A Brief Overview Full Article When a child is born with a disability or the family realizes early that an impairment might impact a young child’s ability to learn and develop at a typical rate, the family can get help from the state. Early Support for Infants and Toddlers (ESIT) is managed by Washington’s Department Read More
A Brief Overview: Full Article The Procedural Safeguards are a written set of legal protections under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) designed to ensure that students with special needs receive appropriate education. IDEA, implemented under Washington State law, requires schools to provide the parents/guardians of a student who is eligible for or referred Read More
What is person-centered planning? Person-centered planning focuses on you! It’s about making plans for your future based on what you like, need, and dream about. You get to make big decisions, and the plan adapts as you grow. What happens to my accommodations and services when I graduate or leave high school? In high school, Read More
Brief overview: Full Article You can also type “assistive technology” in the search bar at wapave.org to find other articles where assistive technology is mentioned. What is assistive technology (AT)? Who uses it? Where is it used?Assistive technology (AT) is any item, device, or piece of equipment used by people with disabilities to maintain or Read More
A Brief Overview Every family experiences holidays and end-of-year transitions differently. This article provides a sampling of ideas for families with children experiencing special healthcare needs. If a child also experiences behavioral difficulties, you may wish to read Home for the Holidays: The Gift of Positive Behavior Support Here are some quick takeaways: Full Article Read More
Military families are likely to switch schools more often than other families. This can require learning new rules and finding new resources. To help plan, here are five valuable tips for a smooth PCS (permanent change of station, which is the military language for “relocation”) with a special educational or medical needs child. Tip 1: Read More
A Brief Overview Full Article Everyone has moments when they hear something and pause to wonder, Is that true? Parents/caregivers in meetings with their child’s school can feel particularly confused when something doesn’t sound right. They might wonder whether it’s appropriate to question school authorities. They might not understand all the words being spoken. Fear Read More
StartNow! Program Life after high school can be challenging, and transitioning to work, college, andindependent living means taking on more responsibilities. Start Now! supports studentswith disabilities in middle school, high school, and during high school transition toenvision their life beyond high school. Start Now! invites and offers interactive opportunities for all students with disabilities to Read More
A Brief Overview Keeping track of important documents for your child’s health can save you time and give you less stress. Take advantage of technology! If you choose to build a digital storage system, integrating it with your smart phone will make it easy to share information on-the-go with doctors, day care providers, school staff, Read More
Self-care is not selfish. Self-care is any activity or strategy that helps you survive and thrive in your life. Without regular self-care, it can become impossible to keep up with work, support and care for others, and manage daily activities. PAVE knows that self-care can be particularly challenging for family members caring for someone with Read More
Why Get Help from PTI? Parent Training and Information (PTI) is federally funded to support family caregivers, youth, and professionals. We know educational systems use a lot of complicated words and follow procedures that can feel confusing. We do our best to provide tips for communicating as members of a school-and-family team that develops a student’s Read More
A Brief Overview Full Article If you are a student with an Individualized Education Program (IEP), read this article to find out how you can be a leader on your IEP team. Your future is counting on you! By the time you are 16 years old, the school is required to invite you to your IEP meetings. Read More
Students of all abilities have the right to a solid education to get ready for adult life. Students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) have a right to participate in IEP meetings to make sure the program is a good set-up for higher education, vocational training, work—whatever comes next after graduation. Schools are required to invite Read More
The Washington State Legislature passed a law in 2019 that changes graduation requirements and may impact students who receive special education services. House Bill (HB) 1599 changes the rules about which tests students must pass in order to graduate and how they can earn a diploma. The new law removes the direct link between statewide Read More
By Tim McCue Self Advocacy Educator Pronouns: he/him/his Office of Developmental Disabilities Ombuds The Developmental Disabilities Ombuds; what are they all about? Are you frustrated with your DD services? We are here to help! An ombuds is a person who makes sure that people who are getting a certain type of service have protection and Read More