January / February 2003
Page 1

IN THIS ISSUE:
January General Membership Meeting
Notice p1
FROM THE EDITOR p2
MARK YOUR CALENDARS! p3
BIRTHDAYS p3
Through the Grapevine p3
Behavioral Advice p4, 5
Tillie’s Corner p6
November Meeting Re-cap p6
From My Side p7
Our House p8
Profiles p9
Upcoming Conferences p11, 13
Websites Of Interest p14
Coming Soon p14

The next General Membership meeting will take place on Friday, January 17th at 7:00 p.m. Everyone was pleased with the location of our last meeting so we will be at Crane Rehab again (101 River Road, Suite 112).
We will be taking a few minutes during the meeting to discuss upcoming changes in the organization. (Don't miss this. There will be a lot of exciting things coming your way in the new year.) We'll also talk a little about the election that will take place in April...how to vote, how to nominate someone, etc and answer any questions you may have. And, we'd like to hear what you have to say. What are your suggestions, ideas, concerns? Mike Rapier will also be on hand to show us his designs for DSAGNO logo, newsletter and web site, etc.
But we won't be spending the entire evening on business...there will be lots of fun too! Elizabeth Knoth, MT-BC, Board Certified Music Therapist, will be joining us to talk about music therapy and to interact with the kids. Elizabeth will be bringing instruments and using music to show how your child can use music therapy to reach his or her physical, occupational and speech goals. This is sure to be a lot of fun for the kids and very informative for parents too.
So mark your calendars for Friday, January 17th at 7:00 p.m. at Crane Rehab. As always, babysitting will be available and Crane Rehab will have physical therapists on hand to work with your child. Physical Therapy fees are only $5.00 per hour.

We join in celebrating the following
birthdays in September, October, and November:

December:
Deuel Kennedy…………………………………………….12/08/88
Morgan Simon……………………………………………..12/14/94
Joseph Cashen…………………………………………….12/23/99
Thomas Ranier…………………………………………….12/24/96
Christina Paci………………………………………………12/29/94

January:
Kyle koscielniak…………………………………………….01/03/91
Maggie Biernart…………………………………………….01/04/83
Austin Edler…………………………………………….......01/06/98
Mark Silvio…………………………………………………..01/07/91
Leana Pivaral……………………………………………….01/18/98
Hannah LaCour…………………………………………….01/21/99
Brandon Firmin……………………………………………..01/25/95
Brandon Palmisano………………………………………...01/25/95
Joey Hauth…………………………………………….........01/29/99
Joshua Keller……………………………………………......01/29/93

Recently a friend asked me about our use of sign language with Kevin. She has a 3 month old baby and was wondering if it was something they could do. I told her we've been using sign language with Kevin and it has been very successful for us. Kevin only uses 2 signs himself, but understands quite a few more than that. He can sign "more" and "finished" and we found that just these 2 signs alone have helped relieve quite a bit of his frustration in communicating. "More" can be a very powerful sign (especially when you're 18 months old and talking about Cheerios!).
We recently began using a sign board with several pictures of common things (including Cheerios) and this seems to be working well, especially on days when "we" decide we're not signing for whatever reason.
Then she asked me about really communicating and talking and wondered if Kevin was "holding back" and relying on signs instead of trying to communicate through speech. That hasn't happened for us at all. If anything, I think it's encouraged Kevin to communicate in more ways, including through speech, because he's successful at understanding and using signs. Within the last week alone, he's said and attempted to say about 5-6 new words. He's constantly "singing" and letting out streams of sounds and combinations of sounds and he even "yells" at us in his own language. Signing has been very successful for us. In fact, I'm beginning to think that once he really starts talking he won't stop! :)

Karen Scallan

If you have a contribution, tip, or question for Through the Grapevine, send it to Karen Scallan or Ann Lafourcade.

