PRAISE collaboration with ALPS:
Outliers in Learning: Supporting Neurodiversity across the lifespan
November 3 at 7:00 pm at Beach Elementary School Auditorium
Featuring personal stories from Piedmont ALPS and PRAISE and filmmaker Marc Smolowitz and sneak preview of his new documentary.
QUESTIONS? Email [email protected]
$10 Suggested donation FREE for ALPS and PRAISE members
Click here for flyer.Autism Parenting Workshop: An Exploration of Positive Behavioral Strategies
PRAISE meeting featuring guest speaker Austin Lambe, BCBA
October 25 at 6:30 pm at Piedmont High School Library
When we talk about children’s “behavior,” we often mean
“misbehavior,” like arguing over chores and homework, or testing
household rules. But for parents with children on the autism spectrum,
“behavior” covers a broader and more complex set of concerns, many
of which are not under their children’s immediate control. Meltdowns,
stimming, food sensitivities, and communication deficits can generate
personal and social conflicts, and solutions are hard to find.
On October 25 at 6:30 pm, at the Piedmont High School Library,
board-certified behavioral analyst Austin Lambe will present a
workshop for parents entitled "Positive Strategies to Handle an Autistic
Child's Behavior." Participants will explore different strategies for
addressing the unpredictable behaviors common to the autism
spectrum, and discuss the role and efficacy of discipline. The goal of
the workshop is for parents to leave with one or two new strategies that
they will have the confidence to implement.
This free event is presented by PRAISE (Piedmonters for Resources,
Advocacy, and Information in Special Education).
Click here for flyer.
*************************************************************************************
Education Speaker Series: Developing Independent Executive Function Skills
October 3 at 7:30 pm at Piedmont High School
Sarah Ward, a nationally-recognized expert in executive function, shares strategies for helping your child learn how to manage her time and control her impulses more effectively. For more information on this and other events in this series, see the Piedmont Education Speaker Series flyer.
6th Annual Going to College with a Disability Conference
Saturday September 24th, 9:00 am - 3:30 pm
Organized by the CARE parent Network.
******************************************************************************************************************************************************************
September 21 at 7:00 pm - Havens Library
PRAISE General Membership Meeting
Raising a Special Needs Family in a Neuro-typical World
Randall Booker, Superintendent – Piedmont Unified School District
A conversation of the joys and challenges of an educator raising two teenage sons on the autism spectrum.
In an age that promotes, celebrates, and even seems to idolize academic, athletic, and extra-curricular achievement, do children with special needs become a new chapter of this generation’s dialogue on diversity? We will discuss how families learn to understand, encourage, and ultimately celebrate the many gifts of a special needs household.
Randall Booker currently serves as the Superintendent for the Piedmont Unified School District. With 20 years of teaching and administrative experience, he has held the roles of Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services, Piedmont High School Principal and Assistant Principal. He has also worked in various teaching, coaching, and administrative capacities in the Albany USD and Cardinal Newman High School. Mr. Booker received his Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership and Bachelor’s Degree from Saint Mary’s College of California.
******************************************************************************************************************************************************
*PARENT TRAPS: What they are, and how to avoid them
Thursday May 5th at 6:00 p.m. at the Piedmont High School Library
PRAISE General Meeting featuring Austin Lambe, BCBA of the Piedmont School District
BYBQ - bring your behavioral questions!!!
followed by: Kristen Brett, Inclusion specialist of Piedmont Recreation Department presenting the new summer sidekick program for kids with special needs.
************************************************************************************************
PRAISE Book Club May 23, 7:00 p.m.
You are invited to the PRAISE Bookclub! Join us for fun discussions and a chance to connect with old friends and meet new parents with similar interests. The book club will meet Mondays at 7:00 pm, usually on the last Monday of the month. Feel free to attend any discussions that interest you, even if you have not read the book. Please RSVP to [email protected] to learn the location of the meeting you would like to attend.
This month's book selection: It’s So much Work to be Your Friend: Helping the Child with Learning Disabilities Find Social Success, by Richard Lavoie.
************************************************************************
LEGAL AND FINANCIAL PLANNING FOR YOUR LOVED ONE WITH SPECIAL NEEDS
Monday, May 23, 7:00 to 8:30 PM
Ed Roberts Campus 3075 Adeline Street Berkeley, CA 94703
Mercy Hall, Attorney specializing in Special Needs Trusts
********************************************************************Alameda Special Education Parent Support Group Resource Fair 2016
Saturday, April 9, 2016
10:00am – 2:00pm
Wood Middle School, 420 Grand Street, Alameda
Celebrating a day of community, sharing of resources and learning about community programs to support our students. This is a family friendly event and students, parents, staff and community members from all North Region SELPA districts are invited to attend.
