July is such a delightful month! We celebrate Independence Day, and we enjoy our summer days. July is also full of learning opportunities, and this Post issue is overloaded.

First, a big thank you to everyone who attended our ESC6 Special Education Summer Series: Go for the Gold! last month. We know you enjoyed it, and we are grateful you attended this 3-day virtual learning opportunity. Also, during our Ukeru TOT session, one of our trainers founded the I Will Sit With You Support Group for PTSD, Depression, and Anxiety This support group meets in Mexias, TX, but we are sharing this information with you in hopes that either someone can attend or perhaps somebody will volunteer to start one in our area. Mental health matters, and there is power in supporting one another.

Moving forward, two conferences in July might interest you: the ESC6 Science Conference and the Dyslexia Conference. In addition, there are classroom management, transition, restorative practices, trauma-informed, school safety blueprient, make-and-take sessions, and so much more. Join us! Grow, share, and implement new practices. Our students need the best we can offer.

Finally, consider applying for the Special Education Specialist position (see flyer below). Either way, keep on giving. At ESC6, our purpose is to serve, so If you have a suggestion, please let us know.

There is great freedom in teaching, serving, and believing. Happy 4th!

All Texas educators may access these courses for free on the TEALearn website and earn Continuing Professional Education (CPE) hours.

https://tinyurl.com/TIERcourses

Eating Disorders in the BIPOC Community - Wednesday, July 17, 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. CT First, an overview of societal racial barriers to mental health and ED treatments and recommendations on how to challenge these barriers will be addressed. Then, clinical outcomes data of clients in eating disorder treatment who identify as BIPOC. (1 CE)

Additional Events:

Best of Trauma Super Conference, July 8 – 14, 2024 - free and virtual

The Texas HHSC Institute, July 22 – 26, 2024

Resiliency 2024, September 12, 2024 - free and virtual

Addressing the Mental Health Needs of Latinx Teens

Wednesday, July 10

Decoding and Demystifying Dyslexia

Wednesday, July 24

Student Athlete Mental Health - A Game Plan for Parents, Educators, Coaches, and Health Care Professionals

Wednesday, July 31

Understanding the Link Between Physical and Mental Health

Thursday, August 8

Heroes of Hope: Championing Suicide Prevention Together

Friday, September 13

Fostering Mental Well-Being and Empowerment in Sexual and Gender Diverse Young People: A Pilot Study of the Tuned In! Affirmative Mindfulness-Based Intervention

Tuesday, July 16, 1:00-2:00pm ET

In an attempt to build the repertoire of empirically supported interventions for sexual and gender diverse young people (SGDY), an LGBTQ+ affirmative mindfulness-based group intervention (called Tuned In!) was collaboratively developed with and pilot-tested with SGDY. The study found high engagement, satisfaction, and significant improvements in mental health markers. Participants will learn about providing trauma-informed, culturally responsive support to SGDY and practical strategies from the Tuned In! study to enhance social support and self-advocacy in group work with SGDY. Register now

Tuesday, July 23, 2024

2:00 PM - 3:00 PM ET

*Note: CSN selected to use the term Children with Autism for this webinar, but we acknowledge and recognize the equally valid term Autistic Children. We have left it up to the individual presenters to share the term they have used in their work. Individuals, communities, and organizations differ on which is the preferred term. For more information, please see: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38570904/

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The summer months bring new considerations for child safety, such as taking precautions for heat exposure, drowning, and playground safety. For children with autism, the risk of injury is often exponentially larger than the neurotypical population. Children with autism’s risk of drowning is 160 times higher (Guan & Li, 2017), which coupled with an increase in wandering and elopement, and communication challenges for non-verbal children, creates the need for additional considerations in preventing injuries.

In this webinar, Sarah Tinker, Ph.D. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or CDC) will present an overview of autism spectrum disorder in U.S. children, including why they may be at increased risk for injuries. Shericka Harris, MSPH (CDC) will describe unintentional drowning deaths in the U.S. among children and adolescents where autism was identified as a contributing cause of death.

