Jefferson Parish Human Services Authority

Parent Rights in Special Education – Join us as we discuss the rights that parents have when it comes to their child’s special education and related services:

• Parental participation;
• Access to education records;
• Informed consent;
• Prior written notice;
• Independent Education Evaluation;
• Your right to disagree with school

Presenter: Sharon Blackmon, FHF of GNO

Hosts: Families Helping Families of Greater New Orleans and Families Helping Families of Greater Baton Rouge

Audience:  Parents, self-advocates, or professionals working with students with disabilities or special healthcare needs.

To register, click here. After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

Advocacy 101: As parents or advocates of individuals with disabilities, knowing how to advocate effectively is critical. Advocacy is defined as taking action in support of or opposition to a cause or issue. Advocacy can be done through education, outreach, and grassroots organizing. Here, we will provide you with some of the basics on how to become an effective advocate.

Presenter: Sharon Blackmon, FHF of Greater New Orleans

Audience: Parents, caregivers, and professionals working with students with disabilities or special healthcare needs.

To register, click here. After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

A Families Helping Families of Greater New Orleans program

When Parents & Schools Disagree: This training session will delve into Louisiana’s Special Education dispute resolution options and what to do when you disagree with the school regarding your child’s special education services. We will discuss:

• Frequently used acronyms;
• Different informal and formal dispute resolutions options offered by the Louisiana Department of Education; and
• How to request a dispute resolution option.

Presenter: Sharon Blackmon, FHF of Greater New Orleans

Audience: Parents, self-advocates, or professionals working with students with disabilities or special healthcare needs.

To register, click here. After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

A Families Helping Families of Greater New Orleans program

Coffee Break: Grab a cup of coffee and join us for this brief 15-minute mini-training aimed at answering a single disability-related dilemma. This month, Laura Nata, Director of Peer Support at Families Helping Families of Greater New Orleans, will join us to discuss this question: “What do I Do if my child’s school keeps calling me to come pick them up?”

Presenter: Sharon Blackmon, FHF of Greater New Orleans

Audience: Parents, self-advocates, or professionals working with students with disabilities or special healthcare needs.

To register, click here. After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

A Families Helping Families of Greater New Orleans program

Caregiver Support Group (English)

Meets the 2nd Tuesday of each month at 6:00pm and the 4th Tuesday of each month at 12:30pm

Facilitator: Stacy Badon

Host: Autism Society of Greater New Orleans

Description: Caregivers of individuals with autism face many unique challenges. Life can seem very different and distant from the experiences of many other families. It can be possible to feel that there is no way that they can ask for or expect other people to understand their experiences. This support group is a place for caregivers to share experiences, get information and advice, make community connections, and research opportunities for services and provision for their children. The group is also a safe place for caregivers to have fun and talk about all of the ups and downs of parenting as well as the big and small issues. Sign up below. See all of ASGNO’s virtual programs by clicking here.

Sign Up Now

Related Services: Children with disabilities are entitled to special education and related services. The IEP must contain a statement of the special education, related services, and supplementary aids and services to be provided to the child. Participants will learn several critical elements used to determine what related services a student needs.

Presenter: Sharon Blackmon, FHF of Greater New Orleans

Hosts: Families Helping Families of Greater New Orleans and Autism Society of Greater New Orleans

Audience: Parents, caregivers, or professionals working with students with disabilities or special healthcare needs.

To register, click here. After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

Getting and Keeping Your First Job – Getting and then keeping a job for someone with a disability can be tough. This training will go over why work is important, challenges for youth, the labor market, disability disclosure, accommodations and more.

Presenter: Sharon Blackmon, FHF of GNO

Audience: Parents, self-advocates, or professionals working with students with disabilities or special healthcare needs.

To register, click here. After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

A Families Helping Families of Greater New Orleans program

Adult social group (18+ years old)

Meets 2nd and 4th Thursdays of each month at 6:00pm

Facilitator: Emily Davis

Host: Autism Society of Greater New Orleans

Description: The Online Social Group is designed to help reduce feelings of isolation and increase the opportunity for social interaction with peers as well as connect with people who understand you!  To attend, please sign up below.  Once your RSVP is received you will be sent the meeting link and access code to attend, please do not share the meeting link and access code with anyone. If you have any questions, send ASGNO an email at info@asgno.org.  If you are seeking a more support-group type environment for the serious life issues, check out their Autistic Adults support group. See all of ASGNO’s virtual programs by clicking here.

Sign Up Now

Planning for Adulthood: Your High School IEP Questions Answered – You have likely been thinking about and planning for the transition process from high school to adult life for your child for a long time! Learn more about how the IEP and transition supports in high school can help your child prepare for adult life.