Discipline is the process of guiding and teaching children to behave acceptably within certain limits, to cooperate, to be responsible, and to think for themselves. Different ages and stages of development present different needs and discipline challenges.
From birth to about age 2, infants need to build close relationships with their parents and important people around them. To feel close to someone, infants need to be able to count on having their needs met in a timely manner. Gaining a sense of trust is the first stage of emotional development. It is the basis for a healthy sense of self and others, and is the foundation for cooperative, empathic, responsible behavior.
Young children, under age five are not yet motivated to follow rules, but act more to gain approval or avoid consequences. Knowing right from wrong is an abstract concept that takes time and experience to understand. These years are the most significant in a person's life. Toddling and exploring can bring new behaviors that may worry parents, but they are a normal part of continued growth. When children touch, feel, look, mix, turn over, and throw, they are developing skills. Although these behaviors can create a struggle between child and parent, they can be managed if the parent expects and plans for them. Independence is an emotion to be encouraged during the early preschool years. The alternative is shame and doubt. In responding to a child's misuse of language or accidents when toileting, parents and caregivers should be sensitive to avoid using guilt and punishments for what are most likely normal acts of development.
From the time they begin school until around age 12, children are in middle childhood, when learning skills become better defined. Children at this stage have higher-order thinking skills and can use them to make more complex decisions. They now begin to question the pedestal upon which they have placed adults. Rules become more significant and children learn rules for games as well as social rules, such as saying "please" and "thank you." Groundwork is laid during this middle childhood for becoming productive members of society. Adults should seek to build a sense of confidence in children by teaching them how to do jobs well, by praising them for their successes, and providing constructive suggestions in learning from mistakes. When well-meaning parents and teachers mistakenly use criticism to motivate, children can learn to feel inferior or inadequate.

QUESTIONING ADULT RESPONSES
Children spend their young years trying to figure out how they fit into the world. In addition to giving children reasons for behaving appropriately, parents must determine if they have provided a stable, loving, understanding place to help children learn and grow. It may be helpful to consider these questions:

Are expectations for the child clear? Are attempts made to explain expectations on a level that the child can understand? Do parents prepare the child for what is expected of them in unfamiliar situations? Do parents offer explanations of what the occasion is about and what behavior will be expected so guessing isn't necessary? To prevent inappropriate behavior or misunderstanding, parents need to initiate and maintain continuous two-way communication with the child.
Is behavior driven by the child's need to test the boundaries? All behavior - both appropriate and inappropriate - has a purpose. Sometimes inappropriate behavior has the purpose of testing limits to see if the adult will care enough to keep the child within safe boundaries. This may happen when the child reaches a new development level or when there have been changes in the family home, such as moving to a new house, having a new child in the family, the death of a grandparent, or a separation or divorce. A feeling of security results when a child realizes that an adult will "still love him/her" even if s/he is "bad."

Are consistent limits understood and followed? Children may resist limits if there is too much adult control and not enough room allowed for their choice. One of the ways parents help children develop an internalized set of behavioral standards is to be consistent in implementing rules.

KEY POINTS
• Discipline is shaping and teaching a child to understand limits.
• Setting reasonable, understandable and consistent rules is basic to effective discipline.
• Understanding the developmental stage of the child is basic to having realistic expectations of children's behavior.
• Modeling appropriate behavior is more powerful than telling a child how s/he should act.
• Parents can prepare children for new situations by describing expected behaviors.
• Parents can use misbehavior as an opportunity to involve the child in setting standards.
• All behavior has a purpose. Understanding what the child is trying to accomplish by misbehaving can help the parent come up with a plan to teach the child a more acceptable way of getting his/her needs met.

HOW TO REDUCE DISCIPLINE PROBLEMS
Reducing behavior problems can be best practiced through prevention. If parents understand what to expect from children as they develop, they can build a healthy environment and a clear set of expectations that can reduce some of the tensions. Major concepts to remember are consistency, forethought, respect, recognition of a child's limits, cooperative relationships, common sense, and sense of humor.

