MI Booster Seats Requirement Signed into Michigan Law

for Children Between 4 and 8 Years of Age
Gov. Jennifer Granholm today signed legislation that would require the use of approved booster seats for children who are between the ages of four and eight and less than 4 feet 9 inches tall. The bill takes effect July 1.

Young American Heroes

Young American Heroes takes a break-the-mold approach to telling the story of America's past to middle school students. It does so by using ordinary kids doing extraordinary things during key moments in American history. Our mission is to give "Our nation's future leaders a clear idea of who we are, what we stand for, and where we are heading."

One Class Can Make the Difference

In most communities, students attend school each day because they are convinced that educational achievement is essential to their future success. For many unfortunate reasons, however, this expectation does not exist for most low-income students in Chicago and other urban areas. How do we improve attendance at low-income schools where the current incentive of "a better future" is not sufficient? According to student Mark Hill, "One special class can make the difference."

MI QuickRamps for Kids
The QuickRamps for Kids program provides portable wheelchair ramps to families with children who experience Cerebral Palsy and other paralysis-causing conditions. QuickRamps are a fast and inexpensive alternative to permanent ramps. Best of all, they give a child immediate access to their community. All applicants must be under age 18 and must have Cerebral Palsy or a paralysis-causing condition. A doctor’s script or medical documentation is necessary as well as a signed photo release. For more information, please call 248-557-5070.

Global Youth Service Day
Save the Date! The Ninth Annual Global Youth Service Day will be held April 25-27, 2008. Global Youth Service Day (GYSD) is the largest annual celebration of young volunteers, where millions of young people in countries everywhere highlight and carry out thousands of community improvement projects.

Parent Participation Needed for Autism Research Study
Parents of a child ages 6 to 18 with an Autism Spectrum Disorder are asked to participate in an online survey looking at their child’s behaviors and routines, as well as the family interactions, parenting practices, and stress. (It takes less than an hour to complete!) $5 for every completed survey will be donated by the research team to fund further Autism research! The study is being conducted by Stephanie Bader, a Clinical Psychology graduate student at the University of Southern Mississippi, as her Master's Thesis. It has been approved by the IRB, protocol number 27111205. If you are interested in participating or would like more information, please contact Stephanie Bader at stephanie.bader@usm.edu.

A Good Grade for Teach for America
What makes a good teacher? Experience helps. But a new study of Teach for America (TFA) – education's version of the Peace Corps – shows that their students do better on end-of-course exams than those of other teachers. TFA teachers' impact is even greater than that of teachers with three or more years of experience relative to new teachers.

Getting Help For a Child with Autism
Here, from mothers of children with autism, are ways parents should fight for their children with autism, from babyhood through the school years.

America’s Promise: 100 Best Communities for Young People
The America’s Promise Alliance (the Alliance) and Capital One announced in January the winners of the 2008 100 Best Communities for Young People (100 Best) competition which identifies cities and towns nationwide that have made the well-being of children and youth a top priority. In its third year, 100 Best spotlights those communities that find unique and effective ways to ensure their young people receive the resources necessary to stay in school and succeed.

FL Low Graduation Rate Draws Florida Lawsuit
Amid mounting national frustration over high school graduation rates, the School District of Palm Beach County in Florida has been thrust onto center stage. In a class-action lawsuit, the American Civil Liberties Union is demanding that the district boost its graduation rates and reduce the gaps in those rates between racial and socioeconomic groups. "If the ACLU is successful, this is going to shake everything up, because it will be a whole different set of expectations about who is supposed to solve the problems," says Paul Houston, executive director of the American Association of School Administrators in Va.

MI Michigan Coalition Rallies For Anti-Bullying Legislation
The Safe Schools Coalition jammed the rotunda today to demand action on anti-bullying bills that passed the Michigan House last year.

Good Pay, Steady Work, Few Takers as Young People Spurn the Trades

The average construction worker is well into his 40s, and unless something changes to make the fresh-from-prom set take a sudden interest in framing and drywall, that work force is just going to keep getting older.

