Welcome to the Parents as Partners in Special Education Conference
List of Presentations
- Blended Learning? Consider the G.O.A.T.
- Educational Services for Students Who Are Deaf/Hard of Hearing or Have a Visual Impairment.
- Explicit Reading Instruction.
- Functional Behavior Assessment and Behavior Intervention Plan.
- Infant and Toddler Connection of Greater Prince William.
- I'm Determined: Developing Self-Determination Skills.
- Introduction to Multi-Tiered System of Supports and Curriculum-Based Measurements.
- Learning at Home in a Trauma-Sensitive Environment.
- Meal Time Struggles: Is My Child a Picky Eater?
- Navigating Transition to Middle School.
- Preschool Special Education - Child Find.
- Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Benefits for People with Disabilities.
- Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Interventions and Supports.
- Secure Your Own Mask First: Mental Health and Self-Care for Parents.
- Superpowers Activate! Embracing ADHD and Autism.
- Transitioning to High School.
- Understanding Special Education: School Intervention, Referral, Evaluation, and Eligibility.
- Virginia Medicaid Waivers for people with Developmental Disabilities.
- What Does PWCS Provide for English Learners (EL) Identified with a Disability In All Schools K-12?
- What Will Life Be Like for My Student After High School?
Presentations
Educational Services for Students Who Are Deaf/Hard of Hearing or Have a Visual Impairment.
"Leslie Parrott is an administrative coordinator in the Office of Special Education with Prince William County Public Schools. She was previously a teacher for students with visual impairments with the school system. This workshop will describe the educational supports and services available to students who are deaf or hard of hearing and students with a visual impairment or blindness. You will also learn how a student would qualify to receive these supports and services."
Presenter: Leslie Parrott, Administrative Coordinator, Office of Special Education.
Please provide feedback by taking this brief survey after watching the presentation.
Functional Behavior Assessment and Behavior Intervention Plan.
The Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA) and the Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP) are formal ways for parents, teachers, and other school professionals to work collaboratively to determine the best way to help a student behaviorally. An overview of the FBA and BIP processes will be presented. Presenters will explain why an FBA/BIP would be appropriate and how this process supports Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE).
Presenter: Jessica Tra and Heather Grim, Supervisors, Office of Special Education.
Please provide feedback by taking this brief survey after watching the presentation.
I'm Determined: Developing Self-Determination Skills.
Self-determination is a set of skills (e.g., problem-solving and self-advocacy) that are essential for students to develop. As students transition throughout school, they need to be able to be as independent as possible. They also need authentic opportunities to develop and practice self-determination in natural environments. I'm Determined! is a statewide project funded by the Virginia Department of Education. This session will provide participants with an overview of how the I'm Determined! project can help families and their students with disabilities become self-determined.
Presenter: Diane Loomis, Ph.D., Coordinator, I'm Determined.
Please provide feedback by taking this brief survey after watching the presentation.
Learning at Home in a Trauma-Sensitive Environment.
The unknowns and abrupt transitions from virtual learning to hybrid settings brought on by COVID-19 have made school especially challenging for families raising children with trauma histories. In this session, Beth Spivack, MSW, from Formed Families Forward, shares reasons why these transitions are difficult for children and youth with trauma histories and give practical tips for parents and caregivers to help children and youth cope and potentially thrive during this school year. Specifically, we define trauma and explain how it impacts brain development in children, examine the neurobiological events that occur in the brain when it is triggered by trauma and discuss how trauma impacts a child's ability to learn and access higher level thinking.
Presenters: Beth Spivak, MSW Family Support and Outreach Director with Formed Families Forward.
Please provide feedback by taking this brief survey after watching the presentation.
Navigating Transition to Middle School.
The purpose of this workshop is to provide transparency and support to families and community stakeholders for students who are transitioning from elementary school to middle school. Topics include, but are not limited to, the following: school to school communication, the importance of establishing a point of contact, middle school bell and class schedule, physical education, and lockers. Dr. Ronald Pannell is currently employed as supervisor of nontraditional education programs with the Office of Special Education, Prince William County Public Schools. Additionally, he is an adjunct professor with George Mason University with research interests that include research-based strategies for students with disabilities, literacy, and transition services. Cesar Maisonet is currently employed as an administrative cluster coordinator with the Office of Special Education, Prince William County Public Schools.
