Community News

Community Events

Dear Special Education Teachers:

We are developing a social and emotional learning survey, specifically designed to assess students with learning disabilities - and we would be grateful for your help.

To participate, you will respond to questions that measure the social and emotional learning of up to three of your students with learning disabilities. We will not be collecting information that would identify your students.

For each student that you assess, you will earn a $15 Amazon gift card. Each assessment should take approximately 15 minutes. You can evaluate up to three students, which would result in a $45 Amazon gift card - this should take approximately 45 minutes.

You may select ‘skip question’ for any survey item.

Here is the link for the survey: SURVEY LINK

If you have any questions, please contact Dr. Jonathan Cohen at [email protected]
ADHD EXPERT WEBINARS
This webinars will be recorded. Register now and we'll reserve you a spot (even if you can't attend live) AND email you the replay link »
What is Assistive Technology and Why Is It Important?
About this event
All students with disabilities should be considered for assistive technology. How is your school district doing with this? Learn about AT consideration checklists, ways to discuss AT in IEP meetings, AT evaluations, and the importance of training.
Date: July 14, 2021
Time: 12:00pm to 1:00pm
Presented by: Adam Krass
More Information: Dawn Monaco at [email protected]

Special Education Legislative Summit 2023

Typically held in Washington, D.C., during July, the Special Education Legislative Summit (SELS) is an opportunity for educators from across the country to make a difference by advocating for change with Members of Congress.
Mark you calendars for next year's SELS from July 9 to July 13, 2023!
Here’s what this entails:
  • Once-in-a-lifetime opportunities. Town Hall-style events where you can learn from and ask questions of policy experts and Capitol Hill veterans. You will experience first-hand what it’s like to be a decision-maker in Washington.
  • In-depth learning about key issues. SELS Team Leaders and experts from the field will provide updated news and information about the key issues impacting special educators across the country including legislation, appropriations, mental health, educator shortages, and more.
  • Opportunities to improve your advocacy skills with the experts. Learn from people who have done this work before about how to sharpen the message you bring to Members of Congress to advocate for infants, toddlers, children, and youth with exceptionalities. Virtual SELS will give you the support you need and many ways “to meet” with a Member to make a difference.

Special Education Virtual Mini-Conference

What You Need to Know Before Schools Re-Open
About this event
Join us to learn about important considerations related to students with disabilities and special health care needs and school buildings re-opening. You will have an opportunity to submit questions in advance of the mini-conference.
Date: Wed, August 18, 2021
Time: 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM EDT
Presented by: Dr. Kim Buxenbaum, NJ Department of Education and SPAN Parent Advocacy Network team members
More Information: Contact for more information - Jeannine H Brinkley [email protected]

Scholarship Opportunity

Dr. Rosa Hagin Scholarship

Dr. Rosa Hagin was an educational psychologist, teacher, and advocate for children and adults with learning disabilities. She was involved with the Learning Disabilities Association of America for many years and served on the national and New Jersey LDA Professional Advisory Boards. Dr. Hagin was also a pioneer in post-secondary education for adults with learning disabilities as head of an experimental project known as “Another Chance” that addressed vocational as well as academic skills. Upon her death in 2014, Dr. Hagin generously donated money for LDANJ to begin a scholarship fund for students with LD.
Scholarship winners have displayed exceptional scholarship, volunteerism, perseverance, and leadership. Attached is the advice that the 2021 scholarship winners gave to other students as part of their applications.
Click HERE to see Advice from Scholarship Winners

Free Dyslexia Screenings

We offer a limited number of free dyslexia screenings. These screenings are for children in grades K-3, who have never before been tested for learning differences. Though limited in scope, these screenings will help you determine if you need further information about how your child learns.
*Please note that screenings are offered at the Robinowitz Education Center, which is located at 800 North Road, Pennington NJ.

