disabilities
- Summer Camp Directory
- Early Intervention/Preschool
It should be noted that, while the PRC staff can work with parents to help answer concerns and problems, they are not allowed to serve as parent advocates in any type of school meetings or mediations.
Community Resources
There is a community wide effort to provide parents who have children with disabilities the opportunity to access resources which will allow the family and child to grow academically as well as socially. Such services range from parent training to workforce transition for students.
One of the primary resources that is available is the Parent Resource Center(PRC). As previously mentioned, PRC offers parent training workshops and is a referral and information source.
Family Engagement Workshops are designed to get families involved with increasing the literacy rate of students and members of the family. The program works in conjunction with local libraries in an effort to provide books to families.
National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability assists students with disabilities transition to adulthood. This program is nationwide and available in some areas of Northern Virginia. Please check your locale.
Community Partnerships are set up by individual schools/facilities with retail establishments. The schools/facilities work in conjunction with retailers to help develop life skills and practical living situations for students.
Check with your school to see if this program is available.
The National Association of School of Psychologist- has programs that are designed to help students with disabilities in the areas of: instruction and curriculum, diversity, health and welllness, behavior, and back to school.
http://www.nasponline.org/publications/cq/39/6/communication-matters.aspx
http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/csb/publications/community-resources-list.htm
County Resources
The Arc of Greater Prince William's Parent Support Group- A support group that also holds monthly meetings at the Muriel Humphrey Center for families of students with autism spectrum disorders.
Prince William Special Olympics- An organization that offers recreational programs to students with developmental disabilities. Allows the opportunity for students with special needs to be involved in recreational programs with peers for social interaction and physical exercise. http://www.pwsova.org/pwso/
State Resources
Virginia Department of Education--Special Education: This contains a comprehensive list of documents and links under the Virginia Department of Education in regards to special education. Several helpful documents highlight the laws, procedures, and availability of resources in the state. Two resources of important note are the "Parent's Guide to Special Education" and "Your Family's Special Education Rights--Virginia Procedural Safeguard Notice." http://www.doe.virginia.gov/special_ed/index.shtml
Virginia Department of Education--Division of Special Education and Student Services: Should parents find themselves unable to resolve conflicts at the district or community level, then an option would to go directly to the state's Department of Education. Before doing that, it will be helpful to know which office what role in the department. This link shows the current listing of offices that focus on special education at the state level in Virginia: http://www.doe.virginia.gov/about/spec_ed_and_stu_svs/index.shtml
disAbility Law Center of Virginia: This is an independent agency that monitors various schools' compliance to disability accommodations. The agency also prepares public statement on abuse and discrimination against students with disabilities and also will pursue legal action in pushing for educational reform. This is a wonderful resource for parents if they want to be aware of the current legal issues regarding special education in Virginia: http://disabilitylawva.org/
More Disability Specific State Resources:
- Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services: http://www.dbhds.virginia.gov/
- VA Department for the Blind and Vision Impaired: http://www.vdbvi.org/
- VA Department for the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing: http://www.vddhh.org/
- VA Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services: http://www.vadrs.org/
- VA Department of Medical Assistance Services: http://www.dmas.virginia.gov/
Homework help or tips for exceptional students
Many parents are often frustrated with the amount and quality of homework that students with disabilities receive from school. There are several strategies available for parents to make homework a more pleasant experience.
Make sure the environment is properly set up. Minimize distractions by working in a quiet environment away from electronics, other family members, and household traffic. The student should have all tools (pencils, paper, calculator, etc.) readily available.
Share real-life experiences and stories where appropriate.
Establish a routine. Schedule a set time to start and complete homework.
Start with success. Work the "easy" problems first with your child to help build confidence.
Accept all responses as effort.
Allow for periodic breaks for your child.
Be attentive and show a genuine interest in your child's homework.
http://www.ldonline.org/article/202/
http://www.education.com/reference/article/Ref_Five_Homework/
Sources
Disabilitylawva.org,. (2014). disAbility Law Center of Virginia | disAbility Law Center of Virginia. Retrieved 6 October 2014, from http://disabilitylawva.org/
Doe.virginia.gov,. (2014). VDOE :: About the Division of Special Education and Student Services. Retrieved 6 October 2014, from http://www.doe.virginia.gov/about/spec_ed_and_stu_svs/index.shtml
Doe.virginia.gov,. (2014). VDOE :: Special Education. Retrieved 6 October 2014, from http://www.doe.virginia.gov/special_ed/index.shtml
"SpecialEducation - PRC Overview." Prince William County Public Schools. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Oct. 2014.