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Description: People with disabilities often encounter challenges when seeking out effective and accessible mental health care, whether it’s in-person or virtual communication barriers making it difficult to interact with a mental health professional or the lack of reliable transportation for a person with a mobility-related disability. Warning Signs and Symptoms - Trying to tell the difference between what expected behaviors are and what might be the signs of a mental...
Description: TTAC Online Flyer- Please share! TTAC Online User Guide Includes: Introduction to the Home Page, How to Register/Create an Account, How to Log in, When you are Logged in, What is My TTAC Online?, How to Search the Entire Site, How to Search Particular Topic, Refine Your Search, Search Tips, Events Calendar. The TTAC Online Site Map includes links to each section of the website. (It is also located at the bottom of each page of the website.)
Description: Evidence-Based Reading Instruction for Grades K-5 - This paper features an innovation configuration (IC) matrix that can guide teacher preparation professionals in the development of appropriate use of evidence-based reading instruction for grades K-5. Evidence-Based Reading Instruction for Grades 6-12 - This paper features an innovation configuration (IC) matrix that can guide teacher preparation professionals in the development of appropriate use of evidence-based reading instruction...
Description: The Virginia Department of Education has launched a new online tool, the VQB5 Portal, to help families learn about early childhood programs across the state. With information on over 3,000 publicly funded early childhood sites, the portal makes it easy to check the quality, curriculum, and safety of programs for children from birth to age five. Families can search by location and review important details to choose the best option for their children. This tool is designed to help families make...
Description: TTAC Online is designed for teachers, administrators, paraeducators, related service providers, and families looking for resources and information to support the education of children and youth with disabilities (birth to 22). The TTAC Online Flyer provides an overview of each section of the website: Resources, VA Assessments, Disability Info, Online Training, Events, VA Projects, Fast Facts and My TTAC Online. Please share!
Description: Growth mindset printables for STEM - A growth mindset is a way of viewing challenges and setbacks. People who have a growth mindset believe that with hard work, their skills can improve over time. Having a growth mindset is important for students. It helps them face challenges and learn from mistakes. It’s essential for students who learn and think differently to have opportunities to practice a growth mindset. And is the perfect place to practice this. This includes printable resources:...
Description: The Early Childhood toolkit includes learning boosts on communication and social skills topics in less than ten minutes. The Toolkit: Requesting Help The Toolkit: Negation The Toolkit: Making a Choice
Description: Videos from Youth with Disabilities (Partnership for People with Disabilities, VCU) - These Public Service Announcements can be used during the month of October, which is Disability History and Awareness Month, or anytime throughout the year. Topics include: Ways to Communicate I Want To Be Did You Know? Choice Inclusion Awareness Disability History Museum hosts a Library of virtual artifacts, Education curricula, and Museum exhibits. These programs are designed to foster research and study...
Description: Specially Designed Instruction (SDI) includes; Adapting Content Adapting Methodoloy Adapting Delivery This site includes descriptions of these components and short videos on SDI.
Description: Teaching Vocabulary - This article provides some excellent lesson models for teaching vocabulary, explaining idioms, fostering word consciousness, instruction for English Language Learners, and mnemonic strategies.
Description: Five Research-Based Ways to Teach Vocabulary - What Research Says about Effective Vocabulary Instruction: Vocabulary instruction must be explicit. Explicit vocabulary instruction includes an easy-to-understand definition presented directly to students along with multiple examples and nonexamples of the target word, brief discussion opportunities, and checks for understanding. Vocabulary instruction must include multiple practice opportunities for using words within and across subjects....
Description: Vocabulary words: An evidence-based literacy strategy - In this article, you’ll learn how to explicitly teach vocabulary using easy-to-understand definitions, engaging activities, and repeated exposure. This strategy includes playing vocabulary games, incorporating visual supports like graphic organizers, and giving students the chance to see and use new words in real-world contexts. The goal of this teaching strategy isn’t just to increase your students’ vocabulary....
Description: 4-8 Years Old Brilliant Bea: A Story for Kids with Dyslexia and Learning Differences: Despite her struggles with reading and writing, Beatrice is a natural and brilliant storyteller. With the help of a kind-hearted teacher, Beatrice uses an old-fashioned tape recorder so she can speak her words and then play them back, as a technique for learning in whole new way. With her new approach, Beatrice is able to show her classmates who she really has been all along. 6-8 Years Old A Walk in the...
