5 Things Including Transition Workshop

1) Newsbit of the Day: The Swampscott Special Education Parent Advisory Council and the Nahant Special Education Parent Advisory Council will be co-hosting The Transition Workshop - An Important Workshop for Parents of Students 13 and Older.

When: Wednesday, Nov. 14
Where: Swampscott High School, B129
Time:  7 pm - 9 pm

Transition refers to the transition of students who are on IEPs and are 14 and older from high school into the adult world after they leave high school.

This workshop explains the laws and cases that say that school districts must prepare such students for post-secondary education or training, employment, and, for students who need it, independent living (including, for example, teaching skills necessary to take care of their  own hygiene needs, medical needs, transportation needs).

Attendees will learn about what districts must do to prepare such students for these aspects of post-secondary life, including performing appropriate transition assessments, conducting appropriate transition planning, providing needed transition services, proposing needed post-secondary IEP goals and objectives, providing community experiences, and (for students who need it) making a Chapter 688 referral to the right adult service agency.

They will also learn what parents can do when a school district is planning to force a student to graduate from high school with a diploma (and thus lose all rights to future education from the district) over the family’s objections that the student is not ready to graduate, as set forth in the landmark Massachusetts case, the Dracut case.   (See link for commentary on the case: http://www.kcslegal.com/articles/crabtree109.html).

Clare Vann is a special education attorney in private practice representing parents in their efforts to get the special education services and program their children need. She began working in the field of special education law in 1981 as a volunteer at the Federal for Children with Special Needs, where she was quickly hired to help teach special education advocacy courses and to train parents in their rights under special education law.

She frequently conducts workshops on special education law on behalf of the Federation, and she has recently written a guide on transition services and issues for the Federation. (The transition guide is expected to be published by the Federation sometime in 2012). Ms. Vann has been an attorney since 1986, and has an outstanding track record in her cases. She has family members with a variety of disabilities.

2) Swampscott Athletics: The Swampscott High School field hockey team travels to North Andover High School to play Manchester-Essex Saturday at 11 a.m. in the semi-finals of the North Div. 2 Sectional Tournament. 

3) Bit of Abe (Lincoln): "Be sure you put your feet in the right place, then stand firm."

4) Weather Watch: The National Weather Service is calling for a mostly sunny day with a high near 50. 

5) Business Listing Watch: VIDEO:

Businesses: Time to Claim Your Listing on Patch! It's Free! And Comes With Extra Cheese!

Business owners can claim listings in Patch Places to better promote their business and inform readers.