Coming to the Lowcountry: Wednesday, September 18, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Lowcountry Conference Center 406 Sigma Dr, Summerville, SC 29486   Across South Carolina, more families are navigating raising a child with a disability while experiencing housing instability. Join Family Connection of South Carolina to learn more about rights and resources for students under two federal laws, the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) and McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. This free, one-day training is open to professionals and family-serving organizations and will include an in-depth discussion on identification, coordination, and implementation in South Carolina. Register!   For questions or accommodations, email trainings@familyconnectionsc.org.

Many children live with anxiety and fears. In this family chat, families will have a chance to hear strategies from clinical psychologist Dr. Lauren Moskowitz whose research focuses upon parent-mediated approaches to improve the quality of life for anxious youth with IDD and autism. The event will be held on Zoom on September 24th from 8 - 9 PM.   QUESTIONS? Send Chantai@parentingspecialneeds.org any questions or challenges regarding accessing care for your loved one you would like addressed in this Family Chat. Register here!

Helping Your Child Reach Their Potential Thursday, September 26 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.   Cindy Tomlinson will discuss the important role parents play in laying the foundations for children’s success at school and beyond. Learn the six tips to being an effective teacher at home. The series focuses on positive ways to promote children’s development, and is designed for parents and caregivers of children up to age 12--but all parents are welcome. Each session is approved for 1.5 hours of Foster Parent Credit. Register!

Registration Participants must register in order to recieve the webinar link. REGISTER NOW. About the Program This course delivers instruction on essential featues that are part of a Boardmaker 7 Subscription; the Boardmaker Editor, myBoardmaker.com, and the Boardmaker Student Center. Target Audience: Recommended for anyone that has not received formal training in Boardmaker 7. Participants Will Learn: How to use components together to maximize learning and efficiency. Create, edit, find, play, and assign; all with your Boardmaker Subscription. How to create activities from scratch and with Boardmaker templates. How to find pre-made activities and curricula. How to play and manage activities. About the Presenter John Gragnani - Tobii Dynavox John Gragnani is the Director of Education Accounts for Tobii Dynavox (Boardmaker). He has worked for the past 14 years with organizations on how to acquire and implement Boardmaker, as well as, legacy Boardmaker versions for instruction. Prior to his work with Boardmaker, John was a Regional Director for Tobii Dynavox for 9 years working with individuals using high tech AAC to improve lives through greater communication. John was also Director of the UPC/Infinitec AT Center in Chicago and has been a sign language interpreter for over 20 years.

Life Care Planning: Making the Future More Secure for Your Family October 7, 11:30 - 12:30 p.m.   Presented by Douglas A. Vogel, Special Care Planner, this session will review components of a Life Care Plan and recommended steps parents and caregivers can take to create one for their child with disabilities or specific health care needs. This workshop will address protecting government benefit eligibility for Supplemental Security Income and Medicaid, creating special needs trusts, the importance of a will, guardianship, financial strategies including ABLE Accounts and preparing Letters of Intent. Attendees will leave this session with a comprehensive overview of available resources and necessary tools to help develop their personal agenda to best meet the needs of their family. Register!

Registration Participants must register to recieve the webinar link. REGISTER NOW. About the Program In this webinar, Kyle demonstrates the core features of Clicker Writer. During the session, Kyle will: Navigate participants through the core features of Clicker Writer Speech Support, Word Prediction, Voice Notes, Analytics. Explain how Clicker Grids enable students to write with whole words and phrases. Emerging writers build sentences word-by-word, while Word Banks provide scaffolding to support developing writers. Target Audience: Special Education Teachers, Assistive Technology Specialists, Occupational Therapists Participants will Learn: How to utilize the ready-made resources created by our team of teachers How to quickly scaffold and differentiate Clicker’s Writing Grids to meet individual learner needs How to create custom writing resources (Sentence Sets, Connect Sets, Word Banks, Planning Boards About the Presenter Kyle Odierno Education Sales Consultant and MBA student at Sacred Heart University

