Search

10 West Edge Drive
Suite 101
Durham, NH 03824

Phone: 603.862.4320
Fax: 603.862.0555

E-mail

Employment Sector Job Training Programs for Young Adults

2010Research to Practice Series: The Pathway from High School to a Career - Session 2 of 4

Description

Research to Practice Series Overview:
The 2010 Research to Practice Series focuses on several unique strategies for developing effective, outcome-based educational experiences that promote the successful transition of students with disabilities and students at risk to their chosen post-secondary experiences. The four sessions feature distinct content and objectives, including student-directed models support the development of career goals, sector-based strategies that link high school programs to employers and post-secondary education, ways to use assistive technology to improve educational and employment outcomes, and a school-wide framework that allows educators, parents, and students to utilize the emphasized high school reform.

Session 2: Employment Sector Job Training Programs for Young Adults
This workshop will provide an overview of the Project SEARCH model in Nashua and the START Hospitality Certificate at Great Bay Community College. St. Joseph Hospital’s Project SEARCH is a school-to-work program for students with cognitive and physical disabilities. By offering total workplace immersion, Project SEARCH facilitates a seamless combination of classroom instruction, career exploration, and on-the-job training and support. The model provides real-life work experience combined with training in employability and independent living skills. The START (Skills, Tasks, and Results Training) Hospitality Certificate at Great Bay Community College is a job training certificate program for young people with disabilities. The workshop presenters will outline the ideal candidate for the program, and methods used by the program to successfully blend resources from different funding streams available to transition-age youth.

Participants will have a better understanding of how to develop regional, sector-based employment programs for young adults with disabilities, including how to build relationships and bring partners to the table.

Who Should Attend:
Vocational rehabilitation counselors, job coaches, employment specialists, special education, transition counselors, guidance counselors, area agency staff, community education, employers from the health care and hospitality sectors, and others interested in employment.

Notes:
NH RESPONDS is a five-year federally funded State Personnel Development Grant from the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs, awarded to New Hampshire. The project includes comprehensive training and support in five demonstration sites (K-12 schools and early childhood programs), statewide workshops, the creation and enhancement of undergraduate and graduate coursework, and the revision of education certification requirements in certain specialty areas.

Presenters: Heidi Howard Wyman, Jennifer LeDuc Cusato, and Emily Manire

Heidi Howard Wyman, MSW, works for Strafford Learning Center as the director of the Transition Resource Network (TRN). TRN is a regional intermediary or “hub” for people and programs concerned with young people making a successful transition to life after high school. As TRN director, Ms. Wyman provides technical assistance to individuals, families, schools, and organizations using evidence-based practices that are strength-based, and helps individuals develop personalized goals and plans for learning and living. She also facilitates networking and collaboration on a variety of projects aimed at increasing job training, employment, and independent living opportunities for all youth, particularly youth with disabilities.

Jennifer LeDuc Cusato is a New Hampshire native and grew up in Dunbarton, NH. After graduating from the University of New Hampshire with a BA in Communications, her first job was as a news producer at WMUR-TV ABC 9 in Manchester, NH. After her time at WMUR-TV, Ms. LeDuc Cusato moved on to a position as the Community Relations Manager at Barnes & Noble in Salem, NH. She has also worked for Pierce Law Center in Concord, NH as Assistant Director of Admissions, and was later employed in a similar position at New England College, where she received a Master of Science in Management. Currently, Ms. LeDuc Cusato is Manager of Marketing and Community Relations at LinkAbilities, a program of Gateways Community Services.

Emily Manire, MSW, is the Director of LinkAbilities. Ms. Manire received her BA from Hamilton College in Clinton, NY and then moved to Boston, MA for eight years, where she began her professional career in social work. While in Boston, she worked with both children and adults, particularly in the capacity of serving individuals with disabilities for the purposes of service coordination, referral and networking, and job development. While working in the field, she attended Wheelock College in Boston to attain her Masters in Social Work. In 2007, Ms. Manire was offered the position of Project Manager of the Medicaid Infrastructure Grant with Gateways Community Services. Since arriving, she has had the opportunity to start LinkAbilities, a new program and community resource for people with disabilities, employers, and service providers. Ms. Manire has worked with both statewide and local teams to improve employment outcomes for individuals with disabilities.

back to top...

The Paraeducator's Toolbox: Preschool & Elementary School

Practical Strategies to Support Academic Achievement for Students with Learning and Behavioral Challenges

Description

Over the past five years, we have made a transition from perceiving situations in which a child exhibits challenging behaviors as a problem with the child to perceiving these situations as a problem with the environment (context). We no longer respond to these situations in ways that attempt to manage children, but in ways that identify and modify environmental variables to improve a child's quality of life through meaningful participation in both academic and social activities.

