June 15, 2023

South Dakota Parent Connection staff also co-hosted and presented at the 15th annual Lighting The Way Autism Conference in Sioux Falls. More than 150 parents and professionals who support families learned more about this year's theme, Transitions Across the Lifespan.

Dr. Carla Miller, Executive Director, presented with Dr. Kristy Feden to school administrators about what resources are available to help support them as they support their staff. Her next presentation focused on executive functioning delays and it's impact on behavior. And finally, she shared the importance of thinking about and starting the transition process to adulthood before the age of 16.

Betsy Drew, Outreach Specialist, moderated a panel of individuals with disabilities who shared their journey of becoming a self-advocate and the benefit of raising awareness of the gaps, barriers, and issues faced in each of their lives as they begin to speak up for themselves. On day two, she co-presented with Jessica Lamb on addressing the needs of the who family when the transition to adulthood stalls.

Kris Sellers, Outreach Specialist, shared valuable information on how to transition from an individualized family support plan to an individualized educational plan when their little one turns three. She shared what the role of the parents and educators in that process are and how to be a more active participant in the process.

"Thank you for providing wonderful, timely, & relevant sessions. Keynote speakers were excellent!" -Parent

"Great conference, very informative, progressive, and on a personal level." -Parent

"Thanks for the variety of presenters and topics related to LTW and life!" -Professional

If you are interested in learning more about any of the topics presented last week, please Contact us to discuss your specific needs and we will create a training customized for you.

Here are a few more of our more popular sessions:

Accessing Services and Supports

This session provides information on resources available to families, strategies for understanding and accessing programs, and where families can find individualized assistance in their state to assure they are connected to all existing resources and supports. Early intervention, special education, private and public insurance, state and federal financial resources, parent and family support and training are covered.

Rights, Responsibilities & Resources

Parents and those who support them, need information about the rights and responsibilities built into special education laws. This session provides information about the procedural safeguards in special education laws, parent and school responsibilities for implementation, and resources to assist in helping children with disabilities succeed.

Building Parent Professional Partnerships

Parent-Professional partnerships enhance healthy development and learning for each individual child. The strategies shared in this session can be utilized in many situations that parents encounter when working with a variety of professionals serving their children.

Adaptive Aquatics

Sioux Falls Parks & Recreation and Sanford Wellness Center are happy to announce an adaptive aquatics program for children with special needs. The goal of this program is to provide students with a structured aquatic experience designed to make them feel comfortable and safe while swimming.

Carole Wolf, a S.D., certified teacher with a master’s degree in adaptive aquatics, will be conducting the classes. Classes will be a one-to-one student-to-instructor ratio for a 30-minute lesson. First-come, first-served.

Registration required by June 24 by calling Ruben at 605-367- 7665.

For additional questions, please call Carole Wolf, instructor, at 605-261-5716.

JUL 6-JUL 28 | TUE, THU | 1:30-3:30 PM | FREE

Office Closed

The South Dakota Parent Connection offices will be closed on Monday, June 19th in observance of the Juneteenth holiday. We will resume regular business hours on Tuesday, June 20th at 9:00 CT / 8:00 MT. Please visit our website for information at www.sdparent.org.

Upcoming Opportunities

Here are some educational opportunities offered by South Dakota Parent Connection and by other organization's that can help support South Dakota families. A complete list of events can be found on our website at ww.sdparent.org or Facebook page.

August 16, 2023 - PACER's Symposium on Students with Mental Health and Learning Disabilities: Join PACER for a full day of informative, engaging sessions on current best practices related to children's mental health and learning disabilities. Parents, educators, administrators, and other professionals will learn strategies to more effectively support student at school and at home. Learn more

September 6 -7, 2023 - South Dakota Conference on Developmental Disabilities: The theme of this year's conference is Leading Change Together and will focus on developing partnerships to improve the well-being of individuals with developmental disabilities in South Dakota. This is a joint effort across multiple agencies throughout South Dakota. Learn more about the conference.

This e-publication was developed under grants from the U.S. Department of Education Project Grant H328M2000666 and Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Grant H328M140021, Family to Family Health Information Center, $93,175; and approximately 5% financed with non-governmental resources. The contents should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by US Department of Education, HRSA, HHS or the Federal Government.