Description: Virginia's Collaborative Model for Pre-Employment Transition Services offers the resources necessary to enrich Pre-ETS initiatives in the state. We provide the tools for collaborating, communicating, and coordinating services with student teams to improve postsecondary outcomes for students with disabilities. Explore resources spanning all five Pre-ETS categories, and join us in empowering every student's journey to success! The five Pre-ETS categories include: Job Exploration Counseling...
Description: ADHD and the brain - Researchers are learning more and more about brain development and ADHD. Differences in the brain make it harder for people with ADHD to work on a task unless they’re really interested in it. It’s not a matter of being lazy or not being smart.
Description: Social Security - New 2024 Rules On Calculating SSI Benefits - Effective September 30, new rules are in place for how the Social Security Administration (SSA) decides the amount of your (or your family member’s) monthly SSI payment. Right now, SSA looks at all income and support a person receives. This includes income (from a job or other source), resources you have (there are specific limits and exceptions), and in-kind support and maintenance (ISM). ISM is the support you get for...
Description: Questions to Ask Your Child's Teacher About Math - Math skills are essential for life– including daily tasks, problem-solving, creativity, career options and more. This resource is intended for parents of students in Grades 3-8, and includes questions to ask your child’s teacher as well as tips and resources to support math at home. Questions to Ask Your Child's Teacher About Reading - This resource includes questions to ask your child’s teacher as well as tips...
Description: High Impact Co-teaching Approaches for Secondary Math.docx - Research provides guidance on when to use specific co-teaching approaches in the secondary mathematics classroom. High-impact co-teaching approaches lower the teacher to student ratio, providing time for intensive instruction and SDI with frequent teacher feedback. To select the most effective co-teaching approach, co-teachers examine a lesson’s learning goal, students’ IEP goals, learner characteristics, and data about...
Description: Virginia Parent Transition Survey - This updated survey is a way for parents to describe their expectations for their child/youth’s future and their expectations. Completing this survey before or during a transition planning IEP meeting will provide important information that can lead to improved planning and better outcomes after leaving high school. Not all of the sections or choices may be relevant to your child/youth, so please complete those that best describe your concerns and...
Description: Cell Phone-Free Education Final Guidance & Resources - After listening to and reviewing the thousands of comments and suggestions from Virginians on how to bring cell phone-free education to our children’s schools, VDOE has published final guidance for school divisions on policies and procedures to be implemented to establish cell phone-free education and remove cell phones from Virginia’s public school classrooms. The final guidance defines cell phone-free education in...
Description: Conducting Individualized Education Program (IEP) Team Meetings When Members Disagree - Parent participation and teamwork are fundamental to special education. Parent feedback is a necessity in ensuring that a student is receiving a free appropriate public education. However, team participants do not always agree and conflict is a natural occurrence in team dynamics. Recognizing that conflict will happen, but that a healthy relationship between all members is in the best interest of the student,...
Description: Back to Basics: Special Education Law Series was developed from a partnership between the Virginia Department of Education and the Center for Implementation and Evaluation of Education Systems (CIEES) at Old Dominion University (ODU). The Back to Basics: Special Education Law series is designed to support Virginia school divisions in the professional development of teachers and division personnel on basic special education laws and regulations. The following modules and associated documents...
Description: Camp List for Children & Adults with Disabilities 5.2024.docx, 2024 Summer Camps (Northern Virginia, Region 4) Websites to Search for Camps: American Camp Association’s Camp Finder - Lists camps accredited by ACA. The advanced search function allows you to search by disability, distance from home, inclusive camps, and other variables. VerySpecialCamps - Summer Camps & Programs for Individuals with Special Needs MySummerCamps (general finder) - Find the Perfect Summer Camp for...
Description: Submit a Request for Support - VCU-RRTC-ACE provides targeted short-term coaching to educators who support students on the autism spectrum! Classroom coaching aims to equip educators with the tools and evidence-based practices necessary to effectively address the unique needs of autistic students. By implementing strategies in the coaching focus areas, educators can enhance student participation, engagement, and independence, creating a more inclusive and supportive learning environment. ACE...