This workshop has been specifically designed for staff that work with preschool through elementary aged children and will explore a variety of proactive approaches that promote successful academic outcomes, social competency, independence, and resiliency. We will examine the role that "context" plays in children's behavior and will explore the various components of PBIS including meeting children's basic needs and modifying environments to better meet the social, emotional, and learning needs of children.

Workshop Agenda:

• Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS): How it has changed our approach to supporting students with challenging behaviors
• Meeting basic needs and building relationships
• Understanding "function" and the meaning of behavior
• Choices, teaching alternatives, and acknowledging the positive
• Providing instructional accommodations that help students access the general education curriculum
• Supporting social competencies and promoting independence

Presenter: Cathy Apfel, M.Ed.

Cathy Apfel, M.Ed., has spent the last 38 years as a teacher, administrator, and consultant in the field of special education. She currently provides training and technical assistance to schools throughout New Hampshire to enhance their ability to provide successful experiences for children with disabilities. Specific areas of expertise include PBIS, Autism Spectrum Disorders, and strategies for supporting children with emotional and behavioral challenges. She is also an adjunct instructor at Rivier College, Antioch University New England, Granite State College, and Fitchburg State College.

back to top...

Person-Centered Planning for Older Adults

Facilitation Skills Training in Consumer-Directed Life Planning

Description

Person-centered planning is a unique, individually-focused approach to planning for persons who are in need of services and supports. This workshop offers an introduction to person-centered planning, including an overview of a person-centered system of care. Information on how to facilitate person-centered planning meetings and tools to use in the planning process, specifically focused on planning with older adults, will also be presented.

Who Should Attend:
Case managers, social workers, nurses, long term care specialists, clinicians, family members, and others involved in planning with older adults.

*Approved by the NH Chapter NASW for 6.0 Category I Continuing Education Credits for Social Workers.

Presenters: Susan Fox, M.Ed., MA & Patty Cotton, M.Ed.

Susan Fox, M.Ed., MA, is currently a project director at the UNH Institute on Disability leading NH's work to prevent unnecessary institutionalization and to support all citizens to live within their home communities through the Real Choice System Transformation Grant in collaboration with the NH Bureau of Elderly and Adult Services. Prior to this, she served for five years as the State Director of the Division of Developmental Services. Including her years working in special education and community services management, she has been active in regional and statewide initiatives involving persons with disabilities for over 30 years.

Patty Cotton, M.Ed., is the director of Innovation Facilitators (IF), a network of experienced trainers and facilitators who have organized to support the evolution of person-centered planning. Patty works jointly with the Institute on Disability and the Browne Center for experiential learning at UNH to establish IF as a centralized resource for person-centered planning for people with disabilities, older adults, and families. Patty has coordinated numerous federally funded projects with a particular focus on model demonstration and system-change in adult services. She has extensive background in process facilitation, service brokering, and the development of natural support strategies.

back to top...

The Paraeducator's Toolbox: Middle School & High School

Practical Strategies to Support Academic Achievement for Students with Learning and Behavioral Challenges

Description

Over the past five years, we have made a transition from perceiving situations in which a student exhibits challenging behaviors as a problem with the student to perceiving these situations as a problem with the environment (context). We no longer respond to these situations in ways that attempt to manage students, but in ways that identify and modify environmental variables to improve a student's quality of life through meaningful participation in both academic and social activities.

This training was specifically designed to provide paraeducators that work with students in middle school and high school settings with effective approaches to meet the very specific and complex needs of adolescents with social, emotional, learning, and behavioral challenges. Come explore the nature and needs of adolescents along with practical strategies for managing problem behavior, promoting student engagement in the learning process, and developing social competence.

Workshop Agenda:

• The adolescent brain and adolescents' nature and needs
• Learning styles, instruction, and student engagement: Strategies for success
• Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS): How it has changed our approach to supporting students with challenging behaviors
• Meeting needs and building relationships
• Understanding "function"
• The conflict cycle
• Troubled and troubling students: Supporting social competence for youth with social difficulties

Presenter: Cathy Apfel, M.Ed.

Cathy Apfel, M.Ed., has spent the last 38 years as a teacher, administrator, and consultant in the field of special education. She currently provides training and technical assistance to schools throughout New Hampshire to enhance their ability to provide successful experiences for children with disabilities. Specific areas of expertise include PBIS, Autism Spectrum Disorders, and strategies for supporting children with emotional and behavioral challenges. She is also an adjunct instructor at Rivier College, Antioch University New England, Granite State College, and Fitchburg State College.

back to top...

From Special Educator to Inclusion Faciliator: Role Revelations and Revolutions

Fundamentals of Inclusive Education: Session 3 of 4

Description

The traditional Special Educator is responsible for the educational programs of a "case load" of students. His or her main job is to assure that students' Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) are administered as written, following the rules and regulations of the school and IDEA. The Inclusion Facilitator is responsible for supporting students' full membership, participation, and learning in age-appropriate general education classrooms in their neighborhood schools. This includes promoting learning of the general education curriculum as well as the goals on students' IEPs. This workshop will discuss strategies for affecting this role shift in schools.

