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 state-wide 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.
To be added.
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.