Family Support Services Committee Meeting Minutes – 6/13/17

Announcements: MFSC Meeting docs 6132017

1. Alexandra Pimentel, ADAPT Community Network announced vacancies:

• Beginning July 1^st, 2017 there will be funds available for Family Reimbursement.
• We are actively enrolling in the Community Habilitation Program.

For more information, contact Alexandra Pimentel at 877-827-2666.

2. Caroline Dunn, YAI announced vacancies:

• There are Manhattan openings for the following:

Crisis Intervention, Emergency Respite Reimbursement, In-home behavior management

• Parent Training: Behavior and Sexuality
• Transition to Independence (17-21 years of age with ASD)
• Social Skills (9-19 years of age with ASD)
• Supported Employment
• Free Evaluations (Queens, Brooklyn, and Manhattan)

For more information, contact LINK AT 212-273-6182.

 

 

Special Education 101: Special Education 101 Power Point

Presented by Lilliana Diaz-Pedrosa from Advocates for Children

1. IDEA is a federal law that authorizes services for children. All children up to age 21 with a disability have the right to a free, appropriate, public education in the least restrictive environment.
2. Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) means programs and services designed for the student’s unique needs, must provide a meaningful benefit, and helps the students progress.
3. Least restrictive environment’s goal is inclusion. Students with a disability learning with students without a disability.
4. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act outlaws discrimination based on disability. The school must make reasonable accommodations. The rights apply to parents too. Accommodations such as classroom accomodations, testing accommodations, nursing services and physical modifications go in a 504 plan.
5. Supports and services include assistive technology, paraprofessional, OT, PT, Speech & Language therapy, and Special Education Teacher Support Services (SETSS).
6. Continuum of Services can go from least restrictive to most restrictive.
7. The Special Education Process includes referral, consent to evaluate child, IEP development, placement and services.
8. Referral for special education can be made by the parents or the school. The referral has to be done in writing and sent to the school.
9. An evaluation should include a social history, psycho-educational, classroom observation, recent physical, and any other areas of concern. Students must be tested in all areas of suspected disability. Evaluations must be bilingual if the student uses a language other than English. For initial evaluations, it must happen 60 days from referral.
10. An IEP is a legally binding document. Everything on it must be provided to the student and it is good for one year.
11. Those present at the IEP meeting include the parent(s), Special Education teacher or General Ed teacher, school psychologist who explains the evaluations or change in setting, District Representative who knows district services, the student (age 15 or older), and if needed interpreters.
12. Tips for an IEP meeting involve asking for any reports or evaluations before the meeting, getting the finalized IEP, sign and get a copy of the attendance sheet, and get a draft of the IEP after the meeting.
13. The important sections in an IEP are: present levels of performance, FBA/BIP, annual goals, recommended program, related services/AT, testing accommodations, transition plan, promotion criteria, and parent concerns.
14. For the Program recommendation, prior written notice has to be given, it describes the program, type of school and services on the IEP. The school location letter states which school the student should attend. The parents have the right to visit the school.
15. If you disagree with the DOE, you can file an informal dispute resolution or a formal

dispute resolution.