Wow! We made it to April and the last quarter of the school year! This is a great time for reflection. Please let your voice be heard by completing the Maryland Special Education Parent Involvement Survey! We truly value your input!

This month, we look forward to warmer weather and MANY exciting events/activities. Please join us at the next SECAC meeting on Transitions happening Thursday April 13th at the McFaul Activity Center in Bel Air. We also hope you'll visit our table at the Empowered Expo: Planning Your Journey to Adulthood on April 22nd from 8:30 to 1:00pm at Bel Air High School. Please remember - we are always here to address any needs you have regarding the special education process and community resources.

What is “Partners for Success”?

Partners for Success centers are available to parents as a resource and information center. Specifically, we provide information about community services, assist families in resolving concerns, and increase parental involvement in the special education decision making process.

Where is Partners for Success Located?

Roye-Williams Elementary School

201 Oakington Road, Havre De Grace, MD 21078.

410-273-5579

e-mail: partners.success@hcps.org.

Office hours are usually Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 9:30-3:00, by appointment.

Thank you to everyone who helped make our first HCPS Partners for Success Autism Workshop a HUGE success! We had over 130 people in attendance! It was truly an honor to witness parents, staff, and our amazing community connecting with one another. 🙂 This event would not have been possible without this collaboration. Sending a HUGE thank you to our presenters, Shannon Linarducci, BCBA and Cathy Kowalewski, School Psychologist

and to our amazing staff members: Stephanie Swisher, Coordinator of SE, Carie Sadowski, Family Service Network Coordinator, Lauren Burton, Early Learner SE, Laura Lenker, School Psychologist, Robin Meyer, Coordinator of SE, Jeffrey Hoffman, Coordinator of SE, Peter Schlehr, SE Teacher Specialist, Kim Manzo, Coordinator of SE, Brittany Connaghan, School Psychologist, Carey Reise, Coordinator of SE, Pauline Timmons, Coordinator of SE, Megan Fitzgerald, ESSR Substitute, Randy Geyer, Principal of Harford Academy, and Colleen Sasdelli, Director of Special Education.

Also, a shout out to Aberdeen Chick-Fila for providing the delicious refreshments! Finally, thank you to all of our community partners! You are amazing!

DDA

Harford County Local Care Team

Maryland ABLE

The Arc NCR

Infinity Center for Behavior Services

Maryland Coalition of Families

Verbal Beginnings

Growing on the Spectrum- Harford County

Achieving True Self

Phoenix Speech Therapy

Autism Connection

We Rock the Spectrum Kids Gym

Trellis Services Forest Hill

Laila's Gift

Judy Center Early Learning Hub of Harford County

North Chesapeake Special Needs Advocacy Group (SNAG)

Harford County Special Education Citizens Advisory Committee (SECAC)

HCPS Infants and Toddlers

HCPS Partners for Success

Thank you again to EVERYONE for your continued partnership as it is imperative we work together to better serve our incredible students at school, at home, and in our community. 🙂

Have you noticed how your child asks for help without even trying?

"Have you seen my shoes?"
"Where's the TV remote?"
"I can't do this!"

Have you also noticed how fast you jump in to solve their problem?

It's okay. We all do this sometimes! But when we do, we take away an opportunity to develop confidence and problem-solving skills.

"Try three before me" is a simple but effective strategy to encourage children to become more self-sufficient and independent problem-solvers. The idea is to ask children to try to solve a problem independently using three different strategies or methods before asking an adult for help.

This approach helps children develop critical thinking skills and fosters a growth mindset. It encourages children to be resourceful and resilient and to take ownership of their learning.

Here's how you can apply it to different scenarios:

👉 Stuck with a math problem? Suggest using three different methods before jumping in to help, such as drawing a picture, using manipulatives, or looking for patterns in the numbers.

👉 Trouble finding their shoes? Suggest looking in three different places before looking for them yourself.

👉 Upset at their sibling? Suggest they try calming strategies, journaling, or doing something fun to boost their mood before you intervene.

Give this simple tip a try and empower your child, knowing they can ask for help if nothing works.

Follow @biglifejournal for more on raising resilient, confident, and emotionally healthy kids.

Does your family benefit from Medicaid? You need to be aware of some recent changes to ensure you continue to receive benefits.

States are required to periodically redetermine enrollees’ eligibility, and disenroll those who no longer meet the eligibility guidelines. During the COVID public health emergency, Medicaid disenrollments were paused. States are now able to resume Medicad renewals and disenrollments.

Be on the lookout for a renewal letter in the mail from Maryland's Medicaid Program. To ensure you receive this critical piece of mail: make sure your address, email and phone number are up to date with the Medicaid Office.

For more information, click here to visit the Harford County Health Department website.

Ability in Focus

Check out the latest episode of Ability in Focus on HarfordTV live or OnDemand. Featuring local celebrity barista Paige, from Norrisville Elementary School, and several local nonprofits you may recognize! If you have ideas for future episodes of Ability In Focus, please email Rachel Harbin at raharbin@harfordcountymd.gov for consideration.

Please join the Special Education Citizen Advisory Committee (SECAC) IN-PERSON on April 13th from 6:30 to 8:30pm at McFaul Activities Center. Topic: Transitions throughout the Stages - Birth to 5 to Elementary, Elementary to Middle School, Middle School to High School, High School and onward. You won't want to miss this meeting! Click here to register!

