Tuesday January 17, 2012, 10AM
Cooper-Siegel Library – Lower Level Entrance
403 Fox Chapel Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15238
Lori Breen – Teacher, Mother, Lawyer for children with special needs.

When one of Lori’s children was diagnosed with developmental delays, she used her “insider” knowledge of insurance companies and the legal profession to fight for services that had been denied to her child. As she went through the process she met other parents whose children had been denied treatment by an insurance company or who needed assistance with a school issue or an IEP.

In addition to her law degree, Lori is a teacher and has taught in several Pittsburgh area middle and high schools and did her student teaching in the Gateway School District. She is currently an Adjunct Professor of Economics at CCAC. In this capacity, Lori routinely provides differentiated instruction and makes adaptations and accommodations for her disabled students.

Lori frequently lectures on topics regarding special needs issues and on special education law. She is a member of many organizations that work on behalf of individuals with disabilities and serves on statewide parent panels. She advocates for inclusive practices and early intervention.

Date: Tuesday Nov 15, 2011
Where: Boyd Community Center
1220 Powers Run Road
Pittsburgh, PA 15238
Time: 7:00 PM

PALS welcomes Pam Cook M.Ed., ABC Advocacy Consultant.

Pam will talk about the role of an advocate. What you can expect from an advocate? Should the advocate be an attorney or a psychologist or both? Pam will answer your questions about finding and hiring an advocate.

Pam is a former teacher with a masters in special education, has authored guides related to special education and disability issues, has advised and served on many boards including the Education Law Center and various disability organizations.

Come join us for an evening of enlightenment.

Date: Tuesday October 18, 2011
Where: Panera – Waterworks Plaza
942 Freeport Rd
Pittsburgh, PA 15238
Time: 9:30 AM (Meeting Room)

Have questions about the special education process? Want to discuss your child’s needs? Are you struggling with the implementation of your child’s I.E.P? Do you need additional resources or help for your child? Please come and talk to us. Our sole purpose is to offer support to parents with children with learning differences.

Thursday, September. 15, 2011
7 PM, Fox Chapel Area High School – LGI Room
611 Field Club Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15238

PALS is kicking off the 2011-2012 school year with a technology workshop. Educators Stephanie Abriatis (Kerr), Rose Cipollone (Hartwood), Crystal Eastly (DMS), Kerrie Barnett (FCHS), Nancy Rofey (FCHS), and Laura Jenkins (district wide) will be demonstrating the use of the iPad, various applications (apps) and other technology.

The iPad assists the educators in targeting specific needs of the students (of all abilities) in the classroom and is also a source of fun and learning at home too.  The various apps provide versatility to reach both academic and social needs. The demonstrations will be conducted in small groups to provide the parents with closer inspection and hands-on opportunities.

Opportunities to meet and network with members of PALS, Fox Chapel School District instructional support educators as well as other parents will be available throughout the evening.

Date: Tuesday May 10, 2011
Where: Boyd Community Center
1220 Powers Run Road
Pittsburgh, PA 15238
Time: 7:00 PM

Tonight our guests are:

Mahogany Thaxton, Area Director of Best Buddies.
Best Buddies is a program that pairs up students to form friendships, provide peer mentoring, increase socialization and inclusion. She will be joined by Fox Chapel High School student mentors participating in the Best Buddies Program.

Wendy Halley-McAllister, Social Skills Coach/ Life Skills Coach
-“because fitting in is something we all want to do”-
 Wendy provides one-on-one social skills lessons to teens and adults who have a disability or are on the Autism spectrum.

Please bring your children – we encourage them to attend!

Date: Tuesday March 8, 2011
Where: Boyd Community Center
1220 Powers Run Road
Pittsburgh, PA 15238
Time: 7:00 PM

Christina Coulston, a Fox Chapel High School senior,  will join us to discuss what supports and activities led to her self awareness,  acceptance of her disability, development of true leadership skills,  social confidence
and  ultimately prepared for her postsecondary education.

Donna Coulston, Christina’s mother, and Stacie Dojonovic, her Transition Coordinator,  will be available to answer any questions about her specific transition  experiences and provide suggestions on supporting students through their own journey.

Date: Tuesday Feb. 8, 2011
Where: Panera – Waterworks Plaza
942 Freeport Road
Pittsburgh, PA 15238
Time: 8:30 AM (Meeting Room)

Debbie Efkeman, will be joining us to discuss this issue.
Debbie is a trainer with the Peal Center and
Chair on the Monitoring committee with the Local Task Force.
The PEAL Center’s mission is to ensure that children with disabilities and special health care needs participate as full members of their schools and communities by providing information, training  and technical assistance to individuals, families, and all people who support them.

Please join us. We invite you to meet with other parents. We talk, we listen, we discuss, we provide resources and look for answers.

Bureau of Special Education
717-783-6913

The Pennsylvania Department of Education, Bureau of Special Education (ESE), monitors all school districts and charter schools in the state at least once every six years to ensure that they are complying with federal and state regulations for special education. Your school district/charter school will be reviewed this year. As part of this monitoring, the BSE is seeking parent opinions about the special education services being provided. Although parents are not required to participate in the survey, the BSE encourages them to do so.

To complete the survey, go online at http://apps.leaderservices.com/ParentSurvey. If you do not have a computer, most public libraries have equipment available for public use. You may also request to use a computer to complete the survey from your school district/charter school or the intermediate unit that serves your area. The survey is easy to complete and should take you just 15-20 minutes. An outside agency tabulates the results and provides the school district/charter school and the BSE with a report of how parents responded to the questions on an overall basis. Names are not used, and no one is identified.

Parents must complete the survey no later than 10/22/2010. All surveys received by 10/22/2010 will be considered in the BSE monitoring review process. Should you have any questions about the survey, or if you need help completing it, you may contact the School District/Charter School Director of Special Education, or the Special Education Consultline toll free at 1-800-879-2301.

Thank you so much for taking the time to provide us with your input. The results will assist the BSE in planning with your school district/charter school for future training and improvement activities.

Sincerely,

John J. Tommasini
Director

Date: Tuesday Oct. 12, 2010
Where: Boyd Community Center
Time: 7:00 PM

PALS is very pleased to invite you to attend a presentation by Jeni Hergenreder, special education attorney at the Disabilities Rights Network of  PA (DRN).

Jeni will explain the IEP process, Sec. 504 plans, effective parent/school communication strategies, options for resolving disputes, and a variety of IEP issues.  Jeni will focus on your parental role and rights at each step of the process. At the conclusion of the presentation, Jeni will be available for a question and answer session.?