Autism Society Western New York

What Is a NY ABLE Account? via Zoom
2024-04-17 19:00 - 20:00 (America/New_York)
The NY ABLE Program is a tax-advantaged savings program for individuals with disabilities and their families to save for their current or long term needs while maintaining their ability to benefit from federal benefits programs such as SSI, SSDI and Medicaid.
Our program offers multiple investment options including a checking account and debit card option allowing individuals with disabilities to maintain their independence and have quick and easy access to their own money.
Presenter: Jenna McClosky, Outreach Coordinator NY ABLE and 529 College Savings Program, Office of the State Comptroller
*Certificate of completion available upon request*
REGISTER HERE! FREE EVENT!
Call: 716-332-4170 | Email: info@parentnetworkwny.org
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Explicit Vocabulary For Parents
2024-04-18 10:00 - 12:00
Children learn and develop vocabulary best when the discovery of new words and their meaning is introduced both at home and in school.
Through this training, families and education professionals will learn about the importance of vocabulary instruction in language development and reading skills for elementary school grades.
Participants will leave with a set of practical tips, strategies, and resources that help foster a natural curiosity about unfamiliar words, and how to encourage vocabulary development in a child’s daily life experiences and interactions.
*Certificate of completion available upon request*
REGISTER TODAY! FREE EVENT!
Call: 716-332-4170 | Email: info@parentnetworkwny.org
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Is Guardianship the Only Option? An overview of Guardianship and the Many Alternatives
2024-04-18 11:00 - 13:00
Come join Michele Juda, Ex. Director Parent to Parent of NYS, Tina Beauparlant, Regional Manager / Education Specialist as we explore: Is Guardianship the Only Option? An overview of Guardianship and the Many Alternatives.
Let’s face it nothing keeps parents up at night more than thinking about who will care for our child/children when we are no longer able to care for them. This workshop will increase the knowledge of families of individuals with disabilities about the options besides legal guardianship for adults with disabilities. If your adult child does not need full guardianship, there are other options that we will explore in this presentation. We will also discuss guardianship and the legal requirements.
Register here.

What You Need to Know About Assistive Technology in the IEP - via Zoom
2024-04-23 18:30 - 20:00
Please join Tina Beauparlant, Regional Manager / Education Specialist, Parent to Parent of NYS for this presentation on What You Need to Know About Assistive Technology in the IEP. This training will teach parents, grandparents, guardians about appropriate Assistive Technology (AT) devices and services, how they allow students with disabilities to participate in and benefit from the general education curriculum, and to meet Individualized Education Program (IEP) goals. For every student with an IEP, federal and state regulations require that the team consider the student’s need for assistive technology devices and services.
REGISTER HERE.

White Matter Development and Language in Autism - webinar
2024-04-24 13:00 - 14:15
Learn about emerging research on white matter development and language abilities during infancy in autism.
The speaker:

Tyler McFayden, PhD, is a NICHD T32 Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. Prior to her T32 position, she received her bachelor’s in science from Davidson College and PhD in Developmental and Clinical Psychology from Virginia Tech. She completed her APA-accredited internship at UNC’s Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities. Dr. McFayden currently works with Dr. Clare Harrop (Health Sciences) and Dr. Mike O’Shea (Pediatrics), researching social communication profiles of autistic youth and sex differences in neurodevelopmental trajectories. Dr. McFayden also works closely with Dr. Jessica Girault, PhD, a member of the IBIS group at UNC, studying neuro-behavior relations in high-likelihood infant samples. The April presentation will feature results and discussions from their recent paper highlighting a novel white matter-language connection in the right arcuate fasciculus in infants who later are diagnosed with autism at 24 months.
Register here.

Preventing Parent Burnout for Parents of Children with Special Needs via Zoom
2024-04-24 19:00 - 20:00
Preventing Parent Burnout for Parents of Children with Special Needs. Extraordinary parenting responsibilities create extraordinary pressures on parents. At the same time, parenting a child with special needs requires energy, focus, and enthusiasm to be effective in our role. The better off we are emotionally and physically, the better off our families will be. Join us for this webinar on Preventing Parent Burnout and discover positive ways to cope with and effectively manage stress.
REGISTER HERE.

