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Iowa Family & Educator Partnership

Iowa Family & Educator Partnership/FEP works to develop and sustain effective partnerships between families, educators, and community providers to promote the success for all children and youth with disabilities.

FEP coordinators work with parents, educators, and local school districts to provide FEP programs, services, and activities; they are also parents of children or young adults with special needs. Please call your coordinator for more information about what the FEP can do for you.

Guidance on Graduation Requirements

Click here to read the full document

Check out the new Child Find Document!

A great resource to help parents and educators understand the child find process.

Click here to view the full document.

Link to Family to Family Conference May 2019

Iowa Deafblind Project Summer Symposium 2019

When: June 6-7th, 2019 – Pre-symposium workshop will be offered on June 5th.

Where: Coralville, IA

What: The Summer Symposium includes information on Cortical Vision Impairment & AAC, Central Auditory Processing Disorder,
and Functional Hearing Evaluation Presenters will include:

Dr. Jeanane Ferre – Central Auditory Evaluation and Treatment
Christopher Russell – New York Deafblind Project
Adam Graves – Texas Deafblind Project/Texas School for the Blind & Visually Impaired Outreach Department

Registration fee: $50 for professionals and parents Registration fee waived for parents of children on Iowa’s Deafblind Registry.

Pre-symposium session:This session will take place from 1:00-4:30 pm on Wednesday, June 5th

Topic: Basics of Deafblindness: Foundational information for educators

Registration: on the Iowa Deafblind Project website at: www.iowadeafblind.org

Financial support: Limited stipends will be offered to professionals working with students on Iowa’s Deafblind Registry and to parents of children with deafblindness (one stipend per family).

Licensure Renewal Credit: Credit will be applied for through Grant Wood AEA. Graduate credit will not be available. Information about renewal credit opportunities will be available when registration opens.

Questions: Susan Brennan 319-560-4014 or susan.brennan@iaedb.org

Free On-line Learning Opportunities

For free on-line educational opportunities from the PACER Center
please visit http://www.pacer.org/workshops/

Just look for the live streaming symbol below, to find classes offered on the web.

Children at Home

The Children at Home program is designed to assist you and your family in securing the services and supports that you identify as necessary in helping your child remain at home. An underlying principle of the Children at Home program is that you and your family retain control of decisions which affect your child and family. Financial assistance is intended to enable you to obtain those services and supports which are not met by other programs.

This program is designed to assist families raising a child with a disability in obtaining needed services and supports. The Family's intent must be to secure services and support that enable their child to remain in the family home.

“Services and support” help children with disabilities to remain at home, function more independently, and increase community inclusion. Services and support may include, but are not limited to, funding for:

Purchase of equipment, respite care, supplies, or assistive technology.
Payment of other costs that relate to the individual’s disability.

For more information, click here.

Transition Related Resources

Transition Toolkit

The Transition Toolkit provides valuable information on the transition to adulthood. Topics include, self-advocacy, independent living skills, legal matters, and many other important topics. The transition page includes state specific transition timelines and can be found at https://www.autismspeaks.org/family-services/tool-kits/transition-tool-kit

Family members of adolescents and young adults with autism between the ages of 13 and 22 in the United States may request a complimentary hard copy of the Transition Tool Kit by filling out the Transition Tool Kit order form. Transition Tool Kit Hardcopy Request

For professionals, service providers, and family members of individuals with autism outside the U.S. and those who do not fall in the age range, we encourage you to download the kit free of charge. Transition Toolkit Download Form

A link to our housing and community living portal can be found at https://www.autismspeaks.org/family-services/housing-and-community-living.
A pdf of the Housing and Residential Supports Toolkit can be found at https://www.autismspeaks.org/sites/default/files/housing_tool_kit_web2.pdf

In addition, we have a job portal for individuals with autism https://www.thespectrumcareers.com. It is a free site for employers, service providers and job seekers.

Pacer Center- Transitioning to Life After High School

Pacer Center is a great place for students or young adults with a disability, to explore options for their future. Pacer Center offers student led videos and other resources to help with decisions about life after high school in the areas of; living, learning, working, transportation, health, finances and recreation. For more information please visit https://www.pacer.org/students/transition-to-life/ .

Transition Documents

Contacts

Annette Clarahan
Family & Educator Coordinator
641-682-8591 or 800-622-0027 Ext. 5517
annette.clarahan@gpaea.org

Districts Covered: Albia, Cardinal, Centerville , Chariton, Davis County, Eddyville-Blakesburg , Fairfield, Fremont, Keota, Maharishi, Moravia, Moulton - Udel, North Mahaska, Oskaloosa Christian, Oskaloosa, Ottumwa, Ottumwa Juvenile Shelter, Ottumwa Seton Catholic School, Pekin, Seymour, Sigourney, Tri County, Van Buren, Wayne.

Kelly Wallace
Family & Educator Coordinator
319-753-6561 or 800-382-8970 Ext. 3034
kelly.wallace@gpaea.org

Districts Covered: Burlington, Central Lee, Danville, Ft. Madison, Harmony, Keokuk, Mediapolis, Morning Sun, Mt. Pleasant, New London, Waco, Wapello, West Burlington, Winfield/Mt. Union.

Parent Support Groups/Classes

Newsletters

Each and Every Child, Iowa Department of Education

Center Lines, Newsletter from the U of IA Center for Disabilities and Development

Please Pass the Love, Empower school communities to embrace and sustain mental health and wellness supports for their students.

Procedural Safeguards for Parents

Parents have rights, known as procedural safeguards, which apply to every aspect of the special education process. State and federal laws and regulations outline what needs to happen to ensure that children with identified disabilities and on an Individualized Education Program (IEP) receive a free appropriate public education (FAPE).