RCSS Parent Newsletter

Dear Parents and Guardians,

As the new school year approaches, we are filled with excitement and anticipation for the opportunities and experiences that lie ahead. We want to extend a warm welcome to you and your child as we prepare for another incredible year of learning and growth.

Our dedicated team is eager to partner with you to ensure that your child's individual needs are met with compassion and expertise. We are committed to fostering an environment where every student feels valued, supported, and inspired to reach their full potential.

We are truly excited about the journey we will embark on together and look forward to celebrating your child’s achievements and milestones. Please know that our doors are always open, and we encourage you to reach out with any questions or thoughts you may have.

Here’s to a fantastic school year filled with progress, joy, and shared success!

Warmest regards,

Leslee Falco, Executive Director of Special Education

09/09/2024 Back to School Routines and Structure for Students with Special Needs

Ready to get back to school? Set your child (and you!) up for success through easy-to-implement routines, visual supports, and structured expectations. Participants will acquire home, school, and weekend strategies to enhance student independence, support transitions, and foster prosocial behavior. 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM, Zoom-Online

https://www.escweb.net/tx_esc_06/catalog/session.aspx?session_id=555568

11/12/2024 Surviving the Holidays! Sensory Strategies and Self-Regulation Supports

For many families, holidays are a special time to gather with family, friends, and food! But holiday breaks can be challenging if you have a child that may be sensory-seeking or sensory-sensitive. In this session, learn some quick tips and tricks to help prepare your child (and you!) for schedule changes and outings, special school events, sensory-overloaded environments, and holiday chaos. Participants will learn the various senses involved with sensory input, understand the difference between hypersensitivity and hyposensitivity, and ways to support individual needs. 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM, Zoom-Onlinehttps://www.escweb.net/tx_esc_06/catalog/session.aspx?session_id=555577

01/28/2025 Behavior Basics for Parents, Caregivers, and Staff Enhancing Positive Behavior Supports

Behavior challenges at home can be very different than at school - it’s a different environment with a different set of expectations and routines. However, by using consistent school-to-home visual supports, reinforcers, and specific expectations, students can regulate more effectively. This session will help parents identify challenging behaviors and incorporate preventative strategies “before the meltdown”, and support educators working collaboratively with families. 11:30 AM-12:30 PM, Zoom-Onlinehttps://www.escweb.net/tx_esc_06/catalog/session.aspx?session_id=555580

03/25/2025 I Need a Break (for adults!): Self-Care Strategies and Techniques to Keep Being Awesome

As a parent/caregiver or educator of a student with special needs, your time and energy are often devoted so much to your child that you forget the “oxygen mask”...taking care of you to take care of others. This session provides the research-based need for self-care and personal growth, while providing do-able and realistic daily and weekly strategies to help you when your motivation is tested. 11:30 AM-12:30 PM, Zoom-Onlinehttps://www.escweb.net/tx_esc_06/catalog/session.aspx?session_id=555583

05/06/2025 Surviving the Summer: Increasing Self-Play Skills and Activity Engagement During Summer Breaks

Ready for the summer break? In this session, families and educators supporting families will learn ways to increase their child’s self-occupying behaviors while minimizing boredom and over-dependence on parents or technology. Additionally, visual strategies and stories will be shared to support vacations, special outings, and airplane/car ride trips. 11:30 AM-12:30 PM, Zoom-Onlinehttps://www.escweb.net/tx_esc_06/catalog/session.aspx?session_id=555587

The application will open again on February 3, 2025, as the Parent-Directed Special Education Services (PDSES) application.

To learn more visit https://tea.texas.gov/academics/special-student-populations/special-education/parent-directed-special-education-services-pdses

Applications for Camp Oct. 18-20, 2024 are Open!

LIFE - it stands for Leadership, Independence and Friends through Experiences, and it’s what embodies the spirit of Camp LIFE. Camp LIFE creates an inclusive, barrier-free setting in which children with disabilities (ages 6 and up) and their siblings (ages 5-12) can fully participate in the activities of their choice. This weekend camp is held twice each year at the facilities of Camp for All, located in Burton, Texas.

Campers have the opportunity to try horseback riding, ropes course, climbing wall, zip lining, petting zoo, swimming, canoeing, fishing, dancing, archery and more! Many of our volunteer counselors undergraduate students in a special education teacher training program at Texas A&M University. These specially trained counselors offer each camper individual attention and support to ensure he or she can fully participate in all activities.

For more information contact Aimee Day at aday@tamu.edu or 979-862-2913

ADHD Support Group: CHADD

College students with disabilities: We Connect Now

Deaf Aggies and Friends: https://maroonlink.tamu.edu/organization/deaf

Families of Autistic Children Engaged Together for Supports: FACETS

National Alliance on Mental Illness: NAMI

National Parent Center on Transition and Employment https://www.pacer.org/transition/

Parent Advocacy Coalition for Educational Rights: PACER

Parent support guide: Understanding Family Support

Support, advocacy and social opportunities for parents and people with IDD: The ARC of Bryan/College Station

Supported Decision-Making: Alternatives to Guardianship/Supported Decision Making ; Guardianship; Independent Living

Texas statewide network of parent training and information centers:http://prntexas.org/