Who Should Attend:
General and Special education teachers and administrators, paraprofessionals, speech language pathologists, occupational therapists, physical therapists, reading specialists, behavior consultants, college faculty, and parents who are concerned with promoting high quality inclusive education for students with intellectual and/or other developmental disabilities (e.g., autism, multiple disabilities, etc.).

Presenter: Cheryl M. Jorgensen, Ph.D.

Cheryl M. Jorgensen, Ph.D., is project director and assistant research professor with the Institute on Disability at the University of New Hampshire. She directs a teacher education project that prepares special education teachers to be inclusion facilitators. She is also the director of the National Inclusive Education Initiative for Students with Autism and Related Disabilities, supported by the Fund for the Improvement of Education.

Since 1985, Dr. Jorgensen has worked with public school teachers, parents, and administrators to increase their commitment to and capacity for including students with disabilities in general education classes. For the past several years, her work has focused on the restructuring of policies, organizational structures, and teaching practices that naturally facilitate inclusion and learning for all students.

She is the lead author of "Restructuring High Schools for All Students," "The Inclusion Facilitator's Guide," and "The Beyond Access Model: Promoting Membership, Participation, and Learning for Students with Disabilities in the General Education Classroom."

back to top...

Response to Intervention in Early Childhood Education

A Three-Part Workshop Series

Description

This three-part workshop series will provide information, tools, and strategies to use an RTI framework for preschool-age children. Participants will learn to organize their classrooms, assess their students, and use data to make decision to increase social and emotional development, positive behavior support, and emergent literacy skills.

Monday, March 15: Focus on Universal Instruction in Social/Emotional and Emergent Literacy
Monday, April 12: Focus on Small Group Instruction for Students Needing Additional Support
Monday, May 17: Focus on Individualized Support for Students with Intensive Needs

Who Should Attend:
Local child care providers, preschool teachers and directors, Head Start, and family child care providers

Sponsored by NH RESPONDS.

Presenters: Leigh Rohde, M.Ed., and Tina Pomerleau

Leigh began working at the Institute in 1993. Prior work included teaching in a special education preschool program and as a family support worker in an early intervention program. She began at the Institute by providing technical assistance and training around elementary school inclusion. She has served as project coordinator for the Granite Ladders Project, a five-year research project evaluating the effectiveness of a literacy curriculum in Head Start classrooms, funded by the U.S. Dept. of Education, Institute of Education Sciences and the Community Options project, a model demonstration project promoting inclusive options for preschoolers. Leigh currently provides technical assistance and training for school districts and community providers in the areas of inclusion, literacy, and Response to Intervention.

Tina Pomerleau is the Early Childhood Coordinator at the New Hampshire Center for Effective Behavioral Interventions and Supports (NH CEBIS) at the Southeastern Regional Education Service Center (SERESC).

back to top...

Building and Using an Assistive Technology Transformer Kit for Solving Everyday Challenges in the Classroom

Assistive and Universal Design Technologies: Session 5 of 6

Description

Assistive and Universal Design Technologies Series Overview:
Achieving educational success for students who experience a disability is a team effort. During times of economic challenges, a great opportunity exists for innovative and creative thinking in order to obtain needed solutions. This professional development series focuses on the development and implementation of quick and cost effective assistive technology solutions as well as embracing universally design technology to support all students.

Session 5: Building and Using an Assistive Technology Transformer Kit for Solving Everyday Challenges in the Classroom
Each participant will make their very own assistive technology transformer kit that can be used to solve everyday challenges in minutes. This transformer kit includes various PVC components, tubing, flagpole holders, a PVC cutter, dual lock, and Tommy tape. In addition, each participant will use the components and fabricate at least 15 different assistive technology solutions.

RESNA (Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America) CEUs are available for an additional $16 per session if requested.

Presenter: Therese Willkomm, Ph.D.

Dr. Willkomm is currently the Director of the New Hampshire Statewide Assistive Technology Program (ATinNH) with the Institute on Disability and a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Occupational Therapy at the University of New Hampshire. In addition, Dr. Willkomm is the coordinator of the Graduate Certificate in Assistive Technology Program and the coordinator of the Disability Studies Minor. She has been providing/managing assistive technology services for over 28 years in the areas of home, school, and worksite modifications for persons with disabilities. She is known nationally and internationally as "The MacGyver of Assistive Technology" and for her work in rural rehabilitation technology. Dr. Willkomm has presented in 38 states, five foreign counties, and three U.S. territories and authored 22 publications including her most recent book titled "Make a Difference Today - Assistive Technology Solutions in Minutes."

back to top...

Picture This! The Art of Graphic Facilitation

Description

Meetings are Costly
Organizations and groups invest substantial resources (i.e. salaries, time, energy) in bringing people together to accomplish complex collaborative tasks and goals. Often, these groups have little more than an agenda to guide them and someone charged with taking notes or "meeting minutes." This is a little like hiring a team of carpenters and telling them to "build a house" without providing tools to make the job easier or a blueprint so people can see how parts intersect to form a comprehensive whole.

