2008 Workshop Sessions

THURSDAY APRIL 24

SESSION A: 10:45 AM – NOON

1. Summer Employment and Community Engagement for Transition-Age YouthProject Summer is a federal research project that explores community participation and employment experiences of 375 WI students with disabilities. This presentation will share findings about the student, family, school, and community.
Beth Swedeen, Project Summer Project Coordinator; Erik Carter, Assistant Professor of Special Education

2. Working with Your Child's Teacher
You know your child best. Starting a new partnership with your child’s teacher is important but at times difficult. How do you best communicate with the teacher about your family and child? This session will look at the benefits of a good partnership, steps in establishing a good partnership, and resources available to foster good partnerships between parents and teachers.
Amy Carriere, Early Childhood Program Support Teacher

3. Organizing for Community Action
This session will talk about some of the key components of community organizing and how individuals can learn more about community organizing through involvement in the Apprenticeship Organizer project that is funded by the WCDD.
Rachel Crites, Executive Director, Apprentice Organizing Project;
Qyla Person, Apprentice Organizer, ARC of Racine;
John Shaw, DAWN, Board for People with Developmental Disabilities

4. Medical Home: What is it and How Can I Be a Player?
Medical Home is an approach to providing accessible, compassionate, comprehensive, coordinated, family centered and culturally effective care to all. For families of children with disabilities or special health care needs that involves good communication, partnerships with the providers that care for the child and family. Listen to a parent, care coordinator and Regional Center staff share insights on how this can happen effectively.
Meg Steimle, Outreach Specialist, SE Regional CYSHCN Center;
Wynne Cook, Director Western Regional CYSHCN Center

5. Parents Supporting Parents
Connecting with and getting support from other parents has been like coming home, a place where people "get it". Parents of children with special health care needs will learn and practice skills necessary to communicate in a supportive role.
Robin Mathea, Director, Parent to Parent of Wisconsin

SESSION B: 1:30 PM – 2:45 PM

6. Developing Natural Supports: The Journey of Eight Schools Toward More Authentic Participation by Youth with Disabilities
Learn from eight schools that have formed teams to make their schools and communities more inclusive through the use of natural supports. This interactive session will include practical information and take-home tips.
Colleen Kurkowski, Natural Supports Project Coordinator;
Sherry Gundlach, Parent and Parent Liaison CESA 6;
Beth Swedeen, Outreach Specialist and Project Coordinator;
Student Participants, TBA

7. Teaching Assertiveness
We place a heavy emphasis on teaching compliance and then later trying to teach self-advocacy. Behaviorally, we try to stop unwelcome actions before considering them as attempts at communication and acts of assertiveness. During this session, we will emphasize teaching everyday assertiveness and how to work with unwelcome behavior.
Mark Sweet, Trainer and Consultant, Disability Rights Wisconsin

8. Health Care Transition from Pediatric to Adult Care
Transition is the new “buzz word” in healthcare. It is spotlighted in literature, conferences and federal guidelines as a priority to be addressed. We will share several healthcare transition programs for youth with long-term chronic conditions that were developed by the UW PPC. These programs can be easily adapted to fit specific health care conditions.
Craig Becker, Senior Clinical Social Worker, Pediatric Pulmonary and CF Center at American Family Children's Hospital and Clinics;
Mary Marcus, Senior Clinical Nutritionist and UW PPC Co-Director

9. Creating an Environment to Help Your Child Communicate
Some children with language delays need some help from the adults in their life to set up the environment so that they are encouraged to communicate. This workshop will show parents how they can create communication opportunities within everyday activities and use a prompt hierarchy that will encourage their children to communicate.
Judi Cumley, CESA 5 Assistive Technology Consultant, WATI State Assistive Technology Consultant

10. A Team Approach to Successful Employment for Individuals with DD - Patrick's Experience
Patrick will share a team presentation on how he and his parents worked with his employer to create a successful and productive employment experience.
Patrick Young, Student, Self-Advocate;
Mike Erwin, President, Tailored Label Products, Inc.;
Brian Young, Parent

SESSION C: THURSDAY 3:15 – 4:30 PM

11. Creating the Vision
Participants will learn what it takes to turn a child's dream into reality through a process called transition. This workshop will use two student examples of how to develop IEP transition goals according to the law. Lots of resources will be available.
Jill Gonzalez, MSSW, PTIC Coordinator, WI FACETS,
Michael Muthig, Work Services Coordinator

12. Play, Bring the Party Home
Learn how to create an ice pack out of the rocks that hit you in the head and dance to the music they make. Play!
Chrissy L. Nelson, Stephen's Hope Foundation