Presenter: Dr. Ronald Pannell, Supervisor, and Cesar Maisonet and Rozlyn Rodgers, Administrative Coordinators with the Office of Special Education.
Please provide feedback by taking this brief survey after watching the presentation.
Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Benefits for People with Disabilities.
David Melton is a public affairs specialist with 43 years' experience at the Social Security Administration. As a member of a three-person public information team working in cooperation with 14 offices serving the District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia, he is involved in a variety of public affairs activities. Through the establishment and maintenance of networks of working relationships, he consults with a wide variety of media outlets, governmental entities, special interest groups, and key employers. He ensures the public is properly informed as to the solvency, direction, and purpose of Social Security Administration programs. This presentation will discuss eligibility, the application process, and more for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI).
Presenter: David Melton, Public Affairs Specialist with Social Security Administration.
Please provide feedback by taking this brief survey after watching the presentation.
Secure Your Own Mask First: Mental Health And Self-Care for Parents.
Parents will learn how to strengthen their own resilience through self-care and healthy practices and thus be better able to support their children.
Presenter: Mercedes Ashby, PsyD, Certified Health Coach, NAMI Family to Family Instructor and Pat Victorson, President/Program Coordinator, NAMI Prince William.
Please provide feedback by taking this brief survey after watching the presentation.
Transitioning to High School.
Presenter: John Treadwell, Administrative Coordinator with the Office of special Education.
Please provide feedback by taking this brief survey after watching the presentation.
Virginia Medicaid Waivers for people with Developmental Disabilities.
In this introductory session, Lucy Cantrell will discuss Virginia's Medicaid Waiver programs, including eligibility, the application process, the waiver services, and the waitlist. Lucy, a Medicaid Waiver Mentor and Director of Information & Referral at The Arc of Virginia, assists individuals with developmental disabilities (DD), their families, other service providers, public policy makers, and legislators to better opportunities for individuals with DD to live "A Life Like Yours."
Presenter: Lucy Cantrell, Director of Information and Referral, The Arc of Virginia.
Please provide feedback by taking this brief survey after watching the presentation.
What Will Life Be Like for My Student After High School?
Does your student have a plan for life after high school? Thoughtful, student-centered postsecondary transition planning will ensure the student's successful transition from high school to post-secondary roles and activities. This presentation will provide an overview of the process for transition planning through the Individualized Education Program (IEP).
Presenter: Alana Walmsley, Administrative Coordinator of Transition Services, and Transition Specialists with the Office of Special Education.
Please provide feedback by taking this brief survey after watching the presentation.
Blended Learning? Consider the "G.O.A.T." (General Options for Assistive Technology)
Cindi Carmina and Mike Salomon, Administrative Coordinators of Assistive Technology, share a general overview of the Assistive Technology supports that are available to students in Prince William County. This presentation will feature a variety of programs and tools that can be used on a tablet or computer to assist students in the areas of reading, writing, math, and communication.
Presenter: Cindi Carmina and Mike Salomon, Administrative Coordinators of Assistive Technology with the Office of Special Education.
Please provide feedback by taking this brief survey after watching the presentation.
Explicit Reading Instruction.
This presentation will provide an overview of explicit reading programs and supports used to teach reading in Prince William County Public Schools grades K-12. These programs are research-based and utilize multi-sensory approaches that are beneficial to all types of learners.
Presenter: Leslie Parrott, Dawn Gurganious, and Kim Gardziel, Administrative Coordinators with the Office of Special Education.
Please provide feedback by taking this brief survey after watching the presentation.
Infant and Toddler Connection of Greater Prince William.
Lorelea Wann, an Early Intervention Service Coordinator, provides an overview of the Early Intervention program and services within Prince William County.
Presenter: Lorelea Wann, MHR, Service Coordinator with PWC Early Intervention Program.
Please provide feedback by taking this brief survey after watching the presentation.
Introduction to Multi-Tiered System of Supports and Curriculum-Based Measurements.
This presentation will help participants become familiar with Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) and develop a knowledge of Curriculum-Based Measurements (CBMs). Additionally, participants will be able to identify the parts of a CBM graph, become familiar with the parts of a CBM graph, and recognize whether a child is making adequate progress according to information gleamed from CBM graphs.
Presenters: Carla Henderson and Justine Roberson, Administrative Coordinators with the Office of Special Education.
