(Room 210) SFUSD Special Education Classroom Placements & IEPs
Presenter: Jenny Jimenez Payne, SFUSD Special Education Services and Michelle Fukuda, SFUSD Educational Placement Center
Description: Come join this workshop to learn about the different types of placement options in SFUSD. Presenters will provide descriptions about the different types of Special Education classroom settings and where our specialized classrooms are located. We will also be answering your questions about the special education enrollment process!
Spanish interpretation available
Cantonese interpretation available
(Room 211) Transition Planning – Accessing Services for Your Older Child (Panel Discussion)
Panelists: Moderator: Linda Tung, from Support for Families; Panelists: The Arc, Independent Living Resource Center San Francisco, San Francisco Unified School District Transition Services, Golden Gate Regional Center (GGRC)
(Room 111) Youth Mental Health: Parents as Allies and Advocates
Presenter: Andrew Tuttle, National Alliance for Mental Illness
Description: Parents as Allies and Advocates is an educational presentation that provides an overview of youth mental health for parents/caregivers. The program includes information about mental health conditions, contributing factors, warning signs, communication strategies, and information about self-care and community resources.
Spanish interpretation available
Related Materials: Handouts
(Room 109) Best Practices for Inclusion & Universal Design for Learning
Presenters: Karma Quick-Panwala, Community Alliance for Special Education (CASE), Vanessa D. Marrero, MSW Executive Director Parents for Public Schools of San Francisco
Description: Universal Design for Learning is an approach that supports the diversity of children in Early Childhood settings to access, engage, participate, and express themselves in all learning opportunities. Participants of this training will explore the idea of belonging as a key element of inclusion and learn, practice and apply the concepts of UDL to ensure programs are able to meet the diverse needs of children in their programs. Suggestions in IEP goals about how to include kids and how to make it a reality for your child.
Spanish interpretation available
Cantonese interpretation available
Related Materials: Getting Started with UDL, Inclusive Practices Classroom Tools, UDL Basics Understood
(Viewing Room 214) VIRTUAL-Disagreeing Productively: Utilizing Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) for your Child’s IEP
Description: San Francisco Unified School District Partners with the Bar Association of San Francisco to provide free, neutral facilitation for IEP disputes. Bar Association Facilitators can support IEP teams whether the conflict is technical or relational, with the goal of helping IEP teams communicate better and come to agreements that support the student. Join Adriana Aro, the ADR administrator for SFUSD to learn more about ADR offerings.
Spanish interpretation available
Cantonese interpretation available
Related Materials: Presentation Slides
(Room 210) Overview of SFUSD Special Education Related Services
Presenter: Princess Tucker, SFUSD Related Services Supervisor
Description: Have you ever wondered about what related services are offered? Presenters will share information about the different types of specialized services that are offered and where and how students receive these services.
Spanish interpretation available
Cantonese interpretation available
(Room 211) College and Career Planning for Students with Disabilities (Panel Discussion)
Panelists: Workability/SFUSD Transition Partnership Program, Jewish Vocational Services, SF State Disability Services, Department of Rehabilitation
Description: Does your child have a transition plan? Are you aware of the resources available for them at a junior college, a state college, or at work? Representatives from various agencies will provide an overview of the resources and support their organizations provide to individuals with disabilities.
Spanish interpretation available
(Room 111) Parenting Support – Staying Calm When Your Kids are Not
Description: Do your children trigger you? Do you match anger with more anger? Or do you want to hide from conflict? You CAN interrupt these reactions and replace them with productive responses. You can hold calm power, both inside and out. We’ll dive into the habits, tools, and techniques that help both you and your kiddos stay regulated. We’ll cover your reactivity profile, closing the stress cycle, regulation techniques for kids and grown-ups, and what to do when the sh– hits the fan.
(Room 108) Disagreeing Productively: Utilizing Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) for your Child’s IEP
Presenter: Adriana Aro, SFUSD ADR Program
Description: San Francisco Unified School District Partners with the Bar Association of San Francisco to provide free, neutral facilitation for IEP disputes. Bar Association Facilitators can support IEP teams whether the conflict is technical or relational, with the goal of helping IEP teams communicate better and come to agreements that support the student. Join Adriana Aro, the ADR administrator for SFUSD to learn more about ADR offerings.
Spanish interpretation available
Related Materials: Presentation Slides
(Room 109) Maybe it’s Dyslexia? How to Spot the Signs
Presenter: Kristen Koeller, Decoding Dyslexia
Description: Are you concerned your child might have dyslexia? Come to this workshop to find out what kind of testing needs to happen to identify dyslexia in children and what you as a parent can do and where you can ask the school to help.
Related Materials: Presentation Slides
(Viewing Room 214) VIRTUAL- Mental Health Q&A
Presenter: Rachel Pelletier
Spanish interpretation available
Cantonese interpretation available
Related Materials: Square Breathing
(Room 210) Understanding Assessments
Presenters: Community Alliance for Special Education, and Scott Ostendorf and Cynthia Ortiz Front, PhD., SFUSD Special Education Psychological Services
Description: Successful Individual Education Plans (IEPs) rely on assessments. Do you know how to read and understand these very important tests? Attend this workshop to understand how to request, read and understand assessments. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn and ask questions about the assessment process!
Spanish interpretation available
Cantonese interpretation available
Related Materials: Presentation Slides
(Room 211) Understanding Conservatorship and the Alternatives
Presenter: Alexis Lynch, Attorney, Law Office of Alexis Lynch
Description: Did you know that in order to maintain the legal rights to make important decisions concerning your child’s residence, medical treatment and education after age 18, you must be appointed conservator by a judge? And if you’re not there, who is going to be there to support your child? Do you have a plan? Conservatorship is an important step for some families of a child with special needs transitioning into adulthood. This workshop will explain what conservatorship is, why it is sometimes necessary, and alternatives that may work for your family. We will also cover an overview of the process for setting one up through your local court.
Spanish interpretation available
Related Materials: Handouts
(Room 111) Behavior Support at School
Presenter: Cathy Sherman, SFUSD Related Services Supervisor
Description: Many kids are struggling with the return to school after the pandemic. In this workshop, we will discuss the tools SFUSD has to support students at school and explore ways parents can help kids return to school and manage behavior through a positive and trauma-informed lens.
Related Materials: OTTP Positive Behavior Support
(Room 108) Healthy Sexuality for Teens with Disabilities
Description: What are the best ways to approach talking about sexuality with your teen who has intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (I/DD) and Autism? Presenters will share research supporting sexuality education for people with I/DD and Autism and give suggestions for how to best explore conversations about dating, intimacy, curiosity, and healthy boundaries as well as personal beliefs and attitudes related to sexuality and disability. (*disclaimer this workshop may not be appropriate for children)
Spanish interpretation available
(Room 109) How Autism Families Can Create Community
Presenter: Autism Society
Description: Autism Families often find themselves isolated from neurotypical community activities. There are ways to make that situation better! Learn about local resources that already provide events and activities for our families, and hear about ideas on how we can expand ASD community events.
Spanish interpretation available
Cantonese interpretation available