Inclusion at the Piedmont Recreation Department
Thursday March 3, 2016 @7:00-8:30pm
Havens' Elementary Schoolmates Classroom, Rm. 333
(Access to the classroom is located directly across from City Hall-120 Vista Ave.)
Coordinator of Inclusive Recreation, Kristen Brett, and Recreation Supervisor, Erin Rivera, will discuss PRD policy and procedures for ensuring reasonable accommodation, introduce new "Summer Sidekicks" program, and identify the best summer programs to meet your child's needs and interests.
Link to flier
*************************************************************************
The Zones of Regulation
Presented by: Leah Kuypers, M.A., Ed, OTR/L (author & creator of The Zones of Regulation)
Saturday, December 5, 2015 8:30am - 3:30pm
Veterans Memorial Building, 3780 Mt. Diablo Blvd., Lafayette, CA 94549
This full day training for parents and professionals will teach how to:
- Identify sensory processing systems, integrations and its impact on modulation
- Outline executive functions that frequently impact self-regulation
- Define emotional regulation
- Determine strategies to use to adjust ones emotions and level of alertness to match the demands of the environment
- Identify ways to integrate The Zones into practice and generalize skills across settings
- Certificate of completion will be provided at the end of the training
For more information on The Zones of Regulation all day training seminar and to register, please see brochure
********************************************************************
Alternatives to Conservatorship Dinner Workshop & Discussion
December 15, 2015 @ 5-7 pm
Support for Families if Children with Disabilities (Facilitated by the American Civil Liberties Union, Disabilities Rights Program)
1663 Mission St, 7th floor, San Francisco, CA 94103
Dinner will be served
Is your child going to turn 18 within the next few years? Has she already turned 18? Are you worried about how you will continue to help with educational decisions? Medical appointments? Work options? You have may choices. Come tell us your hopes for your child and what you and your child need for a full life. We will talk with you about alternatives to conservatorship and explore potential options.
Link to Flier
S.M.A.R.T. Goals Training:
Developing IEP Goals to Meet a Student’s Unique Needs
Presented by Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund (DREDF)
Saturday, November 7, 2015 9am-Noon (Doors open 8:30am)
Ed Robert Campus
3075 Adeline Street, Berkeley
Bernard T. Osher Conference Room, 1st floor
To Register: http://tinyurl.com/smartiepgoals (registration closes Oct 30)
Click here for flier
********************************************************************
2E:Twice Exceptional Documentary Comes to Piedmont
presented by Piedmont ALPS and PRAISE
featuring appearance by filmmaker Thomas Ropelewski
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 10 @7:00 PM
Piedmont High School Student Center (800 Magnolia Avenue Piedmont, CA 94611)
The film follows the personal journeys of high school students in Los Angeles who have been identified as “twice exceptional” – gifted or highly gifted individuals with learning disabilities or other challenges. $10 suggested donation.
Click here for flier
********************************************************************
North Regional SELPA Community Advisory Committee Meeting
Meet parents of students with special needs residing in the North Region SELPA (Alameda, Albany, Berkeley, Emery, Piedmont Unified School Districts) and help us plan our schedule of parent events for the year!Monday, October 28 @ 6:30-7:30pm
Alameda Unified School District - District Office
2060 Challenger Drive, Alameda, CA
Click here for flier
********************************************************************
Next Special Education Advisory Meeting: Oct 22, 2015
All families are welcome and invited to attend these meetings to discuss Special Education at PUSD.
These meetings are held in the District Office Board Room, 760 Magnolia Ave from 3:30pm-5:00pm.
(The dates for the next few 2015-2016 Advisory meetings are: November 12, 2015; January 14, 2016; March 10, 2016; May 12, 2016)
********************************************************************
2015 STAR Conference
Conference dedicated to families of children with autism 0-12.
Saturday, October 3 @ 8:30am-2:30pm
Pleasant Hill Community Center
320 Civic Drive, Pleasant Hill, CA
Register online: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/2227444
Click here for flier
********************************************************************
PRAISE “Town Hall meeting”
Tuesday, October 6th @ 7:30-9:00pm
Piedmont High School
Julie Valdez, Director of Special Education services, will be sharing her goals and overview for the PreK-12 special education programming for the 2015-2016 school year. Come hear Julie’s vision for the year and take the opportunity to ask questions about programming and developments in special education.
