Siblings in the Spotlight

Saturday, July 29, 2006

10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

The Plaza Hotel

1911 E. Kansas Avenue

Garden City

Siblings in the Spotlight" is a one day event for siblings who have a brother or sister with a disability. Siblings will discuss concerns they often experience such as: peer issues, resentment, loss, and concerns about the future. They will learn how to increase the unique opportunities often experienced by siblings including advocacy, insight, compassion, and tolerance. Siblings between the ages of 8 and 18 are encouraged to attend. To sign up, please contact Families Together at 620-276-6364. Deadline is July 21, 2006.

Legislative Update

From ACTions Newsletter, May 2006

Now that the 2006 legislative session has come to a close, be sure to thank your elected officials for their public service.

On the disability service front, there were many positive outcomes this year, including:

« more than $20 million in new funding that will flow to communities in Kansas;

« the first significant new dollars for infant and toddler services in more than a decade;

« first-time funding for dental care for people with disabilities;

« money for training direct support professionals through the College of Direct Support;

« and effective work by community stakeholders during the SRS strategic planning process to address system

« An increase to the Education budget of $541 million.

Ed. Advocate Update

Submitted by Karen Snell, Topeka Center

Summertime is upon us!

But there is no time to rest on your laurels. As you sit poolside, sipping your lemonade, you may need something to read.

May I make a suggestion???

If you did not attend an education advocate training this past year then summer may provide the chance to review some changes in the law that were made when the IDEA was reauthorized in 2004. One particular area of interest may be “discipline”. In short, regarding discipline procedures, IDEA 2004:

1) adds new authority for school personnel,

2) establishes a new standard for manifestation

determinations,

3) adds a new provision when there is a determination

that a behavior was a manifestation of the disability,

4) establishes a new standard for special circumstances, 5) adds a new definition for “serious bodily injury”,

6) readdresses the authority of the Hearing Officer and

placement during appeals,

7) establishes a timeline for expedited hearings for

placement during appeals, and

8) revises the standard for a basis of knowledge for

children not yet eligible for special education and

related services.

For more information: www.kansped.org

www.reedmartin.com

www.wrightslaw.com

www.ideapractices.org

www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/osers

Submitted by Susan Arnold, Topeka Center

A vast amount of information is available to us with the internet. Information can be found on any topic you can imagine. Nearly one-third of all visits to the internet are from medical help and news on health issues.

The National Institute for Health has a link with information on “10 Things to Know About Evaluating Medical Resources on the Web”.

The following questions are something to consider the next time you are checking health resources, and perhaps any other topic, via the internet.

1. Who runs this site?

2. Who pays for this site?

3. What is the purpose of the site?

4. Where does the information come from?

5. What is the basis of the information?

6. How is the information selected?

7. How current is the information?

8. How does the site choose links to other sites?

9. What information about you does the site collect and why?

10. How does the site manage interactions with visitors?