Author: HDITrex

The Association of University Centers on Disabilities will be featuring HDI’s Christina Espinosa and Walt Bower, PhD discussing how to engage diverse communities with disability policy issues on Tuesday, August 25, 2015, 3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. ET. Register here to learn how to improve practices for including everyone.

AUCD’s Diversity and Inclusion Blueprint team hosts a community conversation for UCEDDs and LENDs to engage in open dialogue about the challenges they face in services, programs, and recruitment related to diversity and inclusion. This is an opportunity to also share strategies to better improve practices as well as the operational and infrastructure considerations to support those practices. This conversation on engaging diverse local communities will be facilitated by Christina Espinosa and Walt Bower, PhD. Barbara Wheeler, PhD, will also bring her expertise to react and respond to the conversation and questions.

This webinar is free and will be archived.

Join us for the first presentation in our Fall Seminar series on Friday, September 11, 2015  from 1:00 – 3:00pm ET to learn more about helping young children develop self-regulation skills. Occupational therapist, Julie Kraska OT/L, will discuss strategies to develop those skills that can make it easier for children to take turns, make friends, adapt to school and home routines, follow classroom rules, and problem solve. If you are spending hours in a day attempting to calm a child, you may have a child with self-regulation difficulties and benefit from this presentation.  Register today to watch the presentation live at the UK Coldstream Research Campus Human Development Training Room or via live videoconferencing to sites around the state. To become a remote site or for help registering, contact walt.bower@uky.edu.

You can also download a flyer to print and share: Fall15Self-regulationFlyer. Details about more seminars to come soon …

Dear Special Education Directors,

The Kentucky Peer Support/Network Project announces a revised training schedule for school teams at locations throughout the state this Fall, as listed below. School teams will learn about setting up Peer Supports (in inclusive classrooms) and Peer Networks (outside the classroom) for students with significant disabilities. The intent of the project is to expand learning and participation in inclusive activities — across classroom and extracurricular settings — for students with significant disabilities, while laying the foundation for genuine friendships between students with and without disabilities

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HDI recently updated our popular Disability Resource Manual in both English and Spanish to make sure individuals with disabilities across Kentucky could find the most valuable resources available at different stages of life. The manual is currently accessed by more than 6,000 English-speaking and 1,500 Spanish-speaking families annually to help them navigate the sometimes complex array of services available to people with disabilities. The Disability Resource Manual is a handbook of program descriptions, eligibility criteria, and contact information of the local, state, and national resources across the lifespan, from before birth to retirement. Topics of particular interest found in the manual include prenatal/postnatal resources, education, finances, transition, healthcare resources, assistive technology, community living, employment resources, and advocacy information. Continue reading →