SpedPro

Project Forum on LD

By JohnL on Aug. 6, 2008.

Over on LD Blog, I announced a new publication from Project Forum. The document examines the history of eligibility for special education of students identified as having Learning Disabilities and how US states are changing their eligibility procedures. Jump to the post on LD Blog.

RtI Poll on LDBlog

By JohnL on Aug. 5, 2008.

The second in a series of polls about readers’ views on response to instruction (or intervention; RtI) is now live on LD Blog. Jump directly to the post containing the poll.

NACCD CEO

By JohnL on Jun. 12, 2008.

National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities
Chief Executive Officer
Alexandria, VA

The National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities, based in Alexandria, Virginia, is seeking a dynamic Chief Executive Officer to lead a national network of state and territorial organizations focused on improving the lives of individuals with developmental disabilities and their families.
Read the rest of this entry »

IDA executive director

By JohnL on Jun. 9, 2008.

The International Dyslexia Association (IDA) is searching for an executive director.

Dear Colleague,
As you may be aware, the International Dyslexia Association (IDA) is undertaking a strategic initiative to identify a broad group of highly qualified candidates who could potentially serve in the position of IDA’s next Executive Director. IDA is seeking an individual who is familiar with the language of educational research and practice, passionate about the IDA’s mission and who recognizes the importance of meeting the needs of children with dyslexia and related disabilities with efficiency and effectiveness. Our Executive Director is expected to develop and implement a long-term strategy to help IDA achieve its mission and financial objectives.

You and the IDA are partners in mission and purpose. As such it is likely that you may be aware of individuals that may be interested in providing the necessary leadership which will allow IDA to continue on its successful trajectory and allow the organization to effectively address the needs facing parents, professionals and individuals with dyslexia in today’s world. If you know of any candidates that you feel may be interested in the opportunities that the position of Executive Director of IDA offers, we would appreciate it if you would bring them to our attention. Please refer them to the position posting on our website at http://www.interdys.org/NewsAnnouncementsIDAExecutiveDirector.htm.

Thank you in advance for your help and support.

With every good wish,

G. Emerson Dickman, III
IDA President

Optional IDEA alternative dispute resolution

By JohnL on Jun. 5, 2008.

Project Forum has released a new document that some professional special educators will find of interest and importance. Here’s part of the notice:

This In-Depth Policy Analysis is the result of findings based on a survey sent to all special education units of state education agencies. The survey requested information about the use of 10 alternative dispute resolution processes not specifically required under IDEA, the extent of their use, and other information. The 10 processes studied are:

• Conflict resolution skills training;
• Stakeholder management or oversight council;
• Parent-to-parent assistance;
• Dispute resolution case managers;
• Telephone intermediary;
• IEP facilitation;
• Third-party opinion or consultation processes;
• Early complaint resolution; and
• Resolution meeting facilitation.

Each of these processes is defined and findings are described under each process. Factors that impact the use of these processes are discussed and conclusions are drawn.

Download a PDF of the document on the Project Forum Web site.

VP for TheArcLink

By JohnL on May. 11, 2008.

The folks over at The Arc are searching for a senior administrator for TheArcLink, the organization’s means of providing resources for individuals with disabilities and their families so that they can make informed decisions about services and participate actively in their communities. Here’s a brief version of the announcement:

This key position has responsibility for TheArcLink’s marketing and communications activities as well as new product development. For a complete position description, go to www.thearclink.org/egroup/thearclinkvp.pdf.

Marketing activities include communicating via email, training webinars and direct personal contact to participating providers, potential participating providers, Roommates users, representatives of new potential state subscribers to Roommates, potential funders for the National FindFamily Registry and potential underwriters and supporters for TheArcLink in general. The Vice President will also staff exhibits at state and national meetings as requested by the President.

TheArcLink periodically develops new products in response to consumer demand or perceived market gap. Key to development are regular conversations with stakeholders, knowledge of the market niche, focus group results, and a knowledge of TheArcLink’s internal engineering capacity to develop specific applications. Since the initial launch of TheArcLink in 2000, these new products have been developed and introduced: The TheArcLink Calendar, the Medicaid Reference Desk, MyPlan (an online individual needs assessment in conjunction with the Medicaid Reference Desk), Roommates and the National FindFamily Registry. TheArcLink also hosts the websites of other disability organization on request. The Vice President will be a key participant in the process of all new product development, and will serve as the lead contact for new products as assigned by the President.

The successful candidate will have training and experience in Information Technology Management (IT), as well as an orientation to the field of cognitive disabilities.

Application Deadline: June 10, 2008

Send all resumes and inquiries to vicepresident@thearclink.org.

Salary: Competitive

TheArcLink Incorporated is an equal opportunity employer.

Download a PDF of the position description here.

Chief Program Officer

By JohnL on May. 1, 2008.

Virginia Institute for Autism (VIA) is searching for an individual to assume responsibility for programming educational environments for children and youths with Autism. Here’s VIA’s description of the position.