Set Limits
• Are limits reasonable?
• Are limits based on the child's ability to meet and understand the limit?
• Are explanations of reasons for limits appropriate to children's language skills?
• Are older (school-age) children involved in designing limits or rules?
• Is positive language used (do and should vs. don't and shouldn't)?
• Is the child given time to comply with the limit?
• Are comparisons avoided to prevent resentment and damaging self-esteem?
• Are adults acting as positive role models?
• Do adults focus on the behavior, not the child.
• Are desirable behaviors reinforced? Do adults "catch" the child acting correctly and offer praise, not just correct the
• child when s/he is acting poorly?

Use Empathy
• Does the adult convey concern for the child, even when correcting the child or setting limits?
• Does the adult let the child know that s/he is being heard/understood? (I know you are angry, but it is not ok to hit.)
• Is the adult conveying disapproval of the "bad" behavior, but not the child?
• Is the adult in control of his/her own emotions?

Continued on next page...

Maintain Self-Control And Understand The Development Of Self-Control
• Are discussions about behavior and consequences held following tantrums or angry out-bursts, after the child and parent have calmed down, so that the child can begin to understand rules and expectations?
• Are appropriate outlets for anger provided, such as a punching bag or an anger pillow?
• Is time-out used appropriately?
• Are alternatives and redirection used instead of threats and bribes?

Be Consistent
• Do adults follow through with expectations and consequences regardless of the situation?
• Do adults remind the child of the expectation and the consequence before the child enters a potentially problem
• situation?
• Do adults limit the number of chances a child has to comply before following through with the consequence?

SOME WAYS TO DEAL WITH UNDESIRABLE BEHAVIORS
Besides learning about the child's developmental stages and planning ways to prevent situations that can lead to undesirable behavior, parents and teachers may need to decide how to manage some behaviors. Many times, children learn as a result of natural consequences. For example, a child who will not eat supper during mealtime may feel hungry when he or she is not allowed to eat again until breakfast. Or a child who forgets to put skates away each night may one day find that they have been stolen. When natural consequences are not safe or appropriate, logical consequences may be used. The child can directly see how the behavior and the consequence relate. For example, if the child oversteps his or her boundaries when riding a bike, taking away the bike for a reasonable amount of time may be the consequence.

Time-Out
Time-out is often used with children under about age 7 who have briefly lost self-control. Until the young child has learned to see beyond him/herself they need adult guidance as they begin to find appropriate ways to vent their feelings and develop a sense of self-control. Time-out can be very effective when used sparingly and appropriately. Time alone gives the child a chance to calm down and reestablish self-control before rejoining an activity. Children who view time out as a punishment may not use the time out situation as the caregiver intends. Rather than calming down or reflecting on how he or she should behave, the child may spend time figuring out how to get even!

Use time-outs sparingly
Think about time-out as an aid in handling inappropriate or unsafe behaviors while preserving self-esteem and control for children and adults. Give the child reassurances that you still love them and that they are okay, but that they need to calm down and act appropriately. Adults need to use effective strategies to maintain their self-control in dealing with difficult children. Counting to ten, leaving the room, fixing a cup of tea, or talking to another parent can help the adult disengage from the difficult situation in order to reestablish his/her self-control.

Redirection
Another way to help children gain control is to redirect them to another activity. This allows the child to get away from the problem situation and yet still have something constructive to do. Redirecting children may be preferable to time-out. Suggest an alternative activity or setting when a situation is about to get out of hand. Pose timely questions to avoid heated confrontation and conflict. For example, ask "Are you getting bored with coloring? Would you like to go for a walk or read a story?"

SUMMARY
Many discipline problems can be prevented by childproofing your home and by following routines for eating, sleeping, resting, doing chores, and playing. Routines provide children with comforting structure that lets them know what to expect and when to expect it.

Young children need adults to watch and guide them, and to protect them from harm because they do not yet consistently remember rules and limits. It is normal for young children to misbehave because they are just
learning the rules. Learning self-discipline takes a childhood filled with patience, love, and limits consistently and repeatedly provided by adults.