13. Using a Bigger Net: Universal Design for Learning & Assistive Technologies
REACH, RTI, EOD, NIMAS, shouldn't spell STRESS: How can parents and teachers work smarter, buy smarter, teach smarter? By making certain that the instructional materials and approaches they use are designed to reach the needs of diverse groups of students. What is currently available to support students who struggle with text and print disabilities that is free or low cost?
Jill Gierach MSE ATP, WATI

14. Communication Skills for Grownups
Workshop will address emotional self-awareness, prioritizing and planning, listening skills, and problem solving. Attendees will participate in several listening skill builders. Handouts will be provided.
Jenny Stonemeier, Wisconsin FACETS;
Don Rosin, Wisconsin FACETS

15. Now, Where Did I Put That Paper?
Are you overwhelmed by the amount of information you need to stay on top of in order to coordinate your child’s care? Come learn about two different approaches to organizing a care plan for your child. You’ll also learn how to create your own electronic health care file using easy-to-customize MS Word and Excel Templates. Resources on print and web-based medical organizers will be shared, along with information on how to post your care plan to free, password protected web pages that can be shared with providers.
Linda Rowley, Family Village Project, Waisman Center;
Carolyn Allshouse, Sr. Program Planner, Building Communities for CYSHCN Minnesota CSHCN

FRIDAY, APRIL 25, 2008

SESSION D: FRIDAY 8:45 – 10:00 AM

16. Childhood Outcomes Information
This new workshop will provide participants with an understanding of the three Early Childhood Outcomes defined by the US Office of Special Education as well as present ways in which professionals and families can work together to identify the progress toward meeting them.
Kara Van Vooren, WI FACETS Fox Valley Center Coordinator

17. Planning for the Future of a Person with Special Needs
Taking the time to become as educated as possible empowers you to make informed decisions, take appropriate actions and help provide the highest possible quality of life for those who depend on you. This workshop will cover the essential aspects of providing financial security for you and your family today and into the future.
Gene A. LaRock, NW Mutual Financial Network;
Steve Herriges, NW Mutual Financial Network

18. Circle of Friends by the Portage Project
It is important for all children to experience friendships, especially at school. This video presentation will explain how a classroom teacher can develop a friendship club to help children without disabilities and children with disabilities to become better friends. Strategies can be used so that on the playground, in the lunchroom and classroom, children without disabilities will reach out to help their friends with different abilities.
Jo Cauley, Advocacy Specialist, Disability Rights Wisconsin

19. Love & Logic for Kids with Special Needs
“Love and Logic” is a process of dealing with kids in a way that develops responsibility, internal control, and judgment. This program identifies how adults can set reasonable limits and expectations in a way that allows children to gain wisdom from their mistakes.
Dave Funk, New Berlin Schools, Consultant with Love and Logic

20. Parents as Partners
This workshop will emphasize how to partner more effectively with professionals, school and community. You will gain practical ideas, resources, tip sheets and see a video of parents as partners!
Jennifer Bertram, OT, Medical College of Wisconsin;
Rhonda Werner, RN, Medical College of Wisconsin

SESSION E: FRIDAY 10:30 – 11:45 AM

21. How to Win Legislation and Influence Elected Officials
Learn how to create a community of care that changes legislation. Make the media your friend. Influence officials with your life.
Chrissy L. Nelson, Stephen's Hope Foundation

22. Play to Talk: Practical Strategies to Help Your Late-Talking Child Join the Conversation
Learn clear, concrete, evidence-based strategies to turn everyday interactions into opportunities that help your late-talker communicate. Effective for autism, Down Syndrome, and more!
Pam Stoika, Ph.D., Director of Research & Program Development, Integrated Development

23. Changing Roles: From Parent to Coach-Preparing for Adulthood
As youth with disabilities and special health care needs approach adulthood, parents must identify ways to support their child's transition. Considering changing roles from parent to coach is a strategy that provides an opportunity for parent and child to partner for a successful transition. This presentation will consist of a parent advocate and a young adult with special health care needs talking about real life circumstances and challenges and the strategies and tools that can promote success, especially as it relates to transition in health care.
Ceci Shapland, RN, MSN, Consultant- Healthy & Ready to Work National Resource Center; Mallory Cyr, Youth Coordinator, Healthy & Ready to Work National Resource Center

24. How I Learned to Love the Journey
Having traveled through multiple systems to help Orion deal with his needs, we have built a powerful team. We would like to share some of the tools that have helped us along the way. Beth Alexander, Family Liaison, Northwoods Alliance for Children & Families;
Orion Alexander, Self-Advocate

25. Supporting Children with Aggressive, Destructive Behaviors
Learn how to effectively support children who may have aggressive, destructive or self injurious tendencies.
Paul White, Positive Behavior Consultant