Graphic Facilitation Adds Value
Graphic facilitation adds another layer of clarity to communication--a visual language--to help people with diverse ideas, beliefs, and learning styles work and think together. By tightly integrating words with visual images, people can see "...at a glance they key parts of a whole and their relations, thereby allowing a holistic understanding that words alone cannot convey" (Jones, Pierce & Hunter). In fact, the benefits of using visual language to aid comprehension are well-documented. For example, research of visual language in business environments has found that it:

• Produces better problem solving
• Produces higher scores in less time (comprehension and learning
• Aids decision-making, promotes group consensus, and shortens meeting time
• Is persuasive and makes a better impression

This workshop will offer participants an accelerated learning experience in graphic recording and facilitation. Through a series of structured practice sessions, participants will develop basic skills in using visual language to record the give and take of conversation during meetings. Examples of visual strategic planning and problem solving tools that a facilitator can use to organize information "in the moment" will be demonstrated. Ways to display this developmental model for learning to create or customize tools and visual templates to "meet groups where they are at" will be shared.

Who Should Attend:

• People who spend time in frustrating meetings
• Facilitators who want to expand their toolboxes
• Educators interested in learning simple ways to accommodate multiple learning styles
• Counselors, case managers, coaches, and other practitioners involved in guiding people through self-discovery processes

Workshop Agenda:

• Orientation to graphic facilitation
• The building blocks of visual language
• Recording practice
• Organizing information to support group process
• Graphic Keyboard (Sibbet)
• View templates
  

Presenter: Patty Cotton, M.Ed.

Patty directs Innovation Facilitators (IF), a new service initiative offering educational programs, facilitation services and professional development related to creative planning, strategic visioning, and consumer and family-directed service designs. IF is dedicated to advancing the standards of excellence in person-centered planning to support the shift from placing people in programs, to creating personalized support arrangements that are highly customized to the unique interests and needs of individuals. Patty works jointly with the Institute on Disability and the Browne Center for experiential learning at UNH to establish IF as a centralized resource for people with disabilities and families to hire an “independent” facilitator to guide them through person-centered planning. Since joining the Institute on Disability in 1989, Patty has coordinated numerous federally funded projects with a particular focus on model demonstration and system-change in adult services. She has extensive background in process facilitation, service brokering, and the development of natural support strategies. Patty has authored several publications on person-centered planning and natural supports, and provides training at both the state and national levels.

back to top...

Person-Centered Planning for Older Adults

Facilitation Skills Training in Consumer-Directed Life Planning

Description

Person-centered planning is a unique, individually-focused approach to planning for persons who are in need of services and supports. This workshop offers an introduction to person-centered planning, including an overview of a person-centered system of care. Information on how to facilitate person-centered planning meetings and tools to use in the planning process, specifically focused on planning with older adults, will also be presented.

Who Should Attend:
Case managers, social workers, nurses, long term care specialists, clinicians, family members, and others involved in planning with older adults.

*Approved by the NH Chapter NASW for 6.0 Category I Continuing Education Credits for Social Workers.

Presenters: Susan Fox, M.Ed., MA & Patty Cotton, M.Ed.

Susan Fox, M.Ed., MA, is currently a project director at the UNH Institute on Disability leading NH's work to prevent unnecessary institutionalization and to support all citizens to live within their home communities through the Real Choice System Transformation Grant in collaboration with the NH Bureau of Elderly and Adult Services. Prior to this, she served for five years as the State Director of the Division of Developmental Services. Including her years working in special education and community services management, she has been active in regional and statewide initiatives involving persons with disabilities for over 30 years.

Patty Cotton, M.Ed., is the director of Innovation Facilitators (IF), a network of experienced trainers and facilitators who have organized to support the evolution of person-centered planning. Patty works jointly with the Institute on Disability and the Browne Center for experiential learning at UNH to establish IF as a centralized resource for person-centered planning for people with disabilities, older adults, and families. Patty has coordinated numerous federally funded projects with a particular focus on model demonstration and system-change in adult services. She has extensive background in process facilitation, service brokering, and the development of natural support strategies.

back to top...

From Knowing to Doing: Sharing Inclusive Education Lessons and Problem-Solving the Challenges

Fundamentals of Inclusive Education: Session 4 of 4

Description

This practical, hands-on workshop will provide an opportunity for educators to share inclusive education lessons they have taught and receive constructive feedback from their colleagues and the presenter for improving those lessons in the future. A climate of trust and respect will be established so that participants feel safe in disclosing uncertainties and examples of when instructional plans did not work well.

Who Should Attend:
General and Special education teachers and administrators, paraprofessionals, speech language pathologists, occupational therapists, physical therapists, reading specialists, behavior consultants, college faculty, and parents who are concerned with promoting high quality inclusive education for students with intellectual and/or other developmental disabilities (e.g., autism, multiple disabilities, etc.).

