NYS Virtual Webinars & Programs Starting March 21, 2025
WEBINARS & MORE
For a full list of organizations offering webinars in New York, check out Your One-Stop Guide to Navigating I/DD System and Services via Webinars & Workshops.
All are free unless otherwise noted.
Applications are open for Westchester Institute of Human Development (WIHD)’s LEND program
LEND (Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and related Disabilities) is an interdisciplinary leadership training program on Thursdays from early September to early May.
It’s funded by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau of the federal government at 52 sites around the country.
The LEND Program at WIHD is for two semesters. LEND trainees include graduate students and post-doctoral fellows; self-advocates; and family members of children and adults with disabilities. Trainees develop knowledge and skills they will need to become leaders working with and on behalf of children with disabilities and other special health care needs, and their families, to improve health outcomes and decrease disparities.
Fri., March 21, 2025 or Tues., March 25, 2025: OPWDD Services and Eligibility: The New York State Office for People With Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) is responsible for coordinating services for New Yorkers with developmental and intellectual disabilities. (WIHD)
Thurs., March 27, 2025 or Thurs., April 10, 2025: Planning Timeline for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) from Middle High School to Post-Secondary Outcomes (AHRC NY)
Four Thursdays starting March 27, 2025: Positive Solutions for Families (series): These sessions will provide strategies to support your children’s social and emotional development and address challenging behaviors in a positive, effective way. (WIHD)
Mon., March 31, 2025: Special Education 101: Virtual Training of the Parent Member: Four-hour training where participants will learn about the entire Committee for Special Education (CSE) process, and those eligible can join committee meetings as a volunteer Parent Member. (FACE, LHRPC, NYSED OSE Partnership)
Fri., April 4, 2025: April Autism Acceptance Family Engagement Forum: An event dedicated to supporting families and professionals working with children and youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This forum will feature expert discussions, valuable resources, and guidance on accessing autism-related services. (Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs (CYSHCN) Program)
Sat., April 5, 2025: Youth Abilities Fair: A Special Needs Resource Fair: Suffolk County. Includes a sensory room and magic show. Address: Middle Country Public Libraries, Eastwood Blvd., Centereach, N.Y. Time: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. (In partnership with Middle Country SEPTA)
Tues., April 15, 2025: Special Education Training: Tools to empower you at every step of navigating the special education system. (New York Lawyers for the Public Interest)
Fri., April 25, 2025: Disability Mayoral Forum and discussion with candidates on accessibility and inclusion of NYC (CIDNY)
Stock photo: Train to be a parent member for CSEs. (Credit: Freepik)
More news for March 14, 2025
Ed Dept. created to ensure equal access. Who would do that in its absence? An excellent overview and explainer. (AP)
Trump Ed Dept. layoffs challenged in court by 21 state attorneys general It’s being spearheaded by NYS AG Letitia James. (Chalkbeat)
What Ed Dept. layoffs could mean for students with disabilities (NBC News)
Ed Dept. layoffs gut its civil rights office, leaving discrimination cases in limbo (AP)
Bill being pushed to support medically fragile children (Fox NY 5)
CDPAP plan sparks protest, arrests, and confusion as April 1 looms (News 10)
CDPAP supporters want registration deadline extended (News 10)
Home care patients, workers fear ‘major disruption’ on April 1 (Times Union)
Medically Unnecessary: Kids with complex needs in Florida moved to state insurance that doesn’t help (Health News Florida)
Debate over school choice in Texas centers around low-income students and those with disabilities (CBS News)
Opinion: Upending Assumptions About Self Direction (Impact, from the Institute on Community Integration)
CDC will research widely debunked link between vaccines and autism (NBC News)
Sesame Place Launches Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Program (TravelPulse)
‘It’s supposed to be intense’: inside the experimental film that ‘truly captures’ autism (The Guardian)
More Developmental Disability News for Week Ending March 14, 2025
Upending assumptions about Self Direction, New York’s CDPAP transition remains under fire, inside the experimental film that “captures” autism, and more developmental disability news for week ending March 14, 2025.
SPOTLIGHT: Dept. of Education
Unable, for now, to close the Dept. of Education — which requires an act of Congress — President Trump is dismantling it from the inside. This week, department Secretary Linda McMahon cut half of its workforce, with the biggest impact being felt by its civil rights office. Below, articles to get you caught up.