******************************************************************
PRAISE presents:
IEP Basics Workshop
Thursday, September 24, 2015
Havens Library, 323 Highland Ave, Piedmont
7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
IEP Basics is a training session presented by Carol Cohen, Program Manager from Family Resources Network, a parent-directed community-based organization that serves families of children with disabilities or special health care needs in Alameda County. IEP Basics is for parents and professionals who want to know more about the Individual Education Program (IEP) process. Learn about what services are available, parental rights, and how to effectively advocate for special education services from the school district. This is appropriate for those who are new to the IEP process.
Located in Oakland, FRN offers peer support, information & referral, advocacy, and training to families in Alameda County who have children with disabilities from birth to age 22. Their trained staff can answer common questions regarding a child’s disability, offer guidance navigating complicated service systems, help to locate community resources, and provide emotional support. For more information, go to www.frnoakland.org.
Click here for flier
********************************************************************
Family Sanity Parent Support Group
Tuesday, September 15 @ 7:30-9pm, private home in Oakland
RSVP to Lisa Scimens 415-309-1001/[email protected] for address
The group is for parents of teens and young adults. It is facilitated by East Bay therapist Amy Wallerstein-Friedman, LCSW. Many of us have children who suffer from anxiety/depression, ADHD/ADD, addiction to electronics, bipolar disorder, as well as other mental health conditions and learning issues.
Others have young adults who haven’t completed high school or dropped out of college; have a hard time getting or holding a job; or simply don't want to leave home for a variety of issues.
This small-ish group offers comfort, advice, support, resources and more. Space is limited, so please contact me today (Lisa Scimens 415-309-1001 / [email protected]) if you are interested. (A voluntary donation is suggested.)
Family Sanity will debut its website, familysanity.org in 2015! The site will offer resources in mental health for families of troubled teens and young adults.
********************************************************************
August 29, 2015 @ 8:30am-1pm
Parents Helping Parents (PHP) Mini Conference: Back To School Learning for Mom, Dad, and Others
Outstanding learning opportunity for parents, special and general education teachers, and others interested in understanding more about support needs in school-aged children and young adults.
PHP located at Sobranto Nonprofit Center
1400 Parkmoor Avenue, San Jose
Register here: http://www.php.com/augminiconference
********************************************************************
Monday, February 23, 2015 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM
The Community Advisory Committee of the North Region SELPA presents:
The Great Leap Forward: Transition from High School to Adulthood
Presented By Cheryl Theis, Education Advocate Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund (DREDF)
The presentation will address transition from high school to adulthood and will include discussion about support agencies, the challenges of interagency collaboration, how to write goals to prepare students for understanding their disability, advocating effectively, independent living, community involvement, and understanding rights. Staff from WorkAbility and high school programs will be available for a Q & A session.
You are also invited to join us for our CAC meeting from 6:30PM-7:00PM.
Ed Roberts Center 3075 Adeline Street Berkeley, CA 94703
Osher Conference Room A - First Floor
Click here for flyer
********************************************************************
January 22, 2015 @ 7pm
PRAISE Book Club
Please join us for a discussion of "Life Animated: A Story of Sidekicks, Heroes and Autism " by Ron Suskind. Imagine learning how to communicate mostly from animated Disney characters dancing across a screen of color. This is the real-life story of Owen Suskind, the son of the Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Ron Suskind. A boy with autism who couldn't speak for years, Owen memorized dozens of Disney movie and turned then into language to express love, loss, kinship and brotherhood. His family members learned to become animated characters, communicating with him in Disney dialogue and song, revealing how we all need stories to survive.
Please RSVP to [email protected]; you will receive a reply email with the address of our meeting place.
********************************************************************
January 31, 2015 @ 6:30pm
PRAISE Parent Social
We're celebrating the New Year PRAISE style! We will have a pot-luck dinner and drinks provided by PRAISE. Babysitting and pizza/movie provided for the kids downstairs while the parents socialize upstairs. Come join us!
Please RSVP to [email protected] and you will receive a reply email with details and the address of the social.