Supporting Your Child In Work-Based Learning (WBL) Experiences via Zoom
2024-04-29 18:00 - 19:30
Work-Based Learning (WBL) experiences are a way for students to develop skills and knowledge in the world of work.
Join us and gain foundational information of WBL, program options, who are the partners in WBL, and increase career awareness in home and community
*Certificate of completion available upon request*
REGISTER HERE! FREE EVENT!
Call: 716-332-4170 | Email: info@parentnetworkwny.org
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Self Directed Budgets… What Do We Do With Those?! via Zoom
2024-05-01 18:30 - 20:00
Have you been wondering about Self-Directed Services?
Come learn the basics of self-directed services that are an option for families with OPWDD. This will include a discussion about what types of supports and services can be included in a self-direction budget.
Presenter: Bonnie Doyle
Bonnie Doyle has worked with Parent Network since 2021 as a Family Support Specialist; she is passionate about supporting families to secure all the benefits and services to help them reach their goals. In 2022 Bonnie became in independent broker for individuals who want to self-direct their OPWDD services. Bonnie is a NYS credentialed Peer Support Specialist as well as a NYS credentialed Family Peer Advocate; she is also the parent of a child with multiple diagnoses including ADHD and anxiety.
*Certificate of completion available upon request*
REGISTER HERE! FREE EVENT!
Call: 716-332-4170 | Email: info@parentnetworkwny.org
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Abuse prevention for people with disabilities.
2024-05-01 19:00 - 20:30
Parent to Parent of NYS is offering a special presentation: Individuals with disabilities experience violence and abuse at an alarmingly high rate. The NYS Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence (OPDV) and NYS Council on Developmental Disabilities (CDD) invite you to join a conversation about abuse prevention for people with disabilities.
This webinar will offer the opportunity for an open discussion about barriers to accessing services and to identify training/resource needs for all.
Register here.

Traveling with Your Special Needs Child/Adult
2024-05-02 11:00 - 12:30
Come join Parent to Parent NYS for this NEW Presentation on Traveling with Your Special Needs Child/Adult. Have you dreamed of going on a vacation with your child or adult with special needs? Does your child express a desire to go visit grandparents or a friend? Does he/she want to go on a field trip? Are theme parks or cruises a wish? Does the thought of even planning a trip make you nervous? Whether it’s a day trip or a long vacation, get tips and tricks for planning and implementing a trip with your family member with special needs. Learn how a trip can benefit all of your family members.
Register here.

Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) What You Need to Know - webinar
2024-05-02 18:30 - 19:45
Come join Namita Modasra, Education Advocate, Parent to Parent of NYS, for this wonderful presentation and learn what the laws says about LRE. Have you heard of the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE)? Many parents are unaware of what it means. (LRE) stands for Least Restrictive Environment and is part of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). It refers to the placement that your child is in. Least restrictive environment is an important part of your child’s IEP.
REGISTER HERE.

Special Education 101: A Parent Member
2024-05-03 15:00 - 16:00
Learn about the Special Education Process and the Individualized Education Program!

Gain understanding about procedures, NYS regulations, and strategies to promote a parent’s understanding and participation in an Individualized Education Program (IEP) meeting.
This course is required to receive a Parent Member Certificate to support a parent of a child with a disability in an IEP meeting.

*Please note that this is a 2-part training! Part 1 must be completed online in order to receive the zoom link for this session.
*Certificate of completion available upon request*
REGISTER HERE! FREE EVENT!
Call: 716-332-4170 | Email: info@parentnetworkwny.org
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What Does Advocacy Mean in Special Education - webinar
2024-05-07 18:00 - 19:15
Please join Namita Modasra for this training on What Does Advocacy Mean in Special Education. Not everyone starts out by being a good advocate. Many parents, guardians and grandparents have faced challenges in getting their child’s education needs met. Parents, guardians, grandparents, must learn the skills they need to become good advocates for their children. Participants will learn that communicate effectively with teachers and other school personnel is one of the best ways to ensure that your child’s school is creating a good learning environment for your child, and to ensure that your child’s school is providing your child with the services or programs that he or she needs to succeed in school. If you are a Parent, Grandparent, Family Member or just interested in this topic then this training is for you!
REGISTER HERE!

