Sped*NET Wilton Prior Meetings

September 16, 2005 (Part I) & September 23, 2005 (Part II). The Bureau of Special Education for the Connecticut State Department of Education comes to Wilton, in a two-part series, to discuss the 2004 Reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and explain how the changes will impact our children. If your child has an Individualized Education Program (IEP), don't miss this exciting opportunity to hear it first from the State Department. Staff is welcome to attend. Wilton Library. 10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. RSVPs encouraged; please call Eve at 761-0680.

September 26, 2005 (evening). Nancy Schwartz, Ph.D., well-respected speech and language pathologist with extensive experience working with children and teens on the autism spectrum, will discuss Relationship Development Intervention (RDI): The Stages and How to Get There. RDI is an approach to intervention for children on the autism spectrum that confronts the core deficits of autism, i.e., the establishment of a dynamic system of information processing. It is a developmental and systematic approach through which children develop relationships with other people by learning emotional referencing, social coordination, declarative language, flexible thinking, relational information processing, foresight and hindsight. Wilton Library. 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. RSVPs encouraged; please call Patti at 761-0248. Please reserve your on-site babysitting!

September 30, 2005. Christina Adams, MFA, author of A Real Boy: A True Story of Autism, Early Intervention and Recovery, will discuss the "epidemic" of autism spectrum disorders, which, according to the Centers for Disease Control, affect one in 166 children. Ms. Adams, who is a creative writer and a commentator for National Public Radio's "Day to Day" show, is passionate about the subject of autism. She will tell the story of her son's diagnosis, her struggles to help him -- through dietary changes, supplements, Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), occupational, speech and play therapies -- and his ultimate recovery. For further information, visit www.christinaadamswriter.com. Wilton Library. Book signing will be available. 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. RSVPs encouraged; please call Patti at 761-0248.

October 28, 2005. 10:00 A.M. to 12:30 P.M., Friday. Dan Smith, M.S., and a Board Certified Behavior Analyst currently employed by the Wilton Public Schools, will discuss Applied Behavior Analysis: Application in Public School and Home Settings, as well as some common misconceptions. Mr. Smith holds a Masters degree in Applied Behavior Analysis from Northeastern University and has over 10 years of experience implementing, designing and training staff and families in using the principles of ABA. He has worked at the New England Center for Children, a day-treatment and residential school for children with autism and other developmental disorders, Southborough, Mass., and for the Capital Region Education Council (CREC), Windsor, CT, where he worked as a behavior analyst, consulting with and training public school staff and families in CT. Held at the Wilton Library, 137 Old Ridgefield Road, Wilton, CT. Please RSVP to Patti at 761-0248.

November 4, 2005. Carol Tashie, M.Ed., nationally-recognized general and special educator, inclusion facilitator and speaker, will examine Voices of Friendship: The Development of Social Relationships. She will help participants learn to identify barriers to friendships and share stories and strategies for supporting meaningful relationships and inclusive cultures for our children and students. The author of many books and articles, Ms. Tashie speaks to the issues of relationship-building, youth leadership and inclusive education cultures, communities and organizations. Passionate about including all children and adolescents in their schools and communities, she will explore the ways schools can help or hinder the development of social relationships and true friendships between children with and without disabilities.

Trackside, Teen Center of Wilton. 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Co-sponsored with Wilton Youth Services. To RSVP and for information/directions, please call Eve at 761-0680. *Trackside is located at 15 Station Road adjacent to Wilton Train Station and behind CommonFund Building.