Support Parent Training Saturday, October 12, 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.   Are you a South Carolina parent/caregiver of a child with a disability? Would you like to become a volunteer Support Parent and offer emotional support to other parents who have a child with a similar diagnosis as your child? This four-hour evidence-based training will give you the skills to help educate, inspire, and empower parents and their children to live rich, fulfilling lives. As a volunteer of Family Connection, a Support Parent provides emotional support and information to families of individuals with disabilities or other special needs. Attendees who complete the training will receive a certificate as well as additional opportunities for skill development and volunteer time during their year commitment with Family Connection of SC. Learn more and register!

Registration Participants must register to receive the webinar link. REGISTER NOW. About the Program This hour-long webinar celebrates White Cane Day by highlighting the significance of the white cane as a symbol of independence and mobility for people who are blind or have low vision. The event will feature informative presentations on the history and importance of White Cane Day, personal stories from white cane users. Participants will learn about the history and significance of the white cane and white cane day. Participants will learn about the types of white canes including low- and high-tech options. Participants will learn the benefits of using a white cane. About the Presenter Amanda Stolz, COMS/TVI Amanda Stolz is the Chief Programs Officer of Adult Services at the Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired South Carolina. She has been a Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist and Certified Teacher of Students with Visual Impairments for 15 years. Accommodations CART captioning is provided for all SCATP webinars. If you need an additional accommodation to participate, please contact us at least one week prior to the webinar via e-mail or by phone at 803-935-5263. Webinars are recorded and archived on our training page.

How to Tuesday: All About TEFRA Tuesday, October 15 7:00- 7:45 p.m. Join the health care team for a conversation on TEFRA Medicaid, including a page-by-page review of the application and what to expect during the review process. Come with a copy of your application and questions for this 45 minute virtual session. Register! Need the application? Download a copy here: https://www.familyconnectionsc.org/tefra-download/

Registration Participants must register to receive the webinar link. REGISTER NOW. About the Program Discover the transformative power of collaboration in special education!  This engaging webinar will explore practical strategies for enhancing teamwork among educators, paraprofessionals, administrators, and parents to create a dynamic literacy learning environment.  Learn how to overcome common challenges, leverage digital tools, and implement best practices that will elevate your collaborative efforts and ultimately boost learner success. Target Audience: AT, Paraprofessionals, SpEd Administrators, SpEd Teachers, Practitioners Identify and implement effective strategies to overcome common collaboration challenges, including communication breakdowns and role confusion in special education settings. Develop a comprehensive plan to enhance parental engagement, utilizing a variety of communication methods and involvement opportunities. Apply digital tools and consistent instructional frameworks to streamline communication and foster a cohesive team approach in supporting learners with complex needs. About the Presenters Trisha Johnson Trisha Johnson has been an advocate for learners for the last 26 years and now serves as the president of Building Wings.  She believes that ALL Means ALL and that all learners can learn reading, writing, and communication skills.  She splits her time between Illinois and South Carolina.  You can follow her on LinkedIn, X, and Instagram. Accommodations […]

Changing Problem Behavior into Positive Behavior Thursday, October 24 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Join us for the final session in our three-part series. Cindy Tomlinson will address types of behaviors, why it’s important to address, and how to handle. Come with questions as we discuss six important steps to change or manage behavior. The session is designed for parents and caregivers of children up to age 12--but all parents are welcome. This session is approved for 1.5 hours of Foster Parent Credit. Register!

This virtual session, with guest speaker Amber Lydford from SC Vocational Rehabilitation Department (SCVRD), will provide information and support for young adults with disabilities who are approaching turning 18. In this session, participants will learn about their rights and resources, including navigating health care services and transitioning from TEFRA Medicaid, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), employment opportunities and more. Attendees will also learn more about what’s available through SCVRD and how to access services in their communities. Young adults over 17, parents with children of all ages and professionals are welcome to attend! Register!