Education Records Organizer via Zoom
2024-05-08 10:00 - 11:00
This workshop is where parents, guardians and advocates of children who receive 504, CPSE and CSE special education services take their educational records and organize them into a record-keeping binder. This workshop will assist in being more organized in planning a child’s education, and in the CPSE/CSE process.
REGISTER HERE.

Motor Skills and Executive Function in Autism - webinar
2024-05-08 13:00 - 14:15
Learn about emerging research on the relationship between the development of motor skills and executive function in autistic children.
The Speakers
Megan MacDonald, PhD is a professor of kinesiology, the early childhood research core director at the Hallie E. Ford Center for Children and Families and the OSU IMPACT for Life faculty scholar – all housed within the College of Health and. Her vision is that every child is active and accepted.
Megan McClelland, PhD, is the Katherine E. Smith Professor of Healthy Children and Families at Oregon State University (OSU) where she serves as Endowed Director at the Hallie E. Ford Center for Healthy Children and Families. Her research focuses on optimizing children’s development, especially as it relates to children’s self-regulation, early learning, and school success. Her recent work has examined links between self-regulation and long-term outcomes from early childhood to adulthood, recent advances in measuring self-regulation, and intervention efforts to improve these skills in young children. She works with colleagues and collaborators around the world and is currently involved with a number of national and international projects to develop measures of self-regulation and improve school success in young children.
Register here.

CANCELED - Effective And Collaborative Implementation Of Family Engagement Resources - via Zoom
2024-05-08 16:00 - 17:30
Participants will:

Explore meaningful and equitable training resources/tools to support effective family engagement and communication.
Explore the use of critical thinking skills to deepen connection and understanding of the resources to support equitable family engagement.

*Certificate of completion available upon request*
REGISTER HERE! FREE EVENT!
Call: 716-332-4170 | Email: info@parentnetworkwny.org
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Specially Designed Instruction: A Guide For Families And Caregivers - via Zoom
2024-05-09 10:00 - 12:00
Participants will:

Understand the concepts of SDI
Understand that there is both federal and state regulations around SDI
Be able to examine what SDI might look like in the classroom and in the home
Understand their value as engaged meaningful parent

*Certificate of completion available upon request*
REGISTER HERE! FREE EVENT!
Call: 716-332-4170 | Email: info@parentnetworkwny.org
Download Flyer

Addressing Sleep Challenges for the Neurodivergent Child via Zoom
2024-05-09 15:00 - 16:00
Join Parent Network and Dr Amanda Hassinger for an informational workshop on addressing sleep issues in neurodivergent children. This could include those with diagnoses or suspected: ADHD, Autism, Anxiety, Dyslexia, and more. While this workshop is specific to these needs, good sleep patterns can be disrupted in children for many different reasons, and this workshop may help support any family that has a child with significant sleep disturbances.
Presenter: After working a decade in pediatric critical care, Dr Hassinger went back into training and completed a Sleep Medicine Fellowship. She worked with UBMD Pediatrics to develop the only pediatric-dedicated Sleep Medicine Center in WNY which opened in 2020, which provides both inpatient and outpatient pediatric sleep medicine consultations on a variety of children’s sleep problems. The Center sees patients 0 to 25 years old and has begun partnerships with community providers for neuro-diverse children; developing a multi-faceted program to improve the sleep and CPAP use in children with special needs in WNY.
*Certificate of completion available upon request*
REGISTER HERE! FREE EVENT!
Call: 716-332-4170 | Email: info@parentnetworkwny.org
Download Flyer

How to Prepare for a Successful CPSE/CSE Meeting - webinar
2024-05-14 13:00 - 14:15
Please join Parent to Parent of NYS, Tina Beauparlant, Regional Manager/Education Specialist, as she presents this wonderful presentation on How to Prepare for a Successful CSE Meeting. This training is to help parents, who approach IEP meetings with fear and dread. If this is, you attended this training then we have some suggestions to help you feel more at ease and participate as a full member of the team that plans your child’s special education program. If you are a Parent, Grandparent, Family Member, or guardian then this training is for you!
Register here.

