Event Registration: https://cesa1.app.neoncrm.com/np/clients/cesa1/event.jsp...&

Share your knowledge and lived experiences with other families across the state and apply to be a Circles of Life Conference presenter! Parents, family members, educators, and professionals are encouraged to apply. In its 37^th year, Circles of Life is Wisconsin’s annual statewide conference for families who have children of any age with disabilities and the professionals who support them. The conference will be an in-person event, with virtual options for participants. The conference will be held on May 12 and 13, 2022, at the Holiday Inn in Stevens Point. Never Presented Before? Ask about a mentor! Remember, your audience will be family members just like you. The application deadline is October 20. Click here to apply and to learn more.

We have revised and are re-releasing the COVID-19 Special Education Question and Answer Document. We reorganized the sections and added a question on mitigation strategies and addressing a student’s disability-related needs (K.2.). We revised question O.1. regarding quarantine. We will continue to update and add new questions and answers to this document throughout the school year.

The PPE Considerations for Schools document was recently reviewed by experts in respiratory training and revised accordingly. The format has changed. Note that the section on Asthma Treatment Notes has updated recommendations based upon the OSHA Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS). While doing nebulizer treatments in schools is still not recommended, if done, an N95 respirator is no longer required as it is not listed in the ETS as an aerosol generating procedure.

FSA continues to take steps to make it easier to complete and submit the FAFSA form. For example:

Students and parents may complete the FAFSA form online at FAFSA.gov and through the myStudentAid mobile application.

 

Participants may share their experience and recommendations for special education in Wisconsin. One of the advisory council’s duties is to hear from the public to assist them in advising the state superintendent. Council members will listen to what all participants say and discuss possible recommendations to the state superintendent at their next council meeting.

 

Upcoming AT Forward CoP Meetings: 

October 20, 2021: Building a Coaching Model for AAC Support 

November 8, 2021: An Introduction to Assistive Technology for Students and Families 

November 16, 2021: Sensory Supports To Assist Students with Learning through Technology

December 1, 2021: Behavior as Communication

December 16, 2021: Universal Design for Learning: Using Technology that Promotes Student Engagement for All

January 10, 2022: AT in the IEP: Using Data to Document Assistive Technology 

January 18, 2022: How to Determine the Need for Technology Versus the Benefit

February 2, 2022: Accessing Grade Level Content

February 17, 2022: Accessible Educational Materials (AEM) Resources: Accessible Electronic Texts for Students with Visual Impairments or Print Disabilities

March 7, 2022: Low and No Cost Resources to Support Assistive Technology 

April 26, 2022: Finding Tools to Fit the Needs of Today’s Students 

May 11, 2022: Non-Academic Activities:  Engaging Students in Social and Leisure Activities

May 19, 2022: Supporting Students with Medical Complexities

This webinar will continue the overview of the framework developed by the Wisconsin DPI special education team to support  schools and districts with ensuring special education evaluations are “sufficiently comprehensive to identify all of the child’s special education and related service needs, whether or not commonly linked to the disability category in which the child has been classified.”  34 CFR 300.304 (c)(6). This webinar will be recorded and posted to a new DPI comprehensive special education web page coming this September.

Registration link: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJMvc-mvrj0sGdAT4wBtLijbyi7v1--LmsZ2

Three different times/dates are available over Zoom:

PATHS utilizes a Housing First framework with Rapid Re-Housing to provide immediate housing supports and wraparound services to facilitate long-term housing stability for these young adults. Our program’s focus is to empower young adults ages 17-21 with past involvement in the child welfare system and are without housing or at risk of being without housing.

This publication, created by PACER for Think College, is for IEP Teams and families preparing their child with an intellectual disability to go to college. Many of the tips are applicable to students with other kinds of disabilities. A checklist and related resources help guide the selection of transition goals and activities that may be factors in making the possibility of college a reality.

Wednesday, March 23 6-7 PM

Come learn about all the resources and services for children with special health care needs/disabilities from birth through young adulthood. Topics include private health insurance, Medicaid, long-term supports, how to coordinate services, and so much more.

The following is a reminder of the free appropriate public education (FAPE) responsibility for students in Residential Care Centers. When a student with a disability receiving special education services through an individualized education program (IEP) enters into an RCC, the local education agency (LEA) must ensure the student continues to receive a Free and Appropriate Public Education (FAPE).  The requirements for LEAs to address FAPE for students with disabilities receiving special education services through an IEP are outlined on the Wisconsin DPI Duties of the Responsible LEA for Children in RCCs webpage.  In addition, please review the Wisconsin DPI Free and Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) Responsibility Chart to ensure you know who has FAPE responsibility for a student entering into an RCC or other placement.  There is also additional information about RCCs on the Wisconsin DPI RCC webpage.