Money Matters Get Muddled for Disabled
Sean Beaudoin, 25, has an autism spectrum disorder, but with help he has become fairly independent. He has his own car. He works 20 hours a week as a kennel assistant. He has a credit card in his name, although his mother keeps it. And he has a good credit rating. But his parents, Curtis and Paula Beaudoin, recently experienced the downside of such autonomy for their son, who lives with them.

Dodd Announces The Disability Savings Act Of 2008
Sen. Christopher Dodd announced significant new legislation that would allow families of people with disabilities to save money in tax-advantaged accounts. The Disability Savings Act of 2008 would allow savings similar to college 529 plans, so families could put aside money for care without jeopardizing their access to existing government assistance.

MI Michigan Storm Headed for Nationals
Quad rubgy (aka “Murderball”) is a fast paced, full-contact, aggressive sport that rivals the intensity of hockey and is not intended for the faint of heart. This year, when the country’s top 16 quad rugby teams battle for the national title on April 11-13 in Louisville, Kentucky, the Saginaw-based Michigan Storm will be there.

Program Aims to Help Ease Transition to College Work
On the academic ride from high school to college, the track doesn't quite line up, causing some students to derail in their early college years, state educators say. A new statewide project is looking for ways to give students "a seamless transition" from high school to higher education.

Innovation Like Collaboration
Have you ever had a great idea that turned out not so great? Or one that worked out, but only after you substantially tweaked it? Innovation is important, but often it needs to be tempered by collaboration to make sure it accomplishes its goal -- without unwanted side effects.

Rewarding Support

Do you crave recognition? Do you secretly yearn for praise of your accomplishments? While it’s socially appropriate to be modest, just about all of us want our good works to be noticed. And we love rewards. What could feel better than someone praising us and offering a concrete expression of their appreciation?  At the end of this article is your chance to nominate someone for an amazing award to be presented by Coulter Video.

In the Mainstream but Isolated
Victoria Miresso cannot button a shirt, match a sock or tell one school bus from another. Yet at Roberto Clemente Middle School in Germantown, she is expected to function much like any other sixth-grader, coping with class changes, algebra quizzes and lunchroom bullies.

Resource Sites for Parents and Students
FunBrain, Scholastic Kids, Homework Spot, PBS Kids, Game Goo, Learning that Sticks, Aplusmath.com! This web site was developed to help students improve their math skills interactively. S.O.S. Mathematics - for high school math support. Math.com, and University of Cambridge.

MI Autism Research Bill Passes House
Michiganders could donate to autism research via income tax checkoff in legislation passed by the Michigan House of Representatives on March 18, 2008. The bill was introduced by Rep. Kathy Angerer (D-Dundee). Michigan currently has income tax checkoffs for the Children's Trust Fund, the Children of Veterans Tuition Grant Program and the Military Family Relief Fund. "As more and more children in Michigan are diagnosed with autism, the need for effective treatments becomes more and more pressing," said Angerer, chair of the House Health Policy Committee. "With this new tax checkoff option, residents who want to help advance autism research will have an easy way to contribute to the community."

Free Lunch Isn't Cool, So Some Students Go Hungry
Although Francisco Velazquez, a 14-year-old freshman with spiky hair and sunglasses, qualifies for a free lunch at Balboa High School here, he was not eating. The stigma of accepting a government lunch, while others are paying for food from a different menu, is a problem many school districts across the country have been quietly confronting with mixed results, education and school nutrition officials said. San Francisco school officials are looking at ways to encourage more poor students to accept government-financed meals, including the possibility of introducing cashless cafeterias where all students are offered the same food choices and use debit cards or punch in codes on a keypad so that all students check out at the cashier in the same manner.

MI Research Study: U of M Adapted Cognitive Assessment Lab

The University of Michigan and Mary Freebed Rehabilitation Hospital are offering opportunities for children with Cerebral Palsy to participate in a literacy research study funded by the National Institutes of Health.

How to Resolve Special Education Disputes
In drafting the provisions of IDEA, Congress clearly contemplated that, at times, there would be disagreements between parents of children with disabilities and the school districts providing special education and related services to their children. When such disagreements occur, parents and school districts can turn to IDEA’s dispute resolution options. Find out what those options are---there’s a new one. NICHCY, the National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities, has posted a training module covering Options for Dispute Resolution which includes PowerPoint slide shows to use in training sessions, a detailed discussion of IDEA for trainers, and handouts for audience participants.

Bridges4kids Featured Resource: School Psychologist Files
The online special education filing cabinet full of special education resources for parents, educators, and psychologists.

Embracing ‘Response to Intervention’
“RTI is this big thing that really can transform how we approach teaching all kids,” said W. David Tilly III, the director of innovation and accountability for Iowa’s Heartland Area Education Agency, which provides resources and professional development to 54 districts in the state. In practice, RTI can look quite different from school to school. But several key components are necessary for a successful program, researchers say.

Setting Smarter Goals

When you do a home project, does your child with Asperger Syndrome or autism get in the way? Let's say you're going to replace a faucet in your kitchen. You ask your son to help. But he constantly complains about being bored. When you ask him to go into the garage for a screwdriver, he forgets to come back and you have to go after him. When you ask him to hold a flashlight for you, he repeatedly gets distracted and lets the light wander. Your wrench slips and you skin your knuckles.

Children's Book: There's So Much More To Me Than My ADHD
This book was written by a child who lives with the stigma of ADHD. It chronicles both difficulty and success at school and at home. Review of There's So Much More To Me Than My ADHD: "This story helped me understand how children are affected by the things we say and do even when we feel its not a big deal. Sebastian really is an exceptional child." - a teacher

MI 2007 Michigan Directory of Service Providers Now Available

The Michigan Directory of Service Providers for Infants, Toddlers, and Students with Disabilities is now available for parents, educators, and other service providers seeking resource information related to the educational needs of children, students, and clients. The directory contains contact information about resources for children ages birth to three with special needs and their families (Michigan's Early On® population) and students ages 3-26 with disabilities. A PDF of the 2007 directory is available for download at www.1800EarlyOn.org or www.ProjectFindMichigan.org.

SURVEY: Childcare and Preschool Children with Autism
Parents frequently face obstacles trying to locate safe and nurturing childcare. For families of children with autism, these obstacles can be numerous and especially challenging. As the number of young children with autism continues to increase, it is critical for early childhood educators to understand the childcare needs of these families. You can help! If you live in Michigan, have a preschool child with an autism spectrum disorder, and need or use childcare, you are invited to complete this survey. Your assistance will help early childhood educators understand the childcare experiences of families with young children with autism. Your participation will also help identify ways that schools, agencies, and educators can be supportive to the childcare needs of these families and their children. The survey should take approximately 15 minutes to complete. If you would like to complete the survey, please click here.

Bridges4kids Featured Resource: Our Kids

A website where parents of children with special needs can express themselves through artistic works.

Mistakes People Make: Advocates

Because the non-lawyer advocate plays an extremely important role in the special education process, advocates must be mindful of the power of their role and the trust parents place in them. The more serious mistakes advocates may make are generally ones of excess.

Children's Book: My Brother Has Autism
Wrightslaw Review of My Brother Has Autism: "In My Brother Has Autism, 8 year-old Melody describes experiences with her brother Michael who has autism. When we read Melody's book, we were surprised to learn how she views her brother. We were also surprised to learn that Michael, a talented artist, illustrated the book. My Brother Has Autism is useful to therapists, teachers, parents, and others who work with siblings of children with autism. As children read and discuss this book, they recognize things they have in common with their sibling - and discover positive qualities about their brothers and sisters with autism. My Brother Has Autism has been published as a paperback book and as an electronic book."

A Toolkit to Support School-Family-Community Partnerships
The deeply ingrained multiculturalism that makes New Mexico unique also presents challenges in communicating and setting shared priorities. Schools face their own set of challenges in accommodating all families, making them part of the school community and including them as partners in their child’s education. The New Mexico Public Education Department has created, "Working Together: School-Family-Community Partnerships, A Toolkit for New Mexico School Communities."

The Two Biggest Parenting Mistakes (PDF)
Dr. Thomas Phelan, of ParentMagic.com and 1-2-3 Magic, explains that the two biggest mistakes parents and teachers make in dealing with children are: Too Much Talking and Too Much Emotion. Talking is bad because it either doesn't work or takes you through the Talk-Persuade-Argue-Yell-Hit Syndrome.

MI Michigan Seclusion and Restraint Standards (PDF)