1. The Parents’ Place of Maryland
Rene Averitt-Sanzone
Heather Luke
Helping families of children and youth with disabilities and special health care needs

2. PPMD Mission
Our mission is to empower families as advocates and partners in improving education and health outcomes for their children with disabilities and special health care needs.

3. Who is PPMD? Maryland’s Special Education & Health Information Center
DRAFT
©2007, PACER Center
Who is PPMD?
Maryland’s Special Education & Health Information Center
Established in 1990
Governed by parents
Our team is made up of 94% parents of children with disabilities and special health care needs
Maryland’s Special Education & Health Information Center
Established in 1990
Governed by parents
Our team is made up of 94% parents of children with disabilities and special health care needs

4. One on One assistance to families
PPMD Services
One on One assistance to families
Resource sharing
Leadership Training
Parent Partners
Families As Faculty
Military Outreach
Staff in the central office, a person on the Eastern Shore and in Southern MD
Resource sharing – for example our website – listen to recorded webinars, podcasts, download resources etc…,
LEADers and Guiding the Journey – plug that a new class will be starting soon so be on the look out
The three practices we are currently in
The programs we work with
Our newest project our Military Outreach

5. PPMD helps families…
Better understand their children’s disabilities, education, and health care needs; Communicate more effectively with schools, doctors, related professionals, and agencies; Understand their rights & responsibilities under special education law and regulations.

6. The Parents’ Place of Maryland
Moving to the Back Seat… Breathe, it Will Be Ok

7. Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
Ensures that all children with disabilities have available to them a free appropriate public education (FAPE)
Emphasizes special education and related services designed to meet their unique needs
Prepares them for further education, employment and independent living
(IDEA sec )

8. Transition Planning Guide
A copy of the Transition Planning Guide should be given to you at the annual IEP meeting.
It is very important that you read this every year, and take the necessary actions. This is your road map to your student’s future.

9. Entitlement vs Eligibility
Students receiving services under an IEP are entitled to a free and appropriate education (FAPE) until they meet the requirements for a Maryland High School Diploma or the end of the school year when they turn 21years old.
Once a student exits school or applies for services from an adult service agency while student is still in school, he or she must meet the eligibility criteria and funding availability to receive services from adult service agencies.
It is important to note that not all kids on IEP will be able to stay in school until 21 and not all kids with IEPs will be eligible for disability specific services as adults.

10. How Can Students be Prepared?
Take a few minutes to complete the “Self-Determination Checklist”

11. What Self Determination Skills Are Needed?
Basic abilities employees need
Common sense, everyday skills
There are several needed but for the purpose of today we are breaking them into 2 areas
Hard Skills: The basic abilities one needs for a job (ex. Receptionist must answer the phone, bank teller needs to count money, etc)
Soft Skills: necessary for education, job training, independent living, community participation and in the workplace. These skills are not taught because we assume they learn by observing others. So this makes them so much harder for our youth.

12. Decision Making Skills Lifelong Learning Skills
Soft Skills
Communication Skills
Interpersonal Skills
Decision Making Skills
Lifelong Learning Skills
Today we are going to explore the soft skills and they are broken into 4 domain areas.

13. Communication Skills Communication Skills Read with understanding
Convey ideas in writing
Listen Actively
Can your child gather, process and use information by observing the environment. We receive information from a multitude of sources and need to know which can be filtered out.
Can your child use a computer and convey information through writing. Do they know how to write a more formal ?
Can your child understand what they read?

14. Communication Skills
Family activities that help develop powers of observation (nature walks, indoor games like “20 questions)
During car rides ask if they know the road signs you pass
If there are issues with accessibility, ensure they know how to request information in accessible formats.
Have your child practice “thank you notes”
Have your child practice filling out job applications….this will give you information about their ability to understand the questions and to see how they talk about their skills/experiences.

15. Interpersonal Skills Interpersonal Skills Advocate and influence
Guide others
Resolve conflict and negotiate
Can they show others how to do a task? (may need to guide customers or fellow staff)
Can your child make decisions when there is no right or wrong answer. Can they explain to others why their point of view is accurate?
Does your child use creativity?
Cooperate with others

16. Interpersonal Skills
Have your child explain how to play a game to others
Allow your child to plan a garage sale (start to finish)
Have your child do household chores and then offer constructive criticism on how they do
Does your child know how to appropriately greet one another

17. Decision Making Skills
Use math to problem solve
Decision Making Skills
Make decisions
Plan
When given a task, can your child plan next steps
Can your child make decisions?
Can your child use math when needed? Can they access calculator?

18. Decision Making Skills
Plan a meal (cooking, timing of the meal, etc)
Plan out a list of needed items for a shopping trip and successfully purchase items at sore
Does your child know how to make and follow a budget?

19. Lifelong Learning Skills
Use technology
Lifelong Learning Skills
Take responsibility for learning
Learn through research
Reflect and
Evaluate

20. Lifelong Learning Skills
Pick out a dessert to take to a family event. Ask for them to find recipe from the internet
Have your child research a topic of interest on the internet
Have your child research how to care for pets. If they pet-sit for neighbors, monitor how they handle the money received

21. Overwhelmed? Remember to breath…..
No need to hyperventilate…….
There are ways to get all this done!

22. Soft Skills Brainstorm
Communication Skills
Interpersonal Skills
Decision Making Skills
Lifelong Learning Skills
Using the info we have just have heard and the self determination check list and thinking of your Youth and each domain area i.d. skills that need to be developed, learned, refined etc…, this is your individual brain storm time “no wrong answers”

23. Self Determination ACTION PLAN
Goal for the Week
Long-Term Goal(s)
Who Should I Talk to?
Communication
Skills
Interpersonal
Decision Making
Lifelong Learning

24. IEP Participation A Student’s involvement in the IEP will:
Build self-advocacy skills and self-esteem
Give the student some control over their education
Build social and conversational skills
Teach the processes of decision-making, goal setting and achievement
Source: I’m Determined, Virginia’s Self-Determintion Project

25. Self-Determination
Self-Determination refers to both the right and the capacity of individuals to exert control over and direct their lives (Wehmeyer, 2004)

26. Self-Determination
Studies show that students who included self-determination goals in their Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) were more likely to earn a higher income one year after graduation (Wehmeyer, 2004).

27. Austin, Carson and Madison
Why Do We Do This?
Austin, Carson and Madison

28. Why We Do This….

29. We will be happy to connect you with someone who can help you.
THANK YOU!
For more information about special education or your rights, call The Parents’ Place of Maryland at:
We will be happy to connect you with someone who can help you.