November 15, 2005. Michael Sullivan, MLS, Director of the Weeks Public Library, Greenland, NH, is the author of Connecting Boys with Books: What Libraries Can Do (ALA Editions, 2003), and The Fundamentals of Children’s Service (ALA Editions, 2005). A general and special educator and a children’s librarian for over 15 years, honored as the 1998 New Hampshire Librarian of the Year, Mr. Sullivan has spoken widely on the topic of boys and reading. In 2005, he was profiled in Library Journal’s “Movers & Shakers” edition for his work in promoting reading to boys. He is a traveling storyteller and a chess instructor, and once worked at the Boston Museum of Science as part of its overnight “Camp-In” instructional program for children. His chess program at the Parlin Memorial Library in Everett, MA was honored with an Outstanding Achievement Award in the U.S. Conference of Mayors City Livability Award competition in 2001. Mr. Sullivan will address the particular needs of boys, with and without learning disabilities, and the best ways of Connecting Boys with Books. Given the importance of reading in developing vocabulary, self-expression and higher-level thinking skills, it is essential to find ways to engage boys with books. Mr. Sullivan will discuss how boys learn, why boys aren't as involved in reading as girls, the importance of male role-models, the power of reading-related games, different reading preferences and how parents, teachers and libraries can engage boys and promote a life-long interest in books. Co-sponsored by the Wilton Library, SPED*NET, the Wilton Department of Special Services and PTA Council. Wilton Library. 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. RSVPs encouraged; please call Eve at 761-0680.

December 2, 2005 (snow date: December 9th). It's All in the Presentation: Navigating Your Child's PPT Meeting Effectively. Stacy Hultgren is Co-Director of the CT Autism Resource Center, a leading advocate for families and trainer for parents and educational professionals in CT., Editor of the PDD Network Newsletter and the State of Connecticut Autism Spectrum Resource Guide, a member of the State Bureau of Special Education's Continuous Improvement Planning Team and the team that revised the Bureau of Special Education's Report of the CT Task Force on Issues for the Education of Children with Autism, and the mother of a child with autism. Through this workshop, parents will gain strategies for communicating, problem solving, and asserting themselves effectively at their children's Planning and Placement Team meetings. Wilton Library. 10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Please RSVP to Eve at 761-0680.

December 12, 2005 (Monday evening). Barbara Schade, M.Ed., general and special educator, educational consultant and advocate, will share effective techniques for Peaceable Homework: Easing the Struggle. In this workshop, Ms. Schade will discuss homework and assignment organizers, mnemonics (memory aids), tools for better concentration and listening skills, modifications and adaptations for homework, testing accommodations, peer tutoring, and many more strategies to reduce the stress of homework for parents and students -- and to actually have fun. Wilton Library. 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Please RSVP to Anne at 762-8575.

January 13, 2006. First we learn to read; then we read to learn. Kristen Viesselman, M.A., a special education teacher and Clinic Director of Lindamood-Bell Learning Processes, Darien, will discuss Literacy Skills for School Success. As Clinic Director, Ms. Viesselman conducts learning ability evaluations, manages the clinical instruction, diagnoses learning challenges and conducts professional development workshops. In this workshop, she will examine three sensory-cognitive functions that affect oral language comprehension and expression, retention, spelling, decoding, reading comprehension and written language: concept imagery, phonemic awareness and symbol imagery. Students with reading, spelling and/or comprehension difficulties may exhibit weaknesses in any or all of these essential underlying cognitive functions. Wilton Library. 10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Please RSVP to Pamela at 563-9994.

January 27, 2006. 10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. All for Play and Play for All. Lynn Hartigan, BCABA, Tanya Carrafiello and Gail Felice, MA, BCBA, from the Center for Growth and Development, Norwalk, will discuss developing play skills and incorporating children with special needs into play groups using strategies based on the principles of applied behavior analysis. The Center, which utilizes applied behavior analysis to enable children with special needs to reach their potential, develops individualized home-, school- and center-based programs for children on the spectrum and serves families in CT and NY. Wilton Library. RSVP Patti at 761-0248.

January 30, 2006. Daria Rockholz, Ph.D. founder and director of The College Connection, Ridgefield, will discuss College Knowledge for Students with Special Needs: Making the College Match and Meeting the Challenge. She will provide detailed information about levels of support services offered by colleges for students with learning disabilities and ADD/ADHD and will present strategies to assist students in becoming active participants in making informed decisions about their personal and educational futures. Wilton Library. 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Please RSVP to Eve at 761-0680.