Understanding Is a Key First Step

The Healthy Brain Network initiative offers no-cost mental health and learning evaluations to children ages 5-21. Families are connected with treatment and services in their community on the back end of evaluation.

 

Click HERE for more information
11 Ways to Stimulate ADHD Brains All Summer
This school year has stressed students with ADHD. Our kids desperately need a break from school — and 6+ hours daily on a screen — but not from learning. Studies show that kids can lose up to two months worth of hard-won learning over the summer, but there is hope.
CONTACT ADDITUDE MAGAZINE
News from LDANJ

We're working on some plans for a summer conference, a fall conference, and possibly starting some monthly support group for parents. Watch your emails and follow us on the LDANJ Facebook pages for updates. Not on our email list? Become a member of LDA or email us at [email protected].
Have you heard about Bill S3434?

Do you know a student who is turning 21 in 2021 or 2022 and needs another year of high school?

Please read the attached!  You can make a difference!

 

Click HERE for Bill S3434 Information
Are you a parent who wants to be involved?

Are you a student interested in being a STAMPNJ Leader?

Do you know a student who needs a mentor?

Check out the information attached about STAMP!

Students Teaching Advocacy

through Mentoring Program (STAMP)
Download STAMP FLYER

Opinion 57: Non-Lawyer Special Education Advocates and the Unauthorized Practice of Law – Superseding Opinion 56

 

What You Need To Know

 

On April 9, 2021, the New Jersey Supreme Court’s Committee on the Unauthorized Practice of Law (Committee) issued a new ethics opinion, known as Opinion 57, that addresses the issue of whether non-lawyer advocates can represent or speak on behalf of special education students in IEP meetings and mediation conferences. The Committee determined that non-lawyer advocates are practicing law when they are advising, representing, or speaking on behalf of students at IEP meetings and mediation conferences.

 

However, the Committee recognized that special education is complicated to understand and that there is a lack of lawyers with special education knowledge available to help parents who need them. It is for this primary reason why the Committee determined non-lawyer advocates with special knowledge or training of special education laws and procedures can represent students in IEP meetings and mediation. The Committee made it clear that non-lawyer advocates must have explicit permission from the parent to appear at the IEP meeting without the parent. The explicit permission requirement does not apply to court-appointed special advocate (CASA) volunteers.

 

The Committee also made it clear that non-lawyer advocates must have the parent accompany them during mediation. However, these advocates do not require explicit permission from the parent to communicate with the school district in less formal settings.

 

Read More About Special Education

Resources to Share with Families

 

A Family Guide to Participating in the Child Outcomes Measurement Process

Parents of a young child in an early intervention or early childhood special education program want to be sure these services are helping their child develop and learn. But how can they tell if that is so? One way is to learn about the 3 “child outcomes” measured for every child who participates in such a program. This free handout from the PACER Center explains the 3 outcomes and how parents can participate in the child outcomes measurement process.

 

Comic Books Series Turned into Videos for Children

Want to share with children information about their disability via a video based on a comic book series? Jumo Health has quite a selection of such videos (typically 8+ minutes long) on different disabilities, including: anxiety, asthma, AD/HD, autism, childhood cancer, growth disorders, heart defects, diabetes, food allergies, OCD, sickle cell anemia, and spinal cord injury.

 

How to Spot Depression in Young Children

We tend to think of childhood as a time of innocence and joy, but as many as 2 to 3 percent of children from ages 6 to 12 can have serious depression.
FREE EDUCATION PROGRAM FOR PARENTS OF CHILDREN WITH MENTAL ILLNESS

 

NAMI Basics is a 6-session education program for parents, caregivers and other family who provide care for youth (ages 22 and younger) who are experiencing mental health symptoms. NAMI Basics is available online through NAMI Basics OnDemand.

 

This program is guided by parents and family members with lived experience, is self-paced and available 24/7.
NAMI Basics OnDemand
NAMI Connection Recovery

Support Group is a 60 minute support group for adults (18+) with a mental health condition. Participants gain the support of peers who understand their experience and gain insight into others’ challenges and successes.

