EXCLUSIVE
MAGAZINE
Webinars & Facebook Live P.8
March 2018
Exceptional
TIMES
invitation
From the Executive Director, Mary Jacob P.4
What's going on?
Families Helping Families of GNO's Open House and Ribbon Cutting Ceremony P.5
MISSION The Mission of Families Helping Families of Greater New Orleans is to educate and connect children and adults with disabilities, and their families to resources, services, and supports to attend school, work, and thrive in their communities.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS Gregory Brenan, CPA, CCIFP, CGMA Jo Ann LoRusso, Ph.D. Denise Barrera, MPH, MSW Kevin Walker, MBA Judith Otto, LOTR, CDRS Lisa Gennusa Ledet Debra Dixon M.Ed.+30 Jedidiah Jackson Ashley Bourg
STAFF Mary Jacob, Executive Director mjacob@fhfofgno.org Ext. 207 Bebe Bode, Executive Assistant bbode@fhfofgno.org Ext. 226 Raquel Castaneda, Youth Information &Training Specialist rcastaneda@fhfofgno.org Ext. 217 Liz Dumas, Administrative Assistant ldumas@fhfofgno.org Ext. 202 Laura S. Nata, Programs Supervisor lsnata@fhfofgno.org Ext. 209 Thuy Nguyen, CSHS Parent Liaison tnguyen@fhfofgno.org 504.896.1340 phone | 504.896.1360 fax Steven Nguyen, CSHS Youth Liaison snguyen@fhfofgno.org 504.896.1340 phone | 504.896.1360 fax Denise Sweatman, Finance Manager dsweatman@fhfofgno.org Ext. 203
700 Hickory Avenue Harahan, LA 70123 504.888.9111 800.766.7736 504.353.2350 fax info@fhfofgno.org fhfofgno.org
Contents
04 From the Director 05 Open House and Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony 06 What happens to my child's Supplemental Security Income (SSI) once he turns 18? 07 Big or Small, Rejection Affects Us All 08 What's Going On? March 2018 Webinars 10 Resources for Protecting Our Children's Well-Being 11 In-person Training: Tools for Developing a Communication Plan: Assuring Communication Access for Students with Unique Needs 12 E-learning Mini-Modules | Cover Story 2018 Guide to Summer Fun for Families 13 Resources for Spanish Speaking Families 14 Families Helping Families of Greater New Orleans After Hours
I’m so excited to share our new monthly newsletter format and hope you love it as much as we do. As time rolls on, we try to keep up with the latest and greatest ways to share information with you. Exceptional Times has evolved over the years from a print newsletter to a Constant Contact newsletter, and now a digital magazine. This new format makes it easy for you to read and even print. Our colorful covers will feature our families (and possibly yours), and the inside will give you information on all of our monthly trainings with a few articles. Because of the amount of information we get to share, we will also start doing weekly reminders of our events, plus statewide events others are doing. As we’ve promised in the past, we don’t want to jam your inbox full of emails from us – but we do want you to have what you need. March is National Developmental Disability Month. Governor John Bel Edwards has issued a proclamation announcing March as Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month in Louisiana. In his proclamation he declares, Approximately 74,000 children and adults in Louisiana has a developmental disability; Disability is a natural part of the human experience that does not diminish the right of individuals with developmental disabilities to live independently; Every person, regardless of their ability, has valued strengths, a capacity to learn and the potential to make important contributions to their local communities; and Celebrating the abilities and contributions of people with developmental disabilities can only serve to enrich the communities of Louisiana. Over the past few years, we’ve highlighted the great things individuals with disabilities are doing with our #ThinkABILITY Campaign. This year we are joining the Louisiana Developmental Disabilities Council in announcing our participation in the national social media campaign, “See Me for Me!” to be launched by the National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities, Association of University Centers on Disabilities, and the National Disability Rights Network. How to Participate: Everyone can participate, and we want to hear from you. Post or tweet photos, videos or stories on Facebook and Twitter, share or retweet from other people and pages, and be sure to include the hashtag #DDAwareness18. Here is a schedule: March 1 - 9: See Me As Your Classmate – Education related posts March 12 - 16: See Me As Your Coworker – Employment related posts March 19 - 23: See Me As Your Neighbor – Community Living related posts March 26 - 30: See Me As Your Friend – Anything else you want to share Finally, I promised you in January lots of new things were coming from FHF of GNO. To recap my promise: We’ve restarted using our legal name, Families Helping Families of Greater New Orleans. We’ve expanded our service area to include Orleans, Plaquemines, & St. Bernard Parishes. We’ve moved into our newly purchased building at 700 Hickory Avenue in Harahan. We’ve expanded our operational hours to include after hours till 8 pm on Tuesdays. We’ve created a new digital magazine format for Exceptional Times. Starting in March, we will have resurrected our weekly Louisiana Lagniappe email with our calendar of events for the upcoming week. On March 27, 2018, we will host our open house and ribbon-cutting ceremony for our new office building. It’s only March, and we’ve accomplished so much already. I can’t wait to share lots of other good news in the upcoming months.