December 2, 2014 @ 7-8:30pm
Havens Elementary School Library
Meeting the Needs of all Learners: Differentiation and the Common Core
In partnership with the Piedmont Unified School District, Piedmont ALPS (Advanced Learners Program Support) is hosting an educational and networking event. Meet a panel of inspirational teachers as they share how they work to meet the needs of a variety of learners in any subject. The panel will focus on how the Common Core will change opportunities for differentiation in classrooms.
For parents of students of ALL grades.
Free to ALPS members, $10 suggested donation for others.
See flyer here.
********************************************************************
November 20, 2014 @ 7pm
PRAISE Book Club
Please join us for the next PRAISE book club! We will discuss "Learning Outside the Lines: Two Ivy League Students with Learning Disabilities and ADHD Give You the Tools for Academic Success and Educational Revolution" by Jonathan Moody and David Cole. In this approachable and often funny book, the authors describe a practical guide to help students jump through the necessary academic hoops to achieve whatever larger, post school goals they have. While much of the material is written for kids who've received the label of LD or ADHD, many of the suggestions could be just as helpful for those who've been labeled "gifted" or any other student who feels frustrated with the daily routine of standard education.
Please RSVP to [email protected]; you will receive a reply email with the address of our meeting place.
********************************************************************
November 15, 2014
College Conference
Learn about resources & supports available at the college level
November 15, 2014, 9am-1pm
Ed Roberts Campus (above Ashby BART)
3075 Adeline, Berkeley
********************************************************************
November 6, 2014
Make Social Learning Stick!
Elizabeth Sautter, Executive Director of Communication Works in Oakland, will present strategies from her new book Make Social Learning Stick!, a user-friendly guide written for parents, caregivers, teachers, and therapists who want to support children’s social and emotional competence. The book offers a “social learning diet” of concepts and actions that can be used in everyday life to increase verbal and nonverbal language, listening skills, understanding of hidden rules, perspective taking, executive functioning, and more.
November 6th, 2014 @ 7:00 pm
Piedmont High School Library
800 Magnolia Ave, Piedmont
********************************************************************
October 22, 2014 & October 25, 2014
PRAISE and the Diversity Film Series presents: Loving Lampposts (click link for flier)
Documentary filmmaker Todd Drezner explores two conflicting approaches in autism treatment -- the recovery and the neurodiversity movements. Through the experiences and accounts of children with autism and their parents, adults with autism, and the professionals and advocates who support them, Drezner gives us a glimpse of the world of autism and challenges our perceptions of those who live within it.
Two FREE Screenings:
Wednesday, October 22, 2014
Ellen Driscoll Playhouse
325 Highland Ave, Piedmont (between Oakland Ave and Vista Ave)
6:30 Reception
7:00 Screening
8:30 Q&A with PRAISE Representatives
Saturday, October 25, 2014
New Parkway Theater
474 24th Street, Oakland (between Telegraph & Broadway)
3:00 Screening
********************************************************************
October 11, 2014
S★T★A★R 2014 Parent Conference on Autism and Resource Fair
Services, Treatment, Advocacy, & Research (STAR)
Families in Contra Costa County and Alameda County who have children ages birth to 12 years old are invited to attend the 2014 STAR Conference to learn about medical, educational and social resources available for their children.
Saturday, October 11, 2014
8:30 am to 2:45 pm 8:30 am to 2:45 pm
Regional Center of the East Bay Regional Center of the East Bay
500 Davis Street, San Leandro, CA 94577
$25.00 per person
$40.00 per family
Click here to register
********************************************************************
September 18, 2014
Back to School: Time Management Strategies for Students
Learn how to support your student with time management through practical and accessible strategies.
Hosted by Strategies for Learning
September 18, 2014, 7pm
Piedmont Community Hall711 Highland Ave, Oakland
http://strategiesforlearning.com/back-to-school-time-management-strategies-for-students/
********************************************************************
September 8, 2014
Workshop: Understanding the Special Education Process: IEP Basics & Beyond
Hosted by DREDF (Disability Rights, Education & Defense Fund)
FREE! An overview of the special education process, Section September 8, 2014
Workshop: Understanding the Special Education Process: IEP Basics & Beyond
Hosted by DREDF (Disability Rights, Education & Defense Fund)
FREE! An overview of the special education process, Section 504, and IDEA laws.
Date: Second Monday of the month (not offered August)
Next Offered: September 8, 2014
Time: 6:00 — 8:30 pm (Pizza included!)
