October 2020 Newsletter

October 2020

In This Issue:

Virtual Parent/Caregiver Networking
Education Update and Resources
Disability Employment Awareness Month
WSA Adventure Seekers
Bow Tie Awareness at the World Series
WSA Website Redesign

Virtual Convention Networking Opportunities

Parent/Caregiver Social Hours

Thank you to all who registered for our first virtual convention! If you were unable to register for the virtual sessions, recordings of most sessions will be available later this fall.

Regional networking opportunities are open to all members. Even if you aren't able to attend the convention, we hope you can join our virtual social hours and regional meetings. Register with the buttons below.

Regional Meetups

Education

COVID-19 has dramatically changed the landscape of school in general — and special education in particular. Schools may be face-to-face, hybrid, virtual, or some combination of all of those things. IEP meetings are conducted over zoom and service provisions for therapies and social work have completely changed.

Navigating the special education system in normal times can be confusing and frustrating. Navigating the special education system during a pandemic can be utterly overwhelming. In order to support you with distance learning and IEP management, we are happy to provide new resources and guidelines.

Read Robin Pegg's full blog, which includes a tip sheet, links to our resources website, and a video walk-through of the resources.

Education Blog

Robin recorded a helpful presentation "walk-though" of resources. View it here or within the blog.

Disability Employment Awareness Month

October is Disability Employment Awareness Month. Many adults with Williams syndrome are out in the world working and volunteering and we look forward to highlighting them in social media stories throughout the month!

Many individuals and their families work with local social services agencies for job exploration, placement and coaching. Devin (pictured on the left) from Ohio attended the AutoTech Program at the Mid-East Career and Technology Center following high school, and now works at Orme Hardware Cambridge. His duties include stocking shelves and cleaning rental equipment. He obtained employment with the help of the Guernsey County Board of Developmental Disabilities and Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities. He enjoys his job and the people he interacts with while working.

If you have a story you'd like to share, click button below.

Submit Employment Details for Stories

To learn more about how the Office of Disability Employment Policy is marking this month and tying it into the 30th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA):

Visit Website

WSA Adventure Seekers

Last year at this time, the WSA Adventure Seekers were preparing for a trip to Tennessee, where they enjoyed many enrichment activities in and around Pigeon Forge and enjoyed spending time with one another.

This year, with the restrictions caused by COVID-19, adults with WS have been affected by the isolation and lack of social outlets. Regular virtual calls with WSA staff and volunteers have helped. Every other week, we meet to play games, discuss music and movies, share experiences and laugh.

Zoom calls are for those 18 and older with Williams syndrome and more than 200 have already participated.

Click on the button below to sign up an adult 18+ up for the virtual program or join the fun as a volunteer "Zoom host," as we'd also love to have you!

Adventure Seekers

Volunteer

Bow Tie Awareness: World Series

Every year, Bow Tie Cause hosts a voting challenge supporting the organizations for which they have ties. Fox Sports commentator Ken Rosenthal then wears the winning ties during the MLB World Series Games. Our community always gets out to vote, and Ken will wear the WS tie again this year during his commentary prior to Game Four on October 24!

Many of you saw Ken Rosenthal's "shout out" to the WSA during our virtual walk, and heard him speak about our ability to gather impressive amounts of votes each year during the annual Bow Tie Challenge.

We are grateful to everyone in the WSA community for voting and proud to have Ken's support to spread awareness for us every year. Tune in early on the 24th to see Ken's

pre-game presentation.

WSA Website Redesign

The WSA website is the place to find the most comprehensive information about Williams syndrome: first steps for parents/caregivers, events and webinars, the Williams syndrome education profile and supports, therapy information and much more.

We are excited to announce that williams-syndrome.org will be brand new on October 5th! All the valuable information you've come to rely on has been organized with users in mind for a more crisp and intuitive experience. We look forward to our members visiting and interacting with our new site.

The Williams Syndrome Association is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to

ensuring that all individuals with Williams syndrome have the support they need throughout

their lifespan to live healthy, self-directed, productive and meaningful lives.

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