REFERENCES
Baumrind, P. (1971). Developmental Psychology Monograph, 4 (1, pt.2).

Maccoby, E.E. & Martin, J.A. (1983). Socialization in the context of the family: Parent-child interaction. In P.H. Mussen Handbook of Child Psychology.

Hamner, T.J. (1990). Parenting in a Contemporary Society. Second edition. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.

Tillie’s Corner
By Tillie Plaisance
Different but Equal
A poem...

My brother Corey is different.
Look at him and you will see
That even though he's different,
He's the same as you and me
We know we are all unique.
We all have our moments of fame.
But in the end we are all equal
And we are considered all the same.
So even though he's different
And he has a disability or two,
Just remember we are all equal,
And he's the same as me and you!

November Membership Meeting
"Surviving the Holidays"
and
the Big Move to River Road

The November membership meeting was eventful on many levels. It marked the first time we held our meeting at Crane Rehab. Everyone seemed to enjoy the new facility...parents and kids alike. And what a bargain...physical therapy for only $5.00 per hour! It was a win-win situation for all so our next membership meeting will be at Crane again.

Many thanks to Crane Rehab, Maxine Kimbrell and Regina Damore for a wonderful meeting.

From My Side. . .
By Craig Blackburn

I was a member of the St. Charles Parish Vision of Inclusion Committee as a self-advocate.
Paula LaCour, a DSAGNO Board Member attended one of the meetings, we talked and she later asked if I would like to become a member of the DSAGNO Board. I was excited to be asked and I said yes. That was about 3 or 4 months ago. I have learned that being a board member means being very busy.
There have been several meetings or events already. The events have been the First Annual Buddy Walk and the Christmas party. Both were a lot of fun. I have been the Santa at my job and the board let me be one of the Santas at the Christmas party. That was so much fun because I love the children.
My assignment for the Christmas party was to be responsible for the food drive for the homeless. I was glad to do that and felt good when I was able to deliver a big box of canned goods to Winn Dixie to help others.
I feel like my role as a board member is to express my thoughts and provide input as an individual with Downs Syndrome. I will try to set an example for the individuals with Downs Syndrome and their families. Being a member of the board lets me deliver my message without saying a word. People can see that I am able to be a board member and know that their children can be a board member one day too. They can be and do whatever they want to do.
I look young, but I am almost 24 years old. I like being a member of the board because the other members treat me like an adult and really listen to what I am saying. I have many things to learn about being on a board, but that is going to be fun, too.
I look forward to the next year helping as a board member and already we are starting to plan for the 2nd Annual Buddy Walk for 2003. It is going to be a busy year

Happy New Year…..Craig

My Word Book is a handy, easy-to-use, low-tech tool to help children and adults with disabilities write independently. It offers pages that are preprinted with the most commonly used words in the English language, as well as ample space to record personal lists of favorite and useful words, names, and places. This simple tool enables users to write more easily when completing schoolwork such as journal writing and tasks such as composing letters, shopping lists, and to-do lists.

One of the great assets of My Word Book is that word lists can be customized to reflect studies, work, and personal interests. For instance, before a new curriculum unit on transportation, a student can list the words---car, train, airplane---that will likely be encountered. Or an adult sending out holiday greetings can consult his list for the correct spellings of "Christmas" and "Thanksgiving."

Additional material in the back of the book provides lists, charts, and illustrations detailing simple punctuation, days of the week, months and their abbreviations, dates, coins, clocks, counting, simple measurements, common symbols, and other useful information.