Presenter: Cheryl M. Jorgensen, Ph.D.

Cheryl M. Jorgensen, Ph.D., is project director and assistant research professor with the Institute on Disability at the University of New Hampshire. She directs a teacher education project that prepares special education teachers to be inclusion facilitators. She is also the director of the National Inclusive Education Initiative for Students with Autism and Related Disabilities, supported by the Fund for the Improvement of Education.

Since 1985, Dr. Jorgensen has worked with public school teachers, parents, and administrators to increase their commitment to and capacity for including students with disabilities in general education classes. For the past several years, her work has focused on the restructuring of policies, organizational structures, and teaching practices that naturally facilitate inclusion and learning for all students.

She is the lead author of "Restructuring High Schools for All Students," "The Inclusion Facilitator's Guide," and "The Beyond Access Model: Promoting Membership, Participation, and Learning for Students with Disabilities in the General Education Classroom."

back to top...

IntelliTools Level II: Next Steps with Classroom Suite 4

Assistive and Universal Design Technologies: Session 6 of 6

Description

Assistive and Universal Design Technologies Series Overview:
Achieving educational success for students who experience a disability is a team effort. During times of economic challenges, a great opportunity exists for innovative and creative thinking in order to obtain needed solutions. This professional development series focuses on the development and implementation of quick and cost effective assistive technology solutions as well as embracing universally design technology to support all students.

Session 6: IntelliTools Level II: Next Steps with Classroom Suite 4*
This intermediate, hands-on session will take you beyond the basics of using Classroom Suite 4. Learn how to download and customize activities from the IntelliTools Activity Exchange, as well as create your own activities from scratch using the blank Paint, Design, Writing, and Math Creativity Tools files. Utilize new tools and actions for creating or editing, including working with Scriptable Bins, Arrays, Number Lines, Sorting Bins, and more.

*A laptop with an administrative password for downloading and installation is required for this session.
*Workshop pre-requisite: Level I or other introductory Classroom Suite 4 course. Please call 603.228.2084 for more information.

RESNA (Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America) CEUs are available for an additional $16 per session if requested.

Presenter: Dan Herlihy

Dan Herlihy has been in the education field for over 24 years working in wilderness programs for at-risk students, in special education classrooms, and as a private consultant providing training and professional development to school systems. He is also an IntelliTools Training Specialist. He presents nationally on numerous topics including creating access on the fly, working with high and low incidence disabilities, creating accessible test, quiz, and alternate assessment activities, and more. He has written numerous books and articles on technology integration, as well as producing CDs of educational activities for students. His expertise is in taking diverse technologies, and connecting them together to provide solutions for access to the curriculum.

back to top...

"You're Going to Love This Kid!": Educating Students with Autism in Inclusive Schools

Engaging All Learners with Paula Kluth: Session 1 of 2

Description

This interactive day features group activities, real-world stories, and tools you can bring back to the classroom immediately. Participants will learn practical ways of supporting students with autism spectrum labels and other disabilities within a general education classroom. The centerpiece of the presentation is Paula's "Top Ten Strategies List for Inclusive Classrooms" in which she addresses the need for sensory supports, visuals, active learning, "safe space", and materials that capitalize on student strengths. Other topics addressed include defining (and redefining) autism, listening to the voices of those with autism, differentiating instruction, creating more responsive lessons, making the classroom comfortable, and providing opportunities for communication skill development. The presentation provides teachers with the necessary knowledge and strategies to understand every student as complex, as capable, and as a learner.

Participants will:

• compare and contrast definitions of autism
• learn how some people with autism see and experience schooling
• learn the benefits of inclusive schools for students with autism
• learn 3-5 active learning techniques appropriate for K-12 classrooms
• learn 10+ ideas for adapting curriculum and instruction to meet the needs of diverse learners
• learn techniques for supporting the development of communication skills and competencies in inclusive classrooms

Sponsored by the National Inclusive Education Initiative.

Parking: Participants will receive a voucher at registration for a $5 discounted parking rate.

Presenter: Paula Kluth, Ph.D.

Dr. Paula Kluth is a consultant, teacher, author, advocate, and independent scholar who works with teachers and families to provide inclusive opportunities for students with disabilities and to create more responsive and engaging schooling experiences for all learners. Paula is a former special educator who has served as a classroom teacher, consulting teacher, and inclusion facilitator. Her research and professional interests include differentiating instruction, and supporting students with autism and significant disabilities in inclusive classrooms.

She is the author or co-author of eight books including "You're Going to Love This Kid!": Teaching Students with Autism in Inclusive Classrooms; Access to Academics: Critical Approaches to Inclusive Curriculum, Instruction, and Policy, A Land We Can Share: Teaching Literacy to Students with Autism; Joyful Learning: Active and Collaborative Learning in the Inclusive Classroom; You're Welcome: 30 Innovative Ideas for Inclusive Schools, and Just Give Him the Whale: 20 Ways to Support & Honor the Passions & Interests of Students with Autism. Paula is also the director of a new documentary film titled "We Thought You'd Never Ask": Voices of People with Autism.

back to top...

