Past Parent Resource Center Workshops

Navigating Support Together: A Family Guide to the Parent Resource Center

Discover how the Parent Resource Center (PRC) has been making a difference for over 30 years! Since its founding in November 1992, the PRC has worked alongside families, educators, and staff to empower those caring for children with disabilities. This informative webinar will spotlight how the PRC provides expert guidance, valuable tools, and ongoing support to help families become effective advocates for their children’s educational journey. Join us as we explore how meaningful partnerships and shared knowledge can lead to lasting impact for families and educators alike.

Empower, Support, Succeed: Tutoring Resources for Every Student

Prince William County Public Schools invites families to a live Zoom webinar to explore Varsity Tutors—a secure online tutoring service that provides students with unlimited, 24/7 academic support for students in grades K–12. Learn how your child can access expert tutors and engage in learning tools at no cost to your family. Do not miss this opportunity to unlock your student’s full potential and connect them with resources to support academic success!

PWCS College and Career Readiness Services

Prince William County Public Schools (PWCS) is hosting monthly Career and Transition Resource Sessions to help families discover community disability resources designed to support postsecondary transitions. The PWCS College and Career Counseling Services support students in planning for life after high school. These services help students explore postsecondary options, set goals, and develop the skills needed for success in college, careers, and beyond.

No-Cost Mental Health Telehealth Services for Prince William County Public Schools (PWCS) Students

Mental health telehealth services are available to PWCS students, at no cost to families, through Hazel Health, a well-established telehealth provider. This initiative provides access to mental health care, ensuring students receive the support they need without delay – regardless of their ability to pay or insurance status.

Preschool Toilet Training Strategies

Parents and families will learn about the signs of readiness for toilet training to look for in their child. We will also review different methods of toilet training to ensure that you are prepared to help your child become successful. We will discuss accommodations that parents/families can add to their day to support toilet training if their child has language delays, physical challenges, sensory needs, or other disabilities.

Middle School Transition Planning 101

Does your student have a plan for life after high school? Join us to discover what a transition plan is; what thoughtful, student-centered postsecondary transition goals are; and how students can successfully transition from high school to postsecondary roles and activities. This presentation will provide an overview of the process for transition planning through the Individualized Education Program (IEP), what the components of a transition plan are, and what PWCS programs and community resources are available that prepare the student to achieve his or her postsecondary vision. Resources will be provided for this session.

Bridging Communication Gaps with Translation and Interpretation Services

PWCS actively bridges language communication gaps and empowers multilingual students and families by providing essential translation and interpretation services. This session will explore the linguistic diversity within PWCS, relevant language access laws, and how families can access these services at the division and school levels.

Cracking the Code: 504s and IEPs

Not sure what makes a 504 Plan different from an IEP? Join us for a free online seminar presented by Parent Educational Advocacy Training Center (PEATC) that breaks it all down in clear, parent-friendly language. Learn how eligibility, services, and protections differ — and how to advocate for the right support for your child.

Breathe In, Shine Out: Helping Kids Find Their Calm

Join us for a virtual class that unlocks the secret behind your child's behavior using the Conscious Discipline Brain State Model - the same approach we use in our preschool classrooms! Discover how your mindset and composure help guide your child (and yourself) through big feelings and tough moments. Walk away with real strategies to bring more peace, calm, and connection into your home.

Understanding Dyslexia: A Parent's Guide to Supporting Your Child

Join us for an informative workshop designed to help parents understand dyslexia. We will explore what dyslexia is, its common signs, and effective strategies to support children with this learning difference. Gain valuable insights and practical tips to empower your child’s educational journey.

Independence Empowerment Center Parent Resource Session

Independence Empowerment Center, Inc. is a non-profit organization that provides services for adults and children with disabilities to access appropriate community services, exercise their civil rights, participate in all aspects of society, and advocate their value to society.