Portable, flexible, and affordable, My Word Book is a great aid to visual learners such as individuals with Down syndrome and can also be used by children and adults with autism, fragile X syndrome, learning disabilities, mental retardation, and traumatic brain injury. Teachers, parents, caregivers, and employers will appreciate the adaptability of My Word Book to many tasks and the independence it fosters.
(isbn# 1-890627-37-2)

The focus of the Louisiana Benefits Planning Assistance and Outreach (LA-BPA&O) Project is to provide one-on-one benefits counseling to SSI and/or SSDI beneficiaries who are interested in learning more about:
• Work Incentives-such as PASS plans, IRWEs and BWEs
• Healthcare-Medicaid, Medicare, 1619a & b
• The impact of employment and wages on monthly benefits
• Other SSDI and/or SSI issues
• Provide work incentives planning and assistance to SSA's beneficiaries with disabilities
• Conduct outreach efforts to those beneficiaries (and their families), who are potentially eligible to participate in Federal or State work incentives programs; and
• Work in cooperation with Federal, State, and private agencies and nonprofit organizations that serve beneficiaries with disabilities.
For more information call:
Phone: (504) 942-8230
Fax: (504) 942-5908
(TDD): 504-942-5900
Toll Free: 1-888-942-8107
Email: ssabenplan@lsuhsc.edu
Louisiana Benefits Planning,
Assistance and Outreach Project
1100 Florida Ave., #119
New Orleans, LA 70119

Our House
A Parents Perspective...
By Karen Scallon
"Cheerios and a Smile"

Recently, I became painfully aware that I could not be Supermom. I asked for help in the form of respite. I made an appointment to present my application to OCDD in person and made the appointment the only time my ChildNet case worker could not attend. This meant I was going it alone, but I was determined. The lack of sleep was catching up with me and I was catching a cold. I needed help. Ignoring my cold symptoms (if I don't pay attention to it, maybe it will go away), I began working. I collected documentation, made phone calls and wrote a five-page description of our situation to accompany the multi-page application.
On the day of the meeting, I was charged...full of energy and ready to present my case. I arrived early (30 minutes), signed in and sat down. Kevin was with me and I was a little disheveled as he had decided to use my shirt to wipe his nose on the way in and the wind was blowing like a wind tunnel outside, but I didn't let that detract from my mission.
After a bit, someone came out to inform those of us in the waiting room that there had been a delay and we would have to wait a while. A while turned into a long while. Kevin began to get restless so I decided to let him crawl on the carpet. He kept everyone entertained as he attempted to make "jail breaks" through the door of the office. After retrieving him for the 150th time, he wiped his nose on the other side of my shirt.
It was now close to 3:00 p.m. and the cold I'd been incubating for days decided this looked like as good a time as any to flare up. By the time they called my name and I was taken through a maze of hallways to a conference room, my nose was glowing bright enough to bring in not only Santa, but a 747 for a safe landing and Kevin was now overdue for a nap. This did not bode well, but as I gathered up jackets, diaper bag and stroller and tissues, I summoned my last bit of energy to state my case. As I talked, I handed Kevin a few Cheerios at a time to keep him quite and appeased. As I felt his little hands take the Cheerios from mine I quietly thanked God for whoever invented them and continued to talk. I put more in my hand and gave them to him. Once I finished stating my case and now exhausted from the long wait, the cold and trying to keep up with Kevin, I turned to look down at him only to find that he had dropped every single Cheerio I'd given him on the floor. Then our eyes met and he laughed at what he'd done and I remembered one of the first things he taught me...not to take myself or life too seriously and never mind if there are a few Cheerios on the floor.

Profiles...
Kyle’s Story
By Kate Kinney

Kyle David Joseph Koscielniak was born January 3, 1991. He was in no hurry to meet his anxious mom and dad, as he was 18 days late. It seemed like an eternity. He finally arrived and he was just what we expected - a beautiful baby boy! Unfortunately, one hour after birth, problems arose. Not only did he have merconium poisoning, but he had chlothorax too. He stayed in neonatal intensive care for 3 weeks. The day finally came when he was well enough to come home! We had a fabulous homecoming for all our family and friends to meet our beautiful boy!
Kyle was always busy. He had early interventionists coming to our home as well as occupational therapists. We truly were blessed to have such wonderful professionals to help Kyle. Although Kyle had many upper respiratory infections, we were lucky he was never hospitalized. We attribute that to the careful expertise and loving care of Dr. Ellen McLean of Carousel Pediatrics.
Kyle has always been included in the typical population. He attended kindergarten through third grade with his typical developing peers. We decided to enroll Kyle in St. Michael Special School last year. He has never been happier! He has always loved school and still does. Kyle is a very loving, intelligent, caring, and well-mannered young man. He is the best and we couldn't be prouder of him. Since Kyle's mom and dad wrote this, we thought we should get some quotes about Kyle from other people who have known him:
Grandma and Grandpa (paternal grandparents in Florida) - "Kyle is a loving child. He always lets you know how much he loves you. He shows this by his kisses, hugs, and saying I miss you!"

