LOMAH Disability Podcast

Latest Episodes:

#97 - Parent Roles in IEP Transition Planning Nov 26, 2019

Show notes

Parents often take a significant role in planning the future for their child with disabilities. It is not feasible to take on every role and task so how can parents identify and prioritize their roles in transition planning? What are the most important aspects in which to devote energy and attention?

About the Guest

Dawn A. Rowe, PhD, is an Associate Professor in the department of Educational Foundations and Special Education at East Tennessee State University. Her research and scholarship are focused on three main areas of research: evidence-based practices and predictors of postschool success for students with disabilities, life skills interventions (e.g., goal setting, self-management, communication skills), and professional development (e.g., families, in-service and pre-service educators). She has over 20 years' experience working in the adult service system and as a teacher and transition specialist for youth with disabilities in the public-school system. Dr. Rowe serves as the academic editor for the Council for Exceptional Children's Research to Practice Journal, TEACHING Exceptional Children. Dr. Rowe's publications have focused on transition assessment, transition skill instruction for low incidence disabilities, and family engagement.

Links to mentioned content can be found in the show notes at https://www.lomah.org/podcastseason3/97

Kim can be found on instagram as journey2lomah

This show is part of a 13 episode series focusing on the transition plan that goes into the IEP at the age of 14 or 16.

#96 - Interagency Collaboration in IEP Transition Planning Nov 19, 2019

Show notes

School services end when adult services begin, but there is opportunity for overlap during the teen years to increase chances of a smooth transition via interagency collaboration. How can this opportunity be maximized?

About the Guest:

Kelli Crane, Ph.D. is an Assistant Research Professor at the Center for Transition and Career Innovation, University of Maryland, College Park. She bring extensive experience serving in significant leadership roles on research and model demonstration projects funded by the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, the Social Security Administration and the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research. Dr. Crane's research interests include examining programs and practices to improve post-school outcomes for transition age youth with disabilities. Currently, she is co-principal investigator for Maryland PROMISE and co-director on Way2Work Maryland. Both projects, funded by the U.S. Department of Education, are randomized control research trials examining interventions to improve the education and employment outcomes of transition-aged youth with disabilities. She has direct experience working as a transition specialist in an urban school district, a vocational rehabilitation counselor, and job coach.

**This episode is part of a 12 episode series focusing on the Transition Plan in the IEP

**Follow Kim's journey with her daughter on Instagram at journey2lomah

#95-School Services to Adult Services Nov 12, 2019

Show notes

When students age out of school services and transition to adult services gaps often emerge. Many of these gaps have simple solutions. What are the gaps and how do we bridge them?

About the Guest:

Sonni Charness is the founder of Guidelight Group. She and her team specialize in helping California teens and adults with developmental disabilities and their families plan for and live their their best lives. Sonni has over ten years of professional experience supporting teens and adults with disabilities in their communities, and a Master's degree in Special Education with an emphasis in transition and employment outcomes for youth with moderate to severe disabilities. Her work on transition-to-adulthood and employment has been published in the Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation and in Research and Practice for Persons with Severe Disabilities. (Sonni also serves on the Board of Directors for the California chapter of APSE, a national organization whose mission is to promote access for all people with disabilities to have competitive employment in an inclusive workforce.) You can learn more about Sonni, her team and their work at GuidelightGroup.org.

***Follow our journey on instagram @journey2lomah***

Links Mentioned:

Google Person Centered Thinking Training to search for opportunities in your area
Helen Sanderson Associates - Person Centered Planning Tools
The Learning Community for Person Centered Practices
Google Micheal Smull

Related Episodes:

#94 - Disability Employment: Is it Really Possible for All?
#92 - Preparing Students with Disabilities for Specialized College Programs
Transition Planning Series Episodes 86 - 98

#94 - Disability Employment: Is It Really Possible for All? Nov 05, 2019

Show notes

For individuals with differing abilities to have paid employment in community settings, there needs to be a culture that believes they are capable. What hurdles must be overcome to shift perspective?