ADHD and Girls: What Every Caregiver Should Know

ADHD often looks different in girls—and because of this, many are overlooked or misdiagnosed. In this informative and engaging session, Licensed Clinical Social Worker and neurodiversity advocate, Shealyn Clinger will explore how ADHD presents uniquely in girls, the challenges they face in academic and social settings, and the emotional toll of being misunderstood. Parents and caregivers will gain insights into: Common signs of ADHD in girls and why they are often missed. The impact of masking, perfectionism, and internalized symptoms. Strategies to support emotional regulation, self-advocacy, and confidence. How to partner with schools and mental health professionals.
This session is ideal for families of school-aged girls, educators, and anyone wanting to better understand and support neurodivergent learners.

Sibling Talk - Help Your Kids Get Along

While many kids are lucky enough to become the best of friends with their siblings, it is common for brothers and sisters to fight. It is also common for them to swing back and forth between adoring and detesting one another! It can be frustrating and upsetting to watch — and hear — your kids fight with one another. A household that is full of conflict is stressful for everyone. Yet often it is hard to know how to stop the fighting, or even whether you should get involved at all. But you can take steps to promote peace in your household and help your kids get along. This workshop will address differences among siblings and how this can contribute to conflict and rivalry, the underlying reasons for such rivalry, and the importance of understanding it before you can intervene successfully. Numerous coping strategies will be provided.

Supporting Preschool Language Development

Unlock the power of communication in young minds! This interactive session is designed to nurture and expand language skills in preschool-aged children through engaging, multi-modal activities. Participants will explore dynamic techniques that combine visual, auditory, and tactile approaches to encourage vocabulary growth, sentence-building, and conversational abilities. Perfect for caregivers and anyone passionate about fostering early childhood development, this session will equip you with practical strategies to support and inspire budding communicators.

Middle School Transition Planning 101

Does your student have a plan for life after high school? Join us to discover what a transition plan is; what thoughtful, student-centered postsecondary transition goals are; and how students can successfully transition from high school to postsecondary roles and activities. This presentation will provide an overview of the process for transition planning through the Individualized Education Program (IEP), what the components of a transition plan are, and what PWCS programs and community resources are available that prepare the student to achieve his or her postsecondary vision. Resources will be provided for this session.

Planning for the Future: Financial and Decision-Making Options

The Parent Educational Advocacy Training Center (PEATC) offers valuable information and resources to help families navigate important decisions regarding their child's future. This session will cover a range of options covering financial and decision-making. Topics include:

• Age of Majority
• Guardianship
• Power of Attorney
• Supported Decision-Making
• Special Needs Trusts
• ABLE Accounts

Look, Listen, Lead: Teaching Attention and Assertiveness at Home

Join us for a hands-on, in-person class that helps you understand your child’s behavior through the Conscious Discipline Brain State Model, used daily in our preschool classroom. This session focuses on two powerful tools from Conscious Discipline: The Power of Attention and the Skill of Assertiveness. Discover how your focus and the way you give directions can shape behavior at home – boosting cooperation and reducing power struggles... Learn to lead with clarity, connection, and confidence – starting at home.

Addressing Behaviors Confidently

Learn how to help your child be successful at home and in school. This presentation will teach the basics of social and emotional skills, like coping with feelings and making decisions. We will share examples of how to respond to interfering behaviors and big emotions, and you will learn about school behavior support options available, including Functional Behavior Assessments (FBAs) and Behavior Intervention Plans (BIPs). Presented in partnership with PEATC.

Identifying and Supporting Twice Exceptional (2e) Learners in PWCS

This webinar is designed to help families better understand and support twice-exceptional (2e) learners—students who are both gifted and have learning differences. The session will highlight how the Gifted Education and Talent Development program serves K–12 students, with a focus on identifying and meeting the needs of 2e learners. Participants will gain insight into what it means to be "gifted," how students are evaluated for gifted services, and practical strategies families can use to nurture their child’s strengths at home.

