Supporting Every Individual Difference (SEID)

Update from the SEID Committee

SEID (Supporting Every Individual Difference) is a subgroup of the PTA led by Marni Ford and Sarah Bailey. We are a group of parents who offer support for families and caregivers of children that have 504s, IEPs, or other special needs. Through connection and common understanding, we offer a safe place for managing challenges, both at home and at school.

We have an email list through which we send out regular updates about local webinars and events dealing with parenting and behavior. We also meet with Pupil Services administrators on a monthly basis to ask questions from parents and receive updates on teacher training and events.

We have some interesting events planned for 2025. Let us know if you would like to participate or want more information by filling out the linked form. Monthly parent education and support opportunities: SEID EVENTS

This year we will focus on topics such as School avoidance and anxiety, understanding difficult behaviors and positive behavior interventions, to name a few.
SEID will continue to partner with the high school to expand the homework help program.

Increasing parent engagement, communication, and connection:

Social events including a meet and greet with Pupil Services
Advocacy and support for parents who have questions or concerns about their IEP, 504, or who want to learn more about special education. We are here if you have questions or want to talk about the overall process.
Events such as an Executive Functioning Workshop and Book Club

Promotion of a more inclusive environment:

We will continue to advocate for a more inclusive environment across our school district and programs.

In addition to the above, Pupil Services will be starting a newsletter (2x per month) that will highlight information about supports and services from the Pupil Services Department.

We’d love to get more parents involved - joining a social event, parent workshop or even asking questions and sharing experiences.

We hope to see you at an upcoming event! and if you are interested in receiving communications, need more information or have questions, please feel free to reach out too Marni Ford or Sarah Bailey at bbptapsliaison@gmail.com

We look forward to a productive school year!

Upcoming SEID Events

Raising Emotionally Healthy Kids with Technology

Join Alice Lynch, a therapist & parent coach who specializes in digital dependency in children & teens, for a presentation and Q&A on how to raise emotionally healthy children with technology.

Thursday May 8th, 630pm BBHS Auditorium. Use this link to register:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdwY3h4i4m320HmvhEuJkHonW5xKV2G8C2YT8-6pbpO94TR5A/viewform

thank you!-Presented by PTA + SEID + Ok to Delay

Mike McLeod ADHD Parenting Workshops

Mike McLeod GrowNowADHD for two more parenting workshops this year.

Monday, April 28th - 7pm at BMPRSS Cafetorium
Monday, May 19th - 7pm at BMPRSS Cafetorium

Each session is $50 per family (parents only) and you can sign up for one or both nights.

To register and reserve your spot - fill out the attached by April 15th Register for MIke McLeod Workshop.

Each session will be focused on different topics:

Social executive functions - making and keeping friends
Self regulation and negative attention seeking in the home - argument vortex
Self motivation towards non preferred task
Sibling interactions - fighting

If you have questions or feedback - feel free to reach out to us at bbptapsliaison@gmail.com

Thanks,

Marni Ford and Sarah Bailey-SEID Leadership

SEID Resources

New to Special Education?

You Are Not Alone

Although, as parents, we all strive to support our children, special education parents need various levels of special support ourselves. Many of us are new to the NYS special education laws and procedures, we may worry about acceptance or bullying affecting our children, and we may look ahead to an unfamiliar path forward. SEID seeks to bring parents together to support one another as we face these challenges.

Would you like to talk one-on-one with a parent who also has a special education student?

Email blindbrookseid@gmail.com. We'll do our best to match you with a parent of a student older than your child.

Would you like to attend a workshop to prepare yourself to navigate Special Education?

Look for PTA emails regarding SEID workshops.
Keep an eye on the WIHD Workshop Calendar.
Keep an eye on the WILC Workshop Calendar.

Would you like to read up on special education online?

Get started on our Helpful Links page.

Would you like to learn more about classroom accommodations?

If you're not sure what kinds of accommodations might help your child in the classroom, you can get some ideas here.

Would you like to meet other parents at a SEID networking meeting?

Join the SEID email list by emailing blindbrookseid@gmail.com. Look out for meeting invitations.

Would you like a trained Parent Member to attend your CSE meeting?