Joyful Learning: Creating Active and Differentiated Instruction

Engaging All Learners with Paula Kluth: Session 2 of 2

Description

Too often, a "one-size-fits-all" approach is used to design lessons, leaving some learners struggling to participate and leaving teachers feeling they have not reached all of their students. In this interactive session, participants will apply principles of differentiation by exploring a number of collaborative, active, and brain-compatible learning techniques aimed at engaging students and making learning joyful. The featured structures can be used to build community, help students study and review, teach whole-class lessons, and assess student learning. The session is appropriate for teachers in K-12 classrooms and is structured for participants to experience these active techniques through demonstration.

Participants will:

• learn a definition of active learning
• learn about research that supports the use of active and collaborative learning
• explore the connection between active & collaborative learning and differentiated instruction
• learn at least 12 active learning techniques appropriate for K-12 classrooms
• be able to adapt active and collaborative structures for students who need more support or enrichment

Sponsored by the National Inclusive Education Initiative.

Parking: Participants will receive a voucher at registration for a $5 discounted parking rate.

Presenter: Paula Kluth, Ph.D.

Dr. Paula Kluth is a consultant, teacher, author, advocate, and independent scholar who works with teachers and families to provide inclusive opportunities for students with disabilities and to create more responsive and engaging schooling experiences for all learners. Paula is a former special educator who has served as a classroom teacher, consulting teacher, and inclusion facilitator. Her research and professional interests include differentiating instruction, and supporting students with autism and significant disabilities in inclusive classrooms.

She is the author or co-author of eight books including "You're Going to Love This Kid!": Teaching Students with Autism in Inclusive Classrooms; Access to Academics: Critical Approaches to Inclusive Curriculum, Instruction, and Policy, A Land We Can Share: Teaching Literacy to Students with Autism; Joyful Learning: Active and Collaborative Learning in the Inclusive Classroom; You're Welcome: 30 Innovative Ideas for Inclusive Schools, and Just Give Him the Whale: 20 Ways to Support & Honor the Passions & Interests of Students with Autism. Paula is also the director of a new documentary film titled "We Thought You'd Never Ask": Voices of People with Autism.

back to top...

Introductory Training for Facilitated Communication

Description

This workshop will provide participants with a general overview of Facilitated Communication (FC), a method of augmentative and alternative communication used by people with limited speaking abilities. Topics covered will include the history of FC, basic elements of the FC technique, determining candidacy for FC, and a review of current research and best practices. Examples and demonstrations of the use of FC with both school age individuals and adults will be given. This workshop will provide information to people who are interested in gaining basic understanding in FC. It is also a prerequisite for people who will become facilitators for individuals who use FC.

Workshop Agenda:

• History of FC
• What is FC and who is it for? Definitions and candidacy
• Basic elements of the technique including the role of physical support
• Overview of the training process for FC
• Best practice guidelines for the use of FC
• Overview of research on FC
• Achieving independence and determining success with FC

Presenter: Pascal Cheng, M.Ed., C.A.S.

Pascal Cheng has a M.Ed. and a C.A.S. in Special Education from the University of Vermont. He is currently an educational and communication specialist for Howard Center Services in Burlington, Vermont, providing training and technical assistance for communication and literacy in both school and community settings. He has been an FC trainer and consultant for over ten years and serves as a member of the Vermont Communication Task Force, a group that works to improve communication supports and services for individuals with developmental disabilities in the state of Vermont.

back to top...

Assistive Technology and Transition

2010 Research to Practice Series: The Pathway from High School to a Career - Session 3 of 4

Description

Research to Practice Series Overview:
The 2010 Research to Practice Series focuses on several unique strategies for developing effective, outcome-based educational experiences that promote the successful transition of students with disabilities and students at risk to their chosen post-secondary experiences. The four sessions feature distinct content and objectives, including student-directed models support the development of career goals, sector-based strategies that link high school programs to employers and post-secondary education, ways to use assistive technology to improve educational and employment outcomes, and a school-wide framework that allows educators, parents, and students to utilize the emphasized high school reform.

Session 3: Assistive Technology and Transition
This hands-on interactive workshop will provide examples of how assistive technology can be used to assist students transitioning from school to work, to post-secondary education or to community living. Presented examples will include devices to increase independence and productivity and effective use of electronic memory and prompting devices. Assistive technology transition planning tools will also be shared. Participants will be able to describe at least 10 different assistive technology solutions that can help students before, during, and after transition. Participants will also be able to identify strategies that can be used in assistive technology transition planning to achieve success.

Who Should Attend:
Special educators, paraeducators, disability support services staff, job coaches, community services support staff, parents, students, and others.

