The Family Resource Group Sept 2022

We wanted to connect you to some of the digital and video options that are available. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me at any time. To be sure that you continue to receive all future updates, or information, directly to your email address, sign up on the Family Resource Group mailing list.

Erin Campion

Family Resource Group Editor

ecampion@pattan.net

Have you ever wondered who should be at an IEP meeting? Or, why someone was at the IEP meeting? Check out this new series of short animated videos that explain the many people who can, or should be, part of the IEP team. The Family Member is an important team member! Two new videos are released each week until the series is complete.. Follow PaTTAN on Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn to see the new releases or check out this YouTube playlist to see them all! Don't miss the Student Video that is coming, they are the focus of the team!

PaTTAN pods are recorded interviews with school staff, families, and students that talk about a variety of topics regarding education. You can watch them, and share them, whenever you want. The list of PaTTAN pods grows each year. Check out some of these interviews that might help you, your child, or your school!

It is important to become familiar with the Communication Plan for students who are deaf and hard of hearing.

The Communication Plan has been revised. Take a few moments to see how it has changed and what new information will be needed. The Communication Plan is a required part of the IEP process. It should be completed, with the entire team, before the IEP document is started. The Communication Plan will help the IEP team have a better idea of what needs to be included in the IEP document. The note pages have also been revised into an Annotated Communication Plan which will give more details about how to complete the Communication Plan as a team. There is also a new, short video that helps walk through the changes in the Communication Plan.

Engaging families in the learning and development of children is crucial. We know the evidence suggests that children, no matter the income or background, tend to do better in school, stay in school longer, and like school more when we actively engage families. Pennsylvania has developed the Family Engagement Framework to help professionals in learning communities maximize their efforts.

Given all of the decisions and people involved in deciding what an appropriate special education program looks like for a student, it’s not surprising that there will sometimes be differing opinions. Many of these disagreements can be resolved at the local level, between families and schools, but there are some situations where the involvement of a neutral third party may be helpful.

The Pennsylvania Society for the Advancement of the Deaf proudly presents their 9th Youth Program "Believe in Your Future": a day to learn about life after high school. This event is geared toward all Deaf and Hard of Hearing students ages 13 and up and will feature education, fun activities, social opportunities, and more. RSVP, if possible, by Dec 2nd.

For more information, please contact Sharon Antal at (570) 234-0306 or email youth@psad.org

If your child has both a vision and hearing loss, your family (parents/guardians, siblings and child with deaf-blindness) may be eligible to attend a weekend learning conference at little or no cost! Come experience sharing, caring, and learning together with staff from the Pennsylvania Deaf-Blind Project, PaTTAN, and other families living with deaf-blindness. Please be watching for more details in the new year!