Special Education Scoop
PfISD's Special Education Parent Newsletter - Jan. 2020
Welcome to the January 2020 Newsletter
In This Issue
- Early Childhood Update
- Generalizing Skills for Mastery
- Transition and Community Connections
- Behavior Bits
- Important Dates
- Important Links
- SPEDTex
- Parent Handbook
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Upcoming Training and Opportunities
Early Childhood Update
The Texas Education Agency recently published an early childhood update. In Texas, special education and related services for eligible children with disabilities, aged three through five years, have historically been referred to as Preschool Programs for Children with Disabilities (PPCD). To align with language used nationally and promote the understanding that special education is a service delivered in the least restrictive environment and not a classroom specific location, references to PPCD are being phased out and will instead be referred to as Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) services.
Julie Schwarz, M.Ed Early Childhood Coordinator
Ashley Peay, M.Ed, Special Education Coordinator
Transition and Community Connections - Developing Self Determined Individuals
Self determination refers to an individual’s awareness of personal strengths and weaknesses, the ability to set goals, and make choices, to be assertive at appropriate times, and to interact with others in a socially competent manner. Self determination needs to be fostered in students with disabilities. Working together with the community and home we can find ways for students to become better decision makers, take responsibility for their actions, and gain control of the way they get support. We don’t always assume that students can perform a skill until they demonstrate that there is a need for support, and we don’t always let students know that there are consequences for actions and sometimes the outcomes are not what they expected. Is there an age when we should start thinking about developing these skills? No, we start now and build strategies into every day we interact with our students. Students do not naturally gain self determination skills unless they are taught, told, or modeled. Here are different ways we can start to foster these skills:
Choice Making Skills- A good way to start developing self determination is to offer students choices. When you offer choices you are including students in the process even if you can predict what choice the student will make. To take it a step further, you help the student develop the options for choice making on their own. Engaging in role play, book talks, debates, puzzles and playing board games are all good ways to develop choice making skills.
Problem Solving Skills- Evaluating the pros and cons of a student’s choices help guides their action in the future. When a solution is not readily known or obvious, this can cause frustration and anger in students. Helping them to develop skills on their own to deal with difficult choices is so important. Engaging in survival scenarios (What would you take to a deserted Island?), puzzles, and moral dilemmas of ranging complexity can help build these skills.
I will share more strategies for building self determination in future newsletters. Start letting students make the choices and experience the problems. Help them to create a system of support that works for them. Start doing “with” your students and not “for” your students.
Chris Visness, Special Education Coordinator (Transition Designee)
Behavior Bits
Positive behavioral support is a general term for classroom management strategies designed to help teachers understand why challenging behavior occurs, address the motivation behind the behavior, and alter the learning environment to provide positive support and encouragement for the desired behavior. Creating and implementing a positive behavior system at home is just as crucial as it is in schools. Check out the link below to view great resources and simple steps to creating a positive behavior system in your home! https://www.apbs.org/about/families/
Shahla Mobley, Behavior Coordinator
Important Dates
Feb. 17th – Staff and Student Holiday
March 13th – Student Holiday
March 16th – 20th – Spring Break
March 28, 2020 - Regional Transition Fair, 9:00 AM to 1:30 PM, Round Rock High School, 201 Deep Wood Drive, Bldg. 1200, Round Rock, Texas - Preparing and supporting students with disabilities and their families for life beyond high school
April 8th – Spring Parent Night, 5:30 PM to 7:00 PM, Park Crest Middle School, 1500 N. Railroad Dr., Pflugerville, TX- A learning night for parents of students who receive special education services
April 10th – Staff and Student Holiday
May 25th – Staff and Student Holiday
May 28th – Last Day of School (Early Release)
Frequently Asked Questions
Once special education eligibility is determined, a special meeting is held. This meeting includes parents/guardians, sometimes the student, teachers, and other support staff to determine what services your child needs. The educational program designed to meet your child's individual needs is finalized into a written document called an IEP. The acronym IEP stands for Individualized Education Program. Every child who receives special education must have an IEP. The IEP has two general purposes: to set learning goals for your child, and to list the supports and services that the school will provide for your child. If you have any questions about your child's IEP, contact the teacher or the campus special education coordinator.
Please submit your questions to alexandria.davis@pfisd.net.
Questions About Special Education in Texas
Do you have questions about special education in Texas? SPEDTex can help! They provide information and resources that can help you understand your child's disability, your rights and responsibilities under Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and facilitate collaboration that supports the development and delivery of services to children with disabilities in our State.
For more information, click here.
Parent Handbook
Upcoming Training and Opportunities
Texas A&M's Coach to Communicate Project
The Coach To Communicate project provides a webinar and face-to-face/online individual parent coaching sessions at no cost for parents, caregivers, teachers, and service providers of children with autism spectrum disorder. Participants will be instructed in how to improve the communication skills of their own children.
This project serves Texas parents, caregivers, teachers, or service providers who have a child up to age 22 with autism spectrum disorder or similar characteristics and who need instruction in communication skills.
About Us
Email: alexandria.davis@pfisd.net
Website: http://www.pfisd.net/Page/791
Location: 1401 West Pecan Street, Pflugerville, TX, USA
Phone: (512) 594-0169
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pfisd/
Twitter: @pfisd