Ed Dept. created to ensure equal access. Who would do that in its absence? An excellent overview and explainer. (AP)
Trump Ed Dept. layoffs challenged in court by 21 state attorneys general It’s being spearheaded by NYS AG Letitia James. (Chalkbeat)
What dismantling Ed Dept. means for kids with disabilities This is a good “what will happen” article. It notes that students with disabilities will be disproportionately hurt, including anyone with an IEP or 504 plan, and those in general ed classrooms who get supports or accommodations to learn. (Vox)
Also helpful: What Ed Dept. layoffs could mean for students with disabilities (NBC News)
Ed Dept. layoffs gut its civil rights office, leaving discrimination cases in limbo “Some staffers who remain said there’s no way to pick up all of their fired colleagues’ cases. … Many were already struggling to keep pace with their own caseloads. With fewer than 300 workers, families likely will be waiting on resolution for years.” (AP)
Student Voice (Opinion): What losing Dept. of Ed would mean for special education (Hechinger Report)
NEW YORK
NYC Schools Get $2 Billion From Washington. Here’s What’s at Risk if Trump Defunds the DOE (The City)
Assembly and state Senate release ‘one-house’ state budget proposals There’s no change to timeline for Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program (CDPAP) transition. (City and State)
Separately, The Arc NY’s newsletter reports some good news: Both the Senate and Assembly one-house budgets include a 7.8% increase for Direct Support Professionals. The Executive budget calls for 2.1%.
Thousands rally in Rockland to save Medicaid; Lawler booed over ‘fraud and abuse’ claims (lohud)
Bill being pushed to support medically fragile children (Fox NY 5)
CDPAP
New Yorkers with disabilities to Hochul: overhaul to key caregiver program would hurt us (lohud)
Change in Medicaid home care plan draws fire, support as April 1 deadline looms (Buffalo News)
CDPAP plan sparks protest, arrests, and confusion as April 1 looms (News 10)
CDPAP supporters want registration deadline extended (News 10)
Home care patients, workers fear ‘major disruption’ on April 1 (Times Union)
Hochul administration issues cease and desist letters to CDPAP middlemen (PoliticoPro, paywall)
Editorial: CDPAP transition is a looming care crisis (Times Union)
Thousands exit CDPAP ahead of transition deadline (Politico)
OUTSIDE OF NEW YORK
Medically Unnecessary: Kids with complex needs in Florida moved to state insurance that doesn’t help (Health News Florida)
Debate over school choice in Texas centers around low-income students and those with disabilities (CBS News)
SELF DIRECTION
Opinion: Upending Assumptions About Self Direction How SD “animates” self-determination, including for those with complex needs, have significant mental illness, and more. (Impact, from the Institute on Community Integration)
MEDICAID
Mehmet Oz, Trump’s nominee to run Medicare and Medicaid, will testify before a Senate committee Friday (Philadelphia Enquirer)
AUTISM
CDC will research widely debunked link between vaccines and autism (NBC News)
Sesame Place Launches Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Program (TravelPulse)
‘It’s supposed to be intense’: inside the experimental film that ‘truly captures’ autism (The Guardian)
MENTAL HEALTH
New Study Finds Gap in Tools Assessing Emotional Well-Being in Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities (Today at UConn)
Fourth Annual Marvels of Media Festival, March 27th – 29th, Celebrates Neurodivergent Media Makers
The unique perspectives of neurodiverse artists are front and center at the Marvels of Media Festival in Queens, N.Y., at the Museum of the Moving Image (MoMI).
“We often see stereotypical representations of autistic people because [films tend] to be written by people who aren’t autistic,” Tiffany Joy Butler, associate curator of Public Programs at the museum, tells The Boost. “It’s essential to give power to autistic filmmakers and storytellers.”
The fourth annual festival, which runs March 27 through March 29, 2025, features a diverse selection of 23 new films, five video games and two virtual reality experiences. Also on offer are panel discussions, a media workshop and a networking mixer. Admission to screenings and events is free with RSVP.
A still from ‘Once More, Like Rain Man.’ (Credit: Sue Ann Pien)
The films feature not just up-and-comers, but experienced actors and filmmakers. They include Once More, Like Rain Man, a film directed by Sue Ann Pien, star of Amazon’s As We See It, and produced by Darren Dean (Florida Project, Tangerine), a longtime collaborator of Sean Baker, whose Anora just swept the Oscars. The film presents a “day in the life” of an autistic actress who travels across Los Angeles for auditions only to keep running into the same stereotypical parts.
