SELPA CAC Winter 2012 - Hemet Unified School District

Riverside County Special Education Local Plan Area
(SELPA) Community Advisory Committee (CAC)
Winter 2012—2013 Newsletter
DESCRIPTION OF CAC
The Community Advisory Committee (CAC) is a
team of parents of children enrolled in special
education and individuals with a personal or
professional interest in securing appropriate
services for students with disabilities. The CAC
membership represents each of the 22 Riverside
County Special Education Local Plan Areas
(SELPA) member Local Education Agencies
(LEAs), including the Riverside County Office of
Education. The CAC works collaboratively with
the SELPA and districts in the review and
development of the Local Plan. CAC members
support parents’ efforts to meet the special needs
of each and every child. We encourage you to ask
questions and seek the information you need to
make wise decisions about your child’s education
and future life successes.
GOAL AND VISION
The broad goal of the CAC is to involve
interested parents, students, teachers, and
education specialists in advising the County and
District Boards of Education and their
administrative and professional staff of the
unique requirements of students with
exceptional needs, and to assist the SELPA
administration in furthering and improving the
functioning of the Riverside County SELPA.
Our vision is to encourage parents to actively
participate and become knowledgeable,
empowered, and effective partners in the
development and implementation of learning
experiences for students with exceptional needs.
http://www.rcselpa.org/Home/CAC
The Holiday is a time together, feasting, and gratitude. Keep this in
mind when a child at your gathering acts out or melts down because
his routine is upset, his anxieties are triggered by large groups, his
senses are affronted by smells and tastes and sounds that are
unusual to him, and is overwhelmed by the expectation to act a
certain way because company is in town. Don’t glare and stare and
say, “if he lived with me, he’d know how to behave.” Realize that
some children have very real but invisible special needs, like autism,
Asperger's PDD, ADHD, FASD, anxiety, OCD and mood disorders.
Know that parents of kids with these brain-based disabilities work
very hard to help their kids succeed in a world that’s always
difficult and sometime hostile. And in the spirit of the holiday,
while you are busy letting go of judgment and accepting our
children for their differences, be grateful that your brain is flexible
and adaptable. Be thankful that you can control your action. Many
times they cannot.
Presidents Message
Winter is here! And with it comes exciting holidays, family gatherings and parties
with friends. As we are busy preparing for all of these, please take time out to
spend with our family members who don’t understand these times that disrupt
their structured schedules. As you take time out, be sure to give THANKS for all
those you LOVE and who LOVE you. This is a season to love one another in spite
of our busy schedules.
The year 2013 is almost upon us and we are all looking forward to interesting and
helpful training in January and March. We are expecting our March and April
workshops to be of great asset to all who attend. Thank you Alvord and Beaumont
for hosting by providing us with a place to meet.
I would also like to take this time to express my Thanks to all CAC members,
SELPA staff, and Special Education Administration for their time and efforts. I
look forward to continued success while working with each of you!
Send 2012 out with love and joy while expecting 2013 to be even better!
Jessie
2012—2013 CAC Calendar of Events—Business Meetings (Tuesday)
6:00 p.m. Riverside County SELPA Office
CVUSD, DSUSD & PSUSD (via teleconference)
1-15-13 “Winning” Strategies (ADR)”
3-19-13 “Finding Ability in Disability”
5-14-13 “Recognition Event & Elections”
Parent Training (Saturday)
3-2-13 (Alvord USD, Villegas MS) Panel Discussion: “Understanding
Neurological Disorders in Children”
April, 2013—Secondary Transition Workshop (day TBD) Beaumont High School

The holiday season can be a time of great beauty & joy spending time with
family & friends. For Individuals & families with special needs, it can also be a
time of great frustrations & bad behavior when routines are rearranged and
situations are uncomfortable for everyone. In the interest of helping to make
this season more joyful for our children, our CAC Members have given TIPS
for what has worked for them. Our wish is for a Happy & Peaceful Holiday
Season for all.
�Structure & routine are important to your children; try to keep in
place as much as you can. During this time try to keep most of the
routine in your child’s day.
