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Ohio Coalition for the Education
of Children with Disabilities

Training Descriptions

Click Here for a Printable Training Description List

 

Parents Rights in the Special Education Process - Participants will gain an understanding functional knowledge of parents' rights under IDEA 2004. The six components of FAPE will be discussed and explained. Timelines under IDEA, as well as, the evaluation, referral and testing process will be covered. Participants also will learn and obtain an understanding of mediation, ODE complaint procedures, resolution meetings and due process procedures.

Section 504 - Participants will gain an understanding and functional knowledge of parents rights under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and how it can assist children with disabilities in the educational environment. Participants will review the history behind Section 504, learn the requirements of writing a 504 Accommodation Plan, and learn the differences between an IEP and a 504 Accommodation Plan.

Understanding the Evaluation Process Under IDEA 2004 - Participants will work through a step-by-step process to gain an understanding of the special education evaluation process under IDEA 2004. Participants will learn commonly used terminology. They will learn what an evaluation is, how to request an evaluation, and how to decipher the information written into the Evaluation Team Report. Frequently used evaluation tools will be discussed.

Understanding and Writing an IEP - Participants will gain an understanding of the IEP content and the documentation necessary to develop an IEP. Discussion will focus on who is required to be involved in the development of an IEP and what the parent and school roles are in the process. Each section of the IEP will be reviewed with an explanation of what information is required by IDEA 2004 and what needs to be recorded in the various IEP sections.

Parent/Professional Communication - Participants will review basic communication methods, techniques, and styles to utilize when communicating with parents and professionals. Hands on activities will aid participants in gaining an understanding of the various types of communication, as well as, developing listening skills and how they relate to good communication skills.

Behavior Focused IEPs: How Parents Can Help the IEP Team - Participants will gain an understanding of what a Functional Behavior Assessment is and how to collect the information needed to conduct one. Participants will discuss how the environment affects behavior. They will be given ideas and suggested accommodations that may help eliminate behaviors. Discussion of how to incorporate behavior plans into the IEP also will be addressed.

 

Understanding AD/HD - Participants will gain an understanding of the history of AD/HD and some statistics on AD/HD and the population. Discussion about who is qualified to diagnose AD/HD, how it affects children in school and life, and various techniques and accommodations to support children at home and at school will be presented.

Is Your Child a Target of Bullying? - Participants will gain an understanding of the different types of bullying, symptoms that children display when they are being bullied and the characteristics of a bully. Anti-bullying programs that are available to assist parents and schools will be presented, as well as, how parents can work with schools to create a safer environment and work with their children to teach them what to do if they are bullied.

A Cultural Perspective on Special Education - Understanding how to respect and value the various cultures and how to communicate effectively.

Transition Drives the IEP - Participants will gain an understanding of the importance of transition planning for youth with special needs. Discussion will focus on the requirements under IDEA 2004 for writing a transition plan, when the process should begin, timelines, and who is involved in writing the transition plan. How to encourage youth to express their interests and future plans is presented with the use of transition cards.

A FORMula: For Keeping Records About My Child - This Make-it and Take-it workshop will assist participants in organizing records and documentation that pertain to their child's education and health needs. Discussion of parents' rights under IDEA 2004 and how the documentation can be used to assist parents in developing and IEP and how to work with other agencies will be presented.

Deaf/Hearing Impaired - Participants will learn the different types of hearing loss and how it affects an individual in their educational and social environments. Early detection screening, audiograms and technology used to identify and support those with hearing loss will be presented. Parents will learn strategies to work with their deaf/hearing impaired children and suggestions for accommodations that can be written into their childs IEP.

Who We Are and What We Do – Participants will gain an understanding of the history of the Ohio Coalition for the Education of Children with Disabilities and what services and supports are offered to parents and professionals throughout the state of Ohio. Available OCECD trainings, materials and publications also are addressed.

IEP Clinics – Parents bring their child’s IEP for an OCECD representative to review. Pre-registration appointments are scheduled to ensure sufficient time to review and discuss questions and concerns parents may have about their child’s IEP. Parents will leave with a better understanding of their child’s IEP and a plan on how to work with their schools in developing future IEPs.

Spotlight on the Family - Participants will discuss commonalities of family needs. Discussion will focus on techniques on parenting children with and without disabilities, keeping family balance and harmony in the home. Participants will discover how stress affects individual family members and the family unit, plus what techniques can be used to work through difficult and stressful times.

Individual Development - Participants will review the developmental stages of a child's growth, with common characteristics and traits being discussed. Stages of brain development and how to stimulate dendrite growth are addressed along with the emotional and temperamental needs of children.

It’s My Turn (IMT) - A self-determination curriculum for students with disabilities age 14 and over. Developed by the Ohio Coalition for the Education of Children with Disabilities (OCECD) through funding from the Ohio Rehabilitation Services Commission & currently supported by the Ohio Department of Education, Office for Exceptional Children, the workshops include five sections: The Laws, Employability, Post Secondary Option, Living Skills and Community Participation. This two or three day training, scheduled through the local school districts, concludes with a parent night for the community, school, and parents to celebrate the student’s achievements.

Here is a video describing our It's My Turn training.

Enriching the Learning Environment - Participants will develop an awareness of the need and importance of a stimulating, rich environment for children. Discussion will include Howard Gardner's Eight Intelligence Theory, with examples of how to develop the various intelligences in children. Participants will learn to play by creating various projects such as sidewalk chalk, bubble cups, and fingerpaint.

All About Reading - Participants will learn what basic foundational steps are needed to learn to read. Rhyme, rhythm, pictures, phonemic awareness are all discussed and applied with a hands on approach. Books such as Hip Hop Who, Good Dog Carl, and Chick Chicka Boom Boom are reviewed. Story telling techniques will be demonstrated. How to recognize if a child is having difficulty reading and what some of the warning signs of a possible disability will also be discussed.

Taking The Sting Out of Behavior - Participants will learn how to work with children to eliminate inappropriate behaviors and how to teach children skills that allow them to self-monitor their actions. The difference between punishment and discipline will be discussed. The various types of behavior and the techniques and methods for working with behaviors also are presented.

Services and Supports - Participants will gain an awareness of services and supports that are available to families of children with disabilities from local schools and from state and local agencies. The difference between a service and a support will be discussed. Participants will learn how to determine what services and supports their child may need by developing an individualized education program (IEP).

Follow the Yellow Brick Road to Transition - Participants will gain an understanding of the transition process from Early Intervention Programs to Preschool Programs as required under IDEA 2004. Discussion will focus on what transition means, why it is important to have a plan, what information needs to be written into a successful plan and how to individualize a transition plan. Participants also will learn the requirements under IDEA 2004 as to who should be involved in writing the transition plan and the required timelines.

Autism Awareness - Participants will be informed onthe five types of Autism and the three developmental areas most commonly affected by a diagnosis of autism. Discussion will address Individual Education Program (IEP) goals along with strategies and possible methodologies for educating children identified on the Autistic Spectrum. A comparison between services received through the Autism Scholarship Program and public school IEP programs also will be discussed.