News & Resources for North Dakota Parents & Professionals |
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Take Charge of Your Life!
Workshop Series
Begins February 23
Take Charge of Your Life! is a five-session series of workshops about transition for youth and young adults with disabilities (age 14-26). Youth participants will each invite one family member or friend to participate with them. It is presented by Pathfinder Services of ND's North Dakota Secondary Transition Project.
In these workshops, you will:
- Hear about new possibilities from people with and without disabilities
- Learn and practice skills for speaking up to get the life you want
- Get info about how to use adult services to get help
- Make new connections
- Get tools for life planning
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 Cups of Kindness Winter Fundraiser - February Event
Our next event will be on February 14, from 11:30 am - 1:30 pm.
Olive Garden will be sponsoring our next Cups of Kindness event. Come and enjoy some warm soup, salad, and breadsticks.
Events will be located in the Town and Country Center Trinity break room. (Just past our office, suite 42).
About Cups of Kindness
Come and join us for our "Cups of Kindness" seasonal fundraiser for Pathfinder Services of ND! Proceeds go to support our mission of helping North Dakota children and youth with learning differences and challenges.
"Cups of Kindness" is a very special kind of fundraiser for Pathfinder Services of ND. It is unique because we are selling one of a kind ceramic mugs that have been individually decorated by the children and students that we serve. The cups have been adorned with designs of what kindness means in their hearts. These cups will be filled with a delicious meal from our sponsors, so you will enjoy a great meal, in an original collectible cup, while supporting us in our mission, all at once!
For more information:
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Would you like support through the early intervention process?
Follow the link below to get support or to refer a parent to the program.
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 Resource Focus
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IDEA Early Intervention Due Process Complaints and Hearing Requests - Part C Procedures
by CADRE
This publication is part of a series of guides on dispute resolution options available under Part C of the IDEA for families of infants and toddlers (Birth through Age 2). This guide covers written state
complaints.
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News from US Department of Education
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 U.S. Department of Education Announces Initiative to Address the Inappropriate Use of Restraint and Seclusion to Protect Children with Disabilities U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos announced on January 17 that the U.S. Department of Education will launch an initiative to address the possible inappropriate use of restraint and seclusion in our nation's schools. The Office for Civil Rights (OCR), in partnership with the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS), will oversee this proactive approach which will protect students with disabilities by providing technical assistance and support to schools, districts, and state education agencies, and strengthen enforcement activities.
For more information:
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 Early Childhood |
 Challenging Behavior Tips for Families This page from the Head Start Center for Inclusion website offers several tip sheets (in English and Spanish) on such topics as Riding in the Car, Cleaning up Toys, Following Directions, Changing Activities/Making Transitions, and more. Download and print these sheets as a quick reference for tips on challenging behavior, helping your child to talk more, teaching your child to share and more! Hang them on your refrigerator, keep them in folder, or put on your kitchen counter to quickly reference when needed.
Visit the page here:
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 Elementary Students |
Special Factors in IEP Development
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) lists five special factors that the IEP team must consider in the development, review, and revision of each child's IEP. This article from the Center for Parent Information & Resources (CPIR) highlights the importance of these special factors in the education of children with disabilities and the need for individualized consideration of these factors in IEP development and revision.
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 Youth & Young Adults |
 How Technology Can Help Your Child With a Learning Disability Be More Independent This guide provides parents a brief overview of the ways assistive technology can help grow their child's independence. Topics covered include: examples of assistive technology for managing schoolwork, reading and writing, and focus and time management, as well as helpful strategies for encouraging their child's independence.
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 Spotlight |
 What to Do When Your Child Refuses to Put On Winter Clothes Many people-kids and adults-find putting on winter clothes to be a pain. But sensory processing issues can make it a real misery. Kids who are hypersensitive or who are tactile defensive may literally scream if they put on clothes that don't feel right. The clothes might be too tight, too bulky, too itchy or too hot. And that can make everyday life difficult for the whole family.
Getting your child with sensory processing issues to wear winter clothes isn't impossible. But it can take time, compromise and some creativity. The strategies you use will depend on your child's age and his particular challenges and sensitivities. But giving him choices and some sense of control is key.
Here are some tips to consider:
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 Training Opportunities & Upcoming Events |
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Event
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When
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Where
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Cost
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Link
| Sibshop - Grand Forks
| Feb 2
11:00 am to 2:00 pm | Anne Carlsen Office
2016 S Washington St
Grand Forks, ND
| $10 | More Info | Nonprofit Day at the Capitol
| Feb 5 | Memorial Hall and Legislative Hall
Capitol Building
600 E Boulevard Ave dept 110
Bismarck, ND
| Free | More Info | Planning an IEP Team Meeting When Your Child has Mental Health Challenges (PACER Webinar)
| Feb 7
6:30 pm to 8:30 pm | Online
| Free | More Info | 2019 ND Indian Child Welfare & Wellness Conference
| Feb 12-14 | MHA Nation
4 Bears Casino & Lodge
New Town, ND
| ? | More Info | Life Launch: The Road to Careers and Employment (Pathfinder Workshop)
| Feb 13
12:00 pm to 2:00 pm | Minot Public Library, South Room
516 2nd Ave SW
Minot, ND
| Free | More Info | Cups of Kindness - Pathfinder Fundraiser
| Feb 14
11:30 am to 1:30 pm | Town & Country Center
Trinity Break Room
1015 S Broadway
Minot, ND
| Varies | More Info | Life Launch: The Road to Independence and Interdependence (Pathfinder Workshop)
| Feb 20
12:00 pm to 2:00 pm | Minot Public Library, South Room
516 2nd Ave SW
Minot, ND
| Free | More Info | Take Charge of Your Life! Part 1 - Get a Life (Pathfinder Workshop)
| Feb 23
10:00 am to 3:00 pm | Harmony Center
212 Central Ave
Minot, ND
| Free | More Info |
All listed times are in Central Time.
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Pathfinder Services of ND
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The contents of this newsletter were developed under a grant from the US Department of Education, #H328M110021. However, those contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the US Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government.
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