December is Universal Human Rights Month

December 10, 2023 marks the 75th anniversary of one of the world's most groundbreaking global pledges: The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). This landmark document enshrines the inalienable rights that everyone is entitled to as a human being - regardless of race, color, religion, sex, language, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth, or other status.

Does Your Child Have Food Sensitivities?

Holidays are a time for family, friends, and endless eating. That can be tough for kids with sensory processing issues who are sensitive to the tastes, smells, and textures of foods. Here are 8 tips to help reduce food battles—and let you and your child enjoy the holidays. (Also available in (Spanish).

Accessible Holiday Travel Tips

Do you or does your child have a disability that affects mobility? The Transportation Security Administration shares some important tips to help families better prepare for security screening at airport screening checkpoints for the 2018 holiday traveling season.

13 Holiday Survival Tips

The holiday season can be an extremely stressful time of year for children with Autism and other forms of learning disability. The disruption to their routine, unfamiliar sights and smells, the house full of noise and people – it can all prove too much. These tips for surviving the holiday season come from parents of children and adults with special needs.

15 Tips for Surviving—and Enjoying—the Holidays

Flashing lights. Crowded stores. Loud family gatherings. The holiday season should be joyful, but it can often be overwhelming to someone who is living with a brain injury. Here are tips to help you make the holiday season happier and more relaxed for all of your friends and family.

Playtime’s Guide to Activities Families Can Do Together

The Homeless Children’s Playtime Project offers creative tip sheets for parents looking for fun activities to do with their children during the pandemic. Tip Sheets 1-4 are available in English. Tip Sheets 5 and 6 are available in both English and Spanish. There are also fun videos for children on the project’s YouTube channel. (Available in English and Spanish)

It’s never too Early to Think about Extended School Year

You might be telling yourself that it is way too early to think about summer, but not in the case of ESY. Your school district is required to have a district policy regarding ESY.

A decision about ESY must be made for each child who receives services under an Individual Education Program (IEP).

The IEP team uses information based on losing skills (regression) and the time needed to relearn skills (recoupment). Teams look at whether the student would lose skills without support or teaching; would it take an excessive amount of time to regain the skill or more time than a child without a disability? A student’s past experiences are considered. If no information is available, the team may have to predict and use the student’s history over other breaks, difficulty with working memory, and progress on IEP goals.

Section 2 of the IEP, Special Considerations, the IEP team must select one of the following options:

 No. The student is not eligible for ESY services.

 Yes. The student is eligible for ESY services. Complete Form B of the IEP.

Check out DESE guidance on Extended School Year (ESY) HERE

Classroom Diversity

The holiday season is a great time for educators and students to explore how different cultures express their values, beliefs, and customs. Celebrating classroom diversity, especially around the holidays, helps students to build an understanding and awareness of other cultural practices and to reflect on their own.

Click HERE for a list of 10 ways to embrace this time of the year in a culturally responsive manner.

Inclusion Award (32nd year) is presented annually to recognize private and public employers, individuals, businesses or organizations that have worked toward greater disability inclusion by taking exceptional, proactive, and innovative measures to integrate and mainstream people with disabilities into their programs, activities, and operations.

The nomination form and criteria for the Inclusion Award are available HERE

The Youth Leadership Award (11th year) recognizes an outstanding Missouri youth (age 16-26) with a disability who has demonstrated exemplary leadership by engaging in activities that improve the quality of life of people with disabilities in their communities in Missouri.

The nomination form and criteria for the Youth Leadership Award are available HERE

How Military Families Can Fill the Empty Seat at the Table

Military families deal with several bouts of separation from their service members—anything from deployments, ships out to sea, training operations, or career schools may be experienced in one year; sometimes year after year. Milestone birthdays, anniversaries, and school events get missed.

The holidays, the gathering at the table for togetherness and hearty meals, may sting just a tad more. Read more HERE.

Informal Removals Matter

Valerie C. Williams

Director, Office of Special Education Programs



As the Office of Special Education Programs’ (OSEP’s) director, I have heard parents share stories that follow a concerning plot line: their child’s behavior has caused a disruption and they must be picked up immediately to help their child “calm down.” Forced to abruptly abandon their workday commitments, these parents rush to their child’s school and take their child home. Sometimes this removal from school is for part of a school day, sometimes longer.

These removals often go uncounted, are not reported as suspensions, and fly under-the-radar built to ensure that the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act’s (IDEA’s) discipline protections are exercised. Until now, OSEP had not given these removals a name. Now, we call these removals “informal removals.”

In July 2022, OSEP released the most comprehensive IDEA discipline requirements guidance package since the law was passed in 2004. Notably, this guidance highlights evidence-based practices that address behavior using proactive and preventative strategies and:



Defines informal removals; click HERE

Describes situations in which informal removals could indicate that a child’s IEP does not appropriately address their behavioral needs (Question C-3); click HERE

Describes how informal removals could constitute a disciplinary removal (Question C-6); click HERE

To read the full article, click HERE

View all upcoming MPACT training HERE.

Family Recordkeeping

December 12 10 am - 11 am

Effectively Communicating Your Childs Needs

December 13 10:00 am - 11:00 am

Parental Rights

December 14 10:00 am - 11:00 am

Disagreement Resolution

December 12 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm

MPACT's On Demand

Steps to Success Webinar Series

This series of trainings was developed for parents of children, birth to age three. The training series will help parents understand the First Steps Program, teach them

effective communication and advocacy skills, and help them prepare for

Early Child Special Education.

Click HERE to register for these FREE on-demand trainings.

Communicating About Accessibility and Accommodations

Did you know that it is not just employees with disabilities who have a responsibility to communicate? Employers must communicate about accessibility and accommodations too! The Partnership on Employment & Accessible Technology (PEAT) recently published a new guide. It was written to help companies highlight their efforts to increase information and technology accessibility. Click HERE to read PEAT’s guide called “Communicating Your Commitment to Accessibility: Tips for Employers.”

The Working Together Series includes five interactive, self-directed courses. These courses provide families and educators with a number of strategies for working together and through conflict. Anyone supporting children or youth with disabilities may benefit from this series; however, the setting in which collaborative problem-solving and conflict resolution takes place within this series is typically the school or IEP meeting. Click HERE to register for the courses.

The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) is seeking nominations for the following individuals to serve on the Special Education Advisory Panel (SEAP):

• Parents of Children with Disabilities, (Parents must have children between the ages of 3 and 26, and the child must have/had an Individualized Education Program-IEP).
• Individuals with Disabilities.
• Teachers, Local Education Officials, or Administrators of Programs for Children with Disabilities.

At this time, the panel is in need of representation from the southeast and northeast areas of the state, but all applicants will be given consideration.      

Persons interested in being considered for appointment (self-nominate) or having others considered are asked to complete a nomination form found HERE.

Mail or fax the information to:

Lina Browner, Executive Assistant

Office of Special Education

Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

P. O. Box 480

Jefferson City, MO 65102

fax: 573-751-3910