Minutes from April 2016 SEPTA Meeting

We’re pleased to share the minutes from our April meeting, below.

Arlington Special Education PTA General Meeting

Autism Acceptance Month

Syphax Education Center at Sequoia Plaza, Rooms 101/103

2110 Washington Boulevard, Arlington, VA 22204

Date:  April 14, 2016

Time: 7-8:30 PM

Board Member Participants:

Katherine Harris – President

Carolyn Levy – VP Membership

Caroline Butler – Treasurer

George Buzby – Assistant Treasurer

Karen Sosnoski – Secretary

Maria Votsch – VP Communications

Nick Walkosak – Past President

7:00 PM—Introduction—Katherine Harris, President

• Voting Info. School board voting is in May. Katherine will send out another email.
• Free raffle for a NeuroMovement book (tonight). Everyone filled out slips.
• We have revised bylaws that have been pre-approved by VA.
• We have a budget that we passed out.
• Only one small issue, going to bump up Pay Pal fees (still within limit.)
• We have Faith Halter speaking. She is a NeuroMovement practitioner. Anat Baniel Method

7:05—Faith Halter, NeuroMovement Practitioner 

• Faith @insightfultransitions.com   (703) 358-9489

• Starts with a NeuroMovement exercise.
• Press tongue to roof of mouth. Move head to left or right. Try again with tongue released. Most found it was easier with released tongue. Just a little change like that affects balance, speech, headaches, discomfort and might even affect ability to think. One small change can have large impacts.
• Faith’s practice is primarily working with people one on one.
• Who can NeuroMovement help?
• Virtually all ages—infants to elderly with a wide range of issues. Best known with helping children with special needs—the whole spectrum. Helpful for pain reduction, pain management, brain injury and stroke, even comas. Also used for working with athletes, musicians, dancers. She’s working with someone who’s an ice skater now.
• April is autism awareness month: NeuroMovement—Autism Awareness Month  resource: (April 2016): http://bit.ly/autism–aware.
• Two and a half hour video available for free for the rest of this month.
• Door prizes two copies of books, Anat Baniel, Kids Beyond Limits. (Very practical book).
• Anat Baniel Neuromovememt, evolution from Feldenkrais method.
• Faith got involved with NeuroMovement as a client first.
• She’s a yoga teacher, an ADD coach, always interested in new modalities. She started going to a NeuroMovement practitioner, started swimming better, experienced relief from lower back problems, and her vision improved. She can speak as both a client and a practitioner.
• NeuroMovement is designed to take advantage of brain plasticity.
• Engages the brain in new ways through movement. Once you get neurons firing differently, they can fire in all sorts of ways.
• There’s not a clear domino effect, but when somebody’s neurons find new pathways, all sorts of things can happen.
• It’s a therapeutic approach. It’s non-linear, however. Very holistic. It’s about connecting with, not fixing, the child.
• We stay away from causing pain, discomfort, stress, anxiety and confusion. When you’re in one of those states, your brain is not available to be learning. Practitioners are highly trained to make sure the child is engaged.
• Faith passed around a NeuroMovement handout focused on the Nine Essentials of Neuromovement (the Anat Baniel Method).
• Each of the Nine Essentials describes one of the brain’s requirements for waking up and doing its job well.
• Each Essential helps the brain create new connections to reach new levels of physical and mental performance.
• The nine essentials are part of neuroplasticity—the brains ability to change and grow new neurological pathways and connections throughout life. She highlighted several of the principals in our meeting:
• Essential 1—Movement with Attention: like the first exercise we did. When we slow down, it gives the brain a chance to notice what’s going on and appreciate what is being noticed.
• Essential 5—Enthusiasm: We don’t know which small change will lead to something larger in the long run. Ex.: Think of infants. We never call babies useless if they don’t know how to smile. It’s constantly exciting to see a baby try, a success just to see them exploring.
• Essential 6—Flexible Goals: Staying curious, rather than expecting one path will lead to your goal. Stay open to possibilities.
• Remember the nine essentials are not only for kids, but for us.
• George Buzby and Caroline Levy won the book raffle :-).

7:35: “What’s Up With Nick?” peer education program for typical peers of autistic kids—The Organization for Autism Research.  Deborah Hammer and Kimberly Ha.

