View as Webpage

Volume 10

February 2023

The South County Special Education Local Plan Area (SELPA) works to support special education in the south bay school districts. The Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) newsletter is designed to keep parents and educators informed about special education topics and SELPA and community events. This month we are focusing on early education, in particular transitioning from an Individualized Family Support Plan (IFSP) to an Individualized Education Program.

Save the Date!

15th Annual Art and Awards Event, May 25, 4:30 to 6 p.m.

The South County SELPA CAC is proud to announce the 15th Annual Art and Awards Recognition event. The event will feature artwork — including drawings, paintings, poetry, essays, and photography — from students in our member districts. Join us Thursday, May 25 from 4:30 to 6 p.m. at the South County Regional Education Center. If you and your classroom would like to participate, please read the art requirements and submit permission slips, which are required for students to attend. 

English Registration / Spanish Registration

Check out a video of last years art:

What's the Difference?

While both IFSPs and IEPs are designed to help individuals with disabilities reach their full potential as directed by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), there are two important differences to discuss:

• Who qualifies
• IFSPs are for infants and toddlers from birth to age three who need early intervention services to help with developmental delays.
• IEPs are for students, aged 3 through 22, who are eligible for special education services.
• Family needs vs educational needs
• IFSPs focus on what families need to help with early interventions in a "natural environment" (i.e. the home or child care setting).
• IEPs focus on special education and related services at school.

Learn more about IFSPs and the transition process.

Support Transitioning Families

• Keep parents involved: Parents want to remain hands-on. Help them stay involved by creating communication logs and asking about home concerns.
• Help with service coordination: Share resources with parents and connect them with agencies that could help outside of school.
• Highlight peer learning environment: Let parents know that social-skills can be discussed as an IEP team.

Feb. 13 — Grupo de Apoyo en Español

Support group, for families with children with autism, meeting Mondays from 6 to 8 p.m. The meetings will be held in Spanish only. Visit the website for location and to sign up.

Feb. 13 and 27 — Sensory Story Time at National City Library

An inclusive story time for children on the second and fourth Monday of the month at 11 a.m. See a full list of National City Library events here.

Feb. 14 — Parent ADR Office Hours

Parents can bring their question to our team virtually from 10 to 11 a.m. using the Zoom meeting ID: 837 9802 7038.

March 2 — CAC Meeting: Meaningful Parent Engagement

Join the CAC and ADR teams at the South County Regional Education Center (800 National City Blvd., National City, CA 91950) from 10 to 11 a.m.

Spanish Registration / English Registration

April 1 — Race for Autism 

Hosted by National Foundation for Autism Research (NFAR), this superhero themed 5k races around Balboa Park. Learn more about the event here.

March 1 — CAPTAIN: Embedding Evidence-based Practices in Classroom Management

Join California Autism Professional Training and Information Network (CAPTAIN) for a fun, informative and interactive evening exploring research-based strategies for classroom management through an interactive quiz game. The training will be held virtually from 3:30 to 5 p.m. Learn more and register.

March 1 — Make a Play: Promoting Social Emotional, Communication, and Cognitive Development Through Play

Learn about about play as a key context to enrich the early childhood learning environment and support the developmental progress of students. Presenters from The Diagnostic Center of Southern California will be at South County Regional Education Center (800 National City Blvd., National City, CA 91950) from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Learn more and register.

March 6 — Co-Teaching: Making Learning Accessible for English Learners with Disabilities

Join Imperial County SELPA and presenters Dr. Richard Villa and Dr. Jacqueline Thousand and learn about co-teaching and collaborative planning. The workshop will be both virtual and in-person. Learn more and register by following the links.

March 27 and 28 — Addressing Equity to Improve Outcomes for English Learners and ELs with Disabilities

A free professional development symposium for multidisciplinary teams. Come hear from keynote speaker Dr. Francisco Escobedo and explore tools and resources to support English learners. Learn more and register for the in-person event or the virtual event.

Keys to Successful IEPs (For South County SELPA Employees Only)

This on demand course is designed to assist you with learning the basics (and beyond) of:

• Using SEIS
• Writing legally defensible IEPs
• Preparing for a successful meeting
• Designing effective Transition Plans

Email dilynn@sdcoe.net for registration code and register here.

If you have any questions or comments on the ADR Insights Newsletter, please contact our team at scselpaadr@sdcoe.net.

Get up-to-the-minute information about what's happening at South County SELPA.