IPUL's E-News for January 21, 2022
Here are the highlights of our recent activity online. Not everything is included due to timeliness. If an advertised event already took place, we've left it off.
Idaho Parents Unlimited
Parent Leadership Institute - 2022
Apply now for 2022
Parent Leadership Development Institute
April 11-15, 2022
McCall, Idaho
Application deadline: February 14, 2022

Candidates will be contacted following the submission of their application to schedule an interview.

Selections will be notified via email by February 28, 2022

"For the past 15 years, IPUL has been supporting parents in becoming strong leaders in their communities through its Parent Leadership Development Institute"
Do you have a child with a disability or special health care needs?
Do you want to be a part of improving systems for children with disabilities in Idaho?

Do you live in region 3 or 4?*
all expenses (lodging, travel, and meals) to attend PLDI are covered by Idaho Parents Unlimited.

*If you need to know what region you live in please contact our office.

parents@ipulidaho.org
208.342.5884


Questions And Answers With You in 2022 - Week 3 Answer!
Question 3 answer
Idaho Parents Unlimited
Engage + Educate + Bridge + Lead

Q3: Can my doctor write a prescription for an IEP for my child?

A3: In short, the answer is no, a doctor cannot prescribe an IEP. You might be surprised at how often this happens! While a doctor can provide important information about a child's medical diagnosis, the IEP team determines eligibility based on assessments and evaluations included in the eligibility process of which a parent must provide consent to administer. When a doctor writes an actual prescription for educational services, it can create confusion for parents and it can even strain relationships between parents and their child's school. As one person responded to our question, there is a three-prong approach toward eligibility, and a diagnosis alone does not automatically determine eligibility for special education. 

To learn more about this, check out the Idaho Special Education Manual https://www.sde.idaho.gov/sped/sped-manual/

Chapter 4 includes all of the information on Evaluation and Eligibility including the three-prong approach:

  • Prong 1: The student has a disability according to the established Idaho criteria;
  • Prong 2: The student’s condition adversely affects educational performance; and
  • Prong 3: The student needs specially designed instruction.

If the answer to any of these is NO, the child may not be found eligible for special education.

They may, however, need accommodations and may be eligible for a 504 plan. We'll discuss that further in another weekly question. You can contact IPUL to learn more as well. 

More information available at the following link:

#QuestionsWithYouIn2022
Facebook and Instagram: /IdahoParentsUnlimited
Twitter: /IPULIdaho
ipulidaho.org
parents@ipulidaho.org
208.342.5884
February 2022 Statewide Training:
Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports
Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports

Join us on Tuesday, February 8, 2022 at 12:30 PM MST (11:30 AM PST) for our monthly training series, followed by an interactive question and answer period!

We'll be covering: 

  • When sticker charts just never worked.
  • What happens when a child has an incident at school? 
  • Functional Behavioral Assessments 
  • And your questions! 

Tuesday, February 8, 2022
@ 12:30 - 1:30 PM, MST (11:30 AM - Noon PST) 
(Will not be recorded - Be there or be square)


ipulidaho.org
208-342-5884
parents@ipulidaho.org
Point your smartphone at the QR code to be taken directly to IPUL's registration page

Stories We Shared This Week:
Substitute Teachers Needed In Idaho!
We Shared this from the State Department of Education :

Substitute teachers are needed in school districts all around the state of Idaho! Anyone interested in becoming a substitute teacher can access free training modules (developed in partnership with Idaho Digital Learning Alliance) on our website: https://www.sde.idaho.gov/academic/shared/idla/Professional-Development-Training-for-Substitute-Teachers.pdf

Prospective substitutes should reach out to the districts and charter schools in their area to be added to their local lists of substitutes.
Why Medicaid Matters:
We shared this from Medicaid Matters in Idaho:

Welcome back to #MedicaidMonday Today we will be highlighting a Weiser family.

Shea is on the left, has autism, and needs 24-hour supervision to keep him safe. Josh is on the right, and needs support for daily living, “My sons receive the Medicaid waiver and PCS services. These services allow me to work/have a career outside my home.” When staff comes they help with daily living tasks, (bathing, dressing, brushing teeth, and feeding), learning, and monitoring constantly for safety.

The Weiser family has been affected because of Covid and the Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) shortage, they have been unable to find a caregiver outside of their immediate family; this has limited Michelle’s ability to work outside the home as care for their sons require 24-hour attention. The Weiser parent's mental and physical health suffers when they are unable to find caregivers.

When asked about what she would like legislators to know about the importance of HCBS Michelle said, “HCBS allows a family to have some normalcy- working, shopping for family food, and sleeping. Without this help, many of us would slip into poverty, especially because of an inability to work
Family Voices Wants to Know What You Think!
We shared this From National Family Voices: 

Family Voices and the American Academy of Pediatrics want to know what families think about COVID-19 vaccinations for their children and youth with developmental disabilities. 
When it comes to COVID-19 vaccines:


  • What information does your family want to know?
  • What concerns does your family have?
  • What type of messaging would help your family understand the importance of COVID-19 vaccines?
  • How would you like to learn about COVID-19 vaccines to make an informed decision for your child or youth?
  • Who is your most trusted source of information about COVID-19 vaccines? 
  • Family Voices is convening a focus group to learn what families know AND what else they want to know about COVID-19 vaccines for children and youth with developmental disabilities.
  • The focus group will be virtual, in English, and will last 75 minutes.
  • Participants will receive a $125 stipend in recognition of their time.
  • The information learned during the focus group will be shared with the AAP. Your name and any personal identifying information about your child, youth, and family will not be shared or reported.
  • To be eligible to participate, you must be:
  • 18 years or older and the parent/caregiver of a child or youth with a developmental disability who is younger than 18 years old.
  • There will be 2 Focus Groups: Feb. 2 at 3 pm ET; 2 pm CT; 1 pm MT; 12 pm PT AND Feb. 15 at 7 pm ET; 6 pm CT; 5 pm MT; 4 pm PT

If interested, please complete the survey & select a date at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/HM9TMPZ by Jan. 25.

Note: Invitations to participate in the focus group will depend on your child’s diagnosis, where you live, race, and ethnicity to ensure we hear from families who are representative of the population of the country. Only focus group participants will receive a stipend. 

Have questions now? bdworetzky@familyvoices.org
Beth Dworetzky
Associate Director of Programs
413.222.2909
question ask here
Contact Idaho Parents Unlimited!

The best method to reach us for assistance is through our website:  
https://ipulidaho.org/connect-with-us#contact-us-here . You can also shoot us a question using the abbreviated version of that form at the bottom of every page on our website, although we may need to get more information from you.

We monitor our intake phone line (208-342-5884) several times a day, and will try to respond to any request there within 24 hours. We use an automated intake phone system, so you will be leaving a message.

For questions that are not about something in our scope of work, you can still leave a phone message as above, send the question to the form on our website, or shoot us an email at parents@ipulidaho.org.

We keep our website updated with new news and events, and maintain a presence on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
IPUL's programs are funded through grants and contracts with the following:
logos for F2F Family Voices and Ideas that Work