Staff/Parent Learning Opportunities
Parent Trainings:
Parent Education and Advocacy Leadership (PEAL) Center 1-866-950-1040 (in PA)
The Parent Education and Advocacy Leadership (PEAL) Center was established in October 2005 as an organization of parents of children with disabilities reaching out to assist other parents of children with disabilities and special health care needs, and professionals. The PEAL Center offers a variety of supports and resources from Assistive Technology to healthcare information for families and professionals. They have a number of ongoing trainings and events, print publications, and even a lending library. PEAL Website
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
HUNE (Hispanos Unidos Niños Excepionales) 215-425-6203
HUNE is a not for profit organization established in 1998. They provide free bilingual English and Spanish training, technical assistance and individual assistance to parents of infants, toddlers, children, and youth with disabilities and to professionals who work with children. HUNE Website
HUNE es una organización sin fines de lucro establecido en el 1998. HUNE provee asesoramiento, asistencia técnica y asistencia individual gratis para los padres de infantes, niños, y jóvenes con impedimentos y a los profesionales que trabajan con los niños.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Enhancing Family Engagement Training Modules:
Students achieve greater success when their families take an active role in their education. Six training modules have been developed by PaTTAN to assist with the planning and implementation of a successful program to enhance family engagement in your school. These training units, reflecting family engagement research, resources, best practices, and activities, are designed for educators; however, families, related service providers, community members, and others interested in bolstering student achievement by family-school-community partnerships are encouraged to view them.
The modules are flexible and may be used as professional development, individual enrichment, team capacity building, or a combination of applications. Each module contains the PowerPoint training, content notes and one or more activities that may be utilized with the unit or independently, and activities may be interchangeable amongst modules, depending on your needs. Further capacity building may be achieved by exploring the references and resources found at the end of each module.
Module 1 - Welcoming All Families into the School Community
Module 2 – Communicating Effectively
Module 3 – Supporting Student Success
Module 4 – Speaking Up for Every Child
Module 5 – Shared Decision Making
Module 6– Collaborating with the Community
Chester County College Fair EARLY HOUR |
|
We invite students with disabilities and their families to join us for a special early hour at the Chester County College Fair. This dedicated time—held one hour before the fair officially opens—provides a supportive environment for youth to: Hear from a panel of college representatives who will share information about disability supports and services at the postsecondary level. Ask questions and gain insight into how colleges support student success. Connect directly with programs and staff in a smaller, more focused setting. This early session ensures students and families have the chance to explore postsecondary options and gather resources tailored to their needs before the larger fair begins.
|
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Staff Trainings:
PaPBS & MTSS Implementers' Forum
The 2026 PAPBS and MTSS Integrated Implementers’ Forum, One System, All Learners: Advancing Integration in PBIS & MTSS, will be offered in a hybrid modality. The in-person option will be hosted at PaTTAN Central with a completely virtual, synchronous attendance option available. Presenters will be both in-person and virtual. Registration is anticipated to be open in late summer 2026
Conference Cost: $105
Hotel InformationVendor Information
Conference at a Glance
| Time | Activity |
|---|---|
| 7:30 AM | Conference Check-In Opens |
| 9:00 AM | Opening KeynoteDr. Brandi Simonsen |
| 10:30 AM | Break |
| 10:45 AM | Breakout Sessions |
| 11:45 AM–1:30 PM | All-Star Recognition Lunch |
| 1:30 PM | Breakout Sessions |
| 2:30 PM | Break |
| 3:45 PM | Day Concludes |
| Time | Activity |
|---|---|
| 8:00 AM | Conference Check-In Opens |
| 9:00 AM | KeynoteDr. Jennifer Pierce & Allison Gandhi |
| 10:30 AM | Break |
| 10:45 AM | Breakout Sessions |
| 12:00–1:30 PM | Lunch |
| 1:30 PM | Breakout Sessions |
| 2:45 PM | Break |
| 3:00 PM | Breakout Sessions |
| 4:15 PM | Day Concludes |
| Time | Activity |
|---|---|
| 8:30–10:00 AM | Conference Check-In Opens |
| 10:00–10:15 AM | Break |
| 10:15–11:15 AM | Breakout Sessions |
| 11:15–11:45 AM | Lunch Pick-Up and Head to Session |
| 11:45 AM–12:45 PM | Session Time / Breakout Sessions |
| 12:45 PM | Conference Concludes |
📍 Forum Locations
PaTTAN Central
Virtual Option
One System, All Learners: Advancing Integration in PBIS & MTSS
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The Nuts and Bolts of Job Coaching:
Online session
Session Dates
Monday July 13, 2026 - Online
Friday September 04, 2026 - Online
This self-paced five module online course provides participants with relevant information regarding the role of a Job Coach to support students in community-based work settings.