February 10, 2006. Kathleen Koenig, M.S.N., an Associate Research Scientist at the Yale Child Study Center, where she is involved in clinical work and research related to children with Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD), will discuss Social Skills Development in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders. She is the Director of the Social Skills Development Program, which is geared toward elementary school children. Ms. Koenig, who earned her Master's degree from the Yale School of Nursing, has published articles on assessment and psychopharmacological interventions, and the unique development of girls with Pervasive Developmental Disorders throughout the lifespan. Wilton Library. 10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Please RSVP to Pamela at 563-9994.

February 24, 2006. Tara Glennon, Ed.D., OTR/L, BCP, FAOTA, who holds a doctoral degree in counseling psychology, is a Professor of occupational therapy at Quinnipiac University, the Director of the Center for Pediatric Therapy, and an author and lecturer. A pediatric specialist certified in the Sensory Integration and Praxis tests, Dr. Glennon works extensively with children with sensory processing difficulties. In this participatory workshop, Dr. Glennon will help parents understand how to incorporate Hands-On Sensory Strategies into their children's everyday, naturally occurring activities. Wilton Library. 10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Please RSVP to Lory at 761-9171.

March 3, 2006. Karen Nisenson, M.M., M.A., B.C.M.T., Aileen Tisser, M.A., P.T., and Cindy Freedman, O.T., Certified Recreational Therapist, will discuss Complementary Interventions for Children with Special Needs: Music, Art & Aquatic Therapies. Ms. Nisenson, Founder and Director of Arts for Healing, New Canaan, certified music therapist and Adjunct Professor at NYU, will discuss integrating visual and auditory processing through combined music and art activities, how learning is enhanced when sensory integration is improved and cognitive potential is tapped, the importance of early intervention, the influence of music and movement in language development, and the advantages of non-verbal communication in children with special needs. Through their company, Angelfish Therapy, Ms. Tisser and Ms. Freedman, have created a dynamic program for treating children with a variety of challenges. By using the therapeutic properties of the water to work on sensory integration, motor planning, muscle strengthening, oral motor control and social skills, their interventions support and achieve therapy goals, as well as teach children the life-long skills of independence and comfort in the water.

. Held at the Wilton Library. 10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Please RSVP to Patti at 761-0248.

March 31, 2006. In her workshop, Using Visual Supports: At Home, In School, Across the Curriculum, Lynne Guilmette, M.Ed., behavioral educational consultant and clinical supervisor of Behavioral Development and Educational Services, Trumbull, will present concrete strategies -- for home and school -- to facilitate daily routines for children with special needs who have strong visual learning skills. Visual supports help children learn more quickly, assist in learning to adjust to transitions and changes in routine, increase independence, and positively impact on one's ability to encode and organize information. Ms. Guilmette, who holds four Masters degrees in education and related fields, has worked with children with autism spectrum and behavioral disorders for nearly 30 years. A wealth of information, she consults with families and school districts to address such issues as difficult behaviors, peer interactions, problem solving and sensory sensitivities. Wilton Library. 10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. RSVPs encouraged; please call Eve at 761-0680.

April 17, 2006. In her 2003 book, Not Much, Just Chillin' -- The Hidden Lives of Middle Schoolers, Linda Perlstein, a former prize-winning education reporter for the Washington Post, provided parents with an engaging and informative look into the minds of adolescents. Ms. Perlstein chronicled the angst, peer pressure, burgeoning sexuality, gay bashing, ‘IM’ing and complex, fascinating lives of the sixth to eighth graders she grew to know intimately during a year in a suburban middle school. Immersed among the students she profiled and given access to diaries, Internet chats, spin-the-bottle parties, homes and dances, Ms. Perlstein captured both the major issues and the minutiae that govern the course of these crucial years. Come gain insight into the hormone-charged, mystical and changing world of the middle schooler. Trackside, Teen Center of Wilton. Three presentations: Community Breakfast: 9:00 a.m.; noon presentation to parents and staff; Fathers' Forum: 7:30 p.m. Co-Sponsored by Wilton Youth Services, Fathers’ Forum and Parent Connection.

