Fall 2010
Losing Your Home? Know Your Child's Education Rights!
Losing your home can be devastating. To minimize the disruption to your child’s life, you can continue to have your students attend the same school they attended before your family became homeless, if you want them to, and it is feasible. This right is protected by the McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Assistance Act. Decisions about all children should be “student-centered” and “individualized.” Your child’s original school will also provide transportation, if necessary, as well as referrals to medical and dental care and food assistance. If low cost medical or dental services are not available in your community, schools can use McKinney-Vento funding to provide these services directly to your child.
¿Esta por perder su casa? Conozca los derechos de educación de su niño(a)
Perder la casa puede ser algo devastador. Para minimizar las dificultades que esto puede causar en la vida de su niño(a), usted puede solicitar que él o ella siga llendo a la misma escuela a la que asistía antes de que su familia se quedara sin hogar, si así lo desea y si es possible. Este derecho está protegido por la Ley Federal McKinney-Vento de Asistencia Educativa a Personas Sin Hogar (McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Assistance Act). Las decisions con respecto a cada niño(a) deben “individualizarse” y “centrarse en el estudiante”. Si fuera necesario, la escuela original de su niño(a) también ofrecerá transporte y recomendaciones para servicios de atención médica, dental y de ayuda con la alimentación. Si en su comunidad no hubiera servicios medicos o dentales a bajo costo, las escuelas pueden usar fondos de McKinney-Vento para brindarle estos servicios directamente a su niño(a).
Ask A Parent Advisor: Parent Teacher Conferences
Q. My son’s school year is about to start. Last year we didn’t have much communication with his teacher, and I felt out of the loop. How can I get off to a better start with this year’s teacher?
Devices and Software Can Help Young Children Communicate
It’s no secret that children have feelings, opinions, and desires they want to express. If your child has autism, developmental delays, or any other disability that makes communication difficult, you already know how frustrating that can be for you and your child.
What you may not know is that an array of communication devices and software can help. Known as augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), these tools can help even very young children express their wants, develop stronger relationships with peers, and find inclusion in the classroom and elsewhere.
What is augmentative and alternative communication
Have you ever passed a note while in class or in a meeting? Waved to someone to greet them? Pointed to something that you couldn’t pronounce? Or texted the address to your meeting place? In all of these examples people are communicating without speaking. They are communicating using augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). AAC is any method of communication that is used in addition to or instead of speech. Augmentative means “in addition to.” Alternative means “instead of.” All people, even those who speak, use different forms of AAC every day. These forms include gestures, facial expressions, body language, writing, drawing, and pointing to objects, words, and pictures in their environment. These forms of AAC do not require technology and are used on their own “instead of” and “in addition to” speech.
Self Advocate’s Corner: Micah Fialka-Feldman
Favorite song: “Not a favorite, but I really like the song ‘Lean On Me’ by Bill Withers”
Two Words to Describe Himself: Funny and a Cool Guy
“If you know your rights and know how to fight for them, you can achieve your dreams and become anything you want.”
- Micah Fialka-Feldman, 2010
Micah Fialka-Feldman recently vacationed with some friends in Colorado. On his trip, Micah stopped by PEAK Parent Center’s office and shared with us some important lessons he’s learned in his life.
PEAK’s 2011 Conference on Inclusive Education: Expand Your Toolbox and Construct New Possibilities February 10-12, 2011
February 10-12, 2011- Denver, Colorado
2011 marks the 25th year of PEAK’s annual conference, and we hope you will attend and join the festivities. With top-notch speakers and sessions, REDUCED registration prices, an interactive Assistive Technology Lab, and a fun and useful Exhibit Marketplace, you won’t want to miss the best year yet!
The contents of this e-Newsletter were developed under a grant from the US Department of Education, #H328M110023. However, those contents do notnecessarily represent the policy of the US Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government. Project Officer, Carmen Sanchez.