Presenter: Sharon Blackmon, FHF of GNO

Hosts: FHF of GNO and FHF of Acadiana

Audience: Parents, self-advocates, or professionals working with students with disabilities or special healthcare needs.

To register, click here. After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

Autism Society of GNO’s Caregiver Support Group (Encargado/Padre/Madre de habla español)

Se reúne el tercer martes de cada mes a las 6:00 p.m., hora central

Facilitadora: Stacy Badon

Organizacíon Anfitriona: Autism Society of Greater New Orleans

Descripción: Para muchos encarcado de personas con grandes necesidades de apoyo en el espectro autismo, la vida puede parecer muy diferente de las experiencias de otras familias. Puede parecer imposible esperar que otras personas comprendan sus experiencias. Este grupo de apoyo es un lugar para que los encargado compartan experiencias, obtengan información, consejos y establezcan conexiones con la comunidad. El grupo también es un lugar seguro para que los encargado se diviertan y hablen sobre todos los altibajos de la crianza de los hijos, así como sobre los problemas grandes y pequeños.

Regístrate Ahora

Hitting the High Points: An Overview of the Individualized Education Plan: Are you new to Special Education and about to experience your child’s first IEP? Or have you been questioning whether your child’s IEP is all it should be? This webinar will take a birds-eye look at this plan that drives your child’s education and services. We will talk about the purpose of the document, what it should include, who develops it, and how students can be involved in the process of planning their educational journey.

Presenter: Sharon Blackmon, FHF of GNO

Audience: Parents, caregivers, or professionals working with students with disabilities or special healthcare needs.

To register, click here. After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

A Families Helping Families of Greater New Orleans program

IEPs & Behavior & Discipline – Oh My! – The title covers it all! In this training we will talk about the Individualized Education Program (IEP) process, functional behavior assessments, and disciplinary issues in school.

Presenter: Sharon Blackmon, FHF of GNO

Hosts: Families Helping Families of Greater New Orleans and Families Helping Families of Southwest Louisiana

Audience: Parents, caregivers, or professionals working with students with disabilities or special healthcare needs.

To register, click here. After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

Autistic Adults Support Group

Meets the 3rd Thursday of each month at 6:00 PM, CST

Facilitator: Emily Davis

Host: Autism Society of Greater New Orleans

Description: This group is aimed at providing Autistic Adults with a safe space for compassionate peer support about the more serious topics of life.  Geared towards support discussions, this group aims to provide support for Autistic adults on work issues, interview help, interpersonal relationships, challenges of independent living, relating to coworkers, and anything else that makes day-to-day-life difficult, exhausting, or challenging.  Seek support from people who have been there. If you are seeking a more laid-back social group, please sign up for ASGNO’s Adult Social Group (18+)! See all of ASGNO’s virtual programs by clicking here.

Sign Up Now

No More Summer Slide – Summer is the perfect time for students of all ages to relax, but it’s also a time when learning loss and regression can occur. The “summer slide” can happen when children do not engage in educational activities during the summer months. This training will provide you with strategies and fun activities you can do over the long break to help prevent the summer slide.

Presenter: Sharon Blackmon, FHF of GNO

Hosts: Families Helping Families of Greater New Orleans and Families Helping Families of Greater Baton Rouge

Audience: Parents, caregivers, and professionals working with students with disabilities or special healthcare needs.

To register, click here. After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

Caregiver Support Group (English)

Meets the 2nd Tuesday of each month at 6:00pm and the 4th Tuesday of each month at 12:30pm

Facilitator: Stacy Badon

Host: Autism Society of Greater New Orleans

Description: Caregivers of individuals with autism face many unique challenges. Life can seem very different and distant from the experiences of many other families. It can be possible to feel that there is no way that they can ask for or expect other people to understand their experiences. This support group is a place for caregivers to share experiences, get information and advice, make community connections, and research opportunities for services and provision for their children. The group is also a safe place for caregivers to have fun and talk about all of the ups and downs of parenting as well as the big and small issues. Sign up below. See all of ASGNO’s virtual programs by clicking here.

Sign Up Now

Adult social group (18+ years old)

Meets 2nd and 4th Thursdays of each month at 6:00pm

Facilitator: Emily Davis

Host: Autism Society of Greater New Orleans

Description: The Online Social Group is designed to help reduce feelings of isolation and increase the opportunity for social interaction with peers as well as connect with people who understand you!  To attend, please sign up below.  Once your RSVP is received you will be sent the meeting link and access code to attend, please do not share the meeting link and access code with anyone. If you have any questions, send ASGNO an email at info@asgno.org.  If you are seeking a more support-group type environment for the serious life issues, check out their Autistic Adults support group. See all of ASGNO’s virtual programs by clicking here.

Sign Up Now