Iowa Training Consortium - Building Supportive Communities

Disability Training

Possibilities

News and articles,
September 1999

To subscribe to the print version of Possibilities, mail Office of Community Education, Center for Disabilities and Development, 100 Hawkins Drive, Iowa City IA 52242-1011, fax 319-356-8284 or phone 319-353-6448.

Mini-Grant highlight

Photo shows Marilyn Turner with Steve Hartke, who recently completed "It's My Choice" training.With a $1770 mini-grant from the Iowa Training Consortium, the Black Hawk Center for Independent Living and Adults Incorporated of Waterloo joined forces to assist more than fifteen individuals with disabilities to learn to identify areas of choice in their lives, and to advocate for themselves and others. Family members and support staff also participated in the training, which used the "It’s Your Choice" curriculum, modified by trainers Marilyn Turner and Sue Moore.

One result of the training is a monthly peer support group organized by some of the participants. The group has begun working on issues of accessibility at a local mall. Even while the training was in progress, one member wrote to the Mayor of Waterloo to protest a fare increase for paratransit bus services. Another advocated for herself in a disagreement with her guardian. Many others are now speaking up and speaking out for themselves (and for others) in ways they never did before.

The project is one of eight Training Consortium mini-grants funded by the Iowa Department of Human Services in 1999 to promote opportunities for meaningful choices and individualized supports for people who have disabilities.

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Conference and Training Highlights

2nd Annual Parent-Professional Conference: Folic Acid and Neural Tube Defects
Friday, October 1, Clarion Hotel & Conference Center, 1220 First Ave., Coralville
Sponsored by University of Iowa Health Care, Iowa Department of Public Health, & Iowa Chapter of the March of Dimes. Registration: $40 for professionals; no charge for families. More info: Linda Sojka at 319-356-8105 or linda-sojka@uiowa.edu

6th Annual Statewide Diversity Conference: The Faces and Voices of Iowa: Building Community
Tuesday-Wednesday, Oct. 5-6, Polk County Convention Complex, Des Moines

The Dementia Connection: Chronic Confusion and Dementing Illness
Wednesday, October 6, 8:30 am - 4:00 pm, Hawkeye Community College, 1501 E. Orange Road, Waterloo
Sponsored by Hawkeye CC and Alzheimer's Association, East Central Chapter. Registration: $30. Course number 34987B.MM For more information call 800-670-4743 or 319-296-2460 or e-mail register@hawkeye.cc.ia.us

Sensory Processing Disorders
Thursday, October 14, 6:00-9:00 PM, Iowa Hall, Kirkwood Community College, Cedar Rapids
Registration: $16. Section Number: 166048F. More information: 800-332-8833 or 319-398-1022

Annual Mental Health Conference
Wednesday-Thursday, October 20-21, Holiday Inn University Park, West Des Moines
Sponsors include Alliance for the Mentally Ill, Iowa Association of Community Providers, Iowa Department of Education, & Iowa Protection and Advocacy Services

Annual Arc of the US Convention
October 21-23, Nashville, TN.
More info: 817-261-6003 or sdavis@metronet.com

Moving Self-Advocacy to the Next Generation
Friday-Saturday, October 22-23, St. Paul, MN
Registration: $75; partial scholarships available. More info: 651-641-0297

The Challenge of Change
October 24-26, Holiday Inn Airport Conference Center, Des Moines
Sponsored by Learning Disabilities Association of Iowa. More info: 515-961-6413

Fundamentals of Structured Teaching in the TEACCH Model
November 16-18, Woodward State Hospital School, Woodward
Registration: $300. More info: 515-438-3511

Mental Health Conference
Friday, November 19, Sheraton Four Points Hotel, Cedar Rapids
Registration: $40. Section Number: 166043F. More info: 800-332-8833 or 319-398-1022

For more conference and training opportunities, see the Disability Training calendar.

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Back to School with the DRLBooks, videotapes, and other resources

The Disability Resource Library offers a wide variety of resources. DRL services are available at no cost for Iowans with disabilities and members of their families. To contact the Disability Resource Library at the University Hospital School, phone 800-272-7713, e-mail disability-library@uiowa.edu, or visit on the web at http://www.medicine.uiowa.edu/uhs/drl/index.cfm

  1. Plain Talk: Teacher to Teacher
    State of New Hampshire Department of Education, 1993. 27 min. [videotape]
    Teachers discuss their experiences with special needs children in the regular classroom. Attitudes are examined from a before and after perspective. A positive reinforcement film for teachers and a revealing look at the profession for parents and professionals. #222170
  2. Keeping a Head in School: A Student’s Book About Learning Abilities and Learning Disorders
    Mel Levine, Educators Publishing Service, 1990 297 p. [book/monograph]
    Intended to help children with learning disorders understand their strengths, Levine’s concise observations help youth, parents, and teachers understand how the brain functions in various learning disorders. Levine offers strategies for information retention and academic skill building. #407020
  3. Teaching Self-Determination to Students With Disabilities
    Michael Wehmeyer, Martin Agran, and Carolyn Hughes, Paul H. Brookes Publishing, 1998. 354 p. [book/monograph]
    Self-determination is presented as an educational goal and as a school-to-work outcome. A book for teachers to help students with disabilities achieve a self-directed life. Useful as well for the helping the parent to understand the transition process. #406970
    High School Inclusion: Equity and Excellence in an Inclusive Community of Learners
  4. Institute on Disability
    University of New Hampshire UAP, 1999 32 min. [videotape]
    Souhegan High School in Amherst, New Hampshire, has established a fully inclusive high school with heterogeneous class groupings, innovative scheduling and curriculum, social justice, and unique teaching responsibilities. An uplifting video on a model concept.
  5. How to Help Your Child Succeed in School
    Sandra Rief, Educational Resource Specialists, 1997. 56 min. [videotape]
    Strategies that parents can implement at home to improve the academic and study skills of children with ADHD and learning disabilities. #221730
  6. Parents as Partners in the IEP Process
    Parent Education Partnership (PEP), Grant Wood AEA, 1998. 56 min. [videotape]
    Iowa Area X parents give tips on how they make the federally mandated Individualized Education Plan work for their children. A moderator guides the discussion through the steps in the IEP as the parents convey their thoughts and experiences. #222540

All Disability Resource Library services are free to people with disabilities and to members of their families. Other individuals and community service providers are asked to pay a per item fee to borrow materials, or they may purchase an annual subscription. There is no charge to anyone for assistance with finding information. To contact the Disability Resource Library at the University Hospital School, phone 800-272-7713, e-mail disability-library@uiowa.edu, or visit on the web at http://www.medicine.uiowa.edu/uhs/drl/index.cfm

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To subscribe to the print version of Possibilities, mail Office of Community Education, Center for Disabilities and Development, 100 Hawkins Drive, Iowa City IA 52242-1011, fax 319-356-8284 or phone 319-353-6448.

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from Center for Disabilities and Development
Iowa's University Center for Excellence on Disabilities
University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics
Iowa City, Iowa 52242-1011