Among the media makers returning this year is Samara Huckvale. Huckvale’s short film, 420 Ways to Die, is a dryly comedic, neo-noir anti-smoking mockumentary that’s part of the “Vibrant Voices: Four Shorts” program.
“A lot of people view autism as something that disables humor and I feel like I want to push against that,” says Huckvale. “The funniest people I know are autistic or neurodivergent and the stereotype that we don’t understand humor or can’t get jokes makes no sense to me.”
A recent Columbia University grad on their way to New York University’s Graduate Film program, Huckvale adds that “it’s nice to be surrounded by people who are like me, and to look at different films and art by autistic people. It’s just a great, really fun festival.”
This year, Marvels of Media takes place as the Trump administration continues its war on science, and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts. As always, Butler says, the festival supports Black, Latinx and Asian artists, and will continue doing so. “We’ve also always been very cautious about not partnering with organizations that support claims that vaccines [cause] autism,” she says.
Butler also points out that while the letter “A,” which stands for accessibility, is often left off of the DEI acronym, DEAI is baked into Marvels of Media. Organizers, she says, “continue to make the museum more accessible.” On offer are a sensory relief room and sensory kits, captions on content, and a building accessible to wheelchairs.
‘Joust My Luck,’ screening in the Playful Tales: Seven Shorts program. (Credit: Jacob Lenard)
This year, the festival also embarks on an exciting expansion. By joining forces with leading arts institutions and theaters, partners around the country will present a specially curated selection of the 2024 Marvels of Media festival lineup. The schedule as of this posting:
Jacob Burns Film Center in Pleasantville, N.Y.: March 27 – April 27, 2025
North Fork Arts Center in Greenport (Long Island), NY: March 27 – April 27
Gray Area in San Francisco: March 27 – April 11, 2025
So, get your tickets, and head on out! For a full schedule of programs for all ages, visit movingimage.org/series/marvels-of-media-festival-2025/.
Photo: A still from 420 Ways to Die. (Credit: Samara Huckvale)
NYS Virtual Webinars Starting March 14, 2025
WEBINARS & MORE
For a full list of organizations offering webinars in New York, check out Your One-Stop Guide to Navigating I/DD System and Services via Webinars & Workshops.
All are free unless otherwise noted.
Thurs., March 27, 2025 or Thurs., April 10, 2025: Planning Timeline for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) from Middle High School to Post-Secondary Outcomes (AHRC NY)
Fri., March 14, 2025: Brooklyn Developmental Disabilities Council (BKDDC) Residential & Housing Committee Meeting: Learn about available housing options and services. Time: 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. Meeting ID: 893 1417 0361 Passcode: 955407
Mon., March 17, 2025: What You Need to Know about Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) (Parent to Parent of NYS)
Tues., March 18, 2025: Self-Direction for Individuals with OPWDD: Get a better understanding of self-direction including the process, things to think about regarding a broker, what can be included in a budget and what is a fiscal intermediary. (Rockland Community Services)
Tues., March 18, 2025: Parents Considering a Residential Placement Discussion Group (Parent to Parent of NYS)
Wed., March 19, 2024: Self-Direction: Too Big to Thrive?: Those self-directing face new challenges, such as its reliance on Medicaid at a time of cost cutting. How can advocates prepare for these challenges? (Applied Self Direction’s National Self-Direction Conference)
Wed., March 19, 2025: Hear Our Voices: Brendan Klein Celebrates Developmental Disability Month in Presentation Featuring Liz Weintraub: Disability conversations group. (Hear Our Voices via WIHD)
Wed., March 19, 2025: Advocating at the IEP Meeting: Strategies for Success (AHRC New York City)
Fri., April 4, 2025: April Autism Acceptance Family Engagement Forum: An event dedicated to supporting families and professionals working with children and youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This forum will feature expert discussions, valuable resources, and guidance on accessing autism-related services. (Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs (CYSHCN) Program)
Sat., April 5, 2025: Youth Abilities Fair: A Special Needs Resource Fair: Suffolk County. Includes a sensory room and magic show. Address: Middle Country Public Libraries, Eastwood Blvd., Centereach, N.Y. Time: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. (In partnership with Middle Country SEPTA)
Tues., April 15, 2025: Special Education Training: Tools to empower you at every step of navigating the special education system. (New York Lawyers for the Public Interest)
Stock photo: Supported Decision Making takes a team. (Credit: Freepik)
NYS Rec and Entertainment Starting March 14, 2025
Be sure to visit links for more information and, where applicable, to register. If you’d like to share your event or activity on The Boost, please contact us here. It would be great to have more activities around the state.