Aunt Joan - "His joy is contagious, we wish we all had that sweet spirit."
Aunt Mimi - "Our Kyle is a loving, beautiful "sponge" that absorbs and stores everything he sees and hears and you never know when he will bring it back to life and share it with the world."
Aunt Sue - "Kyle is the most precious, loving, sweet, huggable, polite, intelligent, cuddly, adorable young man on this planet!"
Cousin Erin - "Kyle lights up a room and everyone in it because he has so much love and determination in everything he does."
Stephanie (the best babysitter) - "Sweet, silly, lovable Kyle never meets a stranger."
Gaylin (family friend in West Virginia) - "Kyle has a sweet and loving heart, that which all of us should strive to be more like."
Joy (Kyle's personal assistant and friend in West Virginia) - "Kyle is a special boy who touched my heart, showed me love and gave me wonderful memories to cherish forever!"
The Milan Family (neighbors that have moved) - "Our children have grown up next door to Kyle and spent many hours playing baseball, swimming, blowing bubbles, reading, and playing Barney. They adore him and consider him one of their best buddies. To them, he is no different than the rest of their friends and that's exactly how children should see the world. We are blessed to have had Kyle, Kate and David as our neighbors and friends."
Devon (neighbor and friend in West Virginia) - "Kyle is the most loving, caring and accepting, not to mention adorable child I have ever met."
Meema and Pop-Pop (maternal grandparents in heaven) - "We are looking after Kyle and very proud of what we see and love him very much!"

St. Michael's will hold it's annual Chef's Charity for Children on Tuesday, January 21 and Wednesday, January 22 at the New Orleans Hilton Riverside, 1st Floor Ballroom. This year 11 chefs will be doing demonstrations, including Emeril, John Folse, John Besh, Leah Chase and Frank Brigtsen. Doors open at 9 a.m., demonstrations begin at 10 a.m. and food is served at 1 p.m. Tickets will be available at the door or in advance through St. Michael's. Tables for 10 can be reserved on either day at a cost of $350.00. Single tickets are $35.00. Tickets ordered after January 10th will not be mailed, but they can be picked up at the door. For more information, call 524-7286.

MJR Photography And Graphics is now handling DSAGNO’s Newsletter and Website. Over the coming months, many new additions will be added to the new website. Please visit DSAGNO.com for the latest stories, information, and news, as well as the DSAGNO calendar of events so that you can keep up with all the new things that are happening with DSAGNO here and around New Orleans.
Please visit our new site, and feel free to let us know what you think, or any ideas you might have

Buddy Walk 2003 Sponsors and Beneficiary Agencies

Buddy Walk Committee members haven't let any grass grow under their feet! They had their first meeting in December and BW2003 is already in the planning stages. In order for BW2003 to be even bigger and better, we need to start signing up our corporate sponsors. If you know of a corporation, business or entity that might be interested in becoming a BW sponsor, contact Marian Hauth at 833-1588.
As most know by now, the BW committee voted last year to share the proceeds from BW2002 with various local groups assisting parents and children. If you have a suggestion regarding an organization that might benefit from a portion of BW2003 proceeds, send your suggestions to Marian Hauth.
The organization should be an established non-profit or 501c3 organization that provides needed services to the Down syndrome community. Buddy Walk committee members will make the final decision based on various factors including need, service and applicability to this year's focus for BW2003.
Books on Buddy Walk 2002 to Close Soon!!
We will be closing the books on Buddy Walk 2002 soon and would like to distribute the funds to the various organizations as soon as possible. If you have any remaining pledge money to turn in, please forward it to Marian Hauth, 324 Edinburgh, Metairie, Louisiana, 70001 as soon as possible. And watch the web site and newsletter for news of Buddy Walk 2003...it's going to be even bigger and better!!!

