Descriptions of Workshops

Special Education Basic Rights

This workshop is designed for parents of children in special education or that might need special education. Come and gain a working knowledge of special education laws, including your role in the development of an appropriate education program (IEP) and how to be an effective partner with the school team in the process.

Follow Up to the Basic Rights Workshop

This workshop is designed for parents & professionals who have attended the Basic Rights Workshop, who want to sharpen their advocacy skills and are interested in having specific questions answered. It will be beneficial to bring your Parent Manual, your child’s current IEP & a list of your questions. Participants will gain hands on experience in applying IDEA principles by processing through the situation and finding the answers in IDEA.

IEP Workshop

This is a hands-on workshop that is designed for parents who have attended the BASIC Rights workshop and are ready for the "Next Step"--fine tuning the IEP document to reflect all of your child's unique needs to lead toward positive educational outcomes.
Participants may bring their child's IEP and learn specific techniques to use in developing goals and objectives designed to meet their child's individual needs.

Inclusion and Least Restrictive Environment

If you have a child with a disability and would like to know more about your child’s right to be educated with students who do not have disabilities and you have questions on how to make inclusion work...this workshop is for you. You will learn about: How placement decisions are made. What is meant by "continuum of placement options" being available. How to demonstrate the need for additional supports in the general education classroom. What are the benefits of inclusion? The requirements for students pre-school through high school will be discussed.

Communication and Conflict Resolution

Would you like to learn how to better communicate what your child needs? Does your child have an educational plan that is not being carried out and you want to know what steps to take? If you answered yes, then this workshop is designed for you! Come and learn about your part in your child's special education, including the skills you need to work with the schools in the development of an appropriate education program (IEP) for your child and the process to follow if you are having difficulties making the special education system work.

Evaluation and Assessment

For parents of children in special education and parents of children who may need special education, it is important to make sense of evaluations and assessments. Come and learn about your part in your child's special education, including understanding and using evaluations in the development of an appropriate education program.

Transition and Early Childhood

This is an educational and skill-building workshop for families of infants, toddlers, and young children with disabilities. Parents will receive the following information:

• Basic Rights information regarding services and protections available for children under IDEA--Birth to three (Early Intervention — Part C) & Age 3 and up: Special Education (Part B)
  
  
• What to expect when a child is transitioning from services at age 3 to services in the school system
  
  
• Information on other transitions such as from pre-school to Kindergarten
  
  
• Details about an appropriate IFSP (Individual Family Service Plan); IEP (Individualized Education Program)

Come and learn about your part in your child's education at this important stage of early childhood!

Transition to Adulthood

This workshop is designed for individuals with disabilities and their families who are in the process of preparing for transition and professionals involved in the transition planning process. Participants will learn about issues such as the following: Your rights & role in transitioning from High School; How to develop an appropriate Transition Plan; Employment; Independent Living; Keys to navigating the adult service delivery system including Social Security, Vocational Rehab., Medicaid Waiver, and many others.

504 Workshop

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act protects children with disabilities from acts of discrimination and exclusion because of their disability.

Are you wondering if this workshop would benefit you? If you answer "yes" to any of the following questions, you may want to attend this FREE training. Has your child ever been excluded from a field trip or school function because of "behavior"? Does your child have a disability but does not meet the criteria for IDEA Special Education? Are there accommodations needed at school that relate to your child's medical/health condition? Is your child currently receiving Special Education?
The workshop will cover the special supports a child with a disability is entitled to so that they can be successful in school. It will also cover the protections available to children to protect them from acts of discrimination and exclusion.

Workshop-In-A-Box

A Workshop-In-A-Box is for groups of parents who want to have access to a specialized workshop for their group. STEP has developed this new format for conducting a series of workshops! A workshop on DVD, along with all the materials for the event will be sent to the group's leader when they want their group to have the next training in the series. The Basic Rights Workshop or the 504 Workshop are the workshops that are available on DVD. It is a new idea and we are testing it out to see if it meets the need for families to have access to a wide variety of training topics. Call your regional training coordinator to find out more. As always, STEP's services are free to parents of children with disabilities.

Transition Institute

This annual conference is presented every fall.

What happens when the school bus stops coming? This is an important question for a student or individual with disabilities and their family. Don't wait until the bus stops coming to plan for how a student will spend their day and the rest of their life. In Tennessee transition planning should start when a student is 14, and should continue until plans and outcomes that result in the individual continuing to live, learn, play, and contribute in their community in a way that they are happy, and supported or protected when needed. The Transition Institute is for students and individuals with disabilities and the family, teachers, Voc. Rehab. staff, members of their circle of friends, and other professionals who care for and about them and wish to learn more about how to support them as they become adults. Presenters, including students and individuals with disabilities, will share information that will assist those attending as they think about answer such questions as: What services and supports now provided by the school will no longer be available? What changes at age 18? Where and how does someone get adult services? Why is it important to make plans early? What role does the family, school and other providers play in planning? What are the timelines and rules of the adult service delivery system, including: Social Security, Vocational Rehab., Medicaid Waiver?

Literacy For All

Children with disabilities can benefit from working on reading and writing skills! We are pleased to be partnering with State Improvement Grant partners to present a workshop focusing on literacy strategies to assist families and teachers in weaving literacy into the Individualized Plans for students with disabilities, including those with significant disabilities. Reading research, response to intervention and hands on strategies will be part of this event. This workshop is an opportunity for parents and teachers to increase knowledge and skills in this area.