A Parent Member attends meetings to support the parent's understanding of the CSE process. Parent Members are not Advocates; they are expected to attend in a neutral way and help clarify understanding. To become a parent member, one must have a child who has an IEP currently or had an IEP within the past five years. A parent member earns a certificate for 5 hours of training and is appointed by the Board of Education.
When you complete the response to your meeting invitation, check off the "Parent Member" check box. The district will reach out to a Blind Brook Parent Member on your behalf.

Would you like a trained Parent Member to attend your 504 meeting?

The 504 process does not require the district to offer you a Parent Member for a meeting. However, if you email blindbrookseid@gmail.com, SEID will attempt to find you a trained Parent Member or other parent who you can bring to your meeting.

Did you know?

You can invite anyone you'd like to your child's CSE or 504 meeting. Just let the district know in advance who you have invited.
By law, districts must send parents student evaluations and reports "a reasonable time frame" before a CSE or 504 meeting. This is generally accepted as 5 days. If you feel you have not had enough time to review your child's evaluations before a meeting, you can request it to be rescheduled.
Parents are also expected to share private evaluations intended for a CSE or 504 meeting within a reasonable time before the meeting.
IEP support extends to school-sponsored extracurricular activities. For more information, ask your child's Case Manager, or ask at your next review meeting.
Learn more on SEID's Lean In page!

Lean In

The Advocacy Lifestyle

Review The Plan

Organize your paperwork. Review the IEP, especially the GOALS and SERVICES sections.

Reflect on whether the IEP reflects the long term goals:

On track for regents diploma or local diploma?
On track for independent living or group living situation?
On track for college, other programs, the job market?

Friendly Introduction

Email your child's team to introduce yourself-

Explain your interest in working together in partnership this school year.
Highlight your child's strengths and weaknesses.
Teachers receive a copy of the IEP/504 Plan, but there is nothing to stop you from picking out highlights from the IEP/504 Plan to emphasize directly in your email.

Look Out For Regression

If you feel your child regressed over the summer, ask for Regression Testing. Depending on the results, this could build a case for services next summer (known as Extended School Year (ESY)).

Monitor the Services Schedule

If your child gets related services, ask the case manager for the therapy schedule. That will help you to monitor the implementation of the IEP.

You can ask your child the day of scheduled services whether they saw the provider that day - keep your own record of any cancellations.
You can ask the related services provider for an attendance record.
If a service provider cancels a session, your child is entitled to a make-up session. (If a session gets canceled because your child is absent from school, he or she is not entitled to a make-up.)
Most school districts do not provide a make-up session unless a parent requests it.

All Services Identified in an IEP Should Be Implemented

If a teacher, service provider, or your child communicates that some aspect of the IEP/504 plan cannot be implemented because of a resource limitation (not enough kids for a cohort, lack of training/staffing, etc), contact the case manager.

This is called Lack of Implementation, and it is not acceptable under the law.
Once the CSE has identified a need, the CSE must address it. If the school does not have appropriate personnel on staff to address the need, the district needs to bring in a resource or find an outside program that can address the need.
If the provider or case manager do not resolve the issue, you can bring it to the attention of the CSE chair, the Asst Director of Pupil Services, the Director of Pupil Services, then Dr. Curtin, then the Superintendent, and then the BOE.
If you still have a concern that services have not been implemented, you can contact NYSED's Special Education Quality Assurance office: https://www.nysed.gov/special-education/special-education-quality-assurance-hudson-valley-regional-office

Meet with Your Child's Team Periodically Over the Course of the Year

Request a team meeting of people who work with your child at school. (This is not a program review meeting, no need to include CSE/504 chair. The idea is to have a brief check-in from time to time.)

Request a meeting when there is an issue. Keep your email BIFF: Brief, Informative, Friendly, Firm
After the team meeting, email a summary to all in attendance
- Planned follow-ups
- Next meeting
- Who is doing what
Teachers' schedules are not inherently flexible. If a team meeting is not possible, you can check in with team members individually.
Special Education providers participate in Parent/Teacher Conference Days/Evenings. You can email them to schedule a conference.

Progress Reports

Look out for quarterly special education progress reports (every 10 weeks).