�Decorate & show that you are celebrating something special.
�Play games, music & sing & dance.
�If visiting w/family, or family visiting in your home, give your child a
safe place to escape to & permission to do so if he/she needs to.
�Allow extra time for all activities & events.
�Include everyone in all activities.
�Try to remain calm. . . . Remember give & take.
�Children love music—have music available for the child.
�Behavior isn’t personal, try to keep your cool & your sense of humor.
�Take shifts on the holiday to give everyone a break.
�Practice skills your child needs ahead of time to work on to negotiate
the holidays.
�Use words/hand signals to communicate with your child & them with
you.
�Holidays can be stressful as well as joyful, remember if your child’s
behavior isn’t perfect, understand you are both doing the best you
can.
�HAVE FUN!!!!
Coping Strategies & Community
Resources for Parents
Dr. Tasha Arneson
The Invisible Disability
�There is not a lot of rhyme or reason as to who gets what child. Kids
with special needs come to families across the board. I have learned
more from parents than I have from my education, titles or licenses
and admire the strength, perseveration, patience and advocacy it
takes to be a parent of a challenging child with an ―invisible disability‖.
Folks tend to be more understanding and accommodating of
disabilities that can be physically seen. Parents of kids who struggle
with intense social/emotional difficulties often feel blamed for their
children’s behavior and have to do a lot of advocating to get the accommodations
needed.
�Challenging kids are like Mercedes Benzes with the brakes of a
Model T. They are often blessed with abundant energy, great potential,
strong intelligence, and curious and creative natures, but they
have limited internal patterning and limited tools and skills to manage
their incredible flow of energy, emotion and thought. They are children
with a disorder of self-control.
�To characterize the quality of being challenging is to describe children
HAVE who FUN are struggling frequently to control or maintain appropriate
behavior.
. . . Coping Strategies cont.
�These children require much greater effort, focus, inner-guidance and
self-control than the average child to achieve and maintain success.
Just as you have to work harder to meet the real demands of working
with such a child, an intense child has to work much harder than the
average child to appropriately control and channel his intensity.
�Challenging children struggle with lack of inhibition. There are times
when they cannot conjure up the inner control required to override
their impulses to do the inappropriate . . . often in ways that place
them in extreme conflict with their environment or the people close to
them even when they are trying to please or succeed. Without tools
and structure to deal with their intensity, these children are prone to
failure in most conventional systems.
Holidays with Challenging Kids
�Most think about relaxing over the holidays but you can’t with intense
kids. We see more hospitalizations during breaks with the lack of
structure. It is important to continue to advocate for your kids during
the holidays. They still have a disability, need your advocacy and
accommodations to function successfully: Share responsibility with
others; instead of inviting folks over, go to their house so you can
leave if things get too overwhelming; praise your children’s efforts
that often go unnoticed as they fall short of other’s expectations; don’t
forget to see the invisible disability during break, your child is counting
on you to be the their shield from others who don’t understand.
Supports and Services
�Assure you have the support you need. You may want to contact
―Parent Partners‖ [(888) 358-3622] to talk with parents of children
with disabilities hired by Riverside County Department of Mental
Health who know what you are going through, have learned effective
coping skills, and support others via support groups with parents.
�Ross Green’s Collaborative Problem Solving (CPS) approach (see
www.livesinthebalance.org) is highly effective with kids often described
as challenging, angry, defiant, and oppositional. This website
contains a ton of resources to help you learn about the strategies and
support you need to help these kids in ways that are compassionate
and effective.
�Be a good consumer – ask for school personnel to identify your
child’s ―lagging skill set‖, which most parents know, and to provide
targeted intervention. School districts are now implementing mental
health intervention programs, some particularly designed for students
with intense social, emotional and/or behavioral needs. To learn
more about what is available in your area, contact your IEP team
members. The district can also provide linkages to community based
services that may be free to the family, particularly those that are
Medi-Cal eligible. Our goal is to have a continuum of supports to
serve our students in the least restrictive environment. We can meet
this goal by working together as partners on behalf of our kids!
