Congratulations to our APISD Special Olympics Bowlers for qualifying for the regional bowling tournament in January!

Our Special Olympics spring sport is track & field. We look forward to seeing our special olympic athletes compete in a variety of track & field events at their annual track meet! Be on the lookout for date, time, and place!

Dawn Storey at A.C. Blunt was recognized as Employee of the Month in January. Mrs. Storey has been the Special Education Department Head and a campus case manager for many years. She does a great job of running the campus special education department and supporting our kids in the classroom. Way to go, Mrs. Storey!

Maria Sprabary was recognized as the Charlie Marshall Elementary Employee of the Month in January. Mrs. Sprabary has been a paraprofessional at Charlie Marshall for a long time and does a wonderful job of supporting our students in inclusion classes. Thanks, Mrs. Sprabary!

Ashleigh Sasin was named Employee of the Month for Aransas Pass High School AND Transportation in February. Mrs. Sasin has been teaching and driving buses in APISD for five years. She has been teaching adaptive education for the last three years and does a great job of working with our high school students, especially in the area of transition. Thank you, Mrs. Sasin!

There is only ONE MONTH left for parents to apply for a $1,500 Parent-Directed Special Education Services (PDSES) grant.

To be eligible, a student must:

• be currently enrolled in a Texas public school (grades Pre-K through 12th);
• receive special education services through an individualized education program (IEP); and
• have not received a PDSES/SSES grant in the past. (PDSES is a one-time-only grant.)

For more information about the application process, view this one-page resource, the PDSES Parent Portal and Application FAQs, or the step by step instructions on how to apply.

What is Cerebral Palsy?

Cerebral Palsy is a collection of motor disorders resulting from damage to the brain that can occur before, during and after birth. Congenital cerebral palsy indicates that a person developed cerebral palsy at birth which is the case of the majority of people with cerebral palsy. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Cerebral Palsy (CP) is a group of disorders that affect a person’s ability to move and maintain balance and posture. It is the most common motor disability in childhood. It is estimated that an average of 1 in 345 children in the U.S. have cerebral palsy. For many years, it was thought cerebral palsy was due to lack of oxygen. Studies show this only accounts for 19% of all cases.

World syndrome day is marked each year on March 21 which first started in 2007. March 21 was the date selected to highlight the uniqueness of the triplication of the 21st chromosome which causes Down syndrome. The day has been officially observed by the United Nations since 2012.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder that impacts social, speech, behavioral and motor skills. It is a spectrum disorder meaning it varies from person to person. No two people have the same symptoms. It is estimated that 1% of the population is diagnosed with autism.

ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. There is no cure for ALS yet.