Sat., March 15, 2025: Take a Deep Breath Interactive Concert: Bronxville. An interactive concert for the developmental disability community. Cost: $6 – $12. (Concordia Conservatory)
Fri., March 21, 2025: Fun Friday – Dance Aerobics: West Nyack. Ages 14 – 24. GYMGUYZ will lead a dance aerobics class. Time: 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. Where: Besso Community Room, 4th floor, Palisades Mall by the ice rink. To learn more, contact Emily Rocks at ERocks@BridgesRC.org or (845) 624-1366 Ext. 107.
Sat., March 22, 2025: Sensory-Friendly Screening of Disney’s Snow White: Bedford Playhouse in Bedford.
Six Sundays starting March 23, 2025, ending May 11, 2025: Inclusive Lacrosse with Able Athletics: Bedford, N.Y. Athletes participate in inclusive sessions designed to foster teamwork, skill-building, and confidence in a supportive, adaptive environment. All abilities welcome with activities tailored to needs.
Sun., March 23, 2025: Music for Autism In-Person Concert with Gabe Medd: Autism-friendly, interactive concerts developed specifically for individuals with autism and their families.
Thurs., March 27, 2025 – Sat., March 29, 2025: Marvels of Media Festival: Astoria (Queens) at the Museum of the Moving Image. This wonderful festival recognizes the outstanding media work of autistic media-makers through an exhibition, film screenings, and in-depth panel discussions.
Thurs., March 27, 2025: Monthly Open Mic: Cos Cob, Conn. Welcoming space where people of all abilities can share their talents, connect, and celebrate music together. (Especially Everyone and River House)
Thurs., April 3, 2025 – Wed., April 9, 2025: 17th Annual ReelAbilities Film Festival New York: The festival is committed to reframing disability through the power of film.
Year-Round
We Rock the Spectrum Kid’s Gym: There are two New York-based We Rock the Spectrum franchises, one in New Rochelle (Westchester County), the other Staten Island. Locations in Brooklyn and Long Island in the works.
AMC Sensory-friendly films: Ten AMC movie theaters around New York State offering sensory-friendly screenings. Go to the link to find the ones near you.
The Boost’s Guide to the Best Museums for People with Developmental Disabilities Added: Jackie Robinson Museum in Manhattan!
The Boost’s 2024 Westchester County Recreation Resource List (Children and Adults)
I Love NY’s Accessible Places and Programs
Photo: A still from The Ugliest Masterpiece, a short in the Marvels of Media Festival in Queens. (Credit: Rae Xiang)
More News March 7, 2025
One-house budget proposals not expected to delay N.Y. Medicaid home care changes (Spectrum News 1)
Home care at risk for thousands in NY as April 1 deadline looms (Times Union)
NY says 88K people enrolled in home aide program as deadline looms (Times Union)
Democrats say threat of Medicaid cuts not a factor in NY’s budget (Times Union)
Republicans need to cut Medicaid to hit budget savings target, Congressional Budget Office finds (The Hill)
Fact check: The war of words over Medicaid cuts (Roll Call)
Uncertainty over federal funding could mean ‘world of trouble’ for NY Medicaid (Buffalo News via Empire Report)
Draft executive order set for Thursday calls for closing Education Dept. (Washington Post)
What schools can do to prepare students with disabilities for college success (K-12 Dive)
Problems Nag Illinois’ Efforts to Move Disabled to Group Homes (Chicago Tribune)
An Illinois county’s disability group offers new mobile changing unit for local events (Springfield News Sun)
What Social Security Shake-Up Could Mean For People With Disabilities (Disability Scoop)
Feeling Anxious? There’s a Sweatshirt for That (Wall Street Journal)
Meet the Westchester Team Competing in the Special Olympics World Games
More Developmental Disability News for Week Ending March 7, 2025
An executive order to close the Department of Education, NYS’s CDPAP transition fiasco goes down to the wire, clothing for the tactile-sensitive, and more for the week ending March 7, 2025.
