Family Resource Group April '26

Spring is well underway. We hope you are enjoying the warmer weather with your child and family. Check out this article about bike riding. This is a wonderful time to look ahead to the end of a successful school year and start planning for summer.

There is a link for our newsletter with summer camp options. It's not to late to register for some summer fun for your child. There is also an additional camp at Mt. Aloysius listed below that may interest a high schooler that you know.

As always, if you have any questions or feedback, please feel free to contact me at any time. We also invite the teachers, therapists and school staff who work with your child to register to receive a copy of the newsletter as well. There is a question on the registration page for professionals so that we can contact them. Please pass this on to everyone that supports your child.

Erin Campion

Family Resource Group (FRG) Editor

ecampion@pattan.net

CALLING ALL HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS!

We're excited to announce that registration for the 2026 ASL/EI Summer Academy opens on March 23, 2026!

This popular free two-day camp gives high school students an amazing opportunity to learn or advance their skills in American Sign Language (ASL), explore Deaf culture, and discover the rewarding field of interpreting.

Held on the beautiful Mount Aloysius College campus in Cresson, Pennsylvania, you'll dive into hands-on activities, learn from experienced ASL faculty, Deaf community members, and current ASLEI students, and build or strengthen foundational skills.

No prior ASL knowledge is required, beginners are warmly welcome, and students with some ASL experience are encouraged to join and take their skills further!

Spots are limited (first-come, first-served), so mark your calendar and be ready to register on March 23!

Details for 2026:

• Dates: June 23–24, 2026
• Time: 8:00 AM to approximately 5:00 PM each day
• Location: Mount Aloysius College
• Who it's for: Students entering grades 9–11 (as of Spring 2026)
• What's included: Free admission for accepted participants, lunch each day, snacks, a camp t-shirt, bag, and all materials
• Capacity: Registration is on a first-come, first-served basis. A waiting list will form once full.
• Extras: Attend both days for a chance to earn a scholarship! Families are welcome at the closing session!

Attire expected: solid dark top, appropriate shorts, clear nail polish, trimmed nails, hair pulled back out of face), and onsite support is available if needed.

In the meantime, get a head start by practicing the ASL alphabet.

Questions? Contact Dr. Gale DeArmin, ASL/EI Department Chair, at gdearmin@mtaloy.edu.

Map It: What Comes Next? Deaf/Hard of Hearing is a free, online, interactive training designed for transition-aged students who are deaf or hard of hearing. The training utilizes three questions:

• Who Am I?
• What Do I Want?
• How Do I Get There?

Video vignettes signed in ASL with spoken English and written transcription, self-assessments, and a series of interactive questions guide students as they identify their goals and develop strategies to achieve them. All interactive materials are saved and compiled in an electronic portfolio.

The Getting a Job! for Students Who Are Deaf and Hard of Hearing online training was developed and designed for students who are deaf or hard of hearing and the professionals who work with them. Focusing on the transition from school to work, the training offers a series of activities, supporting documents and topical videos designed to help the job seeker prepare for the world of work. All the videos in the modules are presented in ASL, and are also voiced in English and captioned.

This eLearning course can be completed in multiple sessions, or all at once. Students can document their thoughts, lessons and important papers in their own Career Planning Log. Completing all the activities and assignments will earn a student a “Verification of Completion,” which the student can print. Participants will need to sign up for a free DCMP eLearner account.

Families can sign up for the story times here or by sending an email to Christine at croy@tiu11.org.

The Pennsylvania Department of Education, Bureau of Special Education, is pleased to announce the following training opportunity:

From Questions to Confidence: Connecting Students and Families to Benefits Counseling

Date: April 28, 2026

Times/Location: 11:00 am – 1:00 pm - Webinar

As students with disabilities plan for life after high school, questions about how employment impacts public benefits can create uncertainty and hesitation for students and their families. Benefits counseling plays a critical role in helping individuals understand how work, earnings, and career advancement interact with benefits such as SSI, SSDI, Medicaid, and related programs—supporting informed decision-making and reducing fear around employment.

This session will combine a brief foundational presentation with a panel discussion featuring educators and partners who have implemented strategies to connect students and families to benefits counseling in their schools and communities. Participants will gain a clear understanding of what benefits counseling is (and is not), why it is an essential component of secondary transition planning, and the appropriate role participants play in sharing information and making referrals. Through real-world examples, panelists will share practical approaches, lessons learned, and strategies for helping students and families access benefits counseling while maintaining professional boundaries.

We're excited to introduce the Bridging Futures Mentoring Program, made possible through the generous support of the Johnson Scholarship Foundation. The program empowers middle and high school students (ages 12–16) who are deaf or hard of hearing and use Listening and Spoken Language (LSL) to build confidence, strengthen communication and self-advocacy skills, and prepare for college, careers, and leadership.

Through structured, one-to-one mentoring with experienced adult mentors who are also deaf or hard of hearing, participants explore personal goals, develop leadership skills, and gain tools to succeed and give back to their communities. Monthly virtual group meetings run March through August 2026 and are free for all participating students and families.

Bridging Knowledge to Know-How: Empowering Pennsylvania Educators and Partners

August 4-7, 2026

Uniting Pennsylvania's educators, community partners, families, and youth to explore insights and tools that bridge knowledge and practical application.

• This conference will bring together Pennsylvania’s educators, community partners, families, and youth to explore the latest insights, strategies, and tools that bridge the gap between knowledge and practical application.
• Sessions will have a specific focus on autism, sensory disabilities, secondary transition, and students with complex instructional needs.
• Participants will gain tangible strategies to enhance teaching practices, drive student success, and adapt to the evolving demands of today’s classrooms.

