Volume 31

November 2024

South County SELPA Insights is a monthly newsletter full of information and resources brought to you by the South County Special Education Local Plan Area (SELPA) team. This month we would like to share information on Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) options that are available to parents and member school districts to come to a mutual agreed upon solution that meets everyone's needs. Keep reading to find resources and see how the SELPA can assist you and the families you work with.

Visit the SELPA website

Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)

ADR is a free voluntary process for resolving special education conflict in a neutral, respectful, and caring environment. It uses clear communication, collaboration, negotiation, and mediation to produce a fair agreement that meets the interests of all parties involved. The ADR process allows the parties to come up with an innovative and jointly agreeable outcome. Districts and the SELPA can use both informal and formal strategies to support families of students with disabilities, especially when navigating special education concerns and processes.

Here are key reasons for each type of support:

Reasons to Use Informal Supports

Build Trust and Partnerships: Informal supports, such as a Special Education Parent Liaisons, allow families to connect with someone who can provide information and answer questions in a non-confrontational way, fostering trust.
Address Concerns Early: Informal supports, like Neutral SELPA Case Review, provide an opportunity for early intervention when concerns arise, potentially preventing escalation to more formal disputes.
Promote Clarity and Understanding: Neutral SELPA IEP Support helps by clarifying questions, allowing all parties to fully understand the student’s needs and the IEP process without the intensity of a formal setting.

Reasons to Use Formal Supports

Resolve Complex Issues: A Facilitated IEP Meeting is especially helpful when complex issues need to be addressed in a structured, supportive environment.
Prevent Litigation and Costly Disputes: Early Dispute Resolution Mediation provides a chance to resolve potential disagreements with the assistance of a trained mediator, helping to avoid more adversarial and costly legal processes.
Ensure Compliance and Collaboration: A Facilitated Resolution Meeting meets the legal requirements after a due process filing and ensures that both parties work collaboratively with a neutral party to try to reach a resolution.

Using these strategies appropriately helps school staff build strong, positive relationships with families while effectively addressing student needs.

SELPA Highlights

Special Education Parent Liaisons

South County SELPA has two amazing Special Education Parent Liaisons who can help parents navigate their Special Education journey. Our liaisons have been with the South County SELPA for many years and have made some strong connections with families and school personnel. If you would like to connect with one of our liaisons, please submit a request.

FERIA (F) Families, (E) Educators, (R) Resources (I) IHE’s, and (A) Agencies working together = Equal Student SUCCESS

South County SELPA team attended the FERIA conference and provided resources to families. It was a day filled with over 10 workshops for families to expand their knowledge of Special Education topics. The purpose and vision of the FERIA Partnership Annual Conference Collaborative is to empower Latino families and provide them the knowledge to effectively support their children with special needs from cradle to college to adult life, as well as to assist them in attaining their optimal learning potential through a culturally and linguistically responsive home, school and community collaborative in San Diego County, including a high school student Leadership Academy, self-advocacy and professional strands. We look forward to next year's conference.

Mini CABE65

The ADR team recently presented at the Mini CABE65 conference, sharing with attendees the importance of distinguishing between supports for English learners and Special Education services for families so they have a clear understanding of the best supports for their children.

Reach Out to Families Resource Fair (South Bay Union School District)

Reach Out to Families Resources Center hosted an open house where families were able to tour the center. The center also hosted their Community Health and Resource Fair for families to connect with local resources. SELPA staff are thrilled to partner with the center and share resources with South Bay Union families.

Transition to Preschool Meetings for Parents of Member Districts

The purpose of these meetings is for parents of children with special needs to learn what transitioning from an Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) to an Individualized Education Program (IEP) means and how to access resources in the process. We look forward to meeting with more families in the near future. Each member district will host a meeting, while we will also offer a virtual option for those who cannot attend in person.

Virtual Meeting — Nov. 21, 10 to 11 a.m.

National School District — Jan. 23, 9 to10 a.m.

San Ysidro School District — Feb. 25, 9 to 10 a.m.

