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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
The Arc of New Jersey Family Institute is happy to present our 2021-2022 Special Education Webinar Series. Parents, professionals, and students are encouraged to attend and learn more about trending topics in special education. Each webinar will be 45 minutes in length, followed by 15 minutes of Q&A with our guest presenters. Our next webinar will be:

Stay-Put and Filing for Emergent Relief
Thursday, October 7th
6 to 7pm
Presented by:
Robert Robinson, Esq., Senior Staff Attorney
Disability Rights New Jersey

This webinar will cover stay-put, an important right that prevents the school district from making a change to your child's special education program until the dispute is resolved in litigation. You will learn the latest legal developments surrounding stay-put. You will also learn the applicable rules and necessary steps to take to obtain stay-put in an emergent relief hearing.  
In-Person College Tour This Friday!
Calling all students with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families! The Arc of New Jersey Family Institute invites you to go on a tour of The Achievement Center at Raritan Valley Community College this Friday, October 1st from 10am-12pm.

The Achievement Center is a certificate-based post-secondary education program for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities. This college program is a collaboration with Raritan Valley Community College and The Arc of Hunterdon County.

Registration is required in order to attend this event. You can find out more information and register by clicking the button below.
In The News
Parents of students with disabilities try to make up for lost year
"Education experts have said that it may take months or years to fully grasp the learning loss that children have suffered from remote schooling during the pandemic. But many of the parents and guardians of the roughly 200,000 students with disabilities in New York City say they have already seen drastic damages from their children’s loss of their usual therapies, services or learning accommodations." Read the full article here.
COVID vaccine mandates in schools: Here’s what’s happening around the U.S.
"In New Jersey, Gov. Phil Murphy has only required school staff, teachers and child care workers to receive the vaccine or face weekly testing. As of Sept. 24, there are no mandates that K-12 students in New Jersey get the vaccine. In other parts of the country, some districts are implementing or proposing mandates, while other states have banned schools from implementing mandates." Read more here.
Virtually Awesome
New Resources in Spanish on
Special Education

The Arc@School recently launched a new Spanish-language section on the website, which contains wonderful resources on special education for Spanish-speaking families and the professionals who support them.

The new resources cover topics such as:

  • A general overview of special education
  • Parents' rights
  • Early intervention services
  • Individual education programs
  • Section 504
Mission to Transition
Villanova VUnited Scholars Program

Villanova University’s College of Professional Studies is proud to once again offer the VUnited Scholars Program, a certificate program for highly motivated young adults with mild to moderate intellectual disabilities. The two-year, residential, value-centered program aims to provide students a meaningful and unique college experience where they can maximize their personal growth and realize their immense learning potential.

Admissions: Application for Fall 2022 – Now Open!
Villanova encourages candidates with intellectual curiosity and a strong interest in pursuing a higher education experience and independent living to apply for VUnited Scholars. A high number of applications is expected, but a limited number of spots are available for year one. Please encourage students to apply early and to check the admissions webpage for specific information.
Reality Tech
Three Ways AI is Improving Assistive Technology
Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) are some of the buzziest terms in tech and for a good reason. These innovations have the potential to tackle some of humanity's biggest obstacles across industries, from medicine to education and sustainability. One sector, in particular, is set to see massive advancement through these new technologies: assistive technology. Read the full article here.
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The Arc of New Jersey Family Institute | 732.828.2022 | thefamilyinstitute@arcnj.org
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