Happy Holidays

Parent Resources
� Coachella Valley Autism
Society America
Contact ASA Family Resource
Center at (760) 772-1000
www.cvasa.org
� Inland Empire Autism
Society of America (ASA)
Contact (951) 220-6922 or
www.ieautism.com
� Parents of Adults with Autism
Contact Jacquelyn Speaker
(909) 590-9668
� Teen/Young Adult
Contact Kelly Londenberg (951) 678-8666 or
Autismtoday@aol.com
� Our Nicholas Foundation
Contact (951) 303-8732 or
TeamOF@gmail.com
� Team of Advocates for Special Kids (TASK)
Contact Information & Resource Center (714) 533-TASK
(8275) or (866) 828-8275 (CA only)
� Fiesta Educativa, Inc. Contact Alma Rodriguez
(951) 567-4943
� Down Syndrome Association of Hemet
Contact Adele Cox (951) 852-1054 or
dsahemet@ymail.com
� Down Syndrome Association Riverside County West
http://dsarcw.org/links.htm
� Blindness Support Services (BSS)
http://blindnesssupport.com/
� Deaf Education & Families Project
www.csun.edu/deafproject
� Parent Links
www.myparentlinks.com
� “Through Your Child’s Eyes” American Sign Language
www.throughyourchildseyes.com
� California Department of Education Deaf & Hard
of Hearing
www.cde.ca.gov/sp/ss/dh
� American Society for Deaf Children
www.handsandvoices.org
� Office of Deaf Access
www.dss.cahwnet.gov/cdssweb
Resources, cont.
� National Association of the Deaf
www.nad.org
� California School for the Deaf—
Riverside
www.csdr-cde.ca.gov
� California Department of Education
www.cde.ca.gov
� Epilepsy Center
www.theepilepsycenter.org
� Inland Regional Center
www.inlandrc.org
� National Dissemination Center for Children w/Disabilities
(NICHCY)
www.nichcy.org
� CA Foundation for Independent Living Centers—YO
www.yodisabledproud.org/organize/disability-history-week.php
� Department of Mental Health
www.dmh.org
� Wrights Law-Self Advocacy Help
www.wrightslaw.com
� International Dyslexia Association
www.interdys.org/
� United Cerebral Palsy
www.Unitedcerebralpalsyie.com
� Office of Special Education & Rehabilitative Services
http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/osers/index.html
� California Department of Health Care Services
http://www.dhcs.ca.gov/pages/contacts.aspx
� Riverside County Children’s Mental Health Services &
Support, Parent-to-Parent Telephone Support Line: (951) 358
-3622 or toll free (888) 358-3622 or visit the website at:
http://mentalhealth.co.riverside.ca.us
� Riverside County Resources, Referrals & Support Line: (800)
464-1123 or simply dial 2-1-1. Cell phone users must dial the 800
number. 2-1-1 is available 24 hours everyday.
� NAMI—National Alliance on Mental Illness. Information, referrals
and support. Phone: (800) 950-NAMI(6264) email:
info@nami.org Website:
www.nami.org
� Partner Partners—Parents helping Parents navigate the
Mental Health System
Central: 951-358-5862
Desert: 760-863-8587
Western: 951-358-4840
or 888-358-3622 to find an office County Wide

2012—2013
CAC Executive Board
President~ Jessie Mann ~ Jurupa
(951) 961-0032
jessie_mann@yahoo.com
Vice President ~ Corey Stacy ~ Perris Union
(951) 244-4550 or (951) 805-3745
corey.stacy@verizon.net
Secretary ~ Debbie Zimmer ~ Menifee
(951) 672-3437
dzimmer6@verizon.net
Public Informationion Officer ~ Lori Enroth ~ Desert Sands
(760) 862-9982 or (760) 485-7087
miraclebaby99@aol.com
Member at Large ~ Selene Bermudez ~ Jurupa
(951) 333-2933
Selene.email@gmail.com
Member at Large ~ Phil Stein ~ Desert Sands
(760) 832-4699 or (760) 469-2006
pstein2@dc.rr.com or philswindycity@gmail.com