Mary Jacob
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From the
Executive Director
continued on p.7
One question that parents often ask staff at Families Helping Families of Greater New Orleans is, “What happens to my child's SSI once he turns 18?” Once your child turns 18, also known as the age of majority, they are considered an adult in the State of Louisiana. While you are preparing your youth for the transition from school to adult life, a part of the process is knowing what you need to do to keep receiving SSI benefits once they turn 18. What You Need To Know About Your Supplemental Security Income (SSI) When you turn 18 This booklet will help you identify supports available from Social Security and other federal and state agencies to help prepare for a successful transition to adulthood. When you turn 18, the Social Security Administration (SSA) will do a redetermination and will review your eligibility for continued SSI benefits based on disability rules for adults, including non medical eligibility rules. SSA will contact you within a year of turning age 18 and ask for several pieces of information about your disability such as: Hospital stays and surgeries; Names of any medicines; Visits to doctors and clinics; Work activity; Counseling and therapy; Schools and special classes or tutoring; and Teachers and counselors who have knowledge of your condition. Once you have provided current information to SSA, doctors and other trained staff will decide if you meet the disability rules for adults. The adult rules for eligibility are different from minors. Supplemental Security Income Program Entry at Age 18 and Entrants' Subsequent Earnings (Note - If your child was not eligible for SSI benefits prior to the age of 18 because your income was too high, they can become eligible as an adult once they turn 18.) “In determining Supplemental Security Income (SSI) eligibility and payment levels for child applicants and recipients, the Social Security Administration attributes part of parental income to the child using a process called deeming. Parental-income deeming ends at age 18, and many youths with severe disabilities who were income-ineligible for SSI as minors can become income-eligible as adults.” You will get a written response from the SSA letting you know of their decision. If their decision was no, the letter will also explain your right to the appeals process. Like anything else, if you disagree with their decision you can send a written appeal to the SSA within 60 days from the date you receive your letter. If you appeal the decision within 10 days of receiving the letter, you can choose to have SSA continue to pay SSI benefits during the appeal process. The Red Book - A Guide To Work Incentives is a wonderful resource for individuals planning on working. The Red Book serves as a general reference source about the employment-related provisions of Social Security Disability Insurance and the Supplemental Security Income Programs for educators, advocates, rehabilitation professionals, and counselors who serve people with disabilities.
What happens to my child's Supplemental Security Income (SSI) once he turns 18?
"If your child was not eligible for SSI benefits prior to the age of 18 because your income was too high, they can become eligible as an adult once they turn 18."
continued on p.14
By Laura S. Nata
Shanida & Collin Mathieu
By Steven Nguyen
"Everyone feels the sting of rejection."
Continued from p.4
big or small, rejection affects us all
Rejection, in many instances, affects our way of thinking and how we handle certain situations. Everyone feels the sting of rejection, but those who are mentally strong and prepared use the pain to learn from their experiences and become better because of it. Some examples of rejection include: being turned down after interviewing for the job that you wanted, being rejected from going on a date; after asking someone you liked, not being asked to go somewhere due to the assumption that you’re unable to participate/handle it, etc. Here are some tips to overcome rejection.
ACKNOWLEDGING YOUR EMOTIONS Rather than hide the way you feel about being rejected, those who are mentally strong acknowledge that it’s there. Sometimes you feel hurt, embarrassed, disappointed, discouraged, etc. Have your little moment, and then face the obstacle head-on. COMPASSION Having a little compassion towards yourself is important. Instead of doubting yourself and leading your mind in a negative mindset, talk yourself up. Think of a positive, more affirming message and build upon that. DON'T LET REJECTION DEFINE WHO YOU ARE Sounds easy, right? Keep rejection in the proper perspective. Don’t make generalizations about yourself based on what someone thinks or says. For example: Don’t assume you’re unemployable because one company turns you down for their vacant position. LEARN FROM THE REJECTION Ask yourself, “What did I gain from this experience? How will it make me better?” Reflect on the situation and use it to grow as a person. More knowledge, more wisdom.
