Volume 29

September 2024

South County SELPA Insights is a monthly newsletter, brought to you by the South County Special Education Local Plan Area (SELPA) team, full of special education information. Keep reading to find resources and see how the SELPA can assist you and the families you work with.

Visit the SELPA website

Life Skills Tips

Supporting students with special needs in mastering life skills at school is essential for their overall development and independence. Be mindful if students already have a goal in this area as you do not wish to interfere with an existing goal. Here are strategies that educators and school staff can use to help these students succeed in learning life skills:

Incorporate Life Skills into Daily Routines: Practical Activities: Integrate life skills into the daily routine. For example, involve students in classroom chores, such as organizing supplies, tidying up, or managing personal belongings.
Collaboration with Families: Maintain open communication with families to ensure that life skills being taught at school are reinforced at home. Share strategies, progress, and challenges regularly.
Structured and Consistent Environment: Maintain a consistent routine and environment, as predictability helps students feel secure and better able to focus on learning new skills.

By integrating life skills into the school curriculum, providing appropriate supports, and working closely with families, educators can help these students build the confidence and competence they need to navigate daily life successfully.

SELPA Highlights

American Sign Language (ASL) Classes at Davila

Davila school is excited to offer free American Sign Language (ASL) classes for families. This is a fantastic opportunity to learn ASL, strengthen communication skills, and connect with the Deaf community. Whether you are a beginner or looking to improve your skills, these classes are designed for all levels and provide a supportive environment for learning. Classes are held Wednesday from 3:45 to 5 p.m. and childcare is provided.

Image of SELPA staff at Ice cream social in Coronado

Resources Fairs

SELPA staff were thrilled to participate in the recent Ice Cream Social in Coronado, where they had the opportunity to share valuable resources with families in the community. In addition to this event, the staff also attended NAVAL Base Coronado Back-To-School Jam, another wonderful community event, furthering their commitment to supporting local families and fostering connections.

Equity, Disproportionality and Design (ED&D)

The Equity, Disproportionality and Design (ED&D) podcast provides access to engaging conversations with educators and community members who share their personal and professional experiences. Conversations explore their journey through education, describe their efforts toward building equity in our school systems, and explain barriers that have caused them to re-think their approach to systems change. Season 3, Episode 1 is out now with Linette Castañeda, director of educational services, National School District. To listen to their new podcast, go to ED&D website.

Transition Meetings at Member Districts

In partnership with our member districts, we are hosting a series of informational meetings for parents with preschool children transitioning to elementary school. These meetings will provide valuable insights and guidance to help make the transition as smooth as possible. Each district will host a meeting, and we will also offer a virtual option for those who cannot attend in person.

CVESD — Sept. 19, 10 to 11 a.m.

SBUSD — Oct. 11, 10 to 11 a.m.

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

NSD — Jan. 23, 9 to 10 a.m.

SY — Feb. 25, 9 to 10 a.m.

Miracle League of San Diego

The Miracle League of San Diego provides children and adults with special needs the opportunity to play baseball in an organized league. The Miracle League of San Diego is seeking volunteers to act as buddies and assist students with disabilities in playing baseball. If you're interested in volunteering or registering a player, you can register here.

Parent IEP Academy

Thank you to the participants who joined us for our summer academy. We hope you found the academy insightful and are more prepared when attending future IEP meetings. We will start our next series on Oct. 16. The academy will take place virtually from 3:30 to 4:30 pm. Register here: English or Spanish.

Community Advisory Committee (CAC)

Would you like to join a collaborative team of parents, educators, and individuals with a personal or professional interest in establishing a network between the SELPA, LEAs, schools, and the community? This work is achieved through collaboration with parents, students, educators, and other community agencies.

South County SELPA's CAC is currently seeking members from the National School District, Chula Vista Elementary School District, Coronado Unified School District, and South Bay Union School District. To join the CAC, please contact your school district student services/special education department. The members of the CAC are appointed by the local school district governing boards to represent the districts. Members of the public are always welcome to attend CAC meetings and events and give input. For more information, please visit our website.

Sweetwater Community Collaborative

Whether you are a parent of a Sweetwater student, a former Sweetwater student, or a Sweetwater employee, you have a unique opportunity. Sweetwater Union High School District if offering a training of trainers to provide workshops throughout the South Bay Community promoting positive and healthy relationships, hosted by: Family Leadership, Inc. If you’d like to hear more and receive an invitation to the next informational meeting, please complete this survey.

Upcoming Parent Events — Please Share

Sept. 18 — How to Navigate SSI Benefits and Save for the Future Without Affecting your Benefits

The Sweetwater Union High School District Special Services Department welcomes

Charlene Autolino from Outreach Consulting Services and Marty Williams from

Primerica Shareholder Services, to present in person about Supplemental Security Income and Social Security Disability Insurance. Training will be held at the Professional Development Center located at 680 L St. Suite C, Chula Vista, 91911 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Register now.

Sept. 19 — Transition to Preschool: Resources for families of students with special needs

Ideal for families with children who are currently being assessed for special education services and transitioning to preschool in the Chula Vista Elementary School District. Training will be held at the Chula Vista Elementary School District from 10 to 11 a.m. Register for event: English, Spanish

Oct. 12 — NSD Family Summit

National School district will be hosting the NSD Family Summit with resources and workshops for the family. Event will be at Olivewood School located at 2505 F Avenue National City, CA 91950 from 9 a.m. to noon.

Oct. 16 to Nov. 20 — Parent IEP Academy Fall 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 at from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m.

Spanish Registration / English Registration

Oct. 19 —10th Annual FERIA Partnership Conference

The FERIA Partnership Conference is a culturally and linguistically appropriate, meaningful, and useful one-day conference for 300 Latino parents, caregivers and professionals working with special needs students from Pre-School, K-12 and Adults. Event will be at Otay Ranch High School, located at 1250 Olympic Pkwy, Chula Vista, CA from 8 a.m. to 3:30 pm. For more information visit FERIA Partnership website.

Oct. 24 — CAC Meeting

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

Nov. 2 — 29th Annual CABE65 Mini-Conference

All workshops are designed for Parents, Teachers, Para-Educators, and Administrators focused on maximizing parent engagement and increasing the achievement of English Language Learners. In-person Conference will be from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Otay Ranch High School located at 1250 Olympic Parkway Chula Vista, CA 91913. For more information visit CABE website.

Upcoming Educator Events

Oct. 8 from 8 a.m. to noon.

The Essential 10: Essential Components of Behavior Intervention Plans (BIPs)

Speaker: Martin Miramontes, M.A., BCBA, PENT Director

Audience: Educators tasked with developing, supervising, and monitoring behavior intervention plans. School psychologists, behavior specialists, and special education teachers.

Oct. 22 from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m.

An Introduction to the What’s and Not’s of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Implications

Speaker: Scott Gutentag, Ph.D., LEP, NCSP, School Psychologist

Audience: Professionals working with students with ADHD.

Nov. 19 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Reading Between the Lines

Speaker: Andrea Abrishami, M.A., Education Specialist

Audience: Administrators, general education teachers, special education teachers, school psychologists, speech language pathologist, SLP.

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.