Where: DREDF, Ed Roberts Campus, 3075 Adeline St., Berkeley, CA 94703
Classroom: The Bernard Osher Foundation Education Center, First Floor
Must Register: Contact DREDF at (510) 644-2555 ext 5227or [email protected]
Outliers in Learning: Supporting Neurodiversity across the lifespan
November 3 at 7:00 pm at Beach Elementary School Auditorium
Featuring personal stories from Piedmont ALPS and PRAISE and filmmaker Marc Smolowitz and sneak preview of his new documentary.
QUESTIONS? Email [email protected]
$10 Suggested donation FREE for ALPS and PRAISE members
Click here for flyer.Autism Parenting Workshop: An Exploration of Positive Behavioral Strategies
PRAISE meeting featuring guest speaker Austin Lambe, BCBA
October 25 at 6:30 pm at Piedmont High School Library
When we talk about children’s “behavior,” we often mean
“misbehavior,” like arguing over chores and homework, or testing
household rules. But for parents with children on the autism spectrum,
“behavior” covers a broader and more complex set of concerns, many
of which are not under their children’s immediate control. Meltdowns,
stimming, food sensitivities, and communication deficits can generate
personal and social conflicts, and solutions are hard to find.
On October 25 at 6:30 pm, at the Piedmont High School Library,
board-certified behavioral analyst Austin Lambe will present a
workshop for parents entitled "Positive Strategies to Handle an Autistic
Child's Behavior." Participants will explore different strategies for
addressing the unpredictable behaviors common to the autism
spectrum, and discuss the role and efficacy of discipline. The goal of
the workshop is for parents to leave with one or two new strategies that
they will have the confidence to implement.
This free event is presented by PRAISE (Piedmonters for Resources,
Advocacy, and Information in Special Education).
Click here for flyer.
*************************************************************************************
Education Speaker Series: Developing Independent Executive Function Skills
October 3 at 7:30 pm at Piedmont High School
Sarah Ward, a nationally-recognized expert in executive function, shares strategies for helping your child learn how to manage her time and control her impulses more effectively. For more information on this and other events in this series, see the Piedmont Education Speaker Series flyer.
6th Annual Going to College with a Disability Conference
Saturday September 24th, 9:00 am - 3:30 pm
Organized by the CARE parent Network.
******************************************************************************************************************************************************************
September 21 at 7:00 pm - Havens Library
PRAISE General Membership Meeting
Raising a Special Needs Family in a Neuro-typical World
Randall Booker, Superintendent – Piedmont Unified School District
A conversation of the joys and challenges of an educator raising two teenage sons on the autism spectrum.
In an age that promotes, celebrates, and even seems to idolize academic, athletic, and extra-curricular achievement, do children with special needs become a new chapter of this generation’s dialogue on diversity? We will discuss how families learn to understand, encourage, and ultimately celebrate the many gifts of a special needs household.
Randall Booker currently serves as the Superintendent for the Piedmont Unified School District. With 20 years of teaching and administrative experience, he has held the roles of Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services, Piedmont High School Principal and Assistant Principal. He has also worked in various teaching, coaching, and administrative capacities in the Albany USD and Cardinal Newman High School. Mr. Booker received his Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership and Bachelor’s Degree from Saint Mary’s College of California.
******************************************************************************************************************************************************
*PARENT TRAPS: What they are, and how to avoid them
Thursday May 5th at 6:00 p.m. at the Piedmont High School Library
PRAISE General Meeting featuring Austin Lambe, BCBA of the Piedmont School District
BYBQ - bring your behavioral questions!!!
followed by: Kristen Brett, Inclusion specialist of Piedmont Recreation Department presenting the new summer sidekick program for kids with special needs.
************************************************************************************************
PRAISE Book Club May 23, 7:00 p.m.
You are invited to the PRAISE Bookclub! Join us for fun discussions and a chance to connect with old friends and meet new parents with similar interests. The book club will meet Mondays at 7:00 pm, usually on the last Monday of the month. Feel free to attend any discussions that interest you, even if you have not read the book. Please RSVP to [email protected] to learn the location of the meeting you would like to attend.
This month's book selection: It’s So much Work to be Your Friend: Helping the Child with Learning Disabilities Find Social Success, by Richard Lavoie.
************************************************************************
LEGAL AND FINANCIAL PLANNING FOR YOUR LOVED ONE WITH SPECIAL NEEDS
Monday, May 23, 7:00 to 8:30 PM
Ed Roberts Campus 3075 Adeline Street Berkeley, CA 94703
Mercy Hall, Attorney specializing in Special Needs Trusts
********************************************************************Alameda Special Education Parent Support Group Resource Fair 2016
Saturday, April 9, 2016
10:00am – 2:00pm
Wood Middle School, 420 Grand Street, Alameda
Celebrating a day of community, sharing of resources and learning about community programs to support our students. This is a family friendly event and students, parents, staff and community members from all North Region SELPA districts are invited to attend.