March 2018 Webinars
Extended School Year (ESY) Services: Summer IEP Services - This training provides an overview of the ESYP process for children with disabilities. Some questions (and answers) that will be discussed include: what is ESY, how does a child qualify, and what are the options? CO-HOSTED BY: Families Helping Families of Southwest Louisiana Date: Thursday, March 1, 2018 Time: 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Audience: Parents, Caregivers, and Professionals of School-Aged Children/Students. Registration link: http://tinyurl.com/yd3jlm36 Accommodations vs Modifications - Meeting after meeting, parents and teachers use the words “accommodation” and “modification” almost interchangeably when discussing IEPs and student needs. If understood and used correctly, these words can greatly impact the success of a child’s educational program. Get answers to these questions and more: How can accommodations and modifications help my child in the general education classroom? How are they included in the IEP? Which accommodations are provided for state testing? Date: Thursday, March 8, 2018 Time: 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. Audience: Parents, Caregivers, and Professionals of School-Aged Children/Students. Registration link: http://tinyurl.com/yc7lgv9n Related Services - Children with disabilities are entitled to special education and related services. The IEP must contain a statement of the special education, related services and supplementary aids and services to be provided to the child. Participants will learn several critical elements used to determine what related services a student needs. Date: Tuesday, March 13, 2018 Time: 10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. Audience: Parents, Caregivers, and Professionals of School-Aged Children/Students. Registration link: http://tinyurl.com/y7cmfmx9 FACEBOOK LIVE Keeping a JOB! No registration is required. You just need to sign onto Facebook and go to our Facebook Page. So like us on Facebook and we'll share our LIVE sessions with you! Date: Wednesday Time: 1:00 p.m. Audience: Self-Advocate Youth Ages 16-26, Parents, Caregivers, and Family Members Evaluation link: http://tinyurl.com/y9jcfe99 Procedural Safeguards - Since the first federal law dealing with the education of students with disabilities in public schools was passed, legal rights for parents has been an important part of the law. These legal rights for parents are generally referred to as “procedural safeguards”. The purpose of this webinar is to let parents know that they have legal rights and to help them understand what these rights are. Date: Thursday, March 15, 2018 Time: 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. Audience: Parents, Caregivers, and Professionals of School-Aged Children/Students. Registration link: http://tinyurl.com/yahm5kmn Section 504, Title 11 and Students with Disabilities - Section 504 is a federal law designed to protect the rights of individuals with disabilities in programs and activities that receive Federal financial assistance from the U.S. Department of Education (ED). Section 504 provides: "No otherwise qualified individual with a disability in the United States . . . shall, solely by reason of her or his disability, be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.Learn more about this civil rights law. CO-HOSTED BY: Families Helping Families of Acadiana Date: Tuesday, March 20, 2018 Time: 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Audience: Parents, Caregivers, and Professionals of School-Aged Children/Students. Registration link: http://tinyurl.com/yaqaajcw Understanding the Importance of Inclusion - Why is inclusion of children with disabilities in schools, classrooms, and communities important?This webinar answers that question.It explores what inclusion is and is not, who’s involved in making meaningful inclusion successful, and its foundation in federal law. Date: Wednesday, March 21, 2018 Time: 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Audience: Parents, Caregivers, and Professionals of School-Aged Children/Students. Registration link: http://tinyurl.com/y7q4nst2 IEP Tips and Pointers - This webinar features tried and true tips on how to positively advocate for your children, strengthen the relationships between parents and service agencies, and help create the appropriate IEP program. This webinar is perfect for families looking for ways to make the IEP meeting a more positive experience for everyone involved. CO-HOSTED BY: FAMILIES HELPING FAMILIES OF NORTHEAST LOUISIANA Date: Thursday, March 22, 2018 Time: 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Audience: Parents, Caregivers, and Professional of School-Aged Children/Students. Registration link: http://tinyurl.com/ybev2my6 Section 504 and Transition: The Bridge from High School to Postsecondary Services - In this webinar, we will assist you to understand the ITP process as it pertains to postsecondary education and other related services. We will also provide an overview of programs and resources available to your child entering postsecondary education or employment. Date: Friday, March 23, 2018 Time: 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. Audience: Youth, Parents, Caregivers, and Professionals of School-Aged Children/Students. Registration link: http://tinyurl.com/y6uqtb7a Basic Rights in Special Education - Whether you’re new to special education or have been involved for a while, this workshop is for you. This presentation provides families with an introduction to their rights and responsibilities as parents of children with special needs under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Parents begin to