• Kimberly Ha is from the Organization for Autism Research—introduction. Started out as a teacher but, but wanted to have systemic impact.
• Asked everyone at the meeting about their relationship to autism.
• Deborah Hammer, a big part of her role is to support inclusion and autism friendly environments.
• Points out that the Organization for Autism Research is literally in our back yard here in Arlington.
• Every school and program in Arlington has a copy of “What’s Up With Nick?”
• They’ve done trainings with counselors, speech therapists, Gen Ed teachers and SPED teachers.
• Building autism friendly schools is a process. She wants to support genuine friendships which takes an ongoing dialog and support.
• The kit for kids, more for elementary students, than older kids.
• Research in Peer Knowledge:
• 2011 Campbell et al, less than half of the students in middle schools, 46.1 percent reported “yes” to the question, “have you ever heard of autism.”
• Less than 9% of students were able to identify its defining characteristics.
• Across schools student awareness of autism varied significantly.
• 90% of 11-12 year-olds judge gaze aversion as intentional.
• OAR introduces Nick:
• 3 minute introductory video. http://www.researchautism.org/resources/NickVideo.asp
• With increased understanding, focus will be less on differences and more on the positive aspects of the individual.
• Questions from meeting participants and answers from facilitators:
• How do “What’s Up with Nick” Workshops work in non-inclusion settings?
• Most kids know someone with autism even if it’s from PE, or an extracurricular activity, and they tend to have lots of questions. We get a lot of feedback from students, some kids with autism self-identifying.
• Have the workshops been offered at every school? How do we bring them to a school?
• A parent can give the program to a teacher or SPED coordinator..
• Deborah Hammer could come and deliver the program.
• OAR’s Kit for Kids includes the following:
• What’s in the Box
• How to Use Instructions
• Lesson Plan
• Classroom Poster
• Helpful Tips
• 20 Story Booklets

• Introduction from What’s Up with Nick Lesson:
• “Today we’re going to learn about autism. What’s Up with Nick? is a fold out book about a class that has a new boy named Nick. Nick has autism. The book will teach us what autism is all about. If you already know someone with autism, or someone with autism comes to class this year, you will know what it is and how to be a better friend to them.”
• Lesson includes questions, answers, exercises to provoke discussion and understanding.
• Can be used in Scouts, taekwondo, day camp etc.
• OAR’s Impact:
• over 63,000 students taught across the globe since 2012
• Used across school districts, among girl scouts leaders, and even during job interviews.
• Volunteer Program:
• Can incentivize. If middle and high school students need volunteer credit, they can receive free t-shirt, volunteer hours, certificate of excellence.
• How can I start the program in my child’s school given its organizational structure?
• Class/School-wide buy in
• Logistics to consider
• Organizational factors
• Additional questions from meeting participants and answers from facilitators:
• Katherine: How does this work with anti-bullying campaigns?
• Kim: Getting peers to have discussion of how they’re similar or different from each other.
• Deborah: Ignorance a big form of prejudice. A lot of time if kids know the underlying causes [of autism], it can build empathy. “Sensitivity training” is important. It helps having the whole community on board, because then it’s not cool to bully someone because they’re different.
• Linda questioned the preponderance of kids that appear to be caucasian on materials.
• We do have a Latino outreach program, so one resource has a comic and real families and bubble speak.
• Nick: with about 3,700 kids with special needs in the district, why do parents have to push this in, why isn’t it just available?
• Colleen Koval, Compliance Officer, said she’d take that back to APS.
• Resources: autism.org or researchautism.org
• A Guide to Safety is their most recent publication.  They also have a Guide for Transition to Adulthood. 
• They have a guide for teachers for addressing melt downs, accommodations.
• Brothers, Sisters, and Autism: A Parent’s Guide.  Developed by siblings.
• kha@researchautism.org

8:20 Upcoming Events: Vicki, PRC

• ASEAC Meeting, Impulsivity and Risky Behaviors:  What You Need to Know to Support Your Teen. Tuesday, April 19, 2016:  7:00pm to 9:00pm, Arlington Public Schools Education Center, 1426 N Quincy Street, Room 101, Arlington, VA  22207
• Middle School to High School Transition: What Families of Students with Disabilities Need to Know; April 26, 2016. Morning Session 10-11:30 AM. Evening Session 7:00-8:30 PM. Syphax Education Center, 2110 Washington Blvd. Room 105. ASEAC, risky behaviors in teens. (Check out.)
• Sadness and Depression in Children and Teens, Tuesday, May 3, 2016, 6:30-8:30, APS Education Center, 1426 N. Quincy St. , 1st Flr., Arlington, VA.  *May: Mental Health Awareness Month.
• Hearing Loss Awareness & Communication, May 4, 2016 from 7-8:30 PM. Syphax Education Center, 2110 Washington Blvd. Room 101.

8:25 Update on DD and ID waiver, Linda C.

• Linda C attended the Region 2 Woodbridge talk on the state merging DD and ID waiver, Community Service Board will be deciding waivers in the future.  If you are # 1-200 you will get a slot.