Assistive Technology Writing Workshop

The Assistive Technology team will be hosting a 60-minute writing workshop designed for students in grades 3-12 who use assistive technology (AT) to support their writing. The workshop will focus on creative expression through comic strip creation using Book Creator, with differentiated scaffolding to meet diverse learning needs. Students will be required to bring their Assistive Technology-supported tools to the workshop, such as laptops with AT extensions or iPads equipped with AT tools. One caregiver must be with the participating students.

The Transition to College: What Changes for Students with Disabilities

Prince William County Public Schools (PWCS) is hosting monthly Transition Resource Sessions to help families explore community disability resources tailored for postsecondary transition. December Topic: The Transition to College: What Changes for Students with Disabilities.

You Did It! We Did It! Encouragement for Everyday Wins

In this virtual session, we will explore how to build strong, lasting bonds with your child - where love and listening thrive. Using tools from Conscious Discipline, including the Power of Unity and Skill of Encouragement, you will learn how to nurture your child’s self-esteem and inner motivation to follow expectations. We will also dive deeper into attunement and relationship building—the foundation for connection and cooperation at home. Discover how being truly present with your child helps create a family culture rooted in trust, values, and emotional safety.

It's a Balancing Act: Reclaiming Yourself Through Self-Care and Wellness

Reclaiming yourself requires finding your unique path to wellness and committing to making yourself a priority. This is difficult for all parents/caregivers, especially parents of children with disabilities. Life can be unpredictable, and coping with stress and burnout can become overwhelming. It is a balancing act to remain centered and at peace, not in pieces. This interactive workshop offers tangible strategies to help parents overcome challenges that hinder balance and reclaim themselves through self-care and wellness. You will learn how to prioritize self-care and make it an integral part of your daily routine.

Winter Break Learning: Fun Ideas for Preschool Families

Join us for an engaging session designed to help preschool parents keep their little learners growing during winter break! We will share practical, playful strategies to support early literacy, math, and social-emotional skills at home—using everyday items and family-friendly activities. As part of the workshop, we will also create winter-themed sensory boxes together! These hands-on boxes are perfect for sparking curiosity and encouraging fine motor development while embracing the magic of the season. You will leave with a ready-to-use sensory box and plenty of ideas to make learning fun all winter long.

Discover Project SEARCH and Explore: Pathways to Career Success

Join us for an informative session on Prince William County Public Schools’ Project SEARCH and Explore programs, designed to support students with disabilities in gaining real-world job skills and workplace experience in a business host site. Learn how these programs prepare students for meaningful employment and independence after graduation

Cozy Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) Winter Story Time 

Join us for a fun and cozy evening designed just for preschoolers who use Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC)! 

We’ll enjoy the The Mitten by Jan Brett—complete with visual support and AAC modeling to engage every child. After story time, children can decorate mittens, matching animals, and enjoy a cozy snack bar. 

Explore/Project Search Parent Resource Session

Learn about PWCS’s Explore and Project SEARCH programs, which offer hands-on vocational training and transition support for students with disabilities. These initiatives help students build employability skills and prepare for competitive employment and independent living after high school. 

 
Explore Program – A school-year internship experience for students with IEPs and a goal of competitive employment. Interns participate in three targeted rotations at local business sites, receive direct instruction in employability skills, and build communication, teamwork, and problem-solving abilities. Current worksites include Todos Neighborhood Market (Dumfries), Capitol Ridge Gracious Retirement Living, Tribute at the Glen Retirement Community, and Hilton Garden Inn/Magnolia Grand. 

Project SEARCH – A one-year, business-led transition-to-work program hosted at UVA Health and other partner sites. Students engage in full workplace immersion, combining classroom instruction with three internships, individualized job development, and collaboration with vocational rehabilitation services. Current worksites include UVA Health Medical Center and Westminster at Lake Ridge.  

