Question:

HELP! I have a 5th grader with a disability who will be starting middle school in the fall. I have a lot of anxiety about the change in school, new teachers, new rules, new kids and so much more. Do you have any suggestions that might make the transition easier for me and my son?

Answer:

First, take a deep breath! Transitions are a natural part of life for everyone. Going to a new school, moving to a new state, starting a new job, getting married, or having a baby are just a few of the natural transitions that can occur in life. 

"...Truth has never been more evident than it is today. Schools have the still-untapped possibility of helping all kinds of learners become what they ought to be by developing the skill-and will-to proliferate classrooms in which equal access to excellence is a reality for all learners."
- Carol Ann Tomlinson & Edwin Lou Javius

PEAK Parent Center is a long time member of ASCD, a membership organization that develops programs, products, and services essential to the way educators learn, teach, and lead.

At PEAK's 2013 Conference on Inclusive Education, participants received a copy of "Teach Up for Excellence," an outstanding article by Carol Ann Tomlinson and Edwin Lou Javius published in ASCD's February 2012 issue of Educational Leadership. The authors of this important article share seven principles of teaching up, outlining tangible strategies that provide all students with equal access to be able to achieve excellence in education.

Cuando se diseña de manera individual y se implementa efectivamente, el Plan Educativo Individualizado (Individualized Education Plan, o IEP por sus siglas en inglés), es una herramienta importante que ayuda a asegurar el éxito educativo del estudiante. PEAK está entusiasmado de compartir la Segunda Parte de esta serie de tres partes, Cómo Lograr que el IEP Sirva Para Usted, en donde exploraremos los componentes claves del IEP, incluyendo: Evaluación (Primera Parte), Cómo Pueden las Familias Aprovechar al Máximo esta Valiosa Herramienta (Segunda Parte), y Monitoreo del Progreso (Tercera Parte). No se preocupe si usted se perdió las primeras partes de esta serie. ¡Usted todavía tiene acceso a la Primera y Segunda Parte!

Cómo Lograr que el IEP Sirva Para Usted. Tercera Parte: Monitoreo del Progreso

Hacer que funcione el IEP es a veces la parte más difícil de todo el proceso del IEP. Las verdaderas claves para el éxito son el monitoreo, la comunicación y el ajuste del IEP cuando sea necesario.

A Special Note from Author Joy Smiley Zabala:

The SETT Framework – an acronym for Student, Environments, Tasks and Tools – provides a means for people to combine the unique knowledge each brings to the AT decision-making conversation in a way leads to a shared understanding of the strengths and challenges of the student for whom the technology is being considered, the supports and barriers that are in the student's customary environments and the expected or desired tasks that are difficult or impossible for the student at the present time at the anticipated level of independence. From that shared understanding, it is possible to work together to find the "right" system of tools – devices AND services - that is needed for the student to do what he needs or wants to do where and when it needs to be done. I hope that you will find it useful. Please check out the SETT Scaffolds (at www.joyzabala.com) that can be useful to some and remember that I am always just a fingertip away via email ( This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ) if you have questions or comments.

Social Security's Ticket to Work Program is a free and voluntary program available to people ages 18-64 who are blind or have a disability and who receive Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits.

Ticket to Work can help Social Security beneficiaries go to work, find a job that may lead to a career, save more money, and become financially independent, all while they keep their health coverage!

PEAK's 2013 Conference on Inclusive Education: Same Fish, Different Sea was a smashing success! The conference SOLD OUT, participants attended from Colorado and across the nation with 25 states represented, presenters rocked the house, and evaluation feedback was overwhelmingly positive! Here is a small sampling of comments from participants:

"Great conference that is life changing!"

"This was an awesome and empowering conference that shared relevant and useful information! Lots of incredible, ground-breaking information was shared about inclusion that I will now be able to share with other parents and professionals"