A related service provider or teacher should note how the child is progressing for each goal. If the child is "progressing gradually" or "progressing inconsistently" on any goal:
- Ask for specific data - how was progress measured? Are there artifacts to support this rating?
- Ask to meet with the team
- Discuss how to make more progress toward the goal(s) in question
- The goals on the IEP are designed to be attainable. Keep checking in mid-year to see how progress is going and whether the program needs to be tweaked in order to get to the goal.

Don't Recycle Everything

As your child brings work/assessments home or posts work in Google Classroom, keep representative examples for your records. These are evidence of progress that you can refer to as you prepare for the annual review meeting.

If a New Challenge Comes Up...

If a new challenge surfaces, you can call for a Program Review Meeting.

There may be new evaluations to conduct.
If the CSE or 504 Committee identifies a new need, the team should update the plan.
If a service provider refers you to a private therapist because the district does not have a professional trained to address your child's new need, bring this to the attention of the case manager and Director of Pupil Services. In a case like this, if a new need is identified and an appropriate provider is not on staff, the district should bring in an outside resource or come up with another appropriate plan. This would be addressed in a Program Review Meeting.

The IDEA Provides for Extracurricular Support

Unless there is an audition/try-out, all school-sponsored clubs and extracurricular activities are open to everyone (RSS offers Destination Imagination, Multi-cultural Club. The MS/HS offers after school clubs, theater productions, Destination Imagination, and some sports teams that do not include a try-out).

For any extracurricular activity your child chooses, if you anticipate that they will need accommodations or support in order to participate successfully, or if the child demonstrates the need for support, bring the issue to the attention of your case manager.
The district or school will not necessarily flag a child's IEP, challenges, or accommodations to extracurricular advisors or coaches. It's really up to the parent to advocate. You can ask the case manager to get in touch, or you can get in touch directly with the coach/advisor.
The IDEA provides for services and accommodations to extend to extracurriculars when there is a related challenge. For example, if a drama club student has access to audiobooks at school due to a reading challenge, it would be appropriate to ask for an audio version of the school play's script to be available to that student.

Helpful Links

Blind Brook Pupil Services Department Newsletter

Learn more about what's new in Pupil Services, especially with respect to initiatives, programming, and FAQ.

Blind Brook CSE/504 Handbook

To learn more about the district's special education policies and processes, take a few minutes to read the Blind Brook CSE/504 Handbook, which has been developed by the Pupil Services department.

WIHD IEP Resources

Student and Parent Plain Language IEP Form
Student-Parent Worksheet: Think through the input you would like to offer a the next CSE meeting.
Suggested timeline for preparing for the CSE Annual Review Meeting.

NYS Office of Special Education (OSE) Resources: Training Documents and Webinars

Learn about the Special Education process, specially designed instruction, behavior interventions, and planning your child's transition beyond K-12 education.

Understood.org

A website dedicated to understanding learning differences and helping every learner thrive.

Special Education Acronyms

A guide to common abbreviations used in special education.

New York State Guide to IEP Development and Implementation

This guide spells out who may participate in developing an IEP, what steps are involved, and what the sections of the document mean.

New York State Guide to Statewide Testing Accommodations

When considering whether a student needs accommodations or modifications on standardized tests, New York State refers families and educators to this document to guide decisions and implementation.

Additude

A website/magazine offering guidance and support for living with ADHD and its related conditions.

CHADD

An organization dedicated to improving the lives of people affected by ADHD.

Autism Speaks

An organization dedicated to promoting solutions, across the spectrum and throughout the life span, for the needs of individuals with autism and their families.

WrightsLaw

Information about special education law, education law, and advocacy for children with disabilities.

Parent to Parent

A support network for families who care for a person with developmental disabilities.

Beyond K-12

College and Employment: From Hope to Strategy

Colleges, Universities, and Employers are more mindful of neurodiversity than ever before. Here is a taste of some programs, discussions, and opportunities for the neurodiverse community.

K&W Guide to Colleges for Students with Learning Differences

Power To Fly's Discussion of Neurodiverse Talent Recruiting Practices and Employee Accommodations

Specialisterne: An Organization Dedicated to Enabling Meaningful Jobs for the Neurodivergent Community