Our guest discusses 4 key hurdles keeping parents and IEP teams from believing in the possibility of paid employment in a community setting. We acknowledge these hurdles and learn how to clear them. We also learn what to put in the employment section of the transition plan in the IEP to help students move towards paid employment in a community setting.

About the Guest

Sean Roy is a Research Associate with TransCen Inc. In this position he works to provide training and technical assistance to states, employment professionals and schools, leading to improved success for individuals with disabilities who are transitioning from school into the workforce and life in the community. Roy is an experienced curriculum developer, writer, trainer and presenter, often being asked to speak to professionals and families about issues of employment, accessing postsecondary education, and promoting family involvement in employment and transition planning. Mr. Roy draws from previous experience as Co-Director of PACER's National Parent Center on Transition and Employment, as well as being a sibling of an adult with autism.

Links to content mentioned in this episode can be found at www.lomah.org/podcastseason3/94

Follow LOMAH on Instagram at journey2lomah

Related Episodes

Technology Series - Episodes #48 - #59
Self Determination for Complex Communication Users - Episode #89
Transition Planning Series Episodes #86 - #98

#93-How to Get Assistive Technology in the IEP Oct 29, 2019

Show notes

Assistive technology is an essential lifeline for many students with differing abilities. How do we get it in the IEP and what additional considerations are important? What happens to technology supports after the student ages out of the school system and enters adult services?

This episodes covers:

What does federal IDEA says about assistive technology and how you can use the law in your advocacy efforts to get needed technology into the IEP
How to stay current on new assistive technology trends
Verbiage to use in your request to the school district for an assistive technology evaluation
Additional IEP considerations with assistive technology such as who is responsible for damaged euipment, ensuring proper implementation and training of staff, etc.
What happens to technology devices belonging to the school systems after the student ages out and enters adult programs
Who pays for assistive technology for adults

About the Guest:

Lisa Lightner is a sought after and trusted resource for parents navigating the IEP process. She hosts the only IEP focused podcast, called Don't IEP Alone, and her website, A Day in Our Shoes, receives hundreds of thousands of visits per month. She is a professional special education advocate, a former adult vocational program instructor, and a credentialed lobbyist. She serves on the board of several organizations and has been featured in dozens of mainstream parenting shows and magazines.

Related Episodes:

Technology Series: Episodes #48 - #59 in Season 2

Transition Series: Episodes #86 - #98

#92 - Preparing Students with Disabilities for Specialized College Programs Oct 22, 2019

Show notes

Clemson University supports one of the first post secondary programs for students with disabilities in the country. There currently are over 200 similar programs across the country and in this episode we use Clemson Life as a framework to give families and IEP teams a vision of a post secondary college program so they can begin considering necessary requirements to qualify for programs such as Clemson Life and thus begin working toward goals in the middle school and high school years.

There are 3 parts to today's conversation. First we learn about the Clemson Life program. Second we will learn what goals should be going into the 3 federally mandated sections of the IEP Transition Plan to set students up for success in post secondary college programs. We will conclude the conversation looking at the four belief statements of the Clemson Life program and how they are applicable regardless if college is an option for our student.

About The Guest:

Courtney Dukes became involved with the Clemson Life program as a Clemson student. She is a certified K-12 special education teacher and is in her 5th year as an employee with the Clemson Life program serving as the freshman teacher.

Follow Clemson Life on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter

You can find behind the scenes of Kim's journey with her daughter on Instagram as journey2lomah. LOMAH is also on Facebook.

#91 - Diploma, Vocational, & Credential Tracks for Special Education Students Oct 15, 2019

Show notes

Most students in special education are tracked to age out of the school system without a degree or direct pathway to employment. What if we believe expectations can be higher for our student? What are the options for exiting the school system and where does each option lead? Who is making these choices?

About the Guest

Our guest, Ashley Grant is a Supervising Staff Attorney at Advocates for Children of New York, focusing on protecting the rights of middle school and high school students, including students with disabilities, students who are overage and under-credits, and students transitioning out of school. She also coordinates the state-wide Multiple Pathways to a Diploma Coalition and teaches the Special Education Law and Advocacy Field Clinic at Cardozo Law School. Ashley started her career as a special education teacher in Los Angeles. She holds a B.A. in Sociology from the University of California, Los Angeles; a M.A. in Special Education from California State University; and a J.D. from New York University School of Law.

