Special Programs & Services News

During November I often reflect on what I am thankful for. I am always incredibly thankful for the support of our families and the opportunity to work with such amazing students in LISD. But this month, even as COVID continues to provide limitations in schools, I am thrilled to highlight positive student experiences. There are many examples of teachers, related service staff, administrators and assistants engaging students in individualized learning aligned to strengths and needs. Today I will bring 3 examples to you!

Reagan Elementary (pictured left) proudly operates the Java Rays coffee shop. Students in Mrs. Herzog’s class take orders and love being baristas every Friday morning as they add sugar and creamer to the best brew in town...all with a huge smile. This opportunity provides meaningful inclusion and is a bright spot on campus!

Leander Lazers (pictured center) is our very own Special Olympics team in LISD led by our Adaptive PE coaches. Special Olympics allows our students to engage in sports training and athletic competition. The Leander Lazers just concluded their Bocce Ball season! The level of encouragement from spectators and teammates is incredible! You can see this in action as the Lazers continue representing LISD in an amazing way! Follow @LISDLazers on twitter!

Each of our High School campuses support students in credit recovery or Just In Time learning labs. Ms. Raske at Leander High School (pictured right) goes above and beyond to build relationships with her students while loading their Edgenuity courses, tracking individual learning needs, and assisting in goal setting so students receive credits needed for graduation. This level of support provides positive interventions for student success.

There are many ways inclusive practices are celebrated throughout LISD. I am proud of the work of our students and staff!

Kimberly Waltmon

Executive Director of Special Programs and Services

The November Newsletter contains information about Parent Education Events, Early Learners, Self-Determination, Parent Resources, and Important Reminders

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Be sure to save the dates for our upcoming meetings! We will send out weekly reminders in our Special Programs Remind classes.

• Wednesday, November 3rd AAC Family Chat
• Friday, November 5th October Coffee Chat
• Wednesday, November 10th Parent Workshop Night
• Thursday, November 11th Transition to Adulthood
• Wednesday, November 17th Autism Parent Training
• Tuesday, November 30th Autism Support Group
• Friday, December 3rd November Coffee Chat

Leander ISD's Early Childhood Department has a variety of free programs and services for our youngest learners. LISD’s Early Childhood Education services exist to build a strong foundation so that each child is ready to be challenged, encouraged and supported to achieve their highest level of knowledge, skills and character.

Parents as Teachers is a free early education program provided by LISD for families with children ages birth to 5 (not already enrolled in other district preschool programs) who are interested in learning the best ways to ready their child for school success. Parents as Teachers is located in Leander near the administration building. LISD offers a PreK 3 and PreK 4 program for any child ages 3 or 4 that meet state criteria for Prekindergarten. LISD also has a variety of Early Childhood Special Education services and programs to meet the needs of our youngest learners who have disabilities. All of our Prekindergarten and Early Childhood Special Education services are offered on 16 campuses throughout the district that have been identified as an Early Childhood Community.

If have concerns about your child's development please reach out to the Child Find Department.

Self-Determination skills empower every one of us to have a voice in our lives and move towards greater independence. You can help your child develop self-determination skills by practicing at home and providing access to choices. November’s Self-Determination skill of the month is Risk Taking and Safety. This skill revolves around the ability to assess a situation, take smart risks, and use resources to be safe. Check out the self-determination flyer to see how you can teach and apply these skills at home. To learn more about other self-determination skills visit the Transition Planning webpage.

The Student-Centered Transition Network has recently released the revised Texas Transition and Employment Guide! With input from our own Regional Student Advisory Committee(RESAC), The Student Centered Transition Network crafted the guide to be more user friendly for students and families. This is a good document to read over, it’s never too early to start looking towards the future and preparing for life after high school.

Our Autism grant team presented a wonderful training on the importance of structure and routines during October’s parent meeting. During the meeting they discussed how beneficial visual supports are for a lot of our students. A visual support refers to using a picture or other visual item to communicate with a child who has difficulty understanding or using language. Visual supports can be photographs, drawings, objects, written words, or lists. If you would like help initiating or implementing the use of visual schedules in your home, please complete this form. A member of the grant team will reach out to you to discuss your needs.

Texas Parent 2 Parent is hosting another free virtual conference on Friday, November 12th from 10am - 2:00pm. This conference is for families of children with disabilities or special healthcare needs, self-advocates, family members, educators, service providers, and other interested community members. You can register here and see current session descriptions here.

The Texas Statewide Leadership for Autism Training (TSLAT) and the Texas Education Agency (TEA) are currently preparing for the 30th Annual Texas Autism Conference. Educators, families, individuals with autism, and other professionals come together at this state conference to learn, connect, and apply new knowledge to better serve individuals with autism, their educators, and their families. They’d love your feedback on how to help make this the best conference yet! In the survey you can provide input about your learning preferences, which topics you'd like to learn more about, and which activities you'd like to engage with to make a great conference! For your participation, you'll have a chance to win a ticket for the full conference ($125 value). Two winners will be selected by random draw in early 2022 by TEA and TSLAT.

TEA's Supplemental Special Education Services (SSES) has extended the application window and also broadened the student eligibility criteria to:

• enrolled in a Texas public school
  
• enrolled in PreK - 12th grade
• and a student with a disability served through Special Education

SSES credits will be distributed through online accounts that are used to obtain special educational resources, supplies, and services such as additional speech therapy or other specific services through a marketplace. SSES credits can amount up to $1,500 per student to be used to supplement what otherwise happens in school to help students continue to make educational progress. Take a moment to learn more about the program and apply.

Across the country, school psychologists, or LSSPs, will be celebrated November 8-12, 2021. LSSPs support a student’s ability to learn and a teacher's ability to teach. They apply expertise in mental health, learning, and behavior to help students succeed academically, socially, behaviorally, and emotionally by providing direct support to students.

This year's theme for School Psychology Week is "Let’s Get in GEAR." (Grow, Engage, Advocate, Rise). The theme’s acronym provides a challenge to grow both personally and professionally. It encourages us to engage in best practices and advocate for children’s access to mental health and learning supports. To rise implies resilience and renewal despite the challenges of the past. This has a particular resonance this year as we work to help students, families, and school staff emerge from the challenges of the past year and a half. When we get in gear, we move together. When one gear moves, the gears connected to it move as well. When we move together there is a positive synergy that builds and becomes greater than any single effort.

Please join us in thanking your campus LSSP for their support for our students this year!

Our Special Education PTA members in LISD primarily work to connect families and students with the resources and information needed to reach the best path forward on services from start to finish in Special Programs and Services (ages 3-21). If you are interested in joining, reach out to Ashley.Anderson@leanderisd.org! We are always welcoming new members.

Website: https://sites.google.com/leanderisd.org/lisdtransitionservices/special-programs?authuser=0
Twitter: @LISD_SPROG