Description: Project HOPE-Virginia, Virginia's McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Program, has developed new resources for young children experiencing homelessness. HOPE invites you to visit their new website: https://projecthopevirginia.org/ Here are several links that will take you directly to early childhood resources: McKinney-Vento Education for Homeless Children and Youth (EHCY) Program: Training for Early Childhood Educators in Virginia - This video provides an overview of the homeless...
Description: Autism and Challenging Behaviors: Strategies and Support - Challenging behaviors represent some of the most concerning and stressful features of autism. These behaviors can often cause harm or damage, family and staff stress, isolation, and caregiver burnout. Parents may feel guilty or responsible, but it is important to know that you should not blame yourself for behaviors that you find difficult. Sometimes, the extraordinary steps parents go through for their children with complex needs...
Description: Inclusion Project Voting Infographic - When you turn 18, you have the right to vote in local, state, and federal elections. In a democracy like the United States, voting is how we choose our leaders. This infographic provides information on how you get ready to vote and why voting is important.
Description: Basic FBA to BIP - The Behavior Specialist Training includes all 7 modules and is for those who will be the leading behavior support efforts in the school. The School-wide Training consists of two modules for all staff in the school.
Description: In this Webinar: Functional Behavior Assessment: Principles for Success, you will learn: What an FBA is and why is it needed Basic principles of behavior and how they relate to the four functions of behavior The steps in the FBA process—utilizing indirect and direct assessment measures to analyze antecedents and consequences to determine function How to apply data gathered in the FBA process to develop a Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP)
Description: This Using FBA for Diagnostic Assessment in Behavior (DBI Professional Learning Series Module 6) serves as an introduction to important concepts and processes for implementing functional behavior assessment (FBA), including behavior basics such as reinforcement and punishment. Throughout this module, participants will discuss both real world and school based examples to become familiar with the FBA process and develop a deeper understanding and awareness of the functions of the...
Description: Functional Behavior Assessment - Behavior Intervention Plan (FBA-BIP) - Training sessions will focus specifically on the process and tools needed to assist coaches, facilitators and problem-solving teams in planning, implementing, and evaluating FBA-BIP to support students with challenging behavior. Participants will be able to: Identify when an FBA-BIP is necessary Identify the essential systems needed for an effective FBA-BIP process Identify the steps for conducting an effective FBA,...
Description: Webcast: Function Matters! How to Determine Why a Student Demonstrates Problem Behavior - Problem behavior such as aggression, yelling and noncompliance is common with individuals with a spectrum disorder. To provide appropriate intervention and support, it is critical to understand why a behavior occurs and what may trigger it or cause it to happen. In this webcast, Dr. Schall will describe how to complete a Functional Behavior Assessment, a problem solving approach that assist teams in...
Description: The EIS intervention hub connects to interventions across 7 risk areas known to be related to later mental health problems. Within each area, you will find prevention strategies and interventions for elementary, middle, and high schools across three tiers. Tier 1 is universal, meaning that it benefits all students. Tier 2 (selective) offers interventions for a targeted group of students. Tier 3 (indicated) interventions are aimed to provide individualized support for students who have increased...
Description: Factsheet for Virginia’s Parents Supporting Positive Behavior in Young Children - Addressing challenging behavior in a positive manner brings results. Strategies for young children will be different than those for older children, but families and schools, including preschool, benefit from using the nationally recognized approach called Positive Behavioral Intervention and Supports (PBIS). PBIS is an approach to resolving challenging or disruptive behaviors that recognizes that behavior is...
Description: How to Help Your Child Get Motivated in School - What You'll Learn: Why do some kids have trouble getting motivated in school? How can parents help their children try harder in school? It’s common for kids to lack motivation in school. Sometimes, this happens because the child has ADHD, anxiety, social challenges, or a learning disability. But other times, kids without a diagnosable problem still have trouble living up to their potential in school. This article provides a few ways that...
Description: Monarch Reader - The Tar Heel online library of accessible books for beginning readers is now part of the Building Wings family of literacy instruction solutions. You can Find Books (using the search function) or click on: Top Books or Latest Published Books, Explore Topics, and Review Popular Book Collections.
Description: Manifestation Determination Reviews (MDRs) Toolkit - PEATC has developed another Toolkit to help parents navigate complex special education processes. An MDR is a process used when a student with an IEP has violated the Student Code of Conduct at their school and a change in placement is being considered. The MDR review determines whether the student’s behavior is a manifestation of their disability. If it is, then certain protections under IDEA apply for that student. Our toolkit provides...
