Monday, September 30, 2013

GSAP has moved to the University of Georgia


The Georgia Sensory Assistance Project has moved to University of Georgia under the direction of Dr. Cindy Vail (cvail@uga.edu) starting October 1, 2013. We have enjoyed having the GSAP grant at GSU for the past 19 years! Due to the upcoming retirement of Dr. Kathryn Heller, she has transitioned the grant to UGA with Dr. Vail as the new Project Director.  We are sure you will continue to have effective technical assistance under Dr. Vail. Please contact her for any questions or technical assistance requests. Best wishes from Kathy Heller and GSAP staff.


Thursday, July 18, 2013

Please fill out NEEDS ASSESSMENT ASAP


GSAP is currently conducting a short survey to determine which areas you would like to receive training, on-site technical assistance, or materials in the area of deafblindness. Your feedback is important so that we can provide trainings that you would like offered. This information will also help us determine the training priorities for the next grant cycle. If you are a PARENT, TEACHER, SERVICE PROVIDER, PA, OR ADMINISTRATOR who works with individuals with DEAFBLINDNESS, please fill out the NEEDS ASSESSMENT ASAP. Click here to access the Needs Assessment or visit http://education.gsu.edu/georgiadeafblindproj/events-training.aspx.

Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Employment Opportunity with Parent to Parent of Georgia

Parent to Parent of Georgia’s Employment Opportunity
Applications being accepted through 4:00 pm July 31, 2013 only!
 
Are you a parent or family member of a child with a disability or a professional interested in working with families?  Are you looking for part-time work, a casual working environment, where you can help families access support and resources while expanding your own knowledge?  If so, Parent to Parent needs you as a Coordinator in our West Georgia area.  This area includes these counties:  Butts, Carroll, Coweta, Clayton, Fayette, Harris, Heard, Henry, Lamar, Meriwether, Muscogee, Pike, Spalding, Talbot, Troup, Upson.

The primary responsibilities of Coordinators include matching parents for one-on-one emotional support, handling information requests from families and professionals, providing guidance on educational and health-related issues, and representing Parent to Parent at meetings and conferences.
 
Requirements:
  •  Must live in one of the counties in this Region (see above)
  •  College degree (minimum of a two year degree)
  •  Experience with disabilities or special health care needs
  •  Basic knowledge of special education and Medicaid and waiver programs
  •  Good written and strong oral communication skills (preference given to candidates fluent in Spanish or other languages)
  •  Basic computer skills
Part-time position available, 20 hours a week, 12 months a year, and must be able to attend occasional evening and weekend support groups or workshops (on average, 1 or 2 times per month).  Pay range is $11-$14 per hour.
 
Send resume by mail to Parent to Parent of Georgia, 3 West Altman Street, Statesboro, Georgia 30458. Fax resumes to 912-681-0910. Email resumes to mitzi@p2pga.org   
 
For more information about Parent to Parent, check our web site at: www.p2pga.org
Parent to Parent of Georgia is an E-Verify Mandated Employer
(EOE)
 
Parent to Parent of Georgia values diversity in the workplace.  All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply.

Sunday, June 16, 2013

STRATEGIES & CVI WEBINAR

Building Strategies Around CVI Phases
 
Title: Building Strategies Around CVI Phases 

Presenter: Ellen Mazel, M.Ed. CTVI,

When:
Thursday, June 27, 2013
12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time
Register now for this webinar.
 
Building Strategies Around CVI Phases.
Building Strategies Around CVI Phases webinar with Ellen Mazel.
 
 
In case you missed our last webinar on iExploration: Using an iPad for Vision Stimulation, you can watch it here. Learn more about how you can earn credit for this webinar or watch other webinars, visit us at www.perkins.org/resources/webinars/.

Building Strategies Around CVI Phases:
Careful assessment around the 10 characteristics of CVI help staff and parents understand the unique learning needs for each CVI Phase. They can then build strategies, modifications to the environment, modifications to materials, and modifications to literacy that match the visual strengths and visual areas of need. Understanding the child’s CVI Phase can assist in the creation of learning methodologies to benefit children’s expected visual improvement. Additional research and resources about CVI will be identified and discussed.
Participants will learn to:
  • Name the 10 characteristics of CVI and name one strategy for 9 of the characteristics.
  • State the goal for each Phase of CVI.
  • Name one way to fade each named strategy.

