A weekly half hour chat focused on improving access to education for PK-12 students through the use of Accessible Educational Materials (AEM), Universal Design for Learning (UDL), and Assistive Technology (AT).
Welcome to the Patins Tuesday night chat. I'm Bev Sharritt, specialist for BLV AEM and AT and transition in the IEP, wishing the weather would transition to spring! #PatinsIcam
A1: At the age of 14, we intentionally document our efforts in the IEP transition section for how we will plan for transitioning out of school #PatinsIcam
A2: transition from being in a single room to having multiple teachers, transition to a new school in a district, transfer to a new district, etc. #PatinsIcam
A2: Really any move a student makes...trasitioning from activity to activity, room to room, school to home, alternative setting to home school, grade to grade...you name it! #PatinsIcam
A3: For switching grade levels and buildings it is a huge advantage (but not always feasible) to assign the student's teacher /team in the spring so that they can prepare instruction with that student in mind well in advance #PatinsIcam
A3: I like to use the swivl cam or some type of "window" into a new setting for a student so that he or she can experience it from a far and start to acclimate to how things are done! #PatinsIcam
A4: finding a mentor from a higher grade, or an adult from the community. Also, Bosma puts on a jobs program to give students with BLV their first job #PatinsIcam
A4: I been working with schools to use Google sites for Digital Portfolios. Also like pulling out some AT that I haven't found a good school use and employing it as outside world AT device. #PatinsIcam
A4: not so much a resource as a tried and true tip: the planning for adulthood process starts the first day of preschool! Never too early to be thinking and talking about post-secondary life with age-appropriate goals and explanations #PatinsIcam
A4: There are many district-hosted transition fairs across the state that offer lots of great information about services & options for post-secondary needs & wants. Check with your school or your central office #PatinsIcam
A4: In Maryland our school district had an incredible vocational program for students who trained for a future career while getting credits. They had a fantastic job return rate! Hands on tools are so helpful! #PatinsIcam
A6: We ask about the settings and tasks that they are doing in school, but we also consider future settings and tasks that they'll need for post-secondary life. Questions like, if I want to go into accounting, is there a platform I should be working in now to prepare? #PatinsIcam
Q7: Devices, tools, and platforms can change pretty quickly these days. How do we balance keeping up with change with our students' needs to become proficient, and our districts' financial limitations? #PatinsIcam
A5: the one time i had this opportunity- gained cooperation from the community. We wrote a plan, presented it to different job providers, and she got a job offer in a pet store. Perfect for her. #patinsicam#patinsicam
A7: It has been hard for me to just relax sometimes and let a student settle in with a device--I tend to want the latest thing for them, but in their adult life, it will not be likely that they'll always have the up-to-the-minute tool at all times. #PatinsIcam
Sure do! Have one coming up the day after the Tech Expo on April 13 at Ivy Tech in Lawrenceburg & another on hosted by Goodwill Education Initiatives at the Excel Center in Indy on May 10 #PatinsIcam
A7: I think that the emphasis to kids should always be presented that the TOOL is important but the type of tool does not need to be specific. Kids are great generalizers and we need to encourage that skill! #PatinsIcam
Sure do! Have one coming up the day after the Tech Expo on April 13 at Ivy Tech in Lawrenceburg & another on hosted by Goodwill Education Initiatives at the Excel Center in Indy on May 10 #PatinsIcam
A7: It has been hard for me to just relax sometimes and let a student settle in with a device--I tend to want the latest thing for them, but in their adult life, it will not be likely that they'll always have the up-to-the-minute tool at all times. #PatinsIcam
SO I love this! When my kid transitioned from home to preschool I was given a name of a parent I could talk to about what was happening and I GLADLY did that for others when my kid was older. That human connection is so fantastic! #PatinsIcam
A8: start early mentioning transition, and how it will be addressed at every level. Look back and point to past growth when they are anxious about the next step. Also, deep breaths #PatinsIcam
Where do we fond these support groups? How can they be accessed? As a parent myself, I found little help with this outside a medicaid waiver support group. All don't qualify for that. #patinsicam
A9: as a staff member it was great to work or volunteer with adults with Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities, to keep my perspective and hear what they thought of school, work, etc., local Arc is a great resource #PatinsIcam
A9: Find mentors, apprentice opportunities and employers who will hire students with disabilities, and introduce them to your students. Encourage good civic involvement with your students. #PatinsIcam
A10: I transitioned to boarding school after sophomore year, living "alone" with lots of support and 300 teenagers expanded my world, not sure I would have followed through with college if not for the opportunity to take a chance! All students need some scary chances #PatinsIcam
A10: Personally, transition from elementary to middle school was rough for me. Going from knowing all of the students in my grade to being joined with multiple other elementary school students was a tough adjustment. #PatinsIcam
Transition to college. I was good at the game of school but unprepared for real studying. In college I wasn't told everything I needed to know. Had to figure out how to decide what was important to remember. #patinsicam
A10: It was fairly easy. I only applied to one school and got in despite my terrible SATs. The only thing I had going for me was that the one school was BSU which was fantastic for becoming special ed teacher! Goal setting was HUGE for me! #PatinsIcam
