The Connection

October certainly is turning out to be a lovely month! We have so many great resources for you in this edition of The Connection!

We have a Transition Planning & the IEP parent training on October 17th, as well as Wilson High School is hosting a College Transitions Program Fair on October 19th! We share some important resources for our parents of students with autism, that you don't want to miss. Also our monthly Family Safety Care parent training is on October 25th. If you are interested in learning more about helping your child de-escalate and tips on managing challenging behaviors, you will want to register and join us!

We hope you'll take some time to read through these resources, and don't forget that if you need a question answered or just aren't sure where to turn, you can contact our Parent Liaison, Erika Chapman, at 843-292-1008 or echapman@f1s.org. She would love to connect with you!

🌟Follow @parenting_fairly for real-life tools to parent with calm + confidence.

Do you ever get frustrated by your child’s behavior and wonder, “WHY are you DOING THAT?!”😱

🌪When our kids are having a hard time managing their emotions and frustrations, it can be hard to see past the behavior itself. We hear👂🏼the whining, we see 👀the tears, we feel ✋🏽the hits and bites.

💡But if we can see beyond the behaviors and observe what’s happening in our child’s environment, we can figure out WHY they are doing what they are doing. And only then will we be able to meet the underlying need and respond effectively.

Responding to our child’s behavior means:
✅Figure out WHY it’s happening
✅Teach them an alternative way to get their wants/needs met
✅Model and teach them coping skills when they can’t have what they want
✅Acknowledge and praise appropriate communication and behaviors.

Our Programs for Exceptional Children teachers and assistants participate yearly in a behavior management and crisis intervention training called Safety Care. This program teaches strategies and skills in de-escalation, behavior management and helping our students in self-regulation.

We are offering a similar training for our parents! It is powerful when our students see both their parents and teachers using the same strategies to model and help them manage their own behavior.

When: Wednesday, October 25th from 9:00am-11:00am

Where: McClenaghan Bldg, 500 S Dargan St, in 3rd floor conference room

We would love for you to join us for one of these monthly 2 hour sessions. Please fill out the registration form below if you would like to be scheduled for the October 25th session. These will be taught in small groups by Kelly Long, our Autism Coordinator and Erika Chapman our Parent Liaison.

Family Safety Care Parent Training Registration

Follow Dana Howell on IG @biasbehavioral for more tips and strategies on behavior!

Did you know that there are 1,440 minutes in a day?

That means that even if your child (or student) has a few challenging moments, there is still plenty of time left to provide praise.

Challenging behaviors don’t turn into desirable behaviors overnight. Behavior change takes time. The 4:1 ratio of praise is one of the many tools that contributes to that long-term change.

After a long hard day, it can be hard to find the positives. Work on filling one balloon at a time, slowly building the collection to epic proportions. The bigger the bunch, the smaller the impact if one or two pop along the way.

Inflate Positive Reinforcement by using the 4:1 Ratio

Imagine PRAISE as a giant, brightly colored balloon, and anytime a CORRECTION is given, one of those balloos goes POP!

The bigger the collection of balloons, the lesser the impact when one bursts.

The 4:1 ration - ensures the delivery of more positive statements than corrections.

VS

Random - could result in a higher rate of criticism & less positive reinforcement.

@biasbehavioral

Join the F1S Programs for Exceptional Children for a parent training on

Transition Planning & the IEP!

Transition begins in the life of an IEP when the student will turn age 13. They then start receiving transition services & begin working with their IEP team to plan for their future after high school. Kandee Shelor, F1S Transition Coordinator, will share more about the transition process. Learn more about Department of Disabilities and Special Needs, Vocational Rehabilitation, the Employability Credential and Project Search!

When: Tuesday, October 17th at 9:30 am and 6:30 pm

Where: Southside Middle School, 290 W John Paul Jones Rd.

Contact Erika Chapman at 843-292-1008 or echapman@fsd1.org with questions.

Save the date for Thursday, October 19, 2023 from 9:00am-11:00am for the 2nd Annual College Transition Programs Fair at Wilson High School.

This is an opportunity for our non-diploma track students and their parents to hear all about opportunities and programs for their students after high school.

When: Thur., Oct 19, 2023 from 9:00 am-11:00 am

Where: Wilson High School 1411 Old Marion Highway

Register here: https://forms.gle/fM8wDxguP4qAdxyY6

For more information contact Eveleyn Kitt-Wilson at 843-758-6608 or at ekittwilson@fsd1.org.

You are invited to join us for this free webinar for parents and caregivers

of children with autism. Register today by clicking the link below!

How Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) Helps Children with Communication Challenges

Thursday, October 26, 2023

5:15pm - 6:30pm ET

Presented by Paul (PJ) Simeone, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, ATP

This is the second of a 10 month webinar series provided virtually by experts at the National Autism Center at May Institute. Please stay tuned for future webinars.

ABOUT THIS WEBINAR: This webinar will focus on the potential of AAC to support communication skills for autistic children. We will review the principles of evaluation for the selection of optimal communication systems. An overview of best practices to enhance language development and strengthen social connections will also be provided. Finally, the latest AAC technology will be discussed along with frameworks and practical strategies to support AAC across environments.

ABOUT THE PRESENTER: Paul Simeone is the Vice President of Allied Health and Supportive Technology at May Institute.

Register here

Once you register, you will receive an email to confirm your attendance

and more information about the training.

Sign up to receive guidance and support from a trained parent mentor that you can meet with from the comfort of your home.

Family eligibility:

• Your child was recently diagnosed with autism and is between the ages of 18 month & 8 years old.
• Shared caregiving responsibilities with another adult in the home.
• This is your first child diagnosed with autism.

**Receive up to $500 for participating!

Interested in learning more?

Contact: Abigail Mojica, Research Coordinator

Phone: (803) 386-9451

Email: Mojica@email.sc.edu

Erika Chapman is the Florence One Schools Parent Liaison for our Program for Exceptional Children. Erika serves as a liaison between teachers, parents, students, support staff and the community regarding educational programs, services and student issues in areas of Programs for Exceptional Children.

You will receive our PEC parent newsletter, The Connection, twice a month. It's full of helpful information, announcements and the dates for all upcoming parent training events. Erika can help parents/guardians to connect to resources both within and outside of the district; as well as get connected to agencies like DDSN, fill out paperwork for Medicaid and understand your child's IEP.

The Parent Liaison website also has lots of helpful resources for families. On the website you can find all past PEC newsletters and helpful webinars on Understanding Your Child's IEP and All About Resources in the Florence area. Check it out!

Please feel free to reach out to Erika if she can assist you in any way! Her email is echapman@fsd1.or and her phone number is 843-292-1008.

Do you want to know what your student's school is offering for breakfast and lunch during the month of October? Find out here!

We would love to hear from you! If you have a question or comment you can contact our Parent Liaison, Erika Chapman, at echapman@f1s.org or 843-292-1008 or visit the Parent Liaison website for helpful resources.

You also can contact us at exceptionalchildren@f1s.org or at 843-673-1161.

Email: exceptionalchildren@f1s.org
Website: f1s.org
Phone: (843) 673-1161