Past President ~ Marie Smith ~ Lake Elsinore
(951) 245-9961 or (951) 491-3592
leas_mom@hotmail.com or marie.smith@leusd.k12.ca.us
SELPA Representative ~ Sue Balt, Ph.D. ~ Ex. Director
(951) 490-0375 sue@rcselpa.org
Secretarial Support ~ Delores Hartin
(951) 490-0375 delores@rcselpa.org
(Para español comuníquese con) ~ Maribel Caparas (al o por
correo electrónico maribel@rcselpa.org )
Community Events
Capable Girls Group
A Social Network for girls 13—17 looking to make friends and have
Fun!! 1/9/13 to 4/24/13—Each Wednesday: 5 p.m. to 6:30 PM
For more information: https://ieautism.com/
or call 951-683-5193
Autism Research Group
ADVANCED BEHAVIORAL INTERVENTION WORKSHOP
. . .for professionals working with children with autism
1/17/13—8:30 AM.—4:00 PM
Airtel Plaza Hotel Concorde Ballroom
7277 Valjean Ave., Van Nuys, 91406
For more information: dplump@autismresearchgroup.org
Or call 818-345-2345 x 322
1st Business Meeting of New Year
Tuesday, 1/15/13—Time—6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Topic “Winning Strategies” (ADR)
Presented by Christa Smith—SELPA Coordinator
―Working Together to Develop a Winning IEP‖& learn easy tips on facilitating
communication for a positive IEP meeting outcome.
Parent Workshop—Saturday, 3/2/13——8:30 a.m.—2:00 p.m.
Alvord USD at Villegas Middle School—MP RM—3754 Harvill Lane, Riverside
Topic “Understanding Neurological Disorders In Children”
Presented by Tasha Arneson, Ph.D. SELPA Mental Health Case Manager
Darlene Wheeler, Ph.D., and others! LOOK FOR FLYER—COMING SOON
Alvord USD
(951) 509-5045
Banning USD
(951) 922-0224
Beaumont USD
(951) 845-2681 Ext. 2215
Coachella Valley USD
(760) 399-5137 Ext. 227
Desert Center USD
(760) 392-4227
Desert Sands USD
(760) 771-8652
Hemet USD
(951) 765-5100 Ext. 4001
CAC Business Meeting
Tuesday, 3/19/13—Time 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Topic “Finding Ability in Disability”
LOOK FOR FLYER—COMING SOON
California Active Learning Conference
January 25 & 26, 2013—Braille Institute of Los Angeles
For more Information:
Contact Conference Coordinator Lori Enroth @ 760-485-7087
UCLA CART 5th Annual Autism Symposium
Hope you can join us February 1, 2013—8 AM—5 PM—
Keynote Speakers – Drs. Lynn & Robert Koegel (UCSB) (310) 825-9041
NRB Auditorium Registration details coming soon!!
Epilepsy Empowerment Conference 2013
February 16, 2013—10 AM to 3 PM
California Baptist University—8432 Magnolia Ave., Riverside, 92504
Free Childcare & Spanish sessions—for more information call 951-281-9892
SEARCH & SERVE
Every child with a disability between the ages of birth to 22 is entitled to a Free Appropriate Public Education
(FAPE) in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE). Districts within the Riverside County SELPA offer
programs with special needs in.: Behavioral ~ Cognitive ~ Emotional Health ~ Learning ~ Motor~
Physical ~ Speech/Language & other areas. To find out more, contact your local District Office
Jurupa USD
(951) 360-4144
Lake Elsinore USD
(951) 253-7130
Menifee Union SD
(951) 672-1851
Murrieta Valley USD
(951) 696-1600 Ext.1161
Nuview E. SD
(951) 928-1841
Palm Springs USD
(760) 416-8402
Palo Verde USD
(760) 922-4164 Ext. 1242
Perris E. SD
(951) 940-4942
Perris Union HSD
(951) 943-6531
River Springs Charter
(951) 252-8881
Romoland E. SD
(951) 926-9244 Ext. 239
San Jacinto USD
(951) 929-7700 Ext. 4249
Temecula Valley USD
(951) 506-7981
Val Verde USD
(951) 940-6104