Getting Started with the Residential Process: Tips, Tricks, and Information via Zoom
2024-05-14 18:30 - 19:45
Where Do I Begin?
The process of pursuing residential placement can be overwhelming. This presentation will help you organize your needs, preferences, and documents to help you navigate the process.
REGISTER HERE.

Changes in Autism Symptoms Across Childhood - webinar
2024-05-15 13:00 - 14:15
Tune in to this presentation by Dr. Einat Waizbard-Bartov to learn about how autism symptoms change throughout child development.
The speaker: Dr. Einat Waizbard-Bartov is a post-doctoral researcher working with Dr. Ilan Dinstein at the Azrieli National Centre for Autism and Neurodevelopment Research at Ben-Gurion University, Israel. Dr. Waizbard-Bartov completed her doctoral studies at the University of California, Davis, working with Dr. David Amaral at the UC Davis MIND Institute’s Autism Phenome Project. She is also a licensed clinical psychologist trained in autism assessment and play-based and cognitive-behavioral therapies with children. Dr. Waizbard-Bartov is especially interested in assessment and measurement of autism symptoms, developmental trajectories across the life span and how these translate into individual needs, and the female autism phenotype.
Register here.

Let’s Take a Crash Course on Understanding How to Read an IEP - webinar
2024-05-16 12:00 - 14:00
Please join Tina Beuparlant,Regional Manager, Education Specialist for this training on Let’s Take a Crash Course on Understanding how to Read your child’s IEP. Does your child have an IEP (Individualized Education Program)? We’ll walk through the different sections of the IEP and discuss how to advocate for supports to make sure the IEP reflects your child’s abilities and needs. Because states and local school systems may include additional information, forms differ from state to state and may vary between school systems within a state. The IEP, Individualized Education Program, is a written document that’s developed for each public-school child who is eligible for special education. The IEP is created through a team effort and reviewed at least once a year. This training will teach you how to read the IEP so you can understand what should and can be in the IEP. If you are a Parent, Grandparent, Family Member or guardian then this training is for you!
REGISTER HERE.

Guidelines for Determining the Need for a One-to-One Aide
2024-05-16 18:30 - 19:45
Please join Namita Modasra, Education Advocate, Parent to Parent of NYS as she presents this wonderful webinar: Guidelines for Determining the Need for a One-to-One Aide Let’s explore what the IEP team needs to consider, supplemental aids, services and program modifications for all students with disabilities. A key question for the IEP team is to consider whether the student with a disability does or does not require one-to-one support to make meaningful progress toward annual goals in the IEP in the least restrictive environment (LRE).
REGISTER HERE.

Communicating with the CPSE / CSE through Letter Writing - webinar
2024-05-21 18:30 - 19:30
Please join Namita Modasra, Education Advocate, Parent to Parent of NYS, as she presents a webinar on Communicating with the CPSE/CSE through Letter Writing. Letter writing can be a very effective method of communication and advocacy for parents of children with disabilities. This training assists parents, guardians, grandparents how to clearly and effectively express concerns, ideas or suggestions to the professionals involved in their child’s special education program.
REGISTER HERE.

A Guide for Families to Understanding Supports & Services Administered by OPWDD
2024-05-23 11:00 - 12:30, 2024-06-04 18:30 - 20:00
Please join Parent to Parent of NYS, for this great presentation on A Guide for Families to Understanding Supports & Services Administered by OPWDD.
The purpose of this training is to introduce families to the language of service delivery systems and to define and clarify information about services and supports. Participants will gain an increased awareness and understanding of eligibility criteria and the eligibility determination process. The training includes an overview of Home and Community Based Services Waiver, and Family Support Services.
REGISTER HERE.