Notes:
NH RESPONDS is a five-year federally funded State Personnel Development Grant from the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs, awarded to New Hampshire. The project includes comprehensive training and support in five demonstration sites (K-12 schools and early childhood programs), statewide workshops, the creation and enhancement of undergraduate and graduate coursework, and the revision of education certification requirements in certain specialty areas.

Presenter: Therese Willkomm, Ph.D.

Dr. Willkomm is currently the Director of the New Hampshire Statewide Assistive Technology Program (ATinNH) with the Institute on Disability and a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Occupational Therapy. In addition, Dr. Willkomm is the coordinator of the Graduate Certificate in Assistive Technology Program and the coordinator of the Disability Studies Minor. She has been in engage in providing/managing assistive technology services for over 28 years in the areas of home, school, and worksite modifications for persons with disabilities. She is known nationally and internationally as "The Macgyver of Assistive Technology" and for her work in rural rehabilitation technology. Dr. Willkomm has presented in 38 states, five foreign counties, and three U.S. Territories and authored 22 publications including her most recent book titled "Make A Difference Today ' Assistive Technology Solutions in Minutes."

back to top...

Facilitated Communication 2: Beyond the Basics

Description

This workshop will provide in-depth information on selected topics in facilitated communication (FC). The topics covered in this workshop will include literacy, developing independence for FC users, developing conversational skills of FC users, research on FC, methods of teaching authorship skills to FC users, and the use of technology for FC users. This workshop will be useful for people who have experience with FC and wish to advance their knowledge and skills with the method.

Participants will be able to:

• Describe the connections between reading, writing, and FC.
• Identify strategies for expanding the literacy skills of individuals who use FC.
• Identify strategies for assisting FC users in developing independent communication skills.
• Design a plan to teach conversational skills for individuals they work with.
• Select appropriate technology options for individuals they are working with.
• Describe the research on FC and methods of comparing and interpreting different research studies on FC.
• Identify strategies for teaching authorship skills to FC users.

Presenter: Pascal Cheng, M.Ed., C.A.S.

Pascal Cheng has a M.Ed. and a C.A.S. in Special Education from the University of Vermont. He is currently an educational and communication specialist for Howard Center Services in Burlington, Vermont, providing training and technical assistance for communication and literacy in both school and community settings. He has been an FC trainer and consultant for over ten years and serves as a member of the Vermont Communication Task Force, a group that works to improve communication supports and services for individuals with developmental disabilities in the state of Vermont.

back to top...

Student Personalization

Personal Plans for Progress and Student-Led Conferences

Description

High school research shows that students who are goal driven will be more engaged in their own learning. This workshop will help school teams of administrators, teachers, and students utilize and implement processes, including Personal Plans for Progress and Student-Led Conferences, to encourage students to be goal driven. Personal Plans for Progress provide the framework for each student’s academic plan, college planning, and parent involvement. A Student-Led Conference involves articulating reflections of past learning and experiences, and verbalizing their commitment to concrete “action plans” for the future. Together, these two processes can effectively move student’s plans from paper to actualization. Participants will leave with an action plan to guide the development of these processes in their schools.

Who Should Attend:
School administrators, teachers, and students are encouraged to attend, with preference given to school-based teams.

Presenter: Joe DiMartino

Joe DiMartino is president of the Center for Secondary School Redesign, Inc. CSSR is recognized as a national leader in providing technical assistance in the redesign of middle and high schools. Prior to the founding of CSSR, Joe served for nine years as director of the Secondary School Redesign program of the Education Alliance at Brown University. In addition to writing numerous published articles, Joe has co-authored and co-edited several books on personalizing the high school experience and creating student-centered learning.

back to top...

Powerful Tools for Caregivers

Class Leader Training

Description

This 2 1/2 day training will give participants the knowledge, skills, and tools to teach the course, Powerful Tools for Caregivers (PTC). This course, developed by Legacy Health System in Portland, OR, is a six-week educational program to provide family caregivers of older adults with tools to increase their self-care and confidence. PTC is a nationally recognized train-the-trainer model program, with a scripted curriculum. There are trained PTC Class Leaders in over 20 states and the program has reached 15,000 caregivers nationwide. PTC Class Leaders work in pairs.

In the years since the PTC program was conceived, a great deal of research, evaluation, and revision has been done to ensure its continued value and success. The six-week PTC class has been shown to have a positive impact on caregiver health for a diverse group of caregivers including rural, ethnic minorities, adult children of aging parents, well-spouses/partners, caregivers at differing stages in their caregiving role, living situations, financial, and educational backgrounds.

Participants who complete this program will be licensed as class leaders to present the six-week training sessions to informal caregivers of older adults. Participants will receive both the 90-minute and 2 and 1/2-hour scripted curriculum as well as program materials. Licensed class leaders will be able to provide family caregivers of older adults with the tools to deal with stressors, depression, anger, and guilt, as well as increase the ability of caregivers to effectively communicate feelings, needs, and concerns.