April 21, 2006. Universal Design for Learning. Kathleen Whitbread, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Pediatrics and Associate Director of the University of Connecticut Center on Disabilities, has over 15 years of experience as an educational consultant for children with disabilities being educated in inclusive classrooms. Dr. Whitbread will discuss how the concept of Universal Design -- which began as an architectural model to make public facilities accessible to and useable by individuals with disabilities -- is now being applied to school environments. Universally designed curricula, instruction and products in the classroom are accessible to and useable by a wide diversity of learners. The underlying theory is that students with disabilities fall along a continuum of learning styles rather than constituting a separate category of students. Instead of focusing on remediating students so that they can learn from a set curriculum, curricula should be made more flexible to accommodate learner differences. Universally designed materials are varied and diverse, going beyond the standard textbook to include digital, video, audio and online resources. In addition, teacher adjustments for learner differences occur for all students, not just for those with disabilities. Wilton Library. 10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Please RSVP to Eve at 761-0680.

May 5, 2006. The testing, evaluation and interpretation process is foreign territory to most parents. Donna Chauvin Quallen, M.Ed., C.A.S., a consultant, general and special educator, and former educational and Special Services Administrator, will begin to guide parents through the assessment process. Ms. Quallen has expertise in educational/special educational testing and psychological assessment, both as a former evaluator and as a supervisor of a broad range of special services evaluators. In Testing & Evaluations: Understanding them and Making them Useful, Ms. Quallen will address testing within the total process of educational and psychological assessment: what the evaluation process should include, what to look for in a good evaluation, types of tests, testing formats and commonly used evaluation tools. Ms. Quallen will also discuss how to make the interpretation of test results and recommended educational strategies meaningful and useful to parents. Wilton Library. 10:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Please RSVP to Eve at 761-0680.

May 19, 2006. Sally Brockett, M.A.., Director of the IDEA Training and Consultation Center, North Haven, educator, special education consultant and auditory training practitioner, will speak about Understanding Behavior and Learning Challenges from a New Perspective, discussing auditory integration therapy, vision therapy, brain gym, sensory integration, nutritional intervention, sacro-cranial therapy, and other innovative therapies. Wilton Library. 10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Please RSVP to Lory at 761-9171.

In addition to the speaker’s platform, SPED*NET Wilton sponsors a monthly support group, facilitated by a licensed social worker, for parents of children w/special needs.

Tuesday, September 7: MOCK IEP: Drama unfolds through this interactive event, as we re-enact two IEP (Individualized Education Plan) meetings for a student with special needs. Co-sponsored by SPED*NET New Canaan.

Monday, October 4 Evening meeting 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. Relationship Development Intervention (RDI): An Introduction. Nancy Schwartz, Ph.D., Weston-based speech & language pathologist with extensive experience working with children/teens on the autism spectrum, will introduce you to a developmental & systematic approach through which children develop relationships by learning emotional referencing, social coordination, declarative language, flexible thinking, relational information processing, foresight & hindsight.

Friday, October 22: The Bullies and the Bullied: Prevention and Protection, with a focus on children with special needs. Joel Haber, Ph.D., “the Bully Coach” and creator of Respect U Consulting and Counseling Program, will explore physical, emotional and relational bullying: ridicule, gossip and intimidation; alternative responses; and short- and long-term effects; and through interaction, will help us build bully-prevention strategies.

Friday, November 19: It’s Midnight: Do You Know What Virtual World Your Child is In? To be Rescheduled.

Friday, January 7: Peaceable Homework: How to Ease the Struggle. In this interactive workshop, Educator Barbara Schade, M.Ed., will share effective strategies & techniques to reduce the stress of homework for parents and students -- and to actually have fun.

Friday, February 4: Talking About Sexuality: A Unique Challenge for Parents of Children with Special Needs. Bob Selverstone, Ph.D., adolescent, adult and couples psychologist, Westport, will address approaches to help parents help their children grow toward sexually healthy values & behaviors. Come share successful techniques, blind alleys & “how to” specifics.

Friday, March 4: Through the Social Maze: Social Skills for Children with Special Needs. Lynne Guilmette, M.Ed., Behavioral Educational Consultant and Clinical Supervisor of Behavioral Development and Educational Services, Norwalk, will present exciting and innovative ways to teach your child so your teaching has lasting impact. Come discuss social competencies, friendship formation, perspective taking, reading social cues, and other ways to expand your child’s social abilities.

April 1: Friday. Alternative Treatments: (1) Nancy O'Hara, M.D., a pediatrician and consultant for families of children with special needs, will discuss treating the whole child holistically with biomedical interventions through diet, supplements, medications, celation/detoxification, and educational and alternative therapies; (2) Lauren Lee Stone, Ph.D., will discuss Healing from the Inside Out: BioSet and the Allergy Connection. Learn how a gentle, drug-free, non-invasive healing modality can alleviate immune system overload by eliminating food intolerances and environmental sensitivities for adults and children with food allergies and chemical sensitivities. Sponsored by SPED*NET Wilton. 10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Wilton Library. Please RSVP to Patti at 761-0248.

Friday, April 8: Reading: The Bottom Line for Learning. First we learn to read; then we read to learn. Kathleen Whitbread, Ph.D., Assistant Professor and Associate Director of Programs, UCONN Center for Excellence, will examine the components of effective reading instruction for all children; current practices in CT; what needs to be done to raise the bar for children with special needs; and modifications and adaptations to help less able readers access the general curriculum.

Friday, May 13: The Music Effect: Pathways to Learning. In this participatory event, Dorita Berger, MA, educator, concert pianist, author and board certified music therapist, will explore the positive power of music therapy and how music elements, such as rhythm, tempo and melody, can help with the development of language, attention and appropriate behavior for children with special needs. Take home ideas about music, instruments, CDs, Brain Gym exercises, activities to aide balance, motor planning, auditory attention, mid-line deficits, and more.

In addition to the speaker’s platform, SPED*NET Wilton sponsors a monthly support group, facilitated by a licensed social worker, for parents of children w/special needs.

The speaker series for the 2004-2005 school year is generously sponsored by The Anne Claire Lester Charitable Foundation, The United Way and the Wilton Woman’s Club. Particular presentations are co-sponsored with SPED*NET New Canaan and the Connecticut Chapter of the Tourette Syndrome Association, Inc. Refreshments are donated by the Village Market. SPED*NET is a member organization of Wilton Youth Council and is a 501 (c)(3) not-for-profit charitable corporation. SPED*NET welcomes your contributions; all donations are tax deductible.

Friday, September 12: The ABCs of Effective IEPs: How to Read and Write a Meaningful Individualized Education Plan. Advocate Noreen O’Mahoney, CSW, SDA and Eve Kessler, Esq. will help you bring knowledge and clarity to your next IEP or Section 504 meeting.

Friday, October 17: Limit Setting & Social Skills: Why, When, How and How Not to Set Limits for Your Children. Barbara F. Cooper, MPS, ATR-BC, psychotherapist, board certified art therapist and Co-Director of SuperKids, in Ridgefield, and Nancy Widdows, MS, ATR-BC, licensed professional counselor and board certified art therapist, will discuss how presenting limits to children conveys security and love and helps them develop independence and vital social skills.

Friday November 14: Support Group: Parenting a Special Needs Child and Promoting Family Resilience. Dr. Judy Grossman, a family and couples therapist and an occupational therapist, will facilitate a support group for parents. The purpose of the group is to help parents cope with personal and family stress, by sharing concerns and experiencing support and expert advice in a confidential space. RSVP essential. Limit: Ten parents. At 26 Freshwater Lane, Wilton. On-site babysitting ($5.00/hr). This will be a parent-driven group that will continue if there is enough interest.

Friday, December 12: Beyond the Schoolhouse Doors: Enhancing Recreation Opportunities for Children with Special Needs. Dale Fink, Ph.D., faculty member with the UCONN Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities, independent consultant and author of Making a Place for Kids with Disabilities (Praeger 2000), will discuss the “nuts and bolts” of inclusive recreation.

Tuesday, January 27: Music Therapy for Sensory Integration. Dorita Berger, board certified music therapist, will discuss the positive power of music therapy and its ability to bring comfort and balance. Book signing for “Music Therapy, Sensory Integration and the Autistic Child.” Co-sponsored with SPED*NET New Canaan. Waveny Mansion, on South Avenue (Route 124), New Canaan.

Monday, February 9: The Impact of a Challenging Sibling on the Family: How to Keep Sane in a Special Needs Family. Professor Daniel Geller, Ph.D., marriage and family therapist, author and Chair of psychology and special education, in the Graduate School of Education and Allied Professions, Fairfield University, will help put the family pieces together: the marriage, the parents and the siblings. Co-sponsored with Tourette Syndrome Association Support Group.

Friday, March 26: Moving Beyond the PPT Process: Utilizing Procedural Safeguards. Dr. Roger Frant, educational consultant with the Bureau of Special Education, CT State Department of Education, will address available options when cooperative planning and partnering with school districts has run its course: complaints, mediation, advisory opinions and due process.

Unless otherwise noted, all meetings are held at Wilton Library, 137 Old Ridgefield Road.

All donations are tax deductible. SPED*NET does not necessarily endorse the views presented by the speakers.

2002 – 2003 meetings

SPED_*NET, Special Education Network of Wilton, Ltd., is a monthly forum for discussing issues and ideas and developing strategies for special education and Section 504 issues.

September 20: Mock IEP (Individual Education Plan for students with disabilities).

November 15: Social Smarts™—Not Just for Kids. Through role-play and videos, Janneta Bohlander, L.M.F.T. and Marcia Eckerd, Ph.D., of Associates for Children and Families, Norwalk, will discuss how children and parents can both benefit from good social skills. Social stories will be explained and shared.

December 9: What is Your Vision for Your Child? Begin to MAP your child’s future PATH. Learn about person-centered planning and transition tools: MAPS (Making Action Plans), PATH (Planning Alternative Tomorrows with Hope), COACH (Choosing Outcomes and Accommodations for Children), and Circles of Friends, from Kathleen Whitbread, Ph.D., Director of School Age Initiatives, UCONN Center for Excellence, and Donna Franchini -Sparago, Family Case Management Supervisor, DMR.

January 15: Myths and Facts about Medications. Susan Finkelstein, MD., pediatric and adolescent psychiatrist, Westport, will help untangle the complexities of pharmacological treatments for anxiety, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and “co-morbid” conditions, by addressing indications for medication, potential benefits and risks, and ethical dilemmas.

February 25: Motivating Your Children to Learn; Reinforcing Your Children’s Learning Styles. Occupational Therapist Terri Epstein, OT Works for Kids, Norwalk; Behavioral Optometrist Dr. Randy Schulman, Norwalk; Certified Music Therapist Karen Nisenson, Arts for Healing, New Canaan; and Art Therapist Bonnie Willet, Arts for Healing, New Canaan, will discuss these powerful treatments for capturing your children’s creativity and developing their skills.

March 21:.How Our Children Learn Best—Successfully Modifying Curriculum. Michele Schneider, MS, Founder and Director of Pound Ridge Learning Center, Pound Ridge, N.Y., special education advocate and consultant and Orton-Gillingham reading practitioner, will discuss and demonstrate how to modify and adapt curriculum and homework to help all children succeed.

April 28: How Can Next Year Be Better? Get prepared! Attorneys Nora Belanger, Anne Eason, and Eve Kessler, together with Advocate Noreen O’Mahoney, will discuss evaluations, related services, Inclusion, home-school communication links, data sheets, collaborative strategies, and more.

May 12: Parent’s Rights and New State Initiatives. Bring your questions for this unique opportunity to address Terry DeFrancis, Esq., State Department of Education.

All parents and professionals welcome! Refreshments and handouts. All meetings held the Wilton Library, 137 Old Ridgefield Road, Wilton. Bagels are compliments of the Village Market.

SPED*NET, The Parents’ Special Education Network, has served as a monthly forum for discussing special education issues and ideas and for encouraging community understanding about the importance of special needs programs. Co-founded by Carol Kennedy and Eve Kessler in 1999, SPED*NET began as a support system for parents of newly diagnosed children. The group met, with a facilitator, in parent’s homes, discussing everything affecting the lives of families with special needs children and learning from each other. As it became apparent that the parents needed the knowledge of experts, the group moved its monthly site to the Wilton Library’s Community Room, opened its doors to staff and professionals, and began presenting monthly speakers who addressed the needs of children in the classroom and in extracurricular activities. Approximately 50 people attend each meeting.

During the first years, SPED*NET welcomed well-respected speakers who presented on such topics as sibling issues, diagnosis and treatment of nonverbal learning disabilities, social skills strategies from a variety of perspectives, playground politics and fostering friendships, curriculum modifications, positive behavioral supports, self esteem, family stresses, understanding IDEA (the federal special education law), and transition planning from high school to college for students with learning disabilities. On one occasion, a psychologist ran a support group for couples. On another, Christine Chambers, the incoming Director of Special Services, ran an informal question and answer session.

This past year, SPED*NET presented seven programs: Preparing for the Special Education Journey--Getting and Staying Organized; Effective Multi-Sensory Reading Programs--Ortin Gillingham and Lindamood Bell; Understanding Behavior and Learning Challenges From a New Perspective--auditory integration training, vision therapy, brain gym, and other innovative therapies; Sensory Integration and Brain Gym; The Magic of Music Therapy; Inclusion: From Law to Reality; and Outplacement Issues. SPED*NET invited members of the Board of Education and Board of Finance to the presentation on inclusion and to the facilitated discussion on outplacement in order to provide them with a fuller understanding of the complexities of special needs children and special education law.

SPED*NET has donated a special education section in the Wilton Library, located next to the parent shelf in the youth room, which is comprised of books and audio and video tapes. With the generous support from the Wilton Women’s Club, this year SPED*NET was able to purchase an impressive list of hard bound books, as well as subscriptions, such as CHADD’s Attention Magazine, the PDD Network Newsletter, Smart Kids with Learning Disabilities, the Learning Disability Association Newsletter, and the CACLD Newsletter.

In conjunction with SPED*NET New Canaan, SPED*NET developed a website, www.spednet.org, which is updated daily. The web cite lists workshops and seminars in the New York-Connecticut area and offers links to over 100 disability-related organizations and parent groups, such as CACLD, Greenwich ARC, ROSE of Ridgefield, PDD-Asperger Support group, SCOPES of Stamford, STEPS of Darien, STAR in Norwalk, the Weston SEPTA, and the Westport SEPTA. Often times, groups collaborate on ideas and speakers. The seminar listings are also forwarded by email to the weekly Miller, Driscoll and Cider Mill newsletters to inform parents of the various educational and support opportunities nearby.

This year, the PTAs of Miller, Driscoll, Cider Mill and Middlebrook Schools contributed to the cost of the adult programs, books for teachers and staff and the library's Community Room fee, with Miller contributing $400, Driscoll $200, Cider Mill $200, and Middlebrook $100. The Village Market graciously donated refreshments for the monthly meetings. The Rotary Club's generous gift will help finance the publication of a special education handbook for parents, which is being prepared in collaboration with the Special Education Advisory Committee and special education staff. Everyone involved with organizing and publicizing SPED*NET meetings, overseeing the website and notifying school newsletters of events, does so on a completely voluntary basis. SPED*NET screens speakers carefully to assure that their goal is to educate parents and professionals and not to advertise their services. Some speakers receive a fee or honorarium; others donate their time and expertise.

Since it's inception, SPED*NET has worked together with the special education PTA representatives for the various schools. Over the past three years, the special education PTA representatives have bought numerous books for the Miller-Driscoll and Cider Mill libraries and for special ed teachers directly, and have donated enormous amounts of special ed, occupational therapy and physical therapy equipment to Miller, Driscoll and Cider Mill Schools.

SPED*NET is looking forward to another year of exciting programming. The first program will be a Mock IEP, presented in conjunction with the other nearby parent groups. This will be followed by a number of presentations based on the Understanding Special Education curriculum, the 14-hour State sponsored training course now being presented in districts throughout Connecticut.