identify dreams and goals for their children, understand laws and learn advocacy strategies that will help them help their children reach those goals. CO-HOSTED BY: NORTHSHORE FAMILIES HELPING FAMILIES Date: Tuesday, March 27, 2018 Time: 10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. Audience: Parents, Caregivers, and Professionals of School-Aged Children/Students. Registration link: http://tinyurl.com/y9m29xgt Anatomy of an IEP - Like a biology student, this presentation will dissect the parts of the IEP document and examine their functions individually, learning their meanings and application. It will provide constructive and practical tips to help create an IEP that supports all of the student's needs. We will explore the parent’s role in the IEP process and learn the basics of their child’s right to special education services, the process of developing special education plans, and the parent’s role. Date: Wednesday, March 28, 2018 Time: 12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. Audience: Parents, Caregivers, and Professionals of School-Aged Children/Students. Registration link: http://tinyurl.com/ybz7nxq2 FACEBOOK LIVE Introduction to Louisiana Deafblind Project - Join in on Facebook Live and become familiar with Louisiana's state project for individuals with both hearing and vision loss. We will discuss identification of students, project services, and how to become involved. No registration is necessary to attend. Date: Thursday, March 29, 2018 Time: 1:00 p.m. Evaluation link: http://tinyurl.com/yd5ynapa
Resources for Protecting Our Children's Well-Being
PUBLIC COMMENTS, PLEASE: Implementation Dates for Disproportionality Regs ED's Notice of Proposed Rulemaking To ensure the Department's "significant disproportionality" regulations effectively address this serious issue, the Department of Education is proposing to postpone the compliance date by two years, from July 1, 2018, to July 1, 2020. The Department also proposes to postpone the date for including children ages 3 through 5 in the analysis of significant disproportionality with respect to the identification of children as "children with disabilities" and as "children with a particular impairment" from July 1, 2020, to July 1, 2022. Read the proposed new rule and see where to submit your public comments. Deadline for submitting comments: May 14, 2018
How to Keep Students with Disabilities Safe in Lockdowns, Evacuations, and Other School Crises With lockdowns and evacuation drills becoming a regular occurrence in schools, students with disabilities are often faced with disruptions of routine, unrealistic behavior expectations, accessibility problems, and other challenges that may not have been addressed in the IEP to provide necessary supports. This article discusses how schools can include these students in their planning for unexpected events and how parents can make sure their children's needs are accounted for. Bullying Laws: Your Child's Rights at School Being bullied at school or online can damage everything from children's self-confidence to their academics. Fortunately, they have legal protections that require schools to act when students are bullied. The article is also available in Spanish. Supporting vs. Enabling It's not always easy to figure out what counts as supportive and what is enabling when a child's mood, anxiety, distractability, and behavior vary from day to day. How do you know if you are being considerate of your child's difficulties or limiting his growth by taking on tasks he can do himself?
We will learn why and how to use the new tool for developing a communication plan before and during the IEP to assure communication access. If you are working with students who are Deaf, Hard of Hearing, Deaf-Blind, limited or no verbal skills, significant impairment in receptive and/ or expressive language including but not limited to impairment in the area of Apraxia, articulation, phonology, fluency, pragmatics, or auditory processing. You don’t want to miss this training.
Tools for Developing a Communication Plan: Assuring Communication Access for Students with Unique Needs
LSUHSC Human Development Center 411 S Prieur Street, Room 133 New Orleans, LA 70112 FREE PARKING Multi-purpose Lot located directly behind the building on the right side of the street.
Thursday March 29, 2018 10:00 am - 12:00 pm To register, call 504-888-9111 or visit http://tinyurl.com/yc339d69
Presenters: Rana Ottallah, ASTra Lead Advocate Louisiana Hands & Voices and Laura S. Nata, Programs Supervisor, Families Helping Families of Greater New Orleans
Patricia is an extremely happy and affectionate 7-year-old and makes everyone smile wherever she goes. She just seems to radiate joy. She loves all animals - especially cats! She appreciates nature, and loves pointing out pretty flowers and trees, and collecting stones. She likes all things girly, her babies especially Baby Alive, My Little Pony, Hello Kitty, Shopkins, watching "Frozen", being read to, watching videos, playing games on a phone or tablet, going to the beach, dancing, playing with her big sissy, and being silly and making people laugh. Pink is her favorite color followed by the rainbow, and do not forget the sparkles! Patricia has a rare combination of the Triple X syndrome and 15q11.2 microdeletion. She is truly XXX-tra special! She has speech delays, some childhood apraxia of speech, developmental delays, and has a recent diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). We are new to the ASD diagnosis so we are just learning about the resources available to us and trying to figure out our options. Although therapies and appointments keep us busy, we never forget to enjoy time with our curly haired cutie.