Coronado Unified School District — Apr. 5,10 to 11 a.m.

art work from students from Berry elementary

Save the Date

The date for our 17th Annual Art Exhibition and District Awards Recognition is set for May 8, 2025. This year's theme is, "Spring into Art: A Garden of Expression." We would like to thank the teachers who submitted ideas for this year's theme. We can't wait to see the beautiful art the students create. The art walk will begin at 3:30 p.m. and presentation of district awards for staff will be at 4 p.m. More details will be available as we approach the event.

Upcoming Parent Events — Please Share

Dec. 2 — Positive Behavior Support at Home

The Positive Behavior Support at Home presentation and discussion is designed to provide an outline, ideas, and examples to assess learning in the home that supports learning in the classroom. In-person workshop will be from 10:45 am. to Noon at the South County Regional Education Center located at 800 National City Blvd. National City, CA 91950. Link to register.

Jan. 15 to Feb. 12 — Parent IEP Academy Winter Series

Interested in increasing your understanding of the Individualized Education Program (IEP) process? Do you want to feel confident that you have the necessary tools to fully participate in your child’s IEP? Register now for the Parent IEP Academy, which will meet Wednesdays from 9 to 11 a.m. or 3:30 to 4:30 p.m.

Spanish Registration / English Registration

Jan. 23 — CAC Meeting

Meeting will be at the South County Regional Education Center, located at 800 National City Blvd. National City, CA 91950 from 10 a.m. to noon. For more information visit CAC website.

Upcoming Educator Events

Dec. 5 from 8 to 11:45 a.m.

Session 2: Principals Special Education Academy with Jonathan Read, Esq.,

Audience: School Principals and Vice/Assistant Principals

March 11 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Evidence-Based Practices for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Extensive Support Needs (ESN)

Speaker: Jill Martinez, M.A., Education Specialist

Audience: Special education specialists and service providers that support students through an IEP.

On Demand Training

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD): What Every Paraeducator Should Know

An overview of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and practical information paraeducators can use for effective teaching. Strategies and behavior supports to include and include visual pacing and closure systems, schedules, prompting hierarchies, and reinforcement principles will be discussed.

Audience: Paraeducators working with students with ASD

A Guide for Paraeducators: Developmentally Appropriate Supports for Students with Intellectual Disabilities and Challenging Behaviors

Understand the role of development when designing supports for students. Describe and select strategies that match the student’s developmental level, which may be used to increase positive engagement and learning and prevent and intervene with challenging behavior.

Audience: Paraeducators and individual aides

Cognitive Behavioral Interventions (CBIs) for Educators

This unique hands-on, interactive training provides educators and clinicians with the key CBIs to help develop an effective program that—in tandem with your students’ mental health professionals—can provide support for, the improvement of behavioral outcomes and positive participation in school.

Audience: Special education teachers, school psychologists, administrators, LCSWs, LMFTs, LPCCs, clinical psychologists, ERMHS staff or school counselors specifically designated to work with special needs students, behaviorists, and others who actively work with youth who have mental health concerns.

Still Not Producing: Assessment and Intervention for Executive Function Difficulties

The purpose of this training is to present an overview of the professional field’s current

thinking about the role and complexity of executive function, the process of measuring executive function, and practical supports and take-home strategies to help build

executive function.

Audience: School psychologists and anyone with knowledge of psychological tests and psychometrics. Participants should have a basic understanding of executive function.

Maximizing AAC Opportunities Within Daily Routines

This training will review why routines and understanding development matter, how to turn routines into learning opportunities, ways to create communication opportunities and support our students within their routines, and ideas on how to differentiate activities for a range of abilities.

Audience: Speech-language pathologists, teachers, paraeducators, parents.

Dynamic Duo! Terrific Trio! Effectively Teaming with Paraeducators to Support Students

This webinar is designed for teachers and paraeducators to complete together, allowing the team to discuss and explore their individual roles, develop clear understanding of responsibilities, and begin to develop frameworks for effective teacher/paraeducator/student relationships.

Audience: General education teachers, special education teachers, paraeducators, behavior specialists, speech-language pathologists, service providers, and administrators.

If you have any questions or comments on the SELPA Insights newsletter, please contact our team at scselpaadr@sdcoe.net.

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