March 29, 2022 | Issue 22 (View newsletter as webpage)

Important News

New CDC Recommendations - Impact on Children with Disabilities

Education Secretary Miguel Cardona provided updates and resources for educators and families about the needs of students with disabilities in the new COVID-19 pandemic response phase. The Department recognizes the difficulties many families have experienced as they strived to balance the need to ensure their child's physical safety and their child's need for in-person learning.

Secretary Cordona encourages schools to lead with equity and inclusion to ensure all students have access to in-person learning alongside their peers.

This document is intended to help educators, staff, and families thoughtfully design learning experiences for all students - including students with disabilities. Topics include:

Leveraging the IEP and Section 504 processes to ensure schools protect in-person learning;
Continuing the use of layered prevention strategies to keep school communities safe; and
Ensuring students receive education and services in the least restrictive environment.

Read the entire letter here

View information and resources related to COVID-19 Vaccines here

Resources

Expanding Access to Genetic Services: Sharing Strategies - Finding Solutions

April 5 & 6, 2022

8 am - 4 pm daily

Interactive Virtual Conference

Space is Limited!

No cost to register!

Engage with families, advocates, health professionals, and other stakeholders in a dynamic dialogue about:

Barriers to care for underserved populations
Diverse models of genetic services
Genetics in public health

The National Center on Improving Literacy Wants to Hear From You!

Are you the parent of a child with reading issues?

This short survey will help NCIL develop resources to help families with children who have reading difficulties. It should take about 10 minutes. Your responses are completely voluntary, and your name and personal information will not be shared. Please complete the survey by April 4^th.

Click here to access the survey and more information.

Core Vocabulary Resources for Learners with Complex Communication Needs

The words in a core vocabulary can be used to communicate for a broad range of purposes, from basic requesting of desired items to building social relationships, sharing opinions and exchanging information on topics of interest. Learners who use Speech Generating Devices or communication boards/books benefit from learning core vocabulary.

PrAACtical AAC supports a community of professionals and families who are determined to improve the communication and literacy abilities of people with significant communication difficulties.

PrAACtical AAC (Alternative and Augmentative Communication) published resources for families and professionals to use for teaching core vocabulary to students with complex communication needs. Each set includes symbol cards, sample sentences to model, activity suggestions and more.

Check out these valuable resources developed by the AAC community

Upcoming Events

See what's happening

SPAN offers a variety of learning opportunities for families and the professionals who work with them. Check out our Event Calendar here for details and registration links

Upcoming Events include:

More events

Surveying Families: Inclusive Family Engagement in Technology

The Center on Inclusive Technology and Education Systems (CITES) project are conducting a study about ways in which families of students with disabilities are involved in planning, implementing, and using technology.

Family members of a K-12 student with an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) or 504 plan who attends a public school in the United States are invited to share their thoughts.

Survey participants may enter to win a $50 Amazon gift card and volunteer to participate in a Focus Group to provide more detailed feedback.