Presenter Summary:
Ellen Cadigan Mazel, M.Ed. CTVI, Cortical Visual Impairment Advisor, works for Concord Area Special Education (CASE) Collaborative as a teacher of students with visual impairments, deafblindness and cortical visual impairment. In 2008, Ellen Mazel was named National Teacher of the Year for Children with Multiple Disabilities by the Council of Schools for the Blind (COSB). After studying cortical visual impairment with Christine Roman-Lantzy for 6 years, she became interested in the most recent brain science information, how children with visual impairments build compensatory skills and how children's experiences relate to children's growth and development.
 
 
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Monday, June 10, 2013

CASH FOR YOUR EARLY INTERVENTION EXPERIENCES!!! HURRY! DEADLINE JUNE 26

Research Opportunity- Parents As Detailers for "Learn the Signs. Act Early"

Center for Leadership in Disability is partnering with Parent to Parent of Georgia and the Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs on “Parents as Detailers for Learn the Signs. Act Early.” The goal for this project is to increase awareness of the importance of early screening and referral, provide educational materials for distribution to families, and improve understanding of Babies Can’t Wait – Georgia’s early intervention system.

Each Parent Detailer will present to a minimum of five (5) pediatric practices. Detailers will schedule their own office visits and follow up phone calls with support of the Project Coordinator. Detailers will receive $100 per office visit (5 visits=$500), $200 for completing training requirements, plus per mileage reimbursement for travel. All obligations for this position will be completed by November 1, 2013.

The Project Team is seeking parents of children with disabilities who are willing to tell their “early intervention story” to pediatricians and/or family practitioners in their area. After being trained, Parent Detailers will visit physicians’ offices, share their story, and hand deliver copies of the Milestone Moments booklets for the clinic staff to distribute to families.

Would you like to serve as a Parent Detailer?
Applications being accepted through June 26th only!
Acceptance notifications by July 1st. Position will end by November 2013.

A qualified applicant will:
  •  be a parent of a child with autism or related developmental disability;
  •  have a compelling Early Intervention story;
  •  have experience speaking to groups;
  •  have demonstrated good written and oral communication skills; and
  •  be available to attend a one day training on July 12 in Atlanta, GA.
For more information, contact Georgia Fruechtenicht at georgia@p2pga.org or 678-736-7337.

Thursday, May 23, 2013

Medical Grants Now Available in Georgia from UnitedHealthcare




ATLANTA (May 20, 2013) – The UnitedHealthcare Children’s Foundation (UHCCF) is seeking grant applications from families in need of financial assistance to help pay for their child’s health care treatments, services or equipment not covered, or not fully covered, by their commercial health insurance plan.

Qualifying families can receive up to $5,000 per grant to help pay for medical services and equipment such as physical, occupational and speech therapy, counseling services, surgeries, prescriptions, wheelchairs, orthotics, eyeglasses and hearing aids.  

To be eligible for a grant, children must be 16 years of age or younger. Families must meet economic guidelines, reside in the United States and have a commercial health insurance plan. Grants are available for medical expenses families have incurred 60 days prior to the date of application as well as for ongoing and future medical needs. Parents or legal guardians may apply for grants at www.uhccf.org, and there is no application deadline. 

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Positive Behavior



---------------------------

Webinar:
Top Ten Strategies for Promoting Positive Behavior in Children

May 19, 2013

7pm EST
(Closed Captioning)

Laurie Denno, Ph.D.

Register Now
Webinar: Top Ten Strategies for
Promoting Positive Behavior in Children
Presenter:  Laurie Denno
The Foundation is excited to announce the second webinar in our 2013 series. Registration is now open for Top Ten Strategies for Promoting Positive Behavior in Children to be presented by Laurie Denno on May 19, 2013, 7pm EST. With limited availability, registrationis on a first-come-first-served basis. The session allows plenty of time for questions after the presentation.

Within a couple of days after registration, you will receive a registration confirmation and detailed instructions on how to log in to the webinar, participate and learn from our expert.
Laurie S. Denno, Ph.D., is a board certified behavior analyst and a licensed mental health counselor.  Laurie has over 30 years experience working with individuals who have developmental disabilities.  She has worked in public schools, private schools, vocational programs and day habilitation programs.  Laurie works part time at the Perkins School for the Blind as a behavior analyst and is also on the faculty of Simmons College.  Her primary interests are CHARGE syndrome, deafblind education and behavior analytic applications for mental illness.
Top Ten Strategies for Promoting Positive Behavior in Children
It is much more efficient to prevent behavior difficulties than it is to try and decrease them once they are already in a child's repertoire.  This presentation outlines a number of simple strategies that can be used to structure the home and school environment to prevent behavior problems in children with CHARGE syndrome.  Discussion includes the importance of consistency, positive feedback, high but realistic behavioral expectations, communication at the child's functional level in the correct mode, teaching independence and self-management and how to get professional help if you need it.