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| Inaugural
Issue |
December
2006, Volume 1 - Number 1 |
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Welcome
to Empowerment! Parent to Parent of Miami's new eNewsletter
is dedicated to providing you with the knowledge and resources
to unlock your child's potential.
Every other month you will receive information regarding topics
that we hope will help you make informed decisions about your
child with a disability or special needs.
"Empowerment" can also be used by you as a tool to
help other parents in the community. By sharing your personal
stories with us and other parents, you will help them understand
that they are not alone in this journey. Feel free to email
us at newsletter@ptopmiami.org
with your stories, comments or questions.
Sincerely,
Isabel C. Garcia
Executive Director |
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| Money
Does Matter - Here's Help |
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Services
for Students with Disabilities (SSD) - What You and Your Child
Need to Know
Is your child about to take placement tests? If so, Services
for Students with Disabilities can help. The College Board is
committed to serving students with disabilities by providing
services and reasonable accommodations appropriate to the student's
disability and the purpose of the exam. More...
ChairScholars
Foundation
Since 1992, the ChairScholars Foundation has provided scholarships
for needy graduating high school seniors and college freshman.
Please click here
for an application and further information regarding the National
Program.
Tax
Benefits for Parents of Children with Disabilities
If you have a child with a severe disability - a learning disability
(SLD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), AD/HD, or other physical,
mental or emotional impairment - you may qualify for valuable
tax benefits. More... |
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| Legislation
That Affects You |
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IDEA
2004 - New Amendments
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is
a national law that works in state school districts to improve
results for infants, toddlers, children, and youth with disabilities.
Recently, IDEA was revised and published last August, with the
final regulations and any new amendments.
To review some of the most important changes in IDEA, by topic,
please click
here.
To review the complete law with the new changes, please visit
the U.S.
Department of Education. |
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It's
truly heartwarming to see our students succeed.
Miami-Dade County Public Schools students are recognized
for their achievement by the Superintendent's District
Advisory Panel for Students with Disabilities (SWD).
In this issue, Parent to Parent of Miami is proud to congratulate... |
| Recipient/Student |
School/Program |
Award |
| Livan
Cruz |
Early
Beginnings Academy |
Academic
Achievement |
| Kamal
Shakoor |
Richmond
Heights Middle School |
Mainstreaming/Inclusion |
| Yisroel
Dov Herman |
Neytzha
Chochma |
Extra
Curricular/Special Achievement |
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Toy
Guide for
Differently-Abled Kids
Toys"R"Us presents its 2006 edition of Toy Guide
for Differently-Abled Kids, where parents can find hundreds
of educational and fun toys that will delight any child.
View Toy Guide here. |
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Navigating
the Developmental Disabilities System - You're the Driver
About
the Author
Recently, I traveled to Tallahassee to participate in a video
promoting the Yellow Book. The Yellow Book was designed to help
individuals with developmental disabilities and their families
better choose and plan the support and services they need.
The tab sections provide a general description of the wide range
of support and services available from Development Services,
including those provided through Medicaid funding under the
Home and Community Based Waiver.
I would like to share with you the improvements in my life that
I could get from the Yellow Book, and the excitement that I
have from using it. I found that I could learn to select my
services on my own, and use it to make my own decisions. Big
decisions like where I live, and how I get from place to place.
Here are some steps you can take to become more independent:
your Support Coordinator is the person that provides information
about all the services that an individual needs. First, ask
your Support Coordinator for a Yellow Book. Next, review the
services listed in Tab 2, so that you can match your needs with
the available services.
For example:
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I
needed the help of a Non-Residential Support Services
provider to help me improve my skills as a motivational
speaker. Once I identified the service I needed, I interviewed
providers of that service and ultimately chose the service
I have now. |
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I
was also interested in living on my own, so I requested
the services of the Supported Living Program. The Supported
Living Program is a service that helps consumers who want
to live in their own home or apartment. My Support Coordinator
gave me a list of Supported Living Coaches in my area.
Supported Living Coaches teach the consumers how to pay
their bills, and learn about housekeeping, grocery shopping,
and cooking. I interviewed several of them and hired one
that I wanted. When I was not satisfied with the services,
I fired them, interviewed others and chose the one best
suited to provide the support I needed. |
Here
is more about what you can expect if you decide to use the Yellow
Book, as well as some important questions to ask:
Once the consumer identifies the service or services they need,
they request a list of the providers for those services; then,
the consumer, along with their family and Support Coordinator,
interview potential providers.
Questions that are important at the interview are:
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How
will your services help me become self-determined and
independent? |
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How
will your services plan and implement the supports to
reach my goals? |
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How
will your services assist me and represent me to realize
my needs? |
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Who
will teach me to accomplish my goals? |
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Do
your services improve and update the methods by which
they deliver the services? |
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How
often do the providers of your services attend conferences
and workshops to keep informed of the needs of individuals
with disabilities? Do these providers attend conferences
and workshops with the consumers? |
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Request
examples of individuals who have become self-determined,
independent and are successful in reaching their goals
through those services. |
If you're happy with what the providers' services offer, the
Support Coordinator will get the approval to work with them.
The consumer can learn to take the initiative to make their
scheduled appointments. They can determine a goal that they
and the service provider will reach within a pre-determined
period of time, and then work hard at it.
Families should provide the assistance necessary for the consumer
to obtain those goals. It is extremely important that parents
allow the consumer to make these choices independently; and,
if a consumer is not satisfied with the services, they should
make changes in the way the services are delivered, or change
providers.
It is also vitally important that all consumers and their families
attend conferences and workshops that will keep them updated
about the services. Consumers and their families need to stay
informed.
If you would like to read the articles that I contribute to
Parent-to-Parent, you can read them at www.ptopmiami.org
and click on "Idelio's Corner". If you would like
to contact me, you may email me at ideliovaldes@hotmail.com.
My last goal is to live independently from these services. |
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For
more information, please call Parent to Parent of Miami at
(305) 271-9797.
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The Children's Trust Helpline
Now, by dialing 211, parents, caregivers, and adolescents from
Miami-Dade County can reach The Children's Trust Helpline.
More...
Anne Ford Scholarship
The National Center for Learning Disabilities is seeking scholarship
applicants: high school seniors with an identified LD who are
pursuing an undergraduate degree. Deadline is 12/31/06. More...
Smart
Kids with LD 2007 Youth Achievement Award
This year's award will go to a high school or younger student
with LD or AD/HD who demonstrates excellence in any field. Nominations
are now open. Deadline is 1/31/07. More... |
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Do
you like our new eNewsletter?
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Comments |
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Mission
To empower and support a network of parents of children and
adults with disabilities.
Vision
All parents of children and adults with disabilities will have
universal access to information, training, support and advocacy
skills to ensure their children achieve their fullest potential,
while leading the community on the rights of all children.
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Above all, we respect your privacy. We will never rent, sell or
share your information with anybody.
Changing your email? To update your contact information, email your
changes to newsletter@ptopmiami.org
(C) 2006 Parent to Parent of Miami Inc. All rights reserved. |
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