The Virginia Institute of Autism (VIA) in Charlottesville seeks a Chief Program Officer committed to evidence-based practice and the principles of applied behavior analysis (ABA). The primary roles are to develop, oversee and ensure the quality of programming across the Institute’s James C. Hormel School, which serves up to 30 students with autism, preschool through post high; ensure the quality of and staff fidelity to behavior support plans; and work collaboratively with the Program Director for Student Instruction to review, select and evaluate assessment tools, curricula and IEPs.

The person filling the position should have, at minimum, a master’s degree in education, special education, psychology, or a related discipline. Candidates should also have five or more years experience overseeing educational programs for children and adolescents with Autism. Most VIA staff members have board certification in behavior analysis (BCBA).

See VIA’s announcement of the positionhere and learn more about VIA itself here.

UConn Training Institute

By JohnL on Apr. 23, 2008.

Here’s a opportunity for professional development. It’s slated for 10-14 June 10 at the Holiday Inn By the Bay in Portland, Maine.

20th Annual Postsecondary Disability Training Institute

The objective of this Training Institute is to assist dedicated professionals to meet the unique needs of college students with disabilities. Participants can select from a variety of Strands, Single Sessions, and Saturday Post-Sessions taught by experts in the field, which provide participants with in-depth information and adequate time for questions and follow-up discussions. Participants also have opportunities to share information and network with each other at various activities throughout the Institute.

Location: Portland, Maine

Website: www.cped.uconn.edu

Contact Information:

Carrol Waite, Institute Manager
email: carrol.waite_@_uconn.edu (remove the underscores)
phone: (860) 486-3321
fax: (860) 486-5799

This is a regular activity of the Center on Postsecondary Education and Disability at the Neag School of Education of the University of Connecticut in Storrs (CT, US).

Research funds in perspective

By JohnL on Apr. 19, 2008.

The Council for Exceptional Children generated a graphic that allows one to see the relative US federal funding for research in various areas. It’s a pretty clear indication of the importance attached to addressing the improvement of education, no? I’ve linked a larger version of the file to the image at the right. It’s suitable for downloading.

To be sure, there are some funds in the NIH and NSF research budgets that go toward educational research. For example, some of the funds from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development fund research on Autism and Learning Disabilities. I do not know what proportion of those budgets are devoted to such educationally relevant topics, but I bet that it’s a small proportion.

Conference on brain development and learning

By JohnL on Mar. 24, 2008.

From an advertisement I received….

The 2nd Biennial, International Conference on:

BRAIN DEVELOPMENT & LEARNING: MAKING SENSE OF THE SCIENCE

July 12-15, 2008 Sheraton Wall Center Hotel, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

One of the best conferences I ve been to in 20 years! (Inaugural Meeting Attendee)

Conference website: http://www.interprofessional.ubc.ca/bdl.html

This interdisciplinary conference is devoted to enriching and improving the lives of children by making cutting-edge research in neuroscience & child development available, relevant, & understandable to mental health professionals, educators, parents, & others who care about children.

This year ** ADHD** is one of the main topics of the conference.

World-famous researchers who are also outstanding speakers will present, including:

TORKEL KLINGBERG, who pioneered the role of computer games to improve working memory in children with ADHD (CogMed: www.drshred.ca/cogmed.php)

ROSEMARY TANNOCK, a pioneer in ADHD research and co- developer of integrated
multimedia resources on ADHD for teachers (www.teachadhd.ca).

In addition, famous speakers and researchers on Executive Functions and Prefrontal Cortex will be featured, including:

AMY ARNSTEN, BOB KNIGHT, BYRAN KOLB, BRUCE PENNINGTON, MIKE PETRIDES

And famous speakers and researchers on RESILIENCE in the face of Depression, Anxiety, Trauma, or Abuse, including:

WILLIAM BEARDSLEE, who will speak about his work with parents and families:
Hope, Meaning and Continuity: Lessons Learned from Developing and Adapting Preventive Interventions for Depression in Families

GIL NOAM, a Prof. in both the Education and Medical Schools of Harvard:
Resilience Development: Where Education and Mental Health Meet

A special feature of this conference:
Besides lectures, you ll have the opportunity to meet, speak informally with, and ask questions of, these world-famous speakers in a small, relaxed setting over a lunch with 2-3 speakers and no more than 30 conference participants.

For years I have seen people try to bring educators together with health specialists, or either with researchers. I have never seen any effort work as well as what you put together in Vancouver.

It was wonderful having different groups of professionals from different backgrounds and training come together in a truly collaborative way sharing research, knowledge, and experiences.

For more information and registration:

Conference website: http://www.interprofessional.ubc.ca/bdl.html

Or Call: Toll free in Canada or the US: 1-877-328-7744
From Overseas: 001-604-822-6156

Email: devcogneuro@gmail.com

Conference schedule: www.interprofessional.ubc.ca/BDL_subpages/schedule.html

More info on Speakers: www.interprofessional.ubc.ca/BDL_subpages/presenters.html

A website set up to help conference attendees find someone to share a hotel room with, a homestay, or a ride-share: http://www.devcogneuro.com/share/YaBB.pl