Online Learning Opportunities
Webinars, Videos and Modules
For all of our recorded training videos, please visit our
YouTube Channel.
Restraint and Seclusion: A Three - Part Series by The CT Parent Advocacy Center (CPAC) and the CT State Department of Education (CSDE)
This dual-capacity series was designed to provide accurate and objective
information to all stakeholders about the current Connecticut laws regarding
restraint and seclusion in schools, documentation requirements, effective
family-school communication, and supporting student behavior. Featuring
speakers from the Connecticut State Department of Education's Bureau of
Special Education and Performance Office, Connecticut Parent Advocacy Center,
Office of the Child Advocate, and a local education agency (LEA), the series
brings a variety of perspectives together to discuss this range of topics.
The recordings to all three sessions will be available on this
playlist.
Part 1: A Dialogue about the Current
Connecticut Laws Regarding Restraint and Seclusion in Schools
Participants will learn about the current laws regarding restraint and
seclusion in Connecticut schools, and the role of the Planning and Placement Team
(PPT) to support the student through challenging behaviors in accordance with
the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Connecticut Statues
and Regulations.
Part 2: Documentation Requirements for Restraint
and Seclusion Reports and Best Practices for Family-School Communication
This session will review the documentation and reporting requirements for
restraint and seclusion reports. Participants will learn how thorough,
accurate, and quality content in the reports and collaborative family-school
communication can assist Planning and Placement Teams (PPTs) to
effectively plan for the student's needs.
Part 3: Supporting Students in the Classroom:
Applying Functional Behavioral Assessments (FBA) Results to Inform
Function - Based Preventative Strategies
This session will emphasize the importance of treatment planning based on
direct results from the Functional Behavioral Assessment (FBA) process. The
training will cover historical approaches toward behavioral intervention,
behavior as a form of communication, and prevention-based treatment
planning.
What's New in Special Education Law
What's New and Trending in Special Education Law and Why It Matters
About the webinar: Tracking court decisions on various special education issues is not easy. For example,
what's been the impact on other courts, if any, of the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Endrew F.? Are courts
starting to allow parents, like school districts, to unilaterally change a student's stay put to a "comparable"
placement and, if so, what are the potential implications? When are electronic records "maintained" so as to
be deemed "educational records" under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and has technology
gotten ahead of FERPA? In this webinar,
Deusdedi Merced
discussed how courts have addressed these and other issues with an eye towards what trends, if any, appear to
be developing and their implications for the field.
COLLABORATION AND RESOLVING DIFFERENCES
Webinar: Student-Led IEPs & Youth Engagement as a Dispute Resolution Option
About the Webinar: This interactive and engaging webinar will explore student-led IEPs and their
relationship to self-advocacy and student engagement. The webinar will be co-facilitated by a student
from Oregon, a student from Washington DC, and the program director for youth leadership from SchoolTalk,
a nonprofit focused on special education dispute resolution in DC. Presenters will share their personal
experiences participating in the IEP process, provide a brief overview of the Student-led IEP demonstration
project in Washington DC, show a clip from a film series, share resources, and facilitate a dialogue with
webinar participants.
In a student-led IEP, the student actively participates in the development of his/her IEP and takes a
leadership role in decision-making about his/her future. Student engagement levels are individualized
based on the age, needs, and abilities of the student. Participants in the IEP meetings include students,
parents/caregivers, special educators, general educators, support staff, and administrators.
Student-led IEPs is an innovative dispute resolution practice that fits into Stage 1 of the CADRE
Continuum: Prevention. Students gain greater awareness of the impacts of their disabilities and develop
critical self-advocacy and problem-solving skills that will help them to reach their goals, improve their
academic and postsecondary outcomes, and become leaders in their own lives and futures. Student-led IEPs
also enhance student/parent/school/community relationships and partnerships.
DISABILITY SPECIFIC
My Child Was Diagnosed with ADHD: What Does That Mean?
Presented by Kathy Slade, Parent Consultant at CPAC, March 1, 2011.
Below is a link to supplemental materials to the webinar which you may find helpful.
ADHD Webinar Materials
EVIDENCE AND RESEARCH BASED PRACTICES
AAC Use
Check out
this comprehensive list
of online learning presentations about Alternative and Augmentative Communication (AAC) from the
AAC in the Cloud Conference 2018.
Here are a few video highlights from the Conference
This session
will discuss components of the AAC system and how to use the system to support implementation for the
AAC users in your life. Information provided in this session is based on research and experience in
clinical practice with individuals and teams using AAC as well as system design experience.
Executive functioning (EF) skills are critical to using one's information and skills.
This presentation
will look at AAC through an executive functioning lens, connecting areas of challenge in EF
skills with challenges that many users of AAC face. It will also provide evidence-based strategies
to enhance executive functioning skills for users of AAC.
Patricia Gutierrez: Available AAC Resources in Spanish **Session will be in Spanish**
What kind of resources are available to start AAC implementation at home, therapy or school for
spanish speaking people?
This presentation
will review different apps, software and low tech aids so families, therapists and teachers can
start working right away!
SCERTS Model
With growing concerns about behavior issues that disrupt the learning environment, educators are
seeking new evidence-based strategies to help students with challenges in social communication and
emotional regulation. This webinar is an overview of The SCERTS Model, which helps create positive
school climates. SCERTS prioritizes developmental areas of Social Communication, Emotional
Regulation, and Transactional Support - critical foundations for student success - socially and
academically - while preventing problem behavior. Strategies utilizing a team approach will be
provided that optimize school success for students, and that integrate knowledge and practice
from a variety of disciplines.
Social Communication + Emotional Regulation: An Environment for School
Success and Introduction to the SCERTS Model (Archived Webinar)
Additional content:
SCERTS Webinar Powerpoint Handout
Social Communication + Emotional Regulation: An Environment for School
Success and Introduction to the SCERTS Model Resource List to accompany webinar
FAMILY AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
The Teacher-Parent Relationship:
Strong parent-teacher relationships are invaluable. They contribute to a positive school climate,
family engagement in student learning, improved student performance, and the retention of high
quality teachers. Providing teachers with the resources they need to effectively connect learning
in the classroom to learning at home is a challenge that many districts are struggling to address.
This webinar will examine practical examples of how states can embed family engagement into their
professional development systems and how teacher education programs can systematically include
family engagement in teaching and learning. The webinar will also discuss promising practices in
higher education, including partnerships with Parental Information and Resource Centers (PIRCs)
to build the capacity of family coordinators.
Using Professional Development to Improve Family and Community Engagement
Slides for Webinar
Questions and Answers for Webinar