Description: Message from Virginia Education Update (2024-36) - In order to provide assistance to ensure that the appropriate students are assessed using this alternate assessment, school and division administrators are encouraged to review the School Leaders Series on including Students with Disabilities in Assessments. Information in this series can be tailored to meet school division needs and continue to support IEP Teams in their decision-making process regarding assessments and preceding academic...
Description: Self-Paced Modules - Behavior Progress Monitoring: Selecting Target Behaviors, Aligning Tools, and Creating a Plan is intended to help educators learn about behavior progress monitoring. By completing this course, you will be able to: Summarize the process for identifying target behaviors. Describe two behavior progress monitoring approaches that can be used across behaviors. Align a progress monitoring tool with a target behavior. Summarize the key features of a behavior progress monitoring...
Description: Made by Dylexia is a global dyslexia charity, led by successful dyslexics. We’ve built the world’s largest community of dyslexic people and our allies. Our purpose is to help the world to understand the value of Dyslexic Thinking (This is recognised in the dictionary as an innovative way to think. 1 in 5 are dyslexic and their thinking skills are vital to the workplace.) We believe in the game-changing power of Dyslexic Thinking. After all, everything from the lightbulb to the...
Description: The VDOE T/TAC at VA Tech will be adding new Spotify podcasts for 2024-2025. Their podcasts from 2023-2024 are also available.
Description: What is Dyslexia? - Reading is complex. It requires our brains to connect letters to sounds, put those sounds in the right order, and pull the words together into sentences and paragraphs we can read and comprehend. People with dyslexia have trouble matching the letters they see on the page with the sounds those letters and combinations of letters make. And when they have trouble with that step, all the other steps are harder.
Description: What is dyslexia? - Dyslexia is a learning disability in reading. People with dyslexia have trouble reading at a good pace and without mistakes. They may also have a hard time with reading comprehension, spelling, and writing. But these challenges aren’t a problem with intelligence. What you’ll learn Snapshot: What dyslexia is Dyslexia signs and symptoms Possible causes of dyslexia How dyslexia is diagnosed?
Description: Dyslexia Basics answers the following questions: What is dyslexia? What causes dyslexia? How widespread is dyslexia? What are the effects of dyslexia? How is dyslexia diagnosed? What are signs of dyslexia? How is dyslexia treated? What are the rights of a person with dyslexia?
Description: Youth Engagement - Youth participation in planning, engaging, and assessing transition services empowers them, increases their self-determination, and gives them the skills and self-confidence needed for success in learning, working, and living. These resources are for students and youth as they prepare for adult living. There are also resources for the professionals and family members who serve as allies with young people. The content has been developed by both young adults with...
Description: Special Education Acronyms and Terms Guide (English & Spanish) - Navigating the world of special education can be overwhelming, especially with all the jargon and acronyms that come with it. To help you better understand and advocate for your child, PEATC is excited to share our Special Education Acronyms and Terms resource document in English and Spanish! This guide is designed to simplify the language of special education, breaking down key terms and acronyms into clear,...
Description: What should educators keep in mind when engaging with families of students with intensive needs? - In this video, Lindsay Jones the CEO of the National Center on Learning Disabilities, shares some considerations and strategies that educators can use to support partnering with families of students with intensive needs. Lindsay E. Jones is the President and CEO of the National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD), a national nonprofit organization that seeks to improve the lives of the 1 in 5...
Description: Strategies for Equitable Family Engagement - This resource provides an overview of evidence-based strategies that schools and districts may use to promote equitable family engagement practices. Organized around five categories of equitable family engagement strategies, this resource includes summaries of the research on equitable family engagement as well as examples of school and district practices across the country, linking to publicly available information where possible. School and district...
Description: Working with Families - The importance of collaborating with families to promote participation in educational decision-making has been identified as one of the key principles of the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA). IDEA provides for specific rights that enable parents to participate as equal members of the IEP team and to be involved in evaluation, placement, and special education and related service decisions. Family–professional partnerships have been defined as a relationship...
Description: Parents and families are critical partners in supporting students with intensive academic and behavioral needs. It is important to recognize that every parent and family member is different, with varying levels of knowledge and comfort with school; they may not consider their involvement in the school in the same way that the school perceives it. As a result, our approach to parent and family engagement should be differentiated. It is important to: share information about the school’s...