The new issue of the All in for Kids: CLTS newsletter is now available online in English, Hmong, and Spanish. This issue provides important Children's Long-Term Support (CLTS) Program updates, including:

In addition to being available online, the newsletter will also be printed and mailed to families with a child currently enrolled or waiting to enroll in the CLTS Program.

About the newsletter

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services is committed to keeping families informed about the CLTS Program. Through the All in for Kids: CLTS newsletter, families can learn more about the CLTS Program, its policies, and other news.

Parent to Parent of Wisconsin Support Parent Training (virtual) July 14, 6:00-8:00pm Registration ends July 9

Parent to Parent of Wisconsin Support Parent Training (virtual) August 13 10:30am-12:30pm Registration ends August 8

A Title IV, Part A waiver request was approved by the U.S. Department of Education, which extends the period of availability of 2020-21 funds until September 30, 2023.

The registration website is now open. Registration on or before Wednesday, October 5, 2022, is $90. After Wednesday, October 5, registration is $130 and is available on a walk-in basis only. Payment must be made by credit card or check; DPI is unable to process district purchase orders. The registration fee includes breakfast, lunch, and refreshments on Tuesday, October 11.

A block of rooms is being held at the Wilderness Hotel/Glacier Canyon Lodge for $90 single, $119 double, triple, or quad. Call 1-800-867-9453 and mention group name 2022 DPI Leadership Conference and group code 758909. The cut-off date for the room block is September 10, 2022. The group rate will be honored after September 10, but the rooms will no longer be held in the lodging block. 

These sessions are drop-in, and no registration is needed.

First session: Thursday, September 8 - NASW Standards, SSWAA Practice Model, State and National Professional Associations.  

 

People of all ages who need help for themselves or a loved one can access the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by:

- Calling 988 (multiple languages).

- Sending a text message to 988 (English only).

- Using the chat feature at 988lifeline.org (English only).

 

Wisconsinites who use the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline will connect with an in-state service known as the Wisconsin Lifeline. The person contacting the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is connected with a trained counselor who takes note of the person's needs, understands how the person's problem is affecting them, provides support, and, if needed, gets the person additional help.

 

The service is funded by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS). DHS is planning for a statewide campaign to advertise and promote awareness of 988 to the public. This campaign is expected to launch in early 2023.

 

For more information on 988, including a list of frequently asked questions, visit the DHS website. See a  brief fact sheet here.

If there are local activities you would like us to highlight, please send to psw@mhawisconsin.org or message the PSW Facebook and Instagram pages. 

Come learn about a variety of resources and services for children with disabilities and special health care needs.  We will cover information that applies to children from birth through young adulthood. Topics include private health insurance, Medicaid, long-term supports, how to coordinate services and so much more.

Register to reserve your spot for a training in 2022. All trainings will be held virtual via Zoom.

Trainings will be held:

Each training covers the same information. Registration.

It would be helpful, but not necessary to watch a short video from Family Voices of Wisconsin. Video is available in English and Spanish.
You can also find resource sheets from Family Voices of Wisconsin.

DYK?NYK! was developed by Family Voices of Wisconsin and is presented in partnership with them.

If you need help with registration, please contact Sonja Oetzel at soetzel@wisc.edu or 608-265-8955.

For more information see the flier for this professional learning event.

You can also register for this free professional learning event.

Visit the Statewide CCR IRP Introductory Training Opportunities flyer to register or for more information, or contact your local Regional Special Education Network (RSN) Director.

 

These speakers will provide learning opportunities around educational equity and justice from each of their unique perspectives. Each webinar will be delivered through a virtual platform, with opportunities for discussion and resources. This series is tailored to increase capacity for racial equity leadership among our Wisconsin educators. There is NO registration fee to participate in these webinars. A scholarship, funded through the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA), has been applied to the administrative and instructional fees.  For a complete listing of the institutes for 2022-2023 go to The Network website.

The 2022 Building the Heart of Successful Schools (BHSS) Conference will be held on December 7-8, 2022, at Glacier Canyon Conference Center, Wilderness Resort, Wisconsin Dells.

Check out the new Why should you attend the Building the Heart of Successful Schools Conference? Video.

Sectional Session Topics:

For more information on the conference keynotes and registration, see the WISH Center BHSS webpage.

12:00pm-1:00pm

Register at this link: https://uwmadison.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_4VAsd88vCF3Rn1Q

The Wisconsin Youth Health Transition Initiative will host a presentation by Tim Markle and two Providers and Teens Communicating about Health or PATCH teen educators.

 

Description of presentation: All adolescents deserve respectful, quality care. All adolescents need help preparing to transition to adulthood and adult health care. But not all adolescents are the same. Some have special health care needs. Adolescents with special needs may need to have a better understanding of their condition, their medications and how to stay healthy. They may need to figure out emergency care and medical coverage when they move away from home. Come learn from youth about what they would like their medical team to consider as they prepare to transition to adult health care.