Inclusion at the Piedmont Recreation Department
Thursday March 3, 2016 @7:00-8:30pm
Havens' Elementary Schoolmates Classroom, Rm. 333
(Access to the classroom is located directly across from City Hall-120 Vista Ave.)
Coordinator of Inclusive Recreation, Kristen Brett, and Recreation Supervisor, Erin Rivera, will discuss PRD policy and procedures for ensuring reasonable accommodation, introduce new "Summer Sidekicks" program, and identify the best summer programs to meet your child's needs and interests.
Link to flier
*************************************************************************
The Zones of Regulation
Presented by: Leah Kuypers, M.A., Ed, OTR/L (author & creator of The Zones of Regulation)
Saturday, December 5, 2015 8:30am - 3:30pm
Veterans Memorial Building, 3780 Mt. Diablo Blvd., Lafayette, CA 94549
This full day training for parents and professionals will teach how to:
- Identify sensory processing systems, integrations and its impact on modulation
- Outline executive functions that frequently impact self-regulation
- Define emotional regulation
- Determine strategies to use to adjust ones emotions and level of alertness to match the demands of the environment
- Identify ways to integrate The Zones into practice and generalize skills across settings
- Certificate of completion will be provided at the end of the training
For more information on The Zones of Regulation all day training seminar and to register, please see brochure
********************************************************************
Alternatives to Conservatorship Dinner Workshop & Discussion
December 15, 2015 @ 5-7 pm
Support for Families if Children with Disabilities (Facilitated by the American Civil Liberties Union, Disabilities Rights Program)
1663 Mission St, 7th floor, San Francisco, CA 94103
Dinner will be served
Is your child going to turn 18 within the next few years? Has she already turned 18? Are you worried about how you will continue to help with educational decisions? Medical appointments? Work options? You have may choices. Come tell us your hopes for your child and what you and your child need for a full life. We will talk with you about alternatives to conservatorship and explore potential options.
Link to Flier
S.M.A.R.T. Goals Training:
Developing IEP Goals to Meet a Student’s Unique Needs
Presented by Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund (DREDF)
Saturday, November 7, 2015 9am-Noon (Doors open 8:30am)
Ed Robert Campus
3075 Adeline Street, Berkeley
Bernard T. Osher Conference Room, 1st floor
To Register: http://tinyurl.com/smartiepgoals (registration closes Oct 30)
Click here for flier
********************************************************************
2E:Twice Exceptional Documentary Comes to Piedmont
presented by Piedmont ALPS and PRAISE
featuring appearance by filmmaker Thomas Ropelewski
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 10 @7:00 PM
Piedmont High School Student Center (800 Magnolia Avenue Piedmont, CA 94611)
The film follows the personal journeys of high school students in Los Angeles who have been identified as “twice exceptional” – gifted or highly gifted individuals with learning disabilities or other challenges. $10 suggested donation.
Click here for flier
********************************************************************
North Regional SELPA Community Advisory Committee Meeting
Meet parents of students with special needs residing in the North Region SELPA (Alameda, Albany, Berkeley, Emery, Piedmont Unified School Districts) and help us plan our schedule of parent events for the year!Monday, October 28 @ 6:30-7:30pm
Alameda Unified School District - District Office
2060 Challenger Drive, Alameda, CA
Click here for flier
********************************************************************
Next Special Education Advisory Meeting: Oct 22, 2015
All families are welcome and invited to attend these meetings to discuss Special Education at PUSD.
These meetings are held in the District Office Board Room, 760 Magnolia Ave from 3:30pm-5:00pm.
(The dates for the next few 2015-2016 Advisory meetings are: November 12, 2015; January 14, 2016; March 10, 2016; May 12, 2016)
********************************************************************
2015 STAR Conference
Conference dedicated to families of children with autism 0-12.
Saturday, October 3 @ 8:30am-2:30pm
Pleasant Hill Community Center
320 Civic Drive, Pleasant Hill, CA
Register online: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/2227444
Click here for flier
********************************************************************
PRAISE “Town Hall meeting”
Tuesday, October 6th @ 7:30-9:00pm
Piedmont High School
Julie Valdez, Director of Special Education services, will be sharing her goals and overview for the PreK-12 special education programming for the 2015-2016 school year. Come hear Julie’s vision for the year and take the opportunity to ask questions about programming and developments in special education.