Please provide feedback by taking this brief survey after watching the presentation.
Meal Time Struggles: Is My Child a Picky Eater?
Andrea Gallo, MS, CCC-SLP, is a nationally certified speech and language pathologist licensed by the state of Virginia who currently works with the Infant and Toddler Connection of Prince William, Manassas, and Manassas Park. She has more than 25 years of experience in this field, and for the last 13 years has been working with babies and young children as an early intervention specialist. When does picky eating end and disordered eating begin? The answer is not always clear but understanding the difference between an eating disorder and disordered eating is a good starting point. Infants and toddlers learn instinctively how to suck, bite, chew, and swallow food and how to drink from a nipple, straw, and cup. Some babies and toddlers demonstrate difficulty learning these skills, interfering with their feeding development. Young children with feeding difficulties typically demonstrate delays/difficulties chewing, sucking, swallowing, and demonstrate food aversions, food refusal, texture selectivity, and food selectivity. Many factors can cause a young child to become a picky eater. The focus of this presentation is to learn ways to lessen family battles over food. Topics of discussion include how to deal with the challenges that go along with having a picky eater, looking at how we eat and serve food, developing healthy eating habits, and tips.
Presenters: Andrea Gallo, MS. CCC-SLP, Early Intervention Specialist, Speech-Language Pathologist.
Please provide feedback by taking this brief survey after watching the presentation.
Preschool Special Education - Child Find.
The presentation reviews the available preschool programs in Prince William County, the requirements for the program, the Child Find process, and provides information to parents regarding where to find more information and contact information.
Presenter: Kim Legault, Supervisor of Child Find.
Please provide feedback by taking this brief survey after watching the presentation.
Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Interventions and Supports.
This session will provide an overview for parents to better understand Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Learning and its benefits for students and parents. We will share a brief overview of the topic and highlight the many ways that students are supported in our schools when they struggle with emotional and behavioral regulation at school. We also will provide some practical strategies to help students at home. The session also offers helpful resources, including videos, hyperlinks for student interventions, and other supports for parents and teachers alike.
Presenter: Charlene Briggs and Jake Fladd, Administrative Coordinators with the Office of Special Education.
Please provide feedback by taking this brief survey after watching the presentation.
Superpowers Activate! Embracing ADHD and Autism.
You have searched the web to find out what is wrong with your child: he is socially awkward, in constant motion, and can't seem to stay focused long enough to get anything accomplished. Surely it can't be Autism? Attend this presentation to learn that nothing is "wrong" with your child and everything that is "right" about Autism and ADHD. Discover how these two labels are actually wonderful opportunities for greatness depending on how you think about them. Joni Johnson, MD, is a pediatrician and certified health and wellness coach with over 12 years of clinical experience supporting individuals with ADHD, Autism, learning disabilities, mood disorders, and behavior problems. In addition to being a physician, Dr. Joni is also an Army Colonel, author, public speaker, entrepreneur, and individual with Dyslexia and a Visual Convergence Insufficiency. As the owner of UnChartered Territory, LLC, Dr. Joni provides health consulting and empowerment coaching.
Presenter: Dr. Joni J. Johnson, MD, NBC-HWC Health Consultant & Empowerment Strategist UnChartered Territory, LLC.
Please provide feedback by taking this brief survey after watching the presentation.
Understanding Special Education: School Intervention, Referral, Evaluation, and Eligibility.
Participants will learn about the school intervention process, how a student is referred for a comprehensive special education evaluation, the evaluation process, and how a student is determined to be eligible to receive special education services.
Presenter: Shelley Legall-Brickey, Supervisor, and Rebecca Zaja, Administrative Coordinator with the Office of Special Education.
Please provide feedback by taking this brief survey after watching the presentation.
What Does PWCS Provide for English Learners (EL) Identified with a Disability In All Schools K-12?
Do you have questions such as:
- How is a student identified as eligible for the EL Program and what are some of the benefits of English Language Development instruction?
- How do elementary, middle, and high schools provide services through both special education and the EL Program?
If so, this presentation will provide an overview of Prince William County Public Schools EL Program and the ways in which ESL endorsed educators collaborate with general and special education teachers to support student progress in English Language Development, academic content learning, and pathways toward college and career readiness.
Presenter: Donna Hankins, Assessment & EL Intervention Specialist.
Please provide feedback by taking this brief survey after watching the presentation.