SPOTLIGHT on CDPAP: Isn’t It Romantic
Is there a contingency plan should all those served by the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program not be registered with PPL by the March 28 deadline? No one seems to know. In the meantime, Assemblymember Carl Heastie gave a whopper of a quote, and more CDPAP news:
One-house budget proposals not expected to delay N.Y. Medicaid home care changes (Spectrum News 1)
“‘You’re always going to have some tough spots when you make a huge change like this,’ Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie told reporters. “‘[As of] March 5, I’m not willing to entertain (a delay) at this point. … My romantic wish would be to see everybody who needs this program and the services to get signed up and there to be a smooth transition.'”
Several other state lawmakers, Spectrum News 1 reports, “said they don’t expect the Senate or Assembly’s counter budget offer to Gov. Kathy Hochul’s spending plan will amend the controversial change.” The news site writes that “last-minute legislative action is common in the state,” and that it could be “the witching hour of the April 1 deadline” before a delay is considered.
Senate Disabilities Committee Chair Patricia Fahy noted that there’s still time. “We know how to do things at the last-minute,” she said. “Right now, the pressure needs to stay on getting those enrollments in. … As difficult as that may be, we’re all trying to give it a few more weeks here.'”
Home care at risk for thousands in NY as April 1 deadline looms (Times Union)
NY says 88K people enrolled in home aide program as deadline looms (Times Union)
MEDICAID
Democrats say threat of Medicaid cuts not a factor in NY’s budget Lawmakers have signaled that they are not accounting for any potential future federal spending reductions.
Republicans need to cut Medicaid to hit budget savings target, Congressional Budget Office finds (The Hill)
Fact check: The war of words over Medicaid cuts (Roll Call)
Uncertainty over federal funding could mean ‘world of trouble’ for NY Medicaid (Buffalo News via Empire Report)
EDUCATION
Draft executive order set for Thursday calls for closing Education Dept. The department administers federal grant programs. including the $15.5 billion program that helps cover the cost of education for students with disabilities. (Washington Post)
After monthlong pause, Trump admin resumes investigating disability complaints at schools (USA Today)
What schools can do to prepare students with disabilities for college success Weaving supports across general ed curriculum and working with local colleges to create workshops are key. (K-12 Dive)
STATE NEWS
Problems Nag Illinois’ Efforts to Move Disabled to Group Homes Among the 50 states, Illinois trailed only Texas in the number of people housed in state-run residential facilities for people with I/DD in fiscal 2020. (Chicago Tribune, paywall)
Colo. State department apologizes to families, promises to maintain funding for young kids with disabilities State officials apologized for a memo sent last week that indicated services would be cut. (Colorado Public Radio)
Supplemental budget saves Maryland Developmental Disabilities Agency funding The I/DD community in Maryland has had a brutal time of it, and challenges still lay ahead. (WYPR)
An Illinois county’s disability group offers new mobile changing unit for local events The unit aims to improve services for people who use wheelchairs at community events. (Springfield News Sun)
SOCIAL SECURITY
What Social Security Shake-Up Could Mean For People With Disabilities (Disability Scoop)
AUTISM
Trump’s war on DEI comes for programs helping autistic students find jobs in STEM (The Independent)
Student’s View: I’m Autistic. Special Education Failed Me (The 74)
CAREGIVING
The Crisis of Special Needs Parent Support: Author Post “Parents and caregivers of children with disabilities and special needs face a relentless, two-front war.” (Forbes)
INNOVATIVE CLOTHING
Feeling Anxious? There’s a Sweatshirt for That There’s a growing market for clothing brands that promise options for the tactilely sensitive. (Wall Street Journal)
SPECIAL OLYMPICS
Meet the Westchester Team Competing in the Special Olympics World Games
Queensberry’s Liza Ambrosini Heading to Italy for Special Olympics World Games
Wappingers Falls Resident to Compete in Special Olympics World Games
Two Rochester-are residents head to Italy for Games
Tell Your Legislators to Protect Medicaid Dollars: These Organizations Make It Easy!
Medicaid-funded services are a lifeline for the intellectual and developmental disability (I/DD) community. A cut in federal Medicaid dollars would put New York providers and the individuals they support “in an epic level of crisis,” Sen. Patricia Fahy, chair of the Disabilities Committee, told The Boost.
But that’s exactly what New Yorkers and the rest of the country could be facing. Despite President Trump’s public statements that Medicaid would not be touched, he has endorsed a House budget bill that could lead to brutal cuts in the program.
While the GOP also claims massive cuts are not coming, it’s been widely reported that GOP lawmakers are considering, at minimum, a plan to limit federal matching funds for the program.