******************************************************************
PRAISE presents:
IEP Basics Workshop
Thursday, September 24, 2015
Havens Library, 323 Highland Ave, Piedmont
7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
IEP Basics is a training session presented by Carol Cohen, Program Manager from Family Resources Network, a parent-directed community-based organization that serves families of children with disabilities or special health care needs in Alameda County. IEP Basics is for parents and professionals who want to know more about the Individual Education Program (IEP) process. Learn about what services are available, parental rights, and how to effectively advocate for special education services from the school district. This is appropriate for those who are new to the IEP process.
Located in Oakland, FRN offers peer support, information & referral, advocacy, and training to families in Alameda County who have children with disabilities from birth to age 22. Their trained staff can answer common questions regarding a child’s disability, offer guidance navigating complicated service systems, help to locate community resources, and provide emotional support. For more information, go to www.frnoakland.org.
Click here for flier
********************************************************************
Family Sanity Parent Support Group
Tuesday, September 15 @ 7:30-9pm, private home in Oakland
RSVP to Lisa Scimens 415-309-1001/[email protected] for address
The group is for parents of teens and young adults. It is facilitated by East Bay therapist Amy Wallerstein-Friedman, LCSW. Many of us have children who suffer from anxiety/depression, ADHD/ADD, addiction to electronics, bipolar disorder, as well as other mental health conditions and learning issues.
Others have young adults who haven’t completed high school or dropped out of college; have a hard time getting or holding a job; or simply don't want to leave home for a variety of issues.
This small-ish group offers comfort, advice, support, resources and more. Space is limited, so please contact me today (Lisa Scimens 415-309-1001 / [email protected]) if you are interested. (A voluntary donation is suggested.)
Family Sanity will debut its website, familysanity.org in 2015! The site will offer resources in mental health for families of troubled teens and young adults.
********************************************************************
August 29, 2015 @ 8:30am-1pm
Parents Helping Parents (PHP) Mini Conference: Back To School Learning for Mom, Dad, and Others
Outstanding learning opportunity for parents, special and general education teachers, and others interested in understanding more about support needs in school-aged children and young adults.
PHP located at Sobranto Nonprofit Center
1400 Parkmoor Avenue, San Jose
Register here: http://www.php.com/augminiconference
********************************************************************
Monday, February 23, 2015 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM
The Community Advisory Committee of the North Region SELPA presents:
The Great Leap Forward: Transition from High School to Adulthood
Presented By Cheryl Theis, Education Advocate Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund (DREDF)
The presentation will address transition from high school to adulthood and will include discussion about support agencies, the challenges of interagency collaboration, how to write goals to prepare students for understanding their disability, advocating effectively, independent living, community involvement, and understanding rights. Staff from WorkAbility and high school programs will be available for a Q & A session.
You are also invited to join us for our CAC meeting from 6:30PM-7:00PM.
Ed Roberts Center 3075 Adeline Street Berkeley, CA 94703
Osher Conference Room A - First Floor
Click here for flyer
********************************************************************
January 22, 2015 @ 7pm
PRAISE Book Club
Please join us for a discussion of "Life Animated: A Story of Sidekicks, Heroes and Autism " by Ron Suskind. Imagine learning how to communicate mostly from animated Disney characters dancing across a screen of color. This is the real-life story of Owen Suskind, the son of the Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Ron Suskind. A boy with autism who couldn't speak for years, Owen memorized dozens of Disney movie and turned then into language to express love, loss, kinship and brotherhood. His family members learned to become animated characters, communicating with him in Disney dialogue and song, revealing how we all need stories to survive.
Please RSVP to [email protected]; you will receive a reply email with the address of our meeting place.
********************************************************************
January 31, 2015 @ 6:30pm
PRAISE Parent Social
We're celebrating the New Year PRAISE style! We will have a pot-luck dinner and drinks provided by PRAISE. Babysitting and pizza/movie provided for the kids downstairs while the parents socialize upstairs. Come join us!
Please RSVP to [email protected] and you will receive a reply email with details and the address of the social.