Related Episodes:

Episodes 86 - 97: Transition Planning Series

***For behind the scenes of Kim's journey planning the future for and with her daughter follow them on Instagram at journey2lomah***

#90-Teen to Adult Transition Lessons from a Self Advocate Oct 08, 2019

Show notes

We hear a lot and think a lot about the inevitable time of transitioning out of special education school services and into adult services. It has been coined "when the bus stops coming" or "falling off the cliff.' What does this time of life feel like from the perspective of the person actually going through it? From the perspective of the individual with disabilities?

Self Advocate Melissa Crisp-Cooper shares her journey, gives parents a pep talk, and expresses where challenges still exist in her life 20 years later.

Links to content mentioned on the show can be found at https://www.lomah.org/podcastseason3/90

About the Guest:

Melissa Crisp-Cooper is a writer, adventure seeker, and health advocate. She has cerebral palsy, and navigates the world using a purple power wheelchair. Melissa and her husband Owen live in Oakland, CA with two opinionated black cats. Together, Melissa and Owen love to travel, eat good food, and stretch out in their adaptive yoga class.

Related Episodes:

Episodes #86-#97 make up the Transition Planning series which focus on creating the post secondary transition plan that goes in the IEP at the age of 14 or 16.

Episode #70: Do This Not That: Lessons from a Self Advocate with Angela West

Episode 25: Think College with Kate Weir

***Follow Kim on instagram @journey2lomah for an in depth and behind the scenes look at their journey***

#89- Three Self Determination Strategies for Complex Communication Users Oct 01, 2019

Show notes

Individuals with disabilities have the right to make choices for themselves and for those choices to be honored, but what if it is hard for us to understand what those choices, likes, and dislikes are because of complex communication needs? How do we begin teaching and honoring self determination at a young age?

This episodes explores 3 strategies:

Verbal Referencing
Separating what is important to the individual from what is important for the individual
Reframing likes into social rolls

Links to items mentioned in the show are at https://www.lomah.org/podcastseason3/89

About the Guest:

Erin Sheldon is mom to Maggie, a 16 year old with severe disabilities. Erin earned her master's degree studying how to support our students with complex needs in the regular classroom. She is CEO of Ontario's parent association for school inclusion (www.inclusionontario.ca). She also works for the assistive technology company, AssistiveWare. Erin has authored articles, book chapters, manuals, online professional learning modules, and more.

Related Episodes: Transition Series - Episodes 86 - 97

Episode 77 : Your Body Your Boundaries

Episode 50: Keeping AAC Person Centered

Episode 49: Self Determination with Complex Communication Needs

Episode 48: Augmentative and Alternative Communication

***Follow Kim on instagram @journey2lomah for an in depth and behind the scenes look at their journey***

#88-Using Assessments to Guide IEP Goals Sep 24, 2019

Show notes

When we start considering the future for individuals with differing abilities, the assessment process is an important yet often omitted first step. Ongoing formal and informal assessments, specifically those identifying strengths and interests, should be the drivers of transition IEP goals. How can we encourage school districts to assess and what are the whens, hows, and whos of the process?

Dr. Mary E. Morningstar is faculty in Special Education at Portland State University and Co-Director of the Career and Community Studies program, a fully inclusive transition to postsecondary education for youth with intellectual disability. She directs the Transition Coalition, a national center offering online, hybrid and in-person professional development and resources for secondary special educators and transition practitioners.

Dr. Morningstar teaches us what transition assessment is, when and how is it happening, and who should be performing the assessments.

She gives us counsel on how to prompt the district to initiate a wide range of assessments and tells us exactly what to say in the email we send requesting assessments.

We will be learning 3 things to bring the IEP team that would be seen as supportive and helpful rather than demanding so we are operating as a team.

We are going to learn about observational and situational assessments and why we want to use those and NOT anecdotal observations.

Links to valuable resources mentioned in this episode can be found at https://www.lomah.org/podcastseason3/88

To follow Kim's journey with her daughter, find her on instagram as journey2lomah

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