Blood-brain barrier dysfunction in Pediatric Acute Neuropsychiatric Syndrome (PANS) and Regulation
2024-05-29 13:00 - 14:15
Tune in to learn research updates on blood-brain barrier dysfunction in Pediatric Acute Neuropsychiatric Syndrome (PANS) and Regulation.

The speakers:
Noor A. Hussein, PhD is a pharmacology scientist.
“My experience as a researcher has taught me to seek out new perspectives for exploration and discovery. As a dedicated biological and pharmacological researcher with over 7 years of experience with models of diseases such as cancer both in vitro and in vivo. During my masters and Ph.D. studies, I mastered lots of molecular biology techniques, including cell culture, cytotoxicity assays, western blot, quantitative PCR, immunofluorescence, flow cytometry. I utilized my skills to design experiments finding solutions to common problems in the biomedical field, especially cancer experimental and molecular therapeutics.”
Ayan Mondal, Ph.D. is a third-year post-doctoral research fellow in Prof Elizabeth Mellins’ laboratory at Dept of pediatrics, Stanford University. “I completed my graduation from University of Calcutta, India, in 2017. I have conducted 1.5 years of research on molecular medicine following graduation and joined as a post-doctoral researcher at the Arnold School of Public health, University of South Carolina, in the year 2019. During the training, I studied neuroimmune signaling mechanisms in the gut-liver-brain axes in mouse models of metabolic disorders and military-deployment-associated disorders. My studies elucidated the mechanism of neuroinflammation and blood-brain barrier (BBB) dysfunction mediated by specific proteins that are elevated in blood during these disease conditions. In my post-doctoral research with Prof Mellins, I am studying changes in BBB function in PANS. I am focusing on elucidating the mechanisms of action of novel modulators of BBB that are relevant to homeostatic maintenance of the BBB and other novel modulators that increase BBB permeability during flares of PANS. My proposed experimental strategies include transcriptomic and proteomic approaches in cell types of the CNS neurovascular unit.”
Register here.

In collaboration with the National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals (NADSP), Parent to Parent of NYS presents “Introduction to the Roles of Direct Support Professionals for Families” - webinar
2024-05-29 18:30 - 20:00
n collaboration with the National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals (NADSP), Parent to Parent of NYS presents “Introduction to the Roles of Direct Support Professionals for Families” This webinar will discuss and describe the DSP code of ethics as it relates to the family. In addition, this webinar will help to define the specific role of the DSP not only in certified residences but in community-based settings as well as the family home. This discussion will also include the Standardized Occupational Classification which is hopefully forthcoming from the United States Department of the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This classification will further elevate the value and role of direct support professionals. Direct Support Professionals are at the core of care for those with disabilities along with their families. This presentation aims to provide more understanding of each member’s role in supporting the individual receiving services and how all parties can work together to achieve the best possible outcomes.
Register here.

Parent to Parent of NYS presents: The role of Direct Support Professionals, an introduction for families - Via Zoom
2024-05-29 18:30 - 20:00
In collaboration with the National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals (NADSP), this webinar will discuss and describe the DSP code of ethics as it relates to the family. In addition, we will discuss the specific role of the DSP not only in certified residences, but in community-based settings as well as the family home.
This presentation aims to provide more understanding of each member’s role in supporting the individual receiving services and how all parties can work together to achieve the best possible outcomes.
Register here for this free virtual event.

CPSE to CSE for Parents
2024-06-04 14:00 - 15:30
Parents will understand the process of transitioning their child from Early Intervention to the Committee on Preschool Special Education.
*Certificate of completion available upon request*
REGISTER HERE! FREE EVENT!
Call: 716-332-4170 | Email: info@parentnetworkwny.org
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