 

If you have any questions, email healthtransitionwi@waisman.wisc.edu. If you know someone who would like to join our listserv, please ask them to sign up here

 

To receive confirmation and an agenda, please register.

The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) is pleased to announce that applications for Nita M. Lowey 21^st Century Community Learning Center (21^st CCLC) grants are available for funding beginning in the 2023-24 school year. The 21^st CCLC grant is a federal grant that funds before-school, after-school, and summer programs across the state of Wisconsin.

The purposes of the program are to:

Public school districts, private schools, charter schools, and community-based organizations (including faith-based organizations) targeting students enrolled in schools eligible for Title I, schoolwide programs are invited to apply.

Applications are due on or before 4:00 p.m., February 10, 2023. More information and application materials are available on the DPI’s 21^st CCLC Competition website.

**Please note, this application is intended only for new applicants or current grantees in the final year of their grant cycles. Current WI 21^st CCLC programs in years 1-4 of their grant cycles should not participate in this competitive grant process.**

The DPI will be hosting web-based workshops to assist writers in developing grant applications. Information about the workshops are available on DPI’s 21st CCLC Competition website.

For further information, please contact Nathan Werley at 608-266-3856, Jake Wilson at 608-264-9327, or Alison Wineberg at 608-267-3751.

The 2022 Indicator 14 data has been finalized, and the amount districts will receive through the Special Education Transition Incentive Grant Funding has been determined. There were 3,768 qualifying surveys with a state budget amount of $3,600,000. When divided out, this equates to $955.41 per qualifying survey. Special Education Directors can review their funding report by logging into the Indicator 14 website, selecting “District Reports,” and then selecting “Transition Incentive Grant Funding Report.” The number of qualifying surveys is found in the column "# of Exiters Meeting Funding Criteria." To accept these funds click on the link "Transition Incentive Grant Application" in the lower left of the webpage below your login. There you have the option to accept or decline the funding. Districts have until January 31, 2023, to accept/decline this funding. For questions regarding your district's Transition Incentive Grant funds, please contact Jenny Jacobs at jjacobs@cesa7.org.

Regular COVID-19 testing helps reduce community spread and keeps schools operating safely. This is especially important during the holidays as families celebrate together indoors. The Department of Health Services encourages schools to distribute free at-home rapid antigen tests to students to use for return-from-break testing. 

Schools/districts can order at-home rapid antigen tests to be distributed to students and staff. Click here to learn more and for instructions on ordering.    

Suggestions for how to distribute these tests include:  

Adults also can also order a free package of five rapid antigen tests for their household at Say Yes Covid Test! Households can now order one package of five rapid antigen tests each month. 

The following excerpts from the OSEP Dear Colleague Letter on Braille guides LEAs.

“IEP Teams must ensure that the instructional time allotted for Braille instruction is sufficient to provide the level of instruction determined appropriate for the child. For example, if a particular student has little or no skill in Braille reading and writing, the IEP Team may conclude that frequent and intensive instruction in Braille likely would be necessary to enable the student to have meaningful access to the general curriculum.”

“The information obtained through the evaluation generally should be used by the IEP Team in determining whether it would be appropriate to provide a blind or visually impaired child with instruction in Braille or the use of Braille as required by the IDEA. Factors, such as shortages of trained personnel to provide Braille instruction; the availability of alternative reading media (including large print materials, recorded materials, or computers with speech output); or the amount of time needed to provide a child with sufficient and regular instruction to attain proficiency in Braille, may not be used to deny Braille instruction to a child. Rather, it would be appropriate to deny Braille instruction to a child only when the child’s IEP Team, based on the results of a thorough and rigorous evaluation, determines that instruction in Braille would be inappropriate for that child.”

Workshop Learning Objectives:

Before participating, participants are encouraged to familiarize themselves with CCR IEP resources on the WI DPI CCR IEP web page. In addition, a small amount of pre-work will be assigned before each session. Each participant should bring a copy of a student’s IEP* to use as a reference or have access to an online IEP during the training.

January 11, 2023, from 3:30 - 5:00 p.m. (Step 1)

January 18, 2023, from 3:30 - 5:00 p.m. (Step 2)

February 1, 2023, from 3:30 - 5:00 p.m. (Step 3)

February 8, 2023, from 3:30 - 5:00 p.m. (Step 4&5)

January 27, 2023, from 11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. (Step 1)

February 2. 2023, from 11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. (Step 2)

February 7, 2023, from 11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. (Step 3)

February 16, 2023, from 11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. (Step 4&5)

The human stories presented in Conversations on Caregiving inspire and show us practical ways to incorporate respite best practices day-to-day in our own work.