Looking for teaching tools to enhance your child's education? Baby BumbleBee is offering free downloadable educational practice sheets, flash cards and posters. Just print them out and you're ready to go. Here are some of the items offered: Handwriting practice sheets (lined alphabet paper with sample characters in upper and lower case. Select the pages you want or print them all); alphabet posters; number posters; and, Bee Smart Baby Vocabulary Builder
Flashcards.
Also check out Baby Bumblebee's testimonials from parents of children with language delays who used Baby BumbleBee products.
You can find Baby Bumblebee on the web:
www.babybumblebee.com

The NDSS recently issued a position paper on the reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Copies of the paper will be available at the next General Membership meeting or by contacting Karen Scallan at 367-9848 or kscallan@cox.net. The NDSS urges all parents to contact their Senators and Representatives to let them know how they feel about the issues surrounding reauthorization of IDEA. Contact information for Senators and Representatives can be found at WWW.NDSS.org

DSAGNO would like to thank
Crane Rehab Center, LLC
for allowing us the use of their facility for our monthly membership meetings.

Doors to Inclusion: Universal Access Conference
Sponsored by: LATAN
One of the newest ideas to come to Louisiana. Over 5000 square feet of the Exhibit Hall at the Radisson will become "The LATAN House". The LATAN House featuring universal design will become a showplace for product that will astound and delight both young and old alike.
September 29 - October 1, 2003, Radisson Hotel and Conference Center, Baton Rouge, Louisiana Telephone: 1-800-270-6185

QualityMall.org
http://www.qualitymall.org/main/
Lots of free information about person-centered supports for people with developmental disabilities. Each of the mall stores has departments you can look through to learn about positive practices that help people with developmental disabilities live, work and participate in our communities and improve the quality of their supports.

Steps Forward Inclusive Post Secondary Education Society
http://stepsforward.homestead.com/Sitemap.html
Dedicated to ensuring access to inclusive university and college projects for adults with intellectual disabilities.

EP Magazine Exceptional Parent
http://www.eparent.com/
Provides information, support, ideas, encouragement and outreach for parents and families of children with disabilities, and the professionals who work with them.

Disability.gov
http://www.disability.gov/
Provides on-line access to resources and info available throughout the federal government.

No Child Left Behind
http://www.disability.gov/
Answers to questions about the education law signed by President Bush in January, 2002.

Federal Interagency Coordinating Council
http://www.fed-icc.org/about/
The FICC works to identify gaps in programs and services; ensure the provision and support to young children and their families; ensure coordination of technical assistance activities across agencies; and identify barriers to cross agency coordination of services

More WebSites

Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services
http://www.ed.gov/offices/OSERS/
OSERS provides a wide array of supports to parents and individuals, school districts and states in the areas of special education, vocational rehabilitation and research.

BumbleBee Educational Tools
www.babybumblebee.com
See our article about what BumbleBee has to offer in this issue

Coming Soon!
Look for articles on these topics in future issues of DSAGNO News.

Travel for Persons with Disabilities
Find out which travel agencies specialize in travel packages for persons with developmental and physical disabilities

Puberty in Children with Down Syndrome
Resources for parents and kids

Election News
Meet the new Board. Profiles on Board members and Committee Chairs

Convention News
All the news on national and local conferences and conventions taking place around the country and in our own back yard.

And of course, much much more!

(AND DON’T FORGET TO CHECK OUT THE NEW WEBSITE...WWW.DSAGNO.COM)