In case you missed it, PATH staff members Kevin Daly and Marin McNiff hosted a Facebook Live on 8/29 where they discussed best practices for getting a great start to the new school year.

Kevin also covered the Federal Medical Leave Act (FMLA), Title I of ESEA, FERPA -- Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, and CT State Statute 10-76.

Special Education Today Webinar

LifeCourse

Family Perspective Tools

Family Perspective tools can help guide conversations when planning, problem solving, or working on goals with family members. They enable families to share information, their own unique perspective, and their opinions.

Create a vision for your family member’s good life. The Trajectory Planning Tool highlights the past life experiences that are leading or moving your family member away from their vision and then provide space for current goals and things to avoid moving forward.

Integrated Supports Star

Identify the supports that your family member is using now, and think about other supports that might be helpful. The right supports can help ensure their quality of life. Some supports are centered around relationships, technology, or personal strengths and assets. Others are based on eligibility criteria or are supports that anyone in the community can access. Using various supports in combination can help them achieve their vision of a good life.

The other 2 tools will be shared in our September newsletter.

For more information please email info@pathct.org. These excerpts and more can be found at:

https://www.lifecoursetools.com/lifecourse-library/foundational-tools/family-perspective/

Parent Support

We are currently in the process of moving our Parent Support Training to a one-month self-paced program. If you are interested in becoming a support parent, you can contact us by:

Email: info@pathct.org

Phone: 203-234-9554

Text: 203-215-9257

You can learn more about our Parent Support Program HERE. If you would like to be connected with a trained support parent, reach out using the contact information above.

In our partnership with the New England Regional Genetics Network, this month, we are highlighting Soto Syndrome.

Sotos is a genetic condition caused by a change on chromosome 5. Children diagnosed with Sotos syndrome have characteristic facial features, overgrowth in height, weight and head size, and delays in their motor, cognitive and social development. Their speech is difficult and they have low muscle tone, which can affect feeding, and movement. The prevalence of Sotos is 1 in 14,000. Sotos is sometimes referred to as cerebral gigantism. Sotos is usually diagnosed months or years after birth.

For more information on Soto Syndrome, read more.

CT Sibling Network

CT Sibling Network (CT Sibs) is an Affiliate of the National Sibling Leadership Network. CT Sibs recognizes PATH as the leading CT family support organization and has partnered with us to deliver programs and resources to siblings. Currently, we are serving siblings ages 18 and older.

CT Sibs believes that the lives and opinions of siblings are important.

We recognize that siblings are the family members who will have the longest relationships with individuals with disabilities. While there are many positive aspects of having a brother or sister with a disability, we respect that it can be a difficult journey for a sibling with unique challenges. Siblings deserve opportunities for support and understanding, as well as information and tools to advocate for their interests and the needs of their brothers and sisters with disabilities.

If you are interested in taking our Sib2Sib training, or connecting with another sibling in our network, contact us at info@pathct.org.

Announcing the Supported Decision Making Fall Webinar Series!!

The Supported Decision Making Coalition of Connecticut is pleased to present three webinars on Supported Decision Making topics.

All webinars are free. You must register separately for each webinar.

September 20, 2023 6-7:30PM Via Zoom

Supported Decision Making and Special Education

To register for this webinar, click here.

October 4, 2023 6-7:30PM via Zoom

Supported Decision Making and Transition

To register for this webinar, click here.

October 18, 2023 6-7:30PM Via Zoom

Supported Decision Making and Vocational Rehabilitation

To register for this webinar, click here.

The presenter for all three webinars will be

JONATHAN MARTINIS, ESQ., J.D.

Jonathan Martinis, Esq., J.D., is the Senior Director for Law and Policy in the Burton Blatt Institute (BBI) at Syracuse University. He is based at BBI’s Washington, D.C. office and leads the institute’s national and international efforts.



Martinis has over 20 years of experience representing and advocating for people with disabilities under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Most notably, in 2013, Martinis represented Jenny Hatch in the nationally acclaimed “Justice for Jenny” case. Martinis helped Ms. Hatch secure her right to live where and how she wants, to make her own decisions, and direct her own life. Jenny’s case was the first trial to hold that a person with disabilities has a right to engage in “Supported-Decision Making,” where people work with trusted friends, family members, and professionals to help them understand the situations and choices they face, so they may make their own decisions – rather than be subjected to an unnecessary permanent, plenary or full guardianship. 

The Connecticut Health Policy Project has developed a fantastic resource to help consumers better understand and navigate the CT Healthcare system. CT Healthcare Explained is a single, comprehensive source on complex health policy issues that is balanced and accessible to all. 

https://www.cthealthexplained.org/

CT Healthcare Explained can be also be used as a companion with the CT Health Advocacy Toolbox for advocates looking to make changes to the system. https://cthealthpolicy.org/index.php/resources-2/advocacy-tool-box/

Sports Adapted to Your Child’s Abilities

Did you know that there are over 8,000 different sports in this world? Yes, 8,000! There are physical sports, mind sports, board sports, equestrian sports, the list goes on. There is even a sport called “Wifecarrying” if you can believe that. There is literally a sport out there for everyone. So if you love mowing the lawn, why not become a lawn mowing racer. If you love air guitar, you can enter contests world wide.

It’s clear to see that we humans LOVE sports so it’s probably not a surprise to hear that in America, three out of every four families have children involved in at least one sport. Growing up my younger brother was in everything; soccer, football, baseball and lacrosse. I was most likely to enter a poetry contest. Yes, I was one of those that refused to dress out for P.E. and I really never understood why the class was required but I’m sure there was a perfectly justified reason to make us run laps and do sit ups or play dodgeball and flag football, right?

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