Jefferson Parish Human Services Authority

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

Getting to Know Families Helping Families

Topics include:

• FHF History
• Who We Are
• What We Believe
• What We Do
• FHF in Action
• Region Center Information

Co-hosts: Families Helping Families and the Louisiana Department of Health

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.

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.

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What Are My “Stay Put” Rights? This brief, 15-minute mini-training will go over Stay Put rights and discussed when they can and cannot be invoked.

Presenter: Shannon Barnes, Disability Rights Louisiana

Co-host: Disability Rights Louisiana and Families Helping Families 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.

Louisiana Bullying Prevention Law: This law applies to all public school students: regular education and special education. However, there are some significant implications that need to be considered when a student with a disability is involved.

Presenter: Sharon Blackmon, FHF 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.

A Families Helping Families of Greater New Orleans program

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; Cynthia Chesterfield, FHF of Greater Baton Rouge

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.

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.

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How to Write Ambitious IEP Goals – Join us as we discuss some tips to help you focus on making your child’s IEP as complete as possible to ensure good outcomes. During this webinar, we will discuss measurable annual goals and how they are written, your role as an IEP team member and how to create a results driven IEP.

Presenter: Sharon Blackmon, FHF of GNO; Brenda Bares, FHF of Acadiana

Hosts: Families Helping Families of Greater New Orleans and Families Helping Families of Acadiana

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.

Your Child Is Suspended: Now What? School Discipline for Parents of Kid with Disabilities: All children have rights if they are being suspended or expelled from school, and there are additional protections for students with disabilities. This special presentation by staff attorneys with the Southern Poverty Law Center will empower parents to advocate for their child’s rights in suspension hearings, expulsion hearings, and Manifestation Determination Reviews (MDRs).

Presenter: Ashley Dalton, Lauren A. Winkler, and Sophia Mire Hill, Southern Poverty Law Center

Co-hosts: Families Helping Families of Southwest Louisiana and Families Helping Families 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.

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.

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EarlySteps: Start to Finish – EarlySteps is Louisiana’s Early Intervention System that provides services and supports to babies and young children with developmental delays and disabilities and their families. Join us as we navigate the EarlySteps process.

Presenter: Sharon Blackmon, FHF of Greater New Orleans; Pam Carey, FHF at the Crossroads

Co-hosts: Families Helping Families of Greater New Orleans and Families Helping Families at the Crossroads

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.

Education and Young Children with Exceptionalities: So Many Questions! – Caring for a young child with a disability is already overwhelming, and then they begin their education journey and even more knowledge and responsibility is required. This webinar can lighten the load a bit as we learn about:

• Transitioning from EarlySteps to school services;
• Evaluation requirements and timelines;
• Who qualifies for special education;
• Evaluation requirements for students in private schools;
• What to do if your child is struggling in school;
• How to handle bullying in school, and more!

Presenter: Sharon Blackmon, FHF of GNO; Cynthia Chesterfield, FHF of Greater Baton Rouge

Co-hosts: Families Helping Families of Greater New Orleans and Families Helping Families of Greater Baton Rouge

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.

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

Accommodations vs. Modifications – Meeting after meeting, parents and teachers use the words “accommodation” and “modification” almost interchangeably when discussing IEPs and student needs. If understood and used correctly, these words can greatly impact the success of a child’s educational program. Get answers to these questions and more:

• How can accommodations and modifications help my child in the general education classroom?
• How are accommodations and modifications included in IEP?
• Which accommodations are provided for state testing?

Understanding accommodations and modifications can be a game changer for your child.

Presenter: Sharon Blackmon, FHF of GNO; Brenda Bares, FHF of Acadiana

Hosts: Families Helping Families of Greater New Orleans and Families Helping Families 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.

Inclusion and the Law: Why is the inclusion of children with disabilities in schools, classrooms, and communities important? This webinar explores that question and the demand for inclusion in federal law.

Presenter: Sharon Blackmon, FHF of GNO; Wallace Johnson and Mylinda Elliott, FHF of Southwest Louisiana

Co-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.

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