December 2, 2014 @ 7-8:30pm
Havens Elementary School Library
Meeting the Needs of all Learners: Differentiation and the Common Core
In partnership with the Piedmont Unified School District, Piedmont ALPS (Advanced Learners Program Support) is hosting an educational and networking event. Meet a panel of inspirational teachers as they share how they work to meet the needs of a variety of learners in any subject. The panel will focus on how the Common Core will change opportunities for differentiation in classrooms.
For parents of students of ALL grades.
Free to ALPS members, $10 suggested donation for others.
See flyer here.
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November 20, 2014 @ 7pm
PRAISE Book Club
Please join us for the next PRAISE book club! We will discuss "Learning Outside the Lines: Two Ivy League Students with Learning Disabilities and ADHD Give You the Tools for Academic Success and Educational Revolution" by Jonathan Moody and David Cole. In this approachable and often funny book, the authors describe a practical guide to help students jump through the necessary academic hoops to achieve whatever larger, post school goals they have. While much of the material is written for kids who've received the label of LD or ADHD, many of the suggestions could be just as helpful for those who've been labeled "gifted" or any other student who feels frustrated with the daily routine of standard education.
Please RSVP to [email protected]; you will receive a reply email with the address of our meeting place.
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November 15, 2014
College Conference
Learn about resources & supports available at the college level
November 15, 2014, 9am-1pm
Ed Roberts Campus (above Ashby BART)
3075 Adeline, Berkeley
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November 6, 2014
Make Social Learning Stick!
Elizabeth Sautter, Executive Director of Communication Works in Oakland, will present strategies from her new book Make Social Learning Stick!, a user-friendly guide written for parents, caregivers, teachers, and therapists who want to support children’s social and emotional competence. The book offers a “social learning diet” of concepts and actions that can be used in everyday life to increase verbal and nonverbal language, listening skills, understanding of hidden rules, perspective taking, executive functioning, and more.
November 6th, 2014 @ 7:00 pm
Piedmont High School Library
800 Magnolia Ave, Piedmont
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October 22, 2014 & October 25, 2014
PRAISE and the Diversity Film Series presents: Loving Lampposts (click link for flier)
Documentary filmmaker Todd Drezner explores two conflicting approaches in autism treatment -- the recovery and the neurodiversity movements. Through the experiences and accounts of children with autism and their parents, adults with autism, and the professionals and advocates who support them, Drezner gives us a glimpse of the world of autism and challenges our perceptions of those who live within it.
Two FREE Screenings:
Wednesday, October 22, 2014
Ellen Driscoll Playhouse
325 Highland Ave, Piedmont (between Oakland Ave and Vista Ave)
6:30 Reception
7:00 Screening
8:30 Q&A with PRAISE Representatives
Saturday, October 25, 2014
New Parkway Theater
474 24th Street, Oakland (between Telegraph & Broadway)
3:00 Screening
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October 11, 2014
S★T★A★R 2014 Parent Conference on Autism and Resource Fair
Services, Treatment, Advocacy, & Research (STAR)
Families in Contra Costa County and Alameda County who have children ages birth to 12 years old are invited to attend the 2014 STAR Conference to learn about medical, educational and social resources available for their children.
Saturday, October 11, 2014
8:30 am to 2:45 pm 8:30 am to 2:45 pm
Regional Center of the East Bay Regional Center of the East Bay
500 Davis Street, San Leandro, CA 94577
$25.00 per person
$40.00 per family
Click here to register
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September 18, 2014
Back to School: Time Management Strategies for Students
Learn how to support your student with time management through practical and accessible strategies.
Hosted by Strategies for Learning
September 18, 2014, 7pm
Piedmont Community Hall711 Highland Ave, Oakland
http://strategiesforlearning.com/back-to-school-time-management-strategies-for-students/
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September 8, 2014
Workshop: Understanding the Special Education Process: IEP Basics & Beyond
Hosted by DREDF (Disability Rights, Education & Defense Fund)
FREE! An overview of the special education process, Section September 8, 2014
Workshop: Understanding the Special Education Process: IEP Basics & Beyond
Hosted by DREDF (Disability Rights, Education & Defense Fund)
FREE! An overview of the special education process, Section 504, and IDEA laws.
Date: Second Monday of the month (not offered August)
Next Offered: September 8, 2014
Time: 6:00 — 8:30 pm (Pizza included!)
Where: DREDF, Ed Roberts Campus, 3075 Adeline St., Berkeley, CA 94703
Classroom: The Bernard Osher Foundation Education Center, First Floor
Must Register: Contact DREDF at (510) 644-2555 ext 5227or [email protected]