We invite you to listen to the initial three episodes that focus on college and university-based volunteer respite programs, their contribution to workforce development, and how matching of volunteers to families can foster long-lasting relationships and life-changing experiences.

When: Saturday, December 10, 2022

Time: 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm

Where: Wildman Arts
618 5th Ave
Antigo, WI 54409

Please fill out the RSVP Form here: https://forms.gle/pLUzbmsJ8rYs69bo8

Submission of this form does NOT guarantee a spot. You will receive an email from autismsocietycw@gmail.com to confirm you have secured your spot. Spots are filled on a first-come, first-served basis and while membership is not required, members get first priority. If all spots are filled, a waiting list will be started, and/or another session can be scheduled depending on interest. The cost for this will be covered by ASCW.

Any questions, please contact autismsocietycw@gmail.com.

Please see attached sponsorship form for the many ways to become involved in this event:

● Sponsorship Opportunities- Inclusion Gold Sponsor, Acceptance Silver Sponsor, and Awareness Bronze Sponsor

● Lane Sponsorship (36 available)

● Underwrite a Large Raffle Item

● Donate a Silent Auction Item (value >$150)

● Donate a Raffle Basket Item (value <$150)

● Monetary Donation

● Bring a Team to Bowl

● Volunteer on the Day of the Event

● Pre-Order an Event T-Shirt ($20.00 each)

If you are interested in being an event sponsor, sponsoring a lane, or pre-ordering an Event T-Shirt, please fill out the form

and return it via email by 12/31/2022. We will contact you directly to discuss payment options, gather your company logo

and verify the shirt sizes you need for pre-orders.

If you are interested in underwriting one of the Large Raffle Items, please email us to see if that item is still available, and

we will discuss payment options with you.

If you are interested in making a monetary donation, donating a raffle or silent auction basket item, you can mail them

directly to us or email to arrange for us to pick it up.

We are offering the Youth Health Transition training “Bridging the Gap” three times for families and professionals in December and January. Youth and families are often overwhelmed and under-prepared for the transition to adult health care. This presentation will introduce and discuss when to start thinking about transition as well as provide helpful tools and resources. Parents of high school students who have attended this training have often said that they wish they would have attended when their youth was younger. Registration information is at: www.northernregionalcenter.org and the flyer is attached.

We are planning the following Connect and Shares- an opportunity for parents to connect with other families and share resources. Information, including the Zoom link, is posted on our website- www.northernregionalcenter.org.

January 9 at 6 PM: Winter Activities and planning for Summer Camps-

February TBD: Private Duty Nursing/Respite/ School Health Services

Upcoming Events for 2023:

For a complete calendar and registration information, please visit the SNS Learning Events Registration webpage. 

For more information about the SNS, please visit the Supporting Neurodiverse Students Professional Learning  System webpage. 

On October 4, 2022, the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) released a memo regarding the Personnel Qualifications under Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The memo served as a reminder of states’ and districts’ license requirements for those providing special education and related services and the obligation to ensure a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) to students with disabilities.

Wisconsin’s license requirements are aligned with the provisions regarding personnel under IDEA.

The U.S. Departments of Education and Department of Labor also issued a Joint Dear Colleague Letter on August 31, 2022, encouraging districts to utilize available funds under the American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act of 2021. In addition, the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) has developed a resource entitled Leveraging IDEA Funds to Attract/Prepare/Retain Special Educators & Related Services Providers: AllowableCosts.

Additional reminders to districts facing special educator shortages:

Keep IEPs current. An IEP serves as a legally binding commitment of resources from the district to the student. Remember, an IEP should reflect current services provided, and any change in the amount or delivery of services should result in a review and revision of the IEP. If a district is experiencing shortages in special education and is making every effort to fill the vacancies, the first step should include a review of the impacted students’ IEPs. Conduct an IEP meeting to address the program summary, including specially designed instruction and related services. If the district has shifted teachers and related service providers to address unfilled positions, make sure that all students impacted receive an IEP review and revision, and determine whether compensatory services are required if there are any delays in providing services.

Communication is key. Communicate with family members regarding the current status of programming and services for their child. Be transparent throughout the process and not only at IEP team meetings. Be upfront with the challenges the district is facing, along with the efforts made to address the challenge. Routine and up-to-date communication should be provided.

Leverage skills in existing staff. Recognize the unique knowledge and skills of available staff to meet the unique needs of students with IEPs. Think creatively regarding which available licensed staff could address the goals and provide services and where the goals and services can be delivered. Offer additional training to build the capacity of existing and available staff to address the unique needs of students with IEPs.

Wisconsin has made staffing challenges a priority, dedicating a webpage. For more information, see Resources to Attract, Prepare, and Retain Special Educators and Related Services Providers.