Special Education Parent Mentor
March Newsletter
National Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month
March is National Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month. It is not only the time to advocate and educate the public on behalf of your family, friends, neighbors, and community members who have developmental disabilities, it is also a time to celebrate advancements and inclusivity of the disability community.
National Developmental Disabilities Awareness month has been celebrated since 1987 and has always sought to bring about acceptance and awareness of those with disabilities. There are multiple ways in which you can celebrate your loved ones and community members who are impacted by developmental disabilities in 2022!
- Tell personal stories
- Highlight individual strengths
- Share inclusive practices
- Go beyond sharing in your inner circle
- Promote local resources in your community
As you consider using these forms of celebration and advocacy, use the following social media handles to connect with others online: #DDawareness2022 and #DDAM2022
KN95 Masks Available
Transitioning to College: Considerations for Minority Students with Disabilities in STEM
While professional careers in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) have been greatly increasing in popularity and opportunity over the last several years, disparities still exist in participation for students from racial and ethnic minority backgrounds with disabilities. In 2016, people from minority racial or ethnic backgrounds represented only 6% of the general STEM workforce at a time when they represented approximately 30% of the general population. Potential reasons for these disparities include the social climate of STEM educational and employment settings, negative perceptions and stereotypes, a lack of same-race peers in classes and labs, a lack of role models, and negative interactions in the classroom. Minoritized status, disability, and a STEM degree pursuit are all identities that converge to create a difficult high school to college transition for the students. As a Parent Mentor, my work with these students and their families can be a critical piece to their collegiate success. As I meet with families and their students who wish to pursue a STEM degree I want to share a few of these researched based strategies with you and the IEP transition team.
As a Parent Mentor, I encourage families and their IEP transition team to:
- Identify opportunities to encourage more cooperative methods of teaching and assessment when specific instructors or classes display a culture of competition that appears to discourage interpersonal supports.
- Work closely with academic and student affairs staff to design and implement services that go beyond the classroom to other areas of campus life such as orientations, and other student activities.
- Recognize the negative attitudes of others in creating resistance to accepting or using accommodations. Balance efforts to teach self-determination and self-advocacy with efforts to train and influence attitude change of students and faculty. Accommodations can have a great influence on self-efficacy, self-determination, and academic outcomes.
- Emphasize and encourage the use and cultivation of strengths in processes that are more often focused on the identification of limitations.
- In the spirit of positive interventions, share success stories about students who experienced a similar situation and achieved their academic and career goals.
Save the DATE
Parent Mentor Workshop: Having a Sibling with Special Needs
Wednesday, Apr 27, 2022, 06:15 PM
Worthington Education Center
Assistive Technology
Assistive Technology of Ohio is proud to partner with the Nisonger Center at The Ohio State University to help educate people about disability technology! We have helped support this great project that is located at the Nisonger Center in McCampbell Hall on the grounds of the OSU Medical Center... Check it out!
You’re invited to take a tour of technology solutions at the Smart Home Discovery Place. The Smart Home Discovery Place is a home-like environment on The Ohio State University’s campus where you can try technology before buying for yourself, discover ways technology might grow your independence, and participate in tours designed for you. Tours are FREE and are available in-person or virtually in two formats, including:
IEP or 504? What is the difference?
Special Education Parent Mentor
Email: ccintron-rivelli@wscloud.org
Website: https://www.worthington.k12.oh.us/
Location: 200 E Wilson Bridge Rd, Worthington, OH 43085, USA
Phone: 614-450-6044
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OhioParentMentorProject
Twitter: @ParentMentorsOH