Add to this a report released this week by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), which found that Republicans can’t achieve their goal of slashing $2 trillion in federal spending over the next decade without cutting Medicaid, and the program looks very much in risk.
To help stave off the cuts, now is the time to speak up. A host of organizations have done the hard work for you, putting together everything from Medicaid fact sheets to talking points to make reaching out to your legislators easy and efficient to do. Below you’ll find the needed information from various organizations, including a plain language action alert from the Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN).
ANCOR
Resources:
How to advocate:
This association of community-based providers has created a toolbox to help you educate policymakers on the essential, life-changing services funded by Medicaid.
Visit Advocate to preserve I/DD services for an easy-to-use form with information on how tell your Senators and Representative to reject Medicaid cuts and protect services for people with I/DD.
THE ARC US
Resources:
The Arc NY Medicaid Fact Sheet
The Arc New York & NYDA’s Congressional District Info Sheets Use these district-specific info sheets and maps to inform your representative of the local impact in their district.
Storytelling Toolkit for People With Disabilities and Advocates
How to advocate:
The Arc US one-click campaign is here. This will send a letter directly to your Congressional representative.
In addition to sending the letter, there are options within the one-click to:
- Be directly connected via phone to your representative
- Send a pre-written message via X/Twitter to your representative
AUTISTIC SELF ADVOCACY NETWORK (ASAN)
Resources & how to advocate:
ASAN has a new plain language Action Alert all about Medicaid.
You can learn everything you need to know about what is happening with Medicaid in Congress right now by reading its plain language Action Alert. The Action Alert will tell you:
- What is happening with Medicaid in Congress right now
- How to talk to your Representative and Senators by scheduling a meeting, talking on the phone, or sending an email
- Ideas and scripts for what you can say to your Representative and Senators about protecting Medicaid
Once you’ve read the alert, you’ll have everything you need to take action to save Medicaid.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
The New York Alliance for Inclusion & Innovation is sharing these excellent resources:
NYS Legislative Meeting Talking Points
Importance of Medicaid to the I/DD System
NYS Virtual Webinars Starting March 7, 2025
WEBINARS & MORE
For a full list of organizations offering webinars in New York, check out Your One-Stop Guide to Navigating I/DD System and Services via Webinars & Workshops.
All are free unless otherwise noted.
Sat., March 8, 2025: GiGi’s Educator Symposium: Join a team of experienced educators and therapists from across the GiGi’s Playhouse Network to learn how to teach individuals with Down syndrome the way they learn best.
Thurs., March 13, 2025: General Information Session to Learn More about Supported Decision-Making NY: Learn more about supported decision-making (SDM), and the SDMNY facilitation process. (SDMNY)
Thurs., March 13: 2025: SDMNY Sign-Up Session for Supported Decision-Makers: This session is required for individuals who wish to sign up to participate in SDMNY’s facilitation process to create a Supported Decision-Making Agreement. (SDMNY)
Thurs., March 13, 2025: Residential Placement Online Discussion Group for Parents: For families with children and adults of all ages that currently have children in residential school or a group home. Support and conversation. (Parent to Parent of NYS)
Thurs., March 13th, 2025, Thurs., March 27, 2025 or Thurs., April 10, 2025: Planning Timeline for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) from Middle High School to Post-Secondary Outcomes (AHRC NY)
Fri., March 14, 2025: Brooklyn Developmental Disabilities Council (BKDDC) Residential & Housing Committee Meeting: Learn about available housing options and services. Time: 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. Meeting ID: 893 1417 0361 Passcode: 955407
Mon., March 17, 2025: What You Need to Know about Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) (Parent to Parent of NYS)
Tues., March 18, 2025: Self-Direction for Individuals with OPWDD: Get a better understanding of self-direction including the process, things to think about regarding a broker, what can be included in a budget and what is a fiscal intermediary. (Rockland Community Services)
Tues., March 18, 2025: Parents Considering a Residential Placement Discussion Group (Parent to Parent of NYS)
Tues., March 19, 2025: Advocating at the IEP Meeting: Strategies for Success (AHRC New York City)
Wed., March 19, 2025: Disability Conversations: “Hear Our Voices” Self Advocacy Group Meeting: Disability Conversations Group has educational talks about living with disabilities in an accessible way. Different topics and speakers are chosen each month. (WIHD’s Community Support Network)
Fri., April 4, 2025: April Autism Acceptance Family Engagement Forum:An event dedicated to supporting families and professionