New Manual on Advocacy for Students with Epilepsy
The Epilepsy Foundation has just published a new, free legal resource, Legal Rights of Children with Epilepsy in School & Child Care: An Advocate’s Manual. This manual provides detailed practical guidance – for both parents and attorneys – on effective advocacy. strategies. Although parts of the manual focus on the needs of children with epilepsy, it would also be useful for people who advocate for kids with other chronic illnesses like diabetes. Most of it will be useful to people who advocate for children with disabilities. Describes rights under IDEA, 504, ADA and more.

Summer Safety Tips from Toys R Us

MI Kids Eat Free! Summer Food Service Program
The Summer Food Service Program offers summer fun and FREE healthy meals to local children ages 18 and under in Michigan!

Wondering if Your Family Could Qualify For Food Assistance?
The Food Assistance Helpline can help. You may be able to get food assistance EVEN IF: • You own a house and/or a car • You work or get other benefits such as WIC • You do not live with any children • You live with other people • You or someone else is not a U.S. citizen. Call 1-800-481-4989 or visit http://www.foodstamphelp.org.

MI Adair/Durant IV Case Gets Affirmative Ruling From MI Court
The Adair/Durant IV case that has been ping-ponging within the courts since the beginning of the decade got an affirmative ruling from the Michigan Court of Appeals last Thursday.
MI Student Improvement to be Factored into AYP as Part of Pilot
Michigan schools will be better equipped to track student progress, after being accepted to participate in a federal pilot program by the U.S. Department of Education, according to the Department of Education (MDE).

Listening to Yourself
Who do you listen to? We generally listen to people we respect. Which makes it kind of ironic that we don't always listen to ourselves.

Scientist at Work: The Worms Crawl In
In 2004, David Pritchard, an immunologist-biologist, purposefully infected himself with pin-size hookworm larvae after noticing that people in Papua New Guinea infected with the hookworm did not suffer much from an assortment of autoimmune-related illnesses, including hay fever and asthma. “We think the worms have found a way of switching off the immune system in order to survive,” he said. “That’s why infected people have fewer allergic symptoms.” To test his theory Dr. Pritchard is recruiting clinical trial participants willing to be infected with 10 hookworms each in hopes of banishing their allergies and asthma.

Youth Service America and Disney Announces Minnie Grants
Youth Service America and Disney have announced the launch of a second round of Disney Minnie Grants to engage children and youth, ages 5 to 14, as community volunteers. Selected applicants will receive $500 each to support their youth-led service projects. Projects must take place between Oct. 15 - Nov. 15, 2008. Grantees from the first round of Disney awards of 2008 are eligible to apply. Visit the YSA Web site for complete program guidelines and to review past award recipients from all over the world. Deadline for submissions is August 15, 2008.

'Two Million Minutes' Suggests it's Time to Improve U.S. Education

A Memphis entrepreneur's documentary compares high-achieving students from India, China and America. It has drawn mixed reactions from academics.

How Many IEP Meetings Does it Take to Change a Light Bulb?
If team members were asked "How many IEP meetings does it take to change a light bulb," this is what I imagine they might say...

Bridges4kids Featured Book: The Art of Learning - Josh Waitzkin knows the road to excellence. Catapulted into a media whirlwind as a child, the subject of the book and movie Searching for Bobby Fischer, he has mastered both the rigorous mental game of chess -- winning his first National Championship at the age of nine -- and the strenuous physical challenge of martial arts, becoming a master of Tai Chi Chuan and earning the title of World Champion. His phenomenal success is due to the learning techniques he developed to bring both his mind and body to peak performance. In a riveting narrative that takes readers on his journey of discovery, conquering the high-pressure challenges of intensely competitive chess face-offs and heart-stopping martial arts wars, he reveals the inner workings of his methods, from systematically triggering intuitive breakthroughs to mastering the art of performance psychology. The Art of Learning is essential reading for those who want to reach the highest levels of achievement.

MI Starfish Family Services: Free Preschool Programs

Programs are for children birth - 4 years of age.

Researchers Help Kids w/Autism, Down Syndrome to Ride Bikes
John Day started the week in tears. The 8-year-old from Belleville was one of 80 children with autism and Down Syndrome getting training on riding bikes at two sites as part of a University of Michigan study. All this week, he worked on his balance, his pedaling and turns.

Persistent Fathers
I recently watched a public television documentary about the life of President Harry Truman. What struck me the most was his persistence.
MI Policy Supports Student Behavior
In question and answer format, this article discusses how the State of Michigan, Office of Special Education and Early Intervention Services is interpreting the December 12, 2006 policy passed by the Michigan State Board of Education on Standards for the Emergency Use of Seclusion and Restraint. [Focus on Results: 2007-08 Volume #6, Issue #2, Packet #11, Article 1]

MI Autism Research Check-off Bills Advance in Michigan Senate
Legislation establishing a state income tax check-off donation for an autism research fund moved from the Senate Finance Committee.

MI Special Ed Authority Bill Moves
Recently, the House Education Committee reported out HB 5323, legislation that would restore the state Board of Education's authority over special education. In 1996, former Gov. John Engler took that authority from the board with Executive Orders 11 and 12, and placed it in the hands of the State Superintendent and Intermediate School District (ISD) superintendents.

MI Michigan HIV Cases Increase In Teens, Young Adults
Michigan has seen significant increases in HIV among teens and young adults for the third consecutive year, the MI Dept. of Community Health (DCH) announced.

Bridges4kids Featured Resource: Steps4Kids
Steps4Kids designs DVDs which provide video modeling to teach and support children. Examples of products and programs developed by Steps4Kids include the award winning handwriting DVD Steps4Kids to Write Their ABCs, the Gift of Friendship program (inclusion program), customized Steps4Kids learning DVDs (to help children with spelling, reading and other academic and behavior skills) and other programs designed to strengthen children's skills and self confidence.

MI Michigan Residents Given Chance To Testify On Dropout Crisis
Michigan residents will get the opportunity to submit a virtual testimony about the dropout crisis, as part of a statewide effort to help staunch the tide of dropouts. The virtual testimonies, which can be submitted at www.mea.org/dropouts, will supplement the testimonies given by hundreds of people at three May hearings. Seven other hearings have been scheduled, including one in Lansing and one in Flint this month. "We want people to have many opportunities to share their thoughts about the concerns, challenges and solutions for the state's high drop-out rate," said Doug PRATT, communications director at the Michigan Education Association, one of the hearing sponsors. It is estimated that approximately 20,000 Michigan students drop out annually.

Appreciating Teachers
I heard New York’s 2007 teacher-of-the-year, Marguerite Izzo, on a PBS News Hour report the other day describe how she does "five shows daily." She appears to be a dynamo, who makes every lesson interesting.  It’s no surprise that you need to be at least somewhat exciting and engaging in class to compete for kids’ mindshare with videogames, cell phone cameras and text messaging.

Poll: Students Need Direction to Succeed
One out of five young adults lack job or career goals, leading to increased dropout and jobless rates, an EPIC-MRA poll released today found. Additionally, 25 percent of young adults surveyed blamed their high school for failing to give them the direction they were seeking to achieve job or career goals.

Legislation Introduced to Spur Treatments For Brain Ailments
Lawmakers yesterday introduced legislation designed to speed the development of new, safer therapies for brain and nervous system disorders and injuries, which affect an estimated 100 million Americans and costs an estimated $1.3 trillion annually to treat.

Students Paid for Grades Find Value Beyond Money
The money was nice, but it wasn't what kept Jailyn Brown in a pilot program that paid students $8 an hour to study. The 14-year-old eighth grader was among a small group of Fulton County students who took part in "Learn & Earn," a privately funded after-school tutoring program with monetary rewards.

Veterans Prepare for Largest Annual Wheelchair Sports Event
The US Fed News on May 12 reported that The 28th National Veterans Wheelchair Games, scheduled to take place July 25-29 in Omaha, Neb., will attract more than 500 veterans with disabilities. It has become the largest annual wheelchair sports competition in the world. Veterans from conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq will again join their fellow veterans in 17 competitive events being offered in Omaha.

Olympic Dream Stays Alive, on Synthetic Legs
Joshua Robinson and Alana Schwarz reported in the New York Times on Saturday, May 17th that when an international court ruled Friday that a double-amputee sprinter from South Africa was eligible to compete in this summer’s Olympic Games in Beijing, the stage was set for disabled athletes to meet their own trailblazer.

Bridges4kids Featured Book: Last Child in the Woods - The recipient of the 2008 Audubon Medal, Richard Louv identified a phenomenon we all knew existed but couldn't quite articulate: nature-deficit disorder. Since its initial publication, his book Last Child in the Woods has created a national conversation about the disconnection between children and nature, and his message has galvanized an international movement. Now, three years later, we have reached a tipping point, with the book inspiring Leave No Child Inside initiatives throughout the country. Hailed as "an absolute must-read" by the Boston Globe and "too tantalizing to ignore" by Audubon magazine, Last Child in the Woods is the inspiring work that proves children need nature as much as nature needs children. Read an overview, learn more about the author, or purchase the book. Download the article Beyond Nature-Deficit Disorder: It’s Time to Turn Consciousness into Action by Richard Louv, Author of Last Child in The Woods.

AZ Arizona School Voucher Programs Ruled Unconstitutional
It is unconstitutional for the state to give parents money to help pay private-school tuition for their disabled or foster children, the Arizona Court of Appeals decided Thursday. The 2006 law violates the state Constitution's ban on using public money to aid private schools, the panel said.

MI Hearings Scheduled to Address Michigan’s Dropout Crisis
Solutions sought to raise graduation rates. Finding ways to fix Michigan’s dropout crisis is the focus of public hearings beginning in May, part of a statewide initiative to increase the number of high school graduates to stabilize a weak economy.

Handheld Computers Give Students, Teachers Instant Feedback
Test time in some classrooms at a Clarksville school looks a bit like a TV game show, with students' answers instantly recorded through handheld devices and then displayed on a screen next to the teacher. Providence Junior/Senior High School has installed a computerized system called SMART - or self-monitoring, analysis and reporting technology - in four classrooms. School officials hope to install more units, which cost about $7,500 per classroom, as more money becomes available.

People w/Disabilities Gaining Independence Through Video Games
Today’s video games serve a multitude of functions ranging from entertainment to exercise and even education. Now, three graduates from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute’s Class of 2008 have created a game with an even more important purpose—to foster independence among disabled individuals.

Microsoft Improves Word for the Blind
Microsoft has joined with Sonata Software Ltd. and the Digital Accessible Information System (DAISY) Consortium to launch an initiative to make Word documents more accessible to blind and print-disabled users.

Bridges4kids Featured Resource: Scholarship Junkies
Stuck on a scholarship essay? Need a letter of recommendation from your teacher? At Scholarship Junkies, you can learn from the tips and suggestions of students who have won scholarships on local and national levels. Follow these steps and start maximizing your scholarship potential today!