The 2018 Guide to Summer Fun for Families is hot off the press. Louisiana is a wonderful place to live. All year long, there are so many attractions, festivals, parades, arts, museums, and events going on around our beautiful state. There’s never a dull moment! Inside this guide you will find special needs summer camps and many ideas for things to do and places to visit with your family throughout the summer. From museums, nature centers, and theaters… to activities at home. You will find endless possibilities for enjoyment, learning, and relaxation. This Guide is meant to be an Internet resource. Please review these offerings to determine if they suit the needs of your family. Before you personally visit any of the resources listed, please call or check the website listed for the most current information.
Cover photo: Patricia Rice
Tracy Rice
FYI | Two More Resources to Know About! IDEA Report Series The National Council on Disability has released the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Report Series (5 report briefs). The series includes reports focusing on significant issues of concern raised in previous reports that have yet to be resolved, and two new topics that NCD has not previously examined: ESSA implementation and its interplay with IDEA; and the cross-section of students with disabilities and English learners. How ESSA and IDEA Can Support College and Career Readiness for Students With Disabilities This brief explores how states can leverage ESSA and IDEA to promote college and career readiness for students with disabilities. It explains how to better support college and career readiness for students with disabilities through high expectations and access to the general curriculum, a well-rounded education, career pathways and transition planning, personalized and competency-based learning, subgroup accountability, and alignment across policies and programs.
Families Helping Families of Greater New Orleans would like to welcome, Jessica Rodrigue, our new Lead Training Specialist. Jessica is married for 8 years and has two children. What set her in the path of working in the disability field was when her son went through the EarlySteps program and received services. Later, she became a Case Manager for the EarlySteps program for 4 years and after that was the EarlySteps Program Manager in New Orleans until August 2016 after the birth of her daughter. Since she was a stay at home mom. We are very happy to have you on our team!
Resources for Spanish-Speaking Families Three Parenting Fact Sheets in Spanish These fact sheets can help Spanish-speaking families better understand the challenges traumatized children face and how to access relevant resources and services. (You can also access the English version from the Spanish language page.) From the Child Welfare Information Gateway. Parenting a Child Who Has Been Sexually Abused: A Guide for Foster and Adoptive Parents (La crianza de un niño que ha sido víctima de abuso sexual: Una guía para padres de crianza y adoptivos) Parenting a Child Who Has Experienced Trauma (La crianza de un niño que ha experimentado trauma) Parenting a Child Who Has Experienced Abuse or Neglect (La crianza de un niño que ha experimentado abuso o negligencia) List of all Gateway resources in Spanish Assistive Technology and the IEP in Spanish The Center for Technology and Disability offers one of its very popular documents, Assistive Technology and the IEP, in Spanish as well--Tecnología de Asistencia y el IEP. Both support families in meaningfully considering their child's AT needs during the IEP process. Multil-language Resources | Arabic, French, Mandarin, Portuguese, and Spanish The Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University offers child development resources in many different languages, including videos with subtitles on subjects such as early childhood mental health, the consequences of toxic stress, executive function, and much more. Check out what's available.
Request for Services Registry Dates Medicaid Waivers As of 12/22/2017 the following dates have been reached on the waiver registry, a.k.a. the waiting list. New Opportunities Waiver (NOW) - 08.18.2004 Children's Choice Waiver - 12.31.2006 Supports Waiver - 03.31.2015 Not sure where you are on the registry? Call 1-800-364-7828 http://www.dhh.louisiana.gov/index.cfm/page/136
700 Hickory Avenue Harahan, LA 70123 504-888-9111 800-766-7736 504.353-2350 fax info@fhfofgno.org fhfofgno.org
Any information provided by Families Helping Families of Greater New Orleans (FHF) and/or Louisiana Parent Training and Information Center (LaPTIC), its staff, and/or its volunteers is intended for informational and educational purposes only. Any information expressed or implied is not intended nor should be construed as legal, medical, or other professional advice. FHF and/or LaPTIC does not render legal, medical, or professional advice or recommendations; nor is legal, medical, or other professional advice implied by any information given. Any information provided should not replace consultations with qualified legal, educational, healthcare, or other professionals to meet individual or professional needs. Reference to any program, service, therapy, or treatment option does not imply endorsement by FHF and/or LaPTIC or by its organizational staff/members and should not be construed as such.
continued from p.6
The Louisiana Parent Training and Information Center (LaPTIC) is a program of Families Helping Families of GNO and a grant from the US Department of Education; Office of Special Education (OSEP) as Louisiana's official and only statewide federally funded Parent Training and Information Center.