A new school year is here! For some students, this means having a new teacher, starting a new grade, setting up new goals or transitioning into a different school.  We want to wish you a year full of success, highlight some helpful tips and provide you with Parents’ Place informative meetings, support groups, or workshops to help you feel empowered and supported.  
1. Review your child’s current Individualized Educational Plan IEP or 504 Plan  The IEP or 504 plans are your child’s educational guide for the school year; it is important to make sure you understand it and how it fits your child’s educational needs.  Attend an IEP Basic Rights workshop, Navigating IEPs workshop, an IEP Clinic or IEP workshop to understand the scope of specialized education services. We have all of these workshops at Parents’ Place for you. We are starting IEP clinics here at Parents’ Place. If you need 1:1 help from an advocate, please register for our new free IEP clinics. Our first IEP clinic is scheduled to start on November 27, 2018. Please bring your most recent IEP or Assessment and have your one-hour IEP clinic. 
2. Get organized or stay organized In special education there are many meetings and documents to keep.  Keep a family calendar for school events, meetings, appointments, or conferences. Start a “communication log” and note phone calls, emails, notes, and meetings.  Find out how to organize an “Easy Access Binder” at Parents’ Place so you can keep all your important documents in one place.   
3. Prepare for Transitions From the moment your child starts the school year, remember that it will come to an end.  Prepare for important transitions out of Early Start, Elementary School, Middle School, High School, and beyond.  Parents’ Place will be having their Transitioning from High School… What You Need to Know conference for parents/caregivers of 13-22 year old students with an IEP or 504 Plan on Saturday, November 17, between 8am-1:30 pm. 
4. Relieve back to school uneasiness through communication Simply talking about the upcoming year’s changes might assist with reducing stress.  Talk to your child about the classes they will be taking, and activities they will be part of.  With older students, it might be helpful to explain the services and accommodations that they have available in their IEP.  Parents/ Caregivers, please know you are not alone in your journey. Feel free to join one of the 8 parents’ support groups:  Reach, Nuevo Dia, DAD ROCKS, Carita Feliz,  Mandarin/Cantonese-Speaking Support, Vietnamese-Speaking Support, Teen Titans and  Young Adult Social Group. We are excited to highlight our new Young Adult Social Group. We need your help to get this group going. If you know any Young Adult who wants to socialize with other young men and women the same age, please let them know that we are meeting here at Parents’ Place on a quarterly basis. At the same time, if you know of any Young Adult between the ages of 18-21 who wants to volunteer, please send them our way.
5. Attend school events Back to School Night, Open House and parent teacher conferences help you and your child better understand the school environment, meet teachers, staff, students, and families.  These events might be a good time to introduce yourself to your child’s teacher and touch base regarding their classroom progress and your child’s needs. It also provides you with the opportunity to talk with the teacher about what has been successful for your child and keep the teacher informed about changes, events or concerns. 
6.Take a few moments to enjoy the memories with your familyWith the holidays fast approaching and the opportunities that this brings, remember to find highlights throughout the day or week. Find positive ways to engage your family in an activity together.  On December 3rd, 9am-3pm Santa Claus will make a stop at Parents’ Place.  Please call to make an appointment 626.919.1091.