Choices Are Powerful: Teaching Kids to Think Before They Act 

Join us in a virtual session and explore the Conscious Discipline skill of choices, that focus on the power of free will.  By understanding how offering structured choices empowers children to feel capable and in control, parents will learn practical strategies to reduce power struggles and build connection. This class highlights how honoring a child’s ability to make decisions encourages responsibility, self-regulation, and self-motivation which lays the foundation for lifelong emotional intelligence and resilience.

Managing Challenging Behaviors Through Self-Regulation 

Does your child often display big emotions? Have trouble with behaviors at home or school? Struggle to self-regulate? In this session, participants will learn how to manage challenging behaviors in the home setting.

Extended School Year (ESY): A Guide for Families 

Please join us to learn more about Extended School Year (ESY) services for students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). We will take a closer look at the purpose of ESY and talk about the six different factors that IEP teams must consider when deciding if ESY is necessary for each student.

Middle School Transition Planning to High School 102

Does your student have a plan for life after high school? Thoughtful, student-centered, postsecondary transition planning will ensure your child's successful transition from high school to postsecondary roles and activities. This presentation will provide an overview of graduation requirements, PWCS courses and programs, and available community resources that will prepare your child to achieve his/her desired postsecondary vision. 

What is Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) and How Can It Help My Child? 

Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) is an adaptive and responsive framework that helps schools identify and provide targeted support for students who are struggling academically and/or behaviorally. MTSS is built upon strong and intentional collaboration between schools and families, enhanced by the belief that ALL students can learn at high levels. Participants will leave with an understanding of key components of the MTSS framework, how decisions are made, how to foster a strong collaboration with schools, and how to access student support when needed.

Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) Accommodations and Accessibility Services

Guest speakers Corey Esparza and Pam Lucas from Northern Virginia Community College will share information about Accommodations and Accessibility Services, which support students with disabilities in accessing equal educational opportunities in college. This session will help students and families better understand how accommodations work in a postsecondary setting and how to successfully transition from high school IEP services to college-based supports and accommodations.  

You’re Safe, You’re Loved: Creating a Home of Acceptance and Empathy

Join us in a virtual session where you will learn how the skill of empathy, rooted in the power of acceptance, helps children feel seen, heard, and valued. By practicing empathy, parents can better connect with their child’s emotional experience and respond with compassion instead of correction. This approach builds trust, strengthens relationships, and teaches children how to manage their feelings in healthy ways.

Middle School Transition Planning to High School 102

Does your student have a plan for life after high school? Thoughtful, student-centered, postsecondary transition planning will ensure your child's successful transition from high school to postsecondary roles and activities. This presentation will provide an overview of graduation requirements, PWCS courses and programs, and available community resources that will prepare your child to achieve his/her desired postsecondary vision. 

Parenting Anxious Children

Worries and fears are common in children. Most kids go through periods during which they experience some degree of anxiety or fear—it is developmentally normal. However, children with anxiety disorders typically experience intense fear, worry, or uneasiness that can last for long periods of time and significantly affect their lives. If not treated early, anxiety disorders can lead to a variety of problems. In this talk, Dr. Crist will address how common these disorders are in children and teens, types and symptoms of the various anxiety disorders, causes, diagnosis, treatment, and how to help your children or those you may be working with to cope with these disorders, get help if needed, and how you can make sure you are helping the problem, and not inadvertently contributing to it.

Postsecondary Education Isn't Always College: Exploring Career, Training, and Workforce Pathways After High School

This presentation will help students and families better understand the wide range of postsecondary options available after high school beyond traditional college pathways. The session is designed to increase awareness of career, training, and employment opportunities while supporting informed transition planning for students with disabilities.

Big Love, Big Lessons: Teaching Through Connection, Not Correction

Join us for a hands-on in-person class that will help you understand how the skill of positive intent, based on the power of love, can transform challenging moments into opportunities for growth. By choosing to see the best in their child, even during behavior challenges, parents can shirt from judgment to compassion.  This approach builds trust, teaches children they are safe and loved, and encourages them to act from their best selves, creating a more peaceful and connected home environment.

Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) Family Game Night

Join us for our AAC Game Night for students that access communication through Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC). Playing games is a wonderful way to bond with your child and build communication skills. Come and learn how to use gameplay to facilitate communication in a fun and interactive way. Students and their families in grades K-12 are welcome. This event is designed specifically for students and their families who use Augmentative and Alternative Communication (i.e., iPad with LAMP/TouchChat or similar; ACCENT device; Go Talk, etc.).

Preschool Toilet Training Strategies

Parents and families will learn about the signs of readiness for toilet training to look for in their child. We will also review different methods of toilet training to ensure that you are prepared to help your child become successful. We will discuss accommodations that parents/families can add into their day to support toilet training if their child has language delays, physical challenges, sensory needs, or other disabilities.

Anatomía de un IEP (Anatomy of an IEP)

Como una clase de biología, esta presentación analiza el IEP (Programa de Educación Individualizada), examina sus partes individualmente, explica la función de cada sección y cómo se combinan para crear un documento eficaz. Aprenderá consejos prácticos y constructivos para elaborar un IEP que garantice el acceso del estudiante a una educación pública gratuita y apropiada.

Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Youth Program: Building Pathways to Employment

This presentation will help students, families, and educators better understand how WIOA Youth services support career exploration, job readiness, and employment success for eligible youth and young adults. The session is designed to increase awareness of workforce development resources and strengthen transition planning for students with disabilities. This session is ideal for families, students, and educators who want to better understand workforce development opportunities and learn how WIOA can support employment, independence, and long-term success after high school. 

Kind Limits, Clear Lessons: Using Consequences to Build Life Skills   

Join us in this virtual session where you will learn how the skill of consequences, guided by the power of intention, helps children understand the impact of their choices in a meaningful way. Instead of using punishment, parents will explore how intentional, respectful consequences teach responsibility and support long term behavior change. This approach encourages children to reflect, learn, and grow while strengthening the parent-child relationship through clarity and compassion. 

The Military-Connected Special Education Student 

This workshop provides attendees with an understanding of what a military-connected special education student and their families experience during their parents’ six to nine duty station changes. Practical suggestions to reduce stress, an introduction to the Military Interstate Compact, and a discussion of resources available to service members and their families cap off an informative training appropriate for both parents and professionals. 

A Family Guide to Neurodiversity   

Every brain is wired differently—and that’s something worth celebrating. In this empowering session, Shealyn Clinger, Licensed Clinical Social Worker, helps families understand neurodiversity and shift from a “fix-it” mindset to one rooted in acceptance, support, and strengths. Attendees will leave with practical tools to create affirming environments, support emotional regulation, and confidently advocate for their children at home and school.    

 Parenting in the Electronic Age 

Parenting in the electronic age is one of the greatest challenges for today’s parents and a source of tension for many families.  Kids ages 8 to 18 spend 7.5 hours a day with media and technology.  Concerns have been raised that the use of media is undermining the social relationships of kids and adults alike and can have a negative effect on family life, mental health, and academic achievement.  In this talk, Dr. James Crist will address what we know about the scope of electronic screen use in kids and the effects of screen time on kids, both positive and negative.  He will talk about the dangers related to the use of tech, as well as give you a number of suggestions and resources on how to help your children safely navigate the digital world.     

Preschool Fine Motor Activities that Families Can Support at Home 

Families are invited for an evening of fine motor fun. Through play, caregivers, along with their student, will explore a variety of inexpensive and do it yourself activities that can be used at home to help develop hand skills.     

Preschool Toilet Training Strategies

Parents and families will learn about the signs of readiness for toilet training to look for in their child. We will also review different methods of toilet training to ensure that you are prepared to help your child become successful. We will discuss accommodations that parents/families can add into their day to support toilet training if their child has language delays, physical challenges, sensory needs, or other disabilities.