Jiabin Shen, Ph.D., and Yan Wang, Ph.D. (University of Massachusetts Lowell or UML) will present their population-based research that investigates disparities in injury and injury-related medical service utilization in children with autism using 22 years of data from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS). The findings offer scientists, clinicians, and policymakers evidence-based data to inform development of tailored injury prevention programs for children with autism. They may also contribute to improvement of healthcare services and delivery of care for children with autism in the U.S. CSN-A member Judy Qualters, Ph.D. (CDC) will moderate the webinar.

ALL VIRTUAL this year!

The conference is FREE, but limited virtual spots are available, so register yourself and your team today.

The only conference that REALLY applies to the students you work with.

SBEC and CEU's available.

Learn More

Stress Management and Resiliency Trainings (SMART):

• July 23, 2024, 8:30 am – 12:30 pm CT

• For more information and to register: https://mhttcnetwork.org/event/stress-management-and-resiliency-training-smart-jul24/

• August 13, 2024, 12N – 4:00 pm CT

• For more information and to register: https://mhttcnetwork.org/event/stress-management-and-resiliency-training-smart-aug24/

Stress Management and Resiliency Training (SMART) for Educators

• September 10, 2024, 5:00 pm – 9:00 pm CT

• For more information and to register: https://mhttcnetwork.org/event/stress-management-and-resiliency-training-smart-for-educators-sept24/

Unlocking the Power of Oral Language Assessments: Going Beyond the Score

presented by Laura Stevenson, MS, CCC‑SLP

Wednesday, July 31st at 10:00 a.m. PT (1:00 p.m. ET)

Free | 90 minutes

• Summer: SPPI 14 survey launches for students who were enrolled in grades 9-12 during the 2022-23 school year.
• July 12-August 12: Public comment window for §89.1035 Age Ranges for Student Eligibility, §89.1053 Procedures for Use of Restraint and Time Out, and §89.1070 Graduation Requirements (will be posted on TEA's Proposed Commissioner of Education Rules webpage closer to window start date)
• July 29-30: ALIGNED! 2024: From Child Find to IEP Implementation is a free virtual conference. Up to 12 CPEs, 1.15 ASHA CEUs, and 12 NASP CEUs hours will be available for all attendees who participate in the live, synchronous sessions.
• August 31: Due date for the TED required training.
• December 6: SSES+ Medically Fragile Program ends.

Don't forget to check out TEA's Special Education Webinars and Newsletters website for a list of upcoming events, previous webinar recordings, and past editions of the Special Education Newsletter.

School leaders! As you're planning the 2024-25 school year, use ED resources to:

🙋‍♂️ Address chronic absenteeism
📚 Offer high-dosage tutoring
👩‍🏫 Provide summer & afterschool learning

Find out more at https://lnkd.in/eT2WZmjT.

All students deserve inclusive and supportive learning environments that help them learn, grow, and be successful. According to the U.S. Department of Education’s (Department’s) Guiding Principles for Creating Safe, Inclusive, Supportive, and Fair School Climates, one of the five guiding principles includes recruiting and retaining a diverse educator workforce in an effort to ensure all students have access to diverse, well-prepared, well-qualified, and effective educators. Fostering learning spaces that value diversity, where every student feels valued, is vital within all our educational systems.

Diversifying the educator workforce has been challenging though. Schools across the United States have been contending with persistent staffing shortages. In addition, in June 2023, the Supreme Court's decision in Students for Fair Admissions, In. (SFFA) v. President and Fellows of Harvard College and SFFA v. University of North Carolina ended race-conscious admission, a tool colleges and universities across the United States had used to diversify their student bodies, which included students who were studying to become teachers and mental health professionals.