Bridging Knowledge to Know-How: Empowering Educators and Partners offers conference attendees a broad, inclusive platform to learn from presenters as they share their expertise and innovative practices. This conference was built from the strengths of the HELIX, National Autism, and Secondary Transition conferences. We can’t wait to see you in August.

Location: The Lancaster County Convention Center Lancaster, PA

Download and share our flyer

Registration is set to open at the end of April.
Stay tuned for the full schedule and pricing details. We’re excited to share everything with you shortly.

Advanced registration is required for this event.
Unfortunately, we are unable to accept walk-in registrations.

Questions! Contact Us!
Registration: BridgingRegistration@pattan.net
Content: BK2KH2025@pattanpgh.net
Exhibitor Interest: BK2KHexhibitors@pattankop.net

COMPUTER SCIENCE CAMP

This year’s camp focuses on foundational computer science knowledge, college and career pathways, a hands-on field trip experience, and the creation of a culminating project to showcase learning.

Details:

• Dates: Tuesday, August 4th - Friday, August 7th, 2026
• Location: School located in close proximity to the Bridging Knowledge to Know-How Conference.
• Fees: There is no cost to attend camp.
• Eligibility: Students with disabilities entering grade 9 - 12 (up to age 21) in fall 2026. It is expected that at least one parent or guardian attends the Bridging Knowledge to Know-How Conference.
• Registration is Open until June 15. Due to limited space, registration will be filled on a first come, first serve basis.​

CAMP INSPIRATION

For campers, ages 14-21 with and without disabilities, they will engage in activities that help build skills to navigate the transition to adulthood. The sessions will be led by PaTTAN's Youth Engagement Specialists and Pennsylvania Youth Leadership Network (PYLN) members.
Details:

• Dates: Tuesday, August 4th - Friday, August 7th, 2026
• Times:
  • Tuesday, 11:00 AM - 4:45 PM
  • Wednesday and Thursday, 8:00 AM - 4:45 PM
  • Friday 8:00 AM - 1:00 PM
• Location: IU13 Burle Campus, 1020 New Holland Ave, Lancaster, PA 17601
  • The Bridging Knowledge to Know-How: Empowering Educators and Partners Conference will take place at the Lancaster County Convention Center. Complimentary shuttle service will be provided to/from the camp location and the convention center.
• Fees: There is no cost to attend camp.
• Registration available Now - June 15, 2026​ Due to limited space, registration will be filled on a first come, first serve basis.

Explore best practices in structured literacy for improving literacy outcomes!

📆 June 16 - 18, 2026 | FREE & VIRTUAL

This learning event connects leading national and state-level literacy researchers in the field of the science of reading, structured literacy, and reading instruction and intervention, along with classroom teachers who have successfully implemented structured literacy approaches.

As structured literacy gains recognition as a key evidence-based approach for all learners, this FREE, three-day virtual conference offers a timely opportunity to strengthen literacy outcomes. Stay tuned for more information!

🚩 For more details: About Our Symposium

Registration: 2026 PaTTAN Literacy Symposium: From Evidence to Action

We are excited to announce that registration is now open for our 2026 Family Learning Conference! This year’s conference will feature a mix of dynamic speakers, opportunities to craft and share family stories, and plenty of time for networking and exchanging resources with other families and professionals. Whether you’re joining us for the learning, the connections, or the sense of community, we hope this experience will be both meaningful and inspiring. We hope to see you there!

Event Details:

• Conference Dates: Friday, June 26 through Saturday, June 27, 2026

• Location: The Penn Stater Hotel & Conference Center or online (virtual option)

To apply, your child must have a combined vision and hearing need, be between the ages of 0–21 and be a resident of Pennsylvania.

Register here. Registration will close on Friday, May 1.

If you are an ASL user and a Walmart shopper, here’s something to celebrate. Walmart offers customer service with ASL-fluent representatives ready to answer all your calls.

This access is made possible by CSD Access through its partnership with Walmart. You can call to ask questions, get orders resolved, and enjoy fast, friendly service in your own language.

This is a huge step toward customer service that truly works for everyone.

How it works: dial (800) 925-6278 from your VP to connect instantly with an ASL-fluent Walmart representative.

Did you know that Pennsylvania collects family feedback each year through the Indicator 8 Parent Survey?

The results, which are reported to the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), help the state understand how well schools are partnering with parents throughout the special education process.

If your district is included in this year’s sample, we need your help getting the word out—family feedback is incredibly valuable. Only a randomly selected group of families of school-age students with disabilities in your district will receive the survey. Their postcard invitation comes from Leader Services and includes instructions for completing the survey online.

Here’s how you can help:

• If parents mention receiving the postcard, encourage them to take the survey.
• Remind them that their responses are completely anonymous.
• Let them know that the survey directly supports efforts to strengthen family–school partnerships across Pennsylvania.

🔎To learn more, visit the PaTTAN website for resources and short videos about the survey.

❓Questions? Please contact Dr. Laura Bray at lhalstead@pa.gov.

Planning to take the EIPA in 2026?

Financial support is available to help reduce the cost! First-time test takers may receive 100% ($365.00) coverage, and second-time test takers may receive 50% ($182.50) coverage of the registration fee. Eligible applicants must be Pennsylvania residents or current students/graduates of a PA Interpreter Training Program.

If you have already registered for or taken the EIPA in 2026, you may also be eligible for reimbursement. Don’t miss this opportunity to make your EIPA more affordable.

To learn more and apply, visit the APR Repository.