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The Arc of New Jersey Family Institute provides caregivers with the necessary resources and education to access the appropriate supports and services for their loved ones with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
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Special Education Webinar Series
Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS) in School
Thursday, February 10th, 2022
6 to 7pm
Presented by:
Leila Molaie
Supervising Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor
Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Services (DVRS)

The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) of 2014 emphasizes the provision of services to students and youth with disabilities to ensure they have opportunities to receive the training and other services necessary to achieve competitive integrated employment. The NJ DVRS is an integral component in Workforce New Jersey's One-Stop Career Center system which has partnered with other agencies whose mission is career placement. The mission is to offer Pre-Employment Transition Services for youth and students with disabilities who are transitioning from school to postsecondary education and employment. This webinar will cover the details about program requirements, services, and processes during and after graduation from high school.  
In The News
Families Ask Federal Judge to Bring Back In-Person Learning for Special Needs Children
"A group of families is asking a federal judge to order New Jersey schools to return to in-person learning in order to best serve their special needs children. The request is the latest chapter in a lawsuit filed by the families of the advocacy organization Brain Injury Rights Group, in October. Attorneys for the families argued that the loss of in-person schooling is a violation of the Individuals with Disability Education Act. There are more than 237,000 special education students in New Jersey, with thousands of those in districts that have recently returned to remote learning."
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Two Key Predictions Around Special Education for 2022
"Experts at Understood, a prominent organization in the neurodiversity community whose mission is to help those who learn and think differently discover their potential, have made two key predictions around Special Education in America for 2022. Not surprisingly, these predictions speak directly to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on public schools, their teachers and students and on student outcomes." Read more here.
Virtually Awesome
Dad Creates Inclusive Children's Book for Daughter With a Disability
Danny Jordan created the children’s book series “The Capables” so his daughter Emerson, who has a limb difference, can grow up seeing herself represented in books.
7 Tips for Improving Your Child's Autism School Bus Experience
"The ride to and from school can be a difficult and stressful process for children with autism. It sets the stage for the entire school day."
Mission to Transition
A Timeline for Students Exiting School and Turning 21

With June right around the corner, we are entering a critical time for students who will be turning 21 and graduating high school. Students and their families can use this checklist created by DDD to help prepare for this major transition. It includes information about applying for Medicaid and DDD, and outlines the process of finding a Support Coordination Agency.
Reality Tech
Funding Limit Increase for Assistive Technology Through PerformCare
The New Jersey Department of Children and Families has increased the funding limit for assistive technology from $11,000 over a three-year period to $15,000 over a three-year period. This funding will assist families in the purchase of wheelchair lifts, ramps, and other forms of assistive technology that help improve the functional capabilities of individuals with IDD. This funding increase was announced on January 22, 2022, and is effective immediately.
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The Arc of New Jersey Family Institute | 732.828.2022 | thearcfamilyinstitute.org
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