 

NAMI Connection Recovery

Support Group

Wednesdays at 12 pm – 1 pm ET

Wednesdays at 7 pm – 8 pm ET
Register Here
NAMI Family Support Group is a 60 minute support group for adult friends and family members (18+) of people with mental health conditions. Participants gain support from peers who understand their experience and gain insight into others’ challenges and successes

 

NAMI Family Support Group

Wednesdays at 7 pm – 8 pm ET

 

The spouse/partner group will meet 2nd and 4th Thursday of the month

 

The sibling group will meet 4th Tuesday of the month
Register Here
The "Educating The Educators" program is an initiative by NAMI NJ to help K-12 educators understand children and youth with mental health disorders.

 

It provides information, strategies and resources that can be utilized in the classroom setting. To learn more about ETE or schedule a presentation, go here.
The “Every Mind Matters” Educator Toolkit, copyrighted by NAMI NJ, is an interactive health supplement designed for students in Grades 5-8 and Grades 9-12 to enhance their knowledge about physical and mental health and strengthen their coping strategies in dealing with stressful feelings and situations.

 

It contains information and resources on mental health, mental illness, the brain, stress relief, anti-stigma and anti-bullying. To learn more about EMM, go here.

Reading with TLC Logo

Grab your FREE webinars and materials now from Reading with TLC
Free Professional Development Opportunities

  • Maryanne Wolf - Keynote Deep Reading in the Digital Age Webinar (2 cont. ed. hrs.)
  • Emily Hanford - Keynote on the Science of Reading Webinar (2 cont. ed. hrs.)
  • Keith & Marianne Nice - Teaching Structured Literacy Online Webinar (2 cont. ed. hrs.)
  • Lively Letters Overview Webinar (1.5 cont. ed. hrs.)
  • Phonics App Instructional Webinar (1.5 cont.ed. hrs.)
  • Nancy Telian & Penny Castagnozzi - Using Lively Letters Online Webinar (2 cont. ed. hrs.)
Register for the Free On Demand Recorded Webinars website
Free Materials

  • Complete Tic Tac Toe Phonics Workbook ($49.95 value)
  • Lively Letters Picture & Plain Letters & Stories
  • Lively Lively Coloring Pages
  • Lively Letters Pictures and Poems
  • Lively Letters Phonics Songs
  • Phonics Worksheets
  • Alphabet Character Hand Washing Coloring Pages
  • List and Description of Common Spelling Rules
  • Irregular Sight Word Pictures and Mnemonic Stories
  • Sight Word Stories You Can Read - Book # 3
  • Phonetic Sight Word List Sorted by Syllable Type
  • Consonant Blends Word List
  • Multisyllable Word Tic Tac Toe Worksheets

 

Share with colleagues & parents for use online & to print.

Grab FREE Materials HERE

READING, WRITING, AND RESEARCHING FOR HISTORY (FROM BOWDOIN COLLEGE)

https://courses.bowdoin.edu/writing-guides/

 

THE SPAN YOUTH HUB

Welcome to the official SPAN Youth Hub blog! Here we will feature weekly resources to empower youth, adult allies, and all other individuals in our communities.
Click HERE  the subscribe button on the top right to follow us by email.

Check out this Facebook group
Website with a fun game that helps a student practice spelling of trick words as well as days of the week, months, colors, and more.
Check it out!

AIM Institute Free Resources and Teachable Moments Videos

Most of AIM's professional learning webinars are recorded and easy to access online at any time. Binge watch our library of Teachable Moments videos featuring literacy researchers sharing their expertise or work through our Pathways to Practice tools and trainings.
A child’s development is a journey. At NeurAbilities Healthcare we have compiled a free resource center to empower parents and caregivers to understand if your child’s development is on track. If you have concerns, it is important to speak with your doctor or a developmental specialist.