To expand the pipeline of high-quality, trained professionals to address shortages in high-need schools, while also advancing diversity, the Department has launched a number of efforts (e.g., Mental Health Services Professional Demonstration Grant Program, School Based Mental Health Services Grant Program, National Guidelines for Registered Apprenticeship Standards for K-12 Teachers). This has led state education agencies (SEAs), regional educations agencies (REAs), local education agencies (LEAs or districts), and institutions of higher education (IHEs) to partner together to train, place, hire and, ultimately, retain diverse students who become school professionals. However, as they do their work, they may be grappling with the Supreme Court’s recent decision and can benefit from guidance around the ways in which they can continue to ensure the experience for all students includes the educational benefits of diversity.

The June 2024 edition of the Suicide Prevention Quarterly Newsletter (PDF) from the State Suicide Prevention Team at the Texas Health and Human Services Commission is now available. This edition of the newsletter includes the sections below:

• Suicide Care in Texas
• Suicide Care in Juvenile Justice Settings Learning Collaborative

• Postvention
• Postvention Suicide Strategies in Schools

• Self-Care
• The Healing Power of Pets

• Call to Action
• 2024 National Strategy for Suicide Prevention

• Upcoming Events
• Long-Term Survivors of Suicide Loss Summit
• Texas Suicide Prevention Symposium and LOSS Team Conference
• Share Your Success Story

For more information, email the State Suicide Prevention Team.

The application window for the Cycle 13 Speech Language Pathology Master's Degree Distance Venue will open in August 2024, with the cohort running from June 2025 to August 2027. Several informational meetings have been offered throughout the year, with two remaining. Those interested in applying must attend one full information meeting as part of the application process. The registration links are provided below.

4:30 pm -6:30 pm

• Monday, August 19th, 2024
• Monday, October 21st, 2024

Please share with those who might be interested.

Don't hesitate to contact Pam Bumpass at pbumpass@esc6.net or 936-435-8249 for further assistance.

The State Performance Plan Indicator (SPPI) 14 survey measures post-school outcomes for students who were receiving special education services when they exited public school. TEA contracts with a vendor to conduct the SPPI 14 survey. On June 3, Gibson Consulting Group will launch the summer 2024 survey for students who were enrolled in grades 9-12 during the 2022-23 school year and graduated, dropped out, completed a GED, or withdrew to enter college. Resources are available on the Texas SPED Support website to understand the SPPI 14 post-school outcomes survey. Watch the videos to learn more about SPPI 14, including how to use the results of the survey to inform transition planning practices or to increase response rates. Use the bookmark to share information about the post-school outcomes survey with students and families.

This year, former students and families will receive invitations to complete the survey through the following methods:

• Email messages from gibsonsurveys@qemailserver.com
• Phone calls from (512) 580-6008
• Text messages from (833) 495-3340
• Postcards

For questions about the survey, they may contact Gibson by sending an email to support@gibsonconsult.com or calling (512) 580-6008. They may also complete the survey by visiting www.TxExit.com.

Supplemental Special Education Services (SSES) is now the Parent-Directed Special Education Services (PDSES) program.

The PDSES program is the same as the SSES program, just with a new name to better reflect the importance of parents as decision makers in the educational process. The eligibility criteria for PDSES remains the same: the program remains a first-come, first-served one-time only grant for the families of students who are enrolled in a Texas public school and receive special education services. The same students who were eligible for the SSES program are eligible for the PDSES program, and if students already received an SSES grant in the past, they will not be eligible for a PDSES grant in the future. The application for the PDSES program is currently closed and will open for the 2024-2025 school year on February 3, 2025.

Anyone interested in receiving program updates, including application window reminders, is encouraged to join the email list by going to the PDSES website and signing up to receive updates.

Fabiana Bezerra, LSSP, NCSP

ESC 6 Behavior & Autism Specialist for Special Education

Email: fbezerra@esc6.net
Website: https://www.esc6.net/
Location: Education Service Center Region 6, Montgomery Road, Huntsville, TX, USA
Phone: 936-4350-8252
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Region6ESC
Twitter: @escregion6