Who Should Attend:
Support group leaders, case managers, social workers, and other practitioners who provide support and education programs for family caregivers of older adults.
Educators interested in utilizing an evidence-based educational curriculum with positive outcomes for caregiver health and self-care.

Approved by the NH Chapter NASW for 17.5 Category I Continuing Education Credits for Social Workers.

Accommodations:
Accommodations are available at the Holiday Inn. Please mention that you are with the UNH Institute on Disability / Powerful Tools for Caregivers Training and you will receive an overnight rate of $95 plus tax for a single or double room. This rate is available until April 20, 2010.

This is a licensed program of Legacy Health System, Portland, OR.  www.legacyhealth.org

Funding for this training was made possible by a grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration on Aging, CFDA #93.048.

Co-sponsored by the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services, Bureau of Elderly and Adult Services.

Presenter: Miriam Callahan

Miriam Callahan has a Masters in Counseling and is the Project Coordinator for the Caregiver Resource Center of the Erie County Department of Senior Services. Her work experience in the field of aging encompasses facility-based health care, in-home health care and case management for frail, homebound older adults. Under Ms. Callahan?s leadership, Erie County has held more than 100 Powerful Tools classes since 2004 with more than 400 caregivers participating. Ms. Callahan has personally led 20 PTC classes for caregivers, in addition to teaching Master Training classes.

back to top...

High School is Transition: A Framework for Reform that Allows Schools to Educate All Students

2010 Research to Practice Series: The Pathway from High School to a Career - Session 4 of 4

Description

Research to Practice Series Overview:
The 2010 Research to Practice Series focuses on several unique strategies for developing effective, outcome-based educational experiences that promote the successful transition of students with disabilities and students at risk to their chosen post-secondary experiences. The four sessions feature distinct content and objectives, including student-directed models support the development of career goals, sector-based strategies that link high school programs to employers and post-secondary education, ways to use assistive technology to improve educational and employment outcomes, and a school-wide framework that allows educators, parents, and students to utilize the emphasized high school reform.

Session 4: High School is Transition: A Framework for Reform that Allows Schools to Educate All Students
This session will outline a framework for improving student outcomes and for thinking about the mission and purpose of a high school education within a transition from school-to-career context. Using Response to Intervention (RtI) as a framework, this workshop will illustrate a process that includes the formation and facilitation of school leadership and secondary level teams, using data to assess strengths, areas of need, and to improve systems and use resources more efficiently, and identifying evidence supported interventions to help students with higher levels of need. In addition to planning time, the workshop will include presentations by high schools that have begun to use a data-based decision-making framework.

Who Should Attend:
This session is an opportunity for high school administrators, teachers, service providers, and community members to explore the possibilities of effective high school reform and school improvement within a Response to Intervention framework.

Notes:
NH RESPONDS is a five-year federally funded State Personnel Development Grant from the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs, awarded to New Hampshire. The project includes comprehensive training and support in five demonstration sites (K-12 schools and early childhood programs), statewide workshops, the creation and enhancement of undergraduate and graduate coursework, and the revision of education certification requirements in certain specialty areas.

Presenter: JoAnne Malloy, MSW

Ms. Malloy is currently directing the second of two major dropout prevention projects funded by the U.S. Department of Education, using a school-to-career and Positive Behavioral Supports and Interventions model to reduce dropout rates in New Hampshire high schools, and has recently been awarded a project from the Endowment for Health to train community mental health center staffs to provide RENEW services to youth with emotional and behavioral disorders. Ms. Malloy has published numerous articles and book chapters on employment for youth with emotional disorders and adults with mental illnesses, and is currently working on her dissertation for her doctorate degree in Education at UNH.

back to top...

Getting a Handle on Hoarding

Effective interventions to help individuals who hoard stay in their own homes

Description

Hoarding presents difficult and complex situations for service providers. Individuals who hoard are frequently at risk of losing their housing due to eviction. This interactive workshop will describe clinical disorders and cognitive traits associated with hoarding as well as recent research findings. In addition, the presenter will provide methods and tools for intervening in hoarding issues. Topics to be covered include:

• How to have a productive dialogue with someone about hoarding
• Identifying psychological triggers related to hoarding
• Understanding the psychology behind hoarding
• Practical strategies for working individuals to address the situation
• Case studies with discussion

*Approved by the NH Chapter NASW for 2.5 Category I Continuing Education Credits for Social Workers.

Presenter: Elizabeth Burden, LICSW, MPH

Elizabeth Burden is Senior Clinical Social Worker at Lemuel Shattuck Hospital in Massachusetts. She provides training and supervision to social work staff, consultation to multi-disciplinary medical teams and discharge planning. She is a Clinical Instructor at Tufts Medical School, and she has presented workshops on hoarding, dementia, delirium, and elder suicide throughout New England.

back to top...