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FYI Newsletter
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FYI Newsletter August 1, 2011
Quick Scan:
- Special Issue on Employment First: An Essential Strategy
- IIDC Staff Co-Authors New Book
- A Quiz for All to Take – there’s no pass or fail…
- Brain Injury Symposium
- Library Corner
Across the Courtyard
Special Issue on Employment First: An Essential Strategy: The August issue of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities is guest edited by William E. Kiernan (University of Massachusetts-Boston) and David Mank (Indiana University) and contains six articles and three perspectives on employment as not only a pathway to economic self-sufficiency but crucial to social relationships, community credibility, and meaningful activities. At the heart of this special issue are the presumptions that (a) all individuals can, or should, be provided with opportunities to work; (b) the policies, procedures, and practices (Employment First) place the focus on employment; (c) the desired outcome is competitive integrated employment; and (d) the goal is parity in the labor force participation rates for persons with and those without disabilities.” Full text of all articles available at no cost with member subscription to IDD. Visit http://www.aaiddjournals.org/toc/mere/49/4 for more information.
Additionally, this special issue contains a “Perspectives” article coauthored by Mank with William E. Kiernan, David Hoff, and Suzzanne Freeze, entitled Employment First: A Beginning Not an End. The article addresses competitive integrated employment for persons with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities and what states are doing to develop a clear message that employment of persons with disabilities must be a priority.
IIDC Staff Co-Authors New Book: A new book, “Critical Conversations in Co-Teaching,” explores co-teaching models, discusses how the approach fits with school improvement initiatives, and describes protocols that foster dramatic improvements in how educators communicate with their colleagues for the benefit of student learning.
The framework discussed in the book, written by Indiana University author Cate Hart Hyatt and Carrie Chapman of Minnesota State University, Mankato, leads readers to intentionally focus on building adult relationships and targeting students in more meaningful ways.
"Authentic conversations from real teachers bring the framework to life,” said Hyatt, who expects the book to interest teachers, principals, and other practitioners. “Many teachers who have used the framework report that the process re-energized them and reminded them of why they became educators in the first place.”
Critical Conversations in Co-Teaching, published by Solution Tree Press (http://www.solution-tree.com/Public/Main.aspx) is designed to enhance shared practice by using a simple structure and process of talking together. The protocols fit into three categories—nonnegotiable conversations (recommended for all partners), special occasion protocols (to use in specific situations), and “in a perfect world” protocols (to use as enrichment activities to extend learning).
“The framework can create profound differences in the way teachers work together, in the outcomes they can expect from their students, and in their feelings of connectedness to their profession,” said Hyatt.
Hyatt has spent 30 plus years as an educator, teaching preschool through graduate school students and is a Research Associate with the Indiana Institute on Disability and Community’s Center on Education and Lifelong Learning. She holds a master’s degree in counseling and special education. Chapman is an assistant professor of education at Minnesota State University, Mankato where she is the co-teaching coordinator for the College of Education. Chapman earned her doctorate from Indiana University in curriculum and instruction with an emphasis in special education.
Across Indiana
A Quiz for All to Take – there’s no pass or fail…Can you, your self- advocate group or your organization help?
Do you have persons with disabilities who haven’t registered or need assistance in registering for the conference and/or picnic?
- Do you have items that you giveaway at events, disability awareness events, transition fairs, etc.?
- Does your group make items or have something that can be donated to the silent auction?
- Is there a special self-advocate in your group… or a great professional who is dedicated to self-advocacy… and/or an individual or group that is a true friend and ally to self-advocates?
- Can you or others help out by volunteering on August 11 or 12?
- Do you have any “spare change” to be a SAI sponsor, program booklet advertiser, or conference exhibitor?
- You haven’t seen Betty Williams for some time and you’d like to see her?
If the answer to any or all of these questions is “YES!”… you should e-mail mkevitt@arcind.org or jschwab@arcind.org and tell us that you’re stepping forward to make the 2011 Self-Advocates Conference and Picnic, August 11 and 12 a great one.
How can you help? Well starting with the last question, join Betty at the opening Celebration of the SAI Conference at 10 a.m. on Thursday, August 11… this celebration follows the first series of workshops that begin at 9 a.m. (with registration opening at 8 a.m.).
We’d also appreciate everyone who has that “spare change” to let us know by then as well to be sure that we include everyone in the conference program book. Need more information, visit http://www.arcind.org or http://www.saind.org.
Brain Injury Symposium: The Bloomington Brain Injury Local Support Network is hosting the third of four 2011 Educational Symposiums on Wednesday, August 17th. The topic is Behavioral Intervention for Disinhibition after Brain Injury. The symposium will be held in Room A209 at Ivy Tech in Bloomington, beginning at 11:30 a.m. This 1½ hour event is free and open to all interested parties. For questions, and to register your interest in attending, please e-mail nancy.griffin@rhin.com. Feel free to bring your own sack lunch to the event.
Library Corner
New Items: The following new materials may be borrowed by Indiana residents from the Center for Disability Information and Referral at the Institute. To check out materials, contact the library at 1-800-437-7924, send e-mail to cedir@indiana.edu, or visit us at 2853 East Tenth Street in Bloomington.
Bernard-Opitz, V., Häussler, A., & Mesibov, G. B. (2011). Visual support for children with autism spectrum disorders: Materials for visual learners. Shawnee Mission, KS: AAPC Publishing. (Call Number: 40.3 .B476 C4)Browder, D. M., & Spooner, F. (2011). Teaching students with moderate and severe disabilities. New York: Guilford Press. (Call Number: 31 .B7)
Gabriels, R. L., & Hill, D. E. (Eds.). (2010). Growing up with autism: Working with school-age children and adolescents. New York: Guilford Press. (Call Number: 40.3 .G3)
Gaus, V. L. (2011). Living well on the spectrum: How to use your strengths to meet the challenges of Asperger syndrome/high-functioning autism. New York: Guilford Press. (Call Number: 20.31 .G2)