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1207814129409560

"We are excited to announce that registration is open for the Empowered Expo on April 22nd (formally the Expo for Transitioning Youth). If you have a student in middle school or high school who has an IEP or a 504 plan, this free expo is your chance to meet and greet with over 40 local organizations who provide services and resources you may need on the journey from high school to adulthood. We have also curated 9 different workshops on hot topics for young adults with disabilities such as employment readiness, benefits after high school, special needs financial planning, advocating as an adult and more!

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER to attend and reserve your spot in the workshops of your choice! If you have any questions about what topics would be right for you, please reach out to me or the HCPS transition staff at your school. We look forward to seeing you there!"

Rachel Harbin I Manager, Office of Disability Services

raharbin@harfordcountymd.gov

Harford County Government

125 N. Main Street I Bel Air, MD 21014 I 410-638-3373

Click here to register or receive free recordings!

Upcoming Webinars include:

• 5 Life Skills Every ADHD Young Adult Needs to Cultivate April 13th at 1pm
• Addictive Technology and Its Impact on Teen Brains April 19th at 1pm
• BFRB + ADHD Helping Your Child with Hair Pulling and Skin Picking May 4th at 1pm

Growing on the Spectrum Harford County is a local support group for families of children with autism in Harford County. The group meets the fourth Sunday of every month from 6:30 to 8pm at 1305 Pulaski Hwy, Edgewood, MD 21040

CLICK HERE to access the March newsletter from the Parent Center HUB.

Parent Centers are often on the lookout for disability resources they can share with families who are English speakers and those who prefer or need resources in Spanish. This 2nd Buzz of March brings just that to you—resources about: PANS and PANDAS in young children, a video series that uses a telenovela to share info with parents about special education; and a family toolkit to support youth who are transitioning from pediatric health care to adult care.

We Rock the Spectrum - Forest Hill is excited to offer this extra special time for our neurodiverse kiddos and siblings. Of course, inclusion is our mission and we want all kids of all abilities to come and play. But, when it comes down to the heart of it all, we are here to serve our neurodiverse families first and do the best we can to be sensory safe and sensitive always. Yet, we know that sometimes it’s nice to just be in a group of families and kiddos specifically designated for neurodiversity. So…here’s you’re chance. If this one fills up, we’ll schedule another one. We are limiting to 15 kiddos! Please book on the app or give us a call. This is a great way to make new friends or meet up with some old ones that will understand and know!

Athlete Sign-Up - Special Olympics Harford County Maryland (soharford.org)

Time to Unplug and Connect with Nature!

Click below for upcoming family events at Anita C. Leight Estuary Center in Abingdon!

https://harfordmentalhealth.org/

This resource provides information regarding counseling and treatment for mental health and addiction. They also have a resource for youth and families.

Are you prepared for the differences between HS and College? Here are two differences:

1. Some students may not know that there are no course modifications in college courses. Harford will not provide modifications to change the course content or performance expectations that would substantially alter the essential elements of the course. Students with disabilities are expected to demonstrate the same level of understanding of course material and meet the same minimum skill performance standards as all other students in the college class.

2. In high school, the IEP team plays a key role in providing recommendations and documentation for requested accommodations. Decisions about the accommodations provided in college classes will be determined by the college. High school IEP’s and 504 plans are not applied at the college level. The accommodations identified as reasonable, that provide equal access to course material according to the disability diagnosed and supporting documentation are applied. Consequently, students are encouraged to meet with the HCC Disability and Student Intervention Services (DSIS) before beginning the college courses in order to determine what reasonable accommodations will apply and what additional student support resources are available to all students. Students who wish to obtain accommodations for their classes must follow Disability and Student Intervention Services procedures. If the student needs more support, they should contact the High School Dual Enrollment Liaison to determine supplemental services for remediation.

If you have any questions, please contact our office by emailing us at disabilitysupport@harford.edu or by phone at 443-412-2402.

*Click the attachment below to view the electronic guide for prospective students.

Download the PDF below for the new HCPS Special Education Organization Chart. As a reminder, staff's email addresses are usually firstname.lastname@hcps.org.

Click the PDF below to learn more!

Resources from the Parents' Place of MD:

• Looking for information about evaluations? "Your Child's Evaluation" from the Center for Parent Information and Resources is super helpful and easy to read!

• Read to learn the purpose of evaluation, who is involved in evaluation, deciding if your child is eligible, developing your child's education program, and more!

• Don't know where to start with requesting accommodations and/or modifications for your child's IEP plan? Check out this list of common requests in our handy resource.

• What is the 5 Day Rule and How Does It Effect Me?

Did you know Maryland Mobile Urgent Care services Harford County? Click here to learn more about services that can be provided in your own home as well as accepted insurances.

Click the PDF below for information from the U.S. Department of Education Office of Educational Technology.

"What can this guide do for you? This “Parent and Family Digital Learning Guide” will help you, as a parent or caregiver, understand important approaches for using technology in a manner that focuses on the needs of your child. This guide provides resources that will help you as you work with your child, your child’s teachers, and school leaders to prepare your child for success in digital learning."

Click the PDF below to learn ways to access technology! Created by Mid-Atlantic Equity Consortium (MAEC)

Click here for information on Fallston MOPS/MomsNext. Come find your "mom tribe!"

The Sharing Table provides a free meal every Saturday to anyone in need. This meal provides nourishment for senior citizens, families with children, and anyone having a hard time making it through the month. There are no requirements and no qualifications. All in need of a good meal are welcome. Each family that visits the Sharing Table also receives a bag of groceries to take home.

https://www.facebook.com/The-Sharing-Table-497601243752813/