Objectives
At the end of this training, participants will be able to:
- Describe the responsibilities and competencies needed to support transition-aged students build work-related skills in community-based settings
- Identify relevant Labor Laws and implications when supporting students in employment settings
- Apply and implement strategies to provide community-based employment education to students with disabilities
- Reflect on personal skills and practices to identify strengths and areas for growth
Target Audience
Paraprofessionals, other support staff, teachers, transition coordinators, special education directors, or anyone interested in this topic.
______________________________________________________________________________________
Module 17: Social Skills and Peer Relationships Module
PaTTAN - Online Course
Session Dates
Tuesday September 01, 2026 - PaTTAN - Online Course
Monday May 31, 2027 - PaTTAN - Online Course
This event is by invitation only. You must have a registration key in order to register.
This course will provide participants each individual circle of the model allows for a more in-depth analysis of what each student needs and how to facilitate that without becoming too involved to the point of disrupting natural connections being made. Through evaluating your own personal circle of friends, a student with deaf-blindness’ own circle of friends is better understood.
Objectives:
- Review the important role that social skills play in school and post-school success.
- Compare how deaf-blindness and decreased opportunities for incidental learning can impact the development of social skills.
- Describe how to support natural social interactions based on shared activities and interests within the framework of family culture and local norms.
- Describe how the intervener can facilitate friendships and interactions between the student and others in the school and community.
- Examine how Circle of Friends process can be used to identify challenges and strategies to support social connections.
Target Audience
Teams and Individuals working with and/or interested in professional development regarding students who are deaf-blind, such as parents, teachers, paraprofessionals, administrators, and other service providers, including those who are not seeking to become interveners.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
Progress Monitoring: Steps to Support Effective and Meaningful Data Collection
PaTTAN - Online Course
Session Dates
Wednesday July 01, 2026 - PaTTAN - Online Course
Wednesday September 30, 2026 - PaTTAN - Online Course
The purpose of progress monitoring is to identify steps the child is making to successfully participate in their everyday activities and routines. Effective progress monitoring begins with the assurance that identified outcomes/goals are functional and measurable, followed by identifying an efficient plan for data collection. In this course, participants will identify outcomes/goals that are functional and measurable and identify a process for collecting data. The process will include determining what data is being collected, who will collect the data and when, where, and how the data will be collected. Throughout the course, participants will follow a case study and engage in activities to practice strategies discussed.
Objectives
Participants will be able to:
- Recognize and utilize essential elements of data collection and establish a process for identifying:
- Who will collect
- What specifically will be collected
- How it will be collected
- How progress will be documented - Identify a process for breaking long-term outcome/goals into smaller steps and using data on these steps to demonstrate progress to the long-term outcomes/goals.
- Select data collection tools appropriate for measuring progress on functional goals and/or outcomes.
- Collect and evaluate data on child progress, including identifying strategies and routines that are most supportive for the child.
- Apply a seven-step process to make data based decisions about child progress and next steps.
______________________________________________________________________________________________
Surrogate Parent Training Opportunities:
Become a Special Education Decision-Maker for a Child in State Custody
Volunteers, known as Special Education Surrogate Parents (SESPs), serve as appointed educational special decision-makers for students in the custody of the Department of Children and Families (DCF). SESP volunteers have the legal authority of a parent or legal guardian to attend special education team meetings, approve or reject IEPs, and, if necessary, file a complaint or appeal. SESPs spend about 30-40 hours a year volunteering their time.
In this Orientation Training, you will learn about the role of an SESP, how traumatic experiences can impact learning, and how to incorporate the appropriate supports into the IEP.
Please arrive 5 minutes before the start of the training. The training will start on time and we will not be able to admit attendees after the training begins. If you cannot make it on time, please email us at rtsc@fcsn.org and sign up for the next Orientation
For questions, contact us at rtsc@fcsn.org or (617) 399-8342.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
|
|||||||
|
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
National Autism Conference 2027 at Pennsylvania State University:
Location:
The Penn Stater Hotel & Conference Center,
State College, Pennsylvania
Dates: TBD