​The New York Region 1 Parent Training and Information Center (PTIC) Collaborative is presenting a free webinar series on bullying for parents of students with disabilities. View the flyer [PDF] for more information and register online.

The New York State Education Department’s Commissioner’s Advisory Panel for Special Education Services is currently seeking letters of interest and resumes for the constituency “Parents or Guardians of Children with Disabilities” for the Central New York region.  The Panel functions in an advisory capacity to the Office of Special Education and advises the Governor, Legislature and Commissioner on unmet needs in the education of students with disabilities.

​Members are appointed for a three-year term by the Commissioner of Education.  The Commissioner’s Advisory Panel holds three meetings per year in Albany.  Members serve without compensation but their reasonable and necessary expenses for attending meetings and performing duties are reimbursed.

​Individuals from the Central New York region who are interested in becoming a parent member of the Commissioner’s Advisory Panel for Special Education Services should send a letter of interest and resume no later than April 30, 2017, to:

​New York State Education Department
Office of Special Education
89 Washington Avenue
Room 309 EB
Albany, NY 12234
Attention:  Sandra Cote

For additional information regarding the Commissioner’s Advisory Panel for Special Education Services, please visit the New York State Education Department’s website.

WHAT: Explore critical topics for learners with combined hearing and vision loss:

• Understanding learners with hearing & vision loss
• Communication strategies for individuals with dual sensory impairments
• Family engagement & parent-professional relationships
• Panel of local service providers and agencies
• Recreation & movement
• Mindfulness & stress reduction strategies

WHO should attend:

• Parents of children with hearing & vision loss and other challenges.
• Professionals providing services to children with sensory loss & multiple disabilities, including: General & SPED Teachers; OT, PT, Speech; O&M, TVI, TOD; Social Workers; Nurses/Aides.

For registration and further details, contact ​christopher.russell@qc.cuny.edu.

Are you a parent of a young person with a disability between the ages of 14 and 26? NYS Transition Partners needs your help to better understand your experience with the transition process for students with disabilities here in New York. What's going well? What isn't going so well? What needs improvement? The results of this brief survey will be used to create useful resources to help you in the transition process. Your experience, challenges, and suggestions will be shared with state and local policymakers and members of the transition community in order to start a conversation about how best to affect meaningful change.

Click here to take the survey. All of your information is confidential. Thank you in advance for your time!