Autism Newsletter

The purpose of this program is to improve the interaction between law enforcement and drivers diagnosed with a communication challenge or a hearing impairment.

SB 2304:

Requires districts and charters to provide information regarding the Texas Driving with Disability Program to Students and their parents if the student:

▪ Has a health condition of disability that may impede effective communication with a peace officer; AND

▪ Receives Special Education Services or is covered by Section 504;

This information is required to be provided annually to each student who is 16 years of age or older, until the earlier of the student’s:

▪ Graduation from high school; OR

▪ 21st birthday.

Schools may provide this information with any transition planning materials

TEA has three autism-specific mentoring guides on the Texas SPED Support website. These guides are designed to provide mentors of teachers with easy-to-follow course tracks and resources to facilitate the professional development of teachers in support of students with autism. The three mentor guides include:

• Onboarding Special Education Teachers
• Onboarding General Education Teachers
• Behavioral Guide

Each guide provides the mentor with a suggested course scope and sequence, discussion questions, vocabulary, key points, and a "for the mentor" section that will help facilitate meaningful mentoring sessions with teaching staff.

Texas Child Health Access Through Telemedicine (TCHATT) provides telemedicine or telehealth programs to school districts to help identify and assess the behavioral health needs of children and adolescents and provide access to mental health services.

If you’re interested in joining TCHATT, please email us at tcmhcc@utsystem.edu to see if it is available in your region. TCHATT is deploying first in those regions where an existing infrastructure can be expanded or a new infrastructure can be set up quickly.

https://tcmhcc.utsystem.edu/tchatt/

A series of short videos that break down effective classroom paractices for every grade level in a minute from Edutopia.

Partners Resource Network is the Parent Training and Information Center for our area, funded through the Department of Education-Office of Special Education. The mission is to empower parents of children and youth with disabilities in their roles as parents, decision makers, and advocates for their children. The goal is to promote partnerships throughout the state among parents and professionals, parent organizations, school districts, and service agencies.

Visit autism.tamu.edu

10/3/2023 9am - 4pm

Come and dive a little deeper into effectively implementing Restorative Practices at the Tier 1 level. This session will focus on practical strategies to implement restorative practices in your classrooms and on your campuses. Tier 1 Restorative Practices focuses on high-impact/low-burden strategies for building relationships and creating a positive & trusting sense community within your school.

AUesome Wednesdays will be October 18th It is a time for us to connect, problem solve situations, and learn about new and exciting things that are happening in the area of Autism. This will be a ZOOM meeting offered at 8 am, noon, and 4 pm. Hope to see you

https://txr17.escworks.net/catalog/session.aspx?session_id=973934

10/30/2023 9am - 4pm

Come and join us to learn from Mental and Behavioral Health experts from all over the country! We are excited to bring evidenced-based practices, new research, and practical skills to you when working with students and staff across Region 17. If you are interested in how to meet the social emotional needs of your district, campus, or classroom this is the place for you! Come and Refill Your Special Education Tank. This Round-UP is a part of the Student Support Team Summer Series and will benefit all educators, administrators, and school staff.

11/2/2023 9am - 4pm

Part 2 of our journey into Restorative Practices focuses on using a restorative approach when responding to unwanted behaviors. Tier 2/3 Restorative Practices focuses on understanding what is behind problematic behavior, and using restorative tools to truly impact behavioral change. By identifying the root cause & placing responsibility on students to understand the impact of their behavior, we can both address current needs and promote change in future behaviors.

Coming Soon

Provides an overview of Autism Spectrum Disorder including the characteristics that define it, its impact on different areas of development, and effective, research-based approaches to intervention.

TEA has developed a "one stop shop" to find ALL resources related to Special Education.

https://spedsupport.tea.texas.gov/

The AUesome Padlet is a resource for you that will be updated throughout the year to give you some resources when working with students with Autism.

Please be mindful that the ideas shared on the Padlet are resources that should be individualized to the individual student.

Email: ncoffey@esc17.net
Website: esc17.net
Location: 1111 West Loop 289, Lubbock, TX, USA
Phone: (806) 281-5831