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Articles include: SPIN is co-sponsored by the Disability & Communication Access Board and the Special Education Section of the Department of Education. Services include a phone line for information referral and support, a quarterly newsletter, an annual conference and community workshops. Guiding SPIN is our Advisory Committee: Ruth Akiona, Maggie Baxter, Mike Fahey, Amy Hogan, Laura Kealaiki, Steve Laracuente, Thalia Lehano, Donna McLanahan, Scott O'Brien, Christina Pilkington, Millie Rogers, Richele Thornburg & Lori Tokuhama. SPIN PHONE FAX E-MAIL WEB Hawaii Families as Allies will be having it's 2nd Annual Family Conference "Don't Laugh at Me" on June 22, 2002. This year, the focus will be on the acceptance of children and adolescents with behavioral, emotional and mental health challenges. HFAA will also have a Youth Conference on June 21, 2002. The theme this year is "It's a Jungle Out There". The focus will be on building self esteem, feeling good about yourself, self-acceptance and acceptance by others. Kaanoi Kaapana, Public Education Assistant for the Mental Health Association and Linda Lantieri, an internationally known expert in social and emotional learning, conflict resolution, and intergroup relations are the keynote speakers for both conferences. Registration forms will be available on March 15. Please call HFAA at 487-8785 (Neighbor Islands can call collect), if you would like to be added to the mailing list. JUDY WOOD GIVES TIPS TO PARENTS Dr. Judy Wood, professor of special education at Virginia Commonwealth University and special education at Virginia Commonwealth University and author of Reaching the Hard to Teach, will be the featured speaker at two parent workshops sponsored by the Department of Education. The two workshops, one on Oahu and one in Hilo, will focus on strategies parents can use to help their children with special needs be more successful in school. Both workshops will be held on Saturdays from 9:00 - 11:30 a.m. Moanalua Middle will host the February 23rd presentation. No location has been announced yet for the March 3rd workshop in Hilo. Seating will be limited, so call SPIN soon to guarantee your reservation. BUILDING A POSITIVE SUPPORT PLAN In our December issue, we described the first steps of providing positive support to a student whose behavior is getting in the way of his or her learning. We talked about a tool--the Initial Line of Inquiry (ILOI)--that can be very helpful in assessing or figuring out the function of a challenging behavior and what factors might be helping to trigger that behavior. The ILOI ends with a hypothesis, or best guess, based on all the information gathered that states, "Given these circumstances _____ (slow triggers), when ______ occurs (fast triggers), the student does ______ (problem behavior), in order to _______ (perceived function)." Positive Behavior Support Process This article will look at the
next three steps in the process: MOST COMMON To obtain: To escape/avoid: DESIGNING A BEHAVIOR SUPPORT
PLAN Slow trigger (setting event) strategies Fast trigger strategies Strategies for teaching skills required for the desired replacement/alternative behaviors Consequence strategies (either reward strategies for desired behavior or consequences for undesired behavior). In some cases, it might be necessary to also develop a crisis/emergency plan to address a dangerous or serious situation. Examples might be threat of injury to self or others, destruction of property or a major disturbance of the teaching process. IMPLEMENTING THE BSP EVALUATING THE BSP If a problem behavior proves resistant to change, it may be necessary to move back into the assessment phase, so that more data can be gathered and a new hypothesis developed. Providing positive behavior support to students is an ongoing process that must be flexible enough to meet the changing needs of the student and his or her environment. BARRIERS TO EFFECTIVE For more information on BSPs call SPIN or your District School-Based Behavioral Health Specialist. **Workshop on Behavioral Interventions The School-Based Behavioral
Health Services (DOE) and the Child & Adolescent Mental Health
Division (DOH) are sponsoring a one-day training--"Understanding
the Problems and Interventions for Disruptive Behaviors"
- in various locations around the state from mid-January to mid-April.
Participants will gain knowledge about specific problem areas
and related evidence-based interventions including Attention
Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Oppositional Defiant Disorder
and Conduct Disorder. Evidence-based interventions are
those which have been proven to be successful through published
research. To find the workshp closest to you, check our web site
(www.spinhawaii.org) or call SPIN for a training schedule. PROMOTING LITERACY AT HOME: TIPS FOR PARENTS Literacy means the ability to read and write. Often we see our children with special needs struggling to master literacy skills. Many parents believe that school is the best place for children to learn these skills. But when parents team up with schools to help their children read and write, their progress improves dramatically. There are a number of fairly simple literacy activities that we can weave into our daily routines and help to make a difference in our children's learning. Here are a few tips: FOR PARENTS OF CHILDREN OF
ANY AGE FOR PARENTS OF YOUNGER CHILDREN FOR PARENTS OF OLDER CHILDREN The Hawaii Down Syndrome Congress, a Family Support Group, announces the birth of its new web site at: hawaiidownsyndrome.com and our new (FREE) parent packet that includes the book, "BABIES with DOWN SYNDROME, A New Parent's Guide." The aim of the Hawaii Down
Syndrome Congress is to foster self advocacy and self confidence
in persons with Down Syndrome and their families. We are building
a sense of community and fellowship for all persons concerned
with Down Syndrome. Easter Seals Hawaii announces a new program for brothers and sisters, age 4-12, of children with special needs. It's a unique opportunity to meet and talk with other brothers and sisters who know what it's like to have a sibling with a disability. Sibshop participants also learn more about disabilities and the services that people with disabilities receive. But most of all they have FUN! There are monthly events, like the February 23rd Sibshop from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for ages 7-12 that will be held at Easter Seals Hawaii, 710 Green Street in Honolulu. This workshop for siblings only will be a fun mixture of games, discussions, activities and lunch. To register your son or daughter for this Sibshop, or to gain more information about this exciting program, call Nicole Deligans at 536-1015. Registrations for events must be made at least one week before each Sibshop. "HANDS-ON ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY" Need to learn more about assistive
technology? Heard the term but don't know what it means? Don't
miss "Hands-On Assistive Technology," a television
course offered by the Department of Education. When: January 29 March
8, Tuesdays & Fridays, The National Association of
the Deaf is offering free loans on open-captioned videos as part
of its Captioned Media Progam. The videos have been selected
by Master Teachers of Deaf and hard of hearing students and targeted
for the full range of students from preschool through high school. "MAKING
DREAMS COME TRUE" 8:30 a.m. - 9:00 a.m. - Registration 9:00 a.m. 9:45 a.m. 9:45 a.m. 10:00 a.m.
- Networking Break 11:15 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. - Networking Break 11:30 a.m. 12:45 p.m. Buffet Luncheon * More Fairy Tales -* Awards Presentation 12:45 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. 2:00 p.m. 2:15 p.m. - Networking Break 2:15 p.m. 3:30 p.m. Hawaii Families As Allies Workshops 4/23 3/4, 3/11, 3/18 Effective Communication 3/5, 3/19, Oppositional Defiant
Disorder Feb. 23 Dealing with Difficult
Behaviors Feb. 25 Raising a Child with
a Brain Injury (BIA of Hawaii) March 4 PAC RIM Conference March 8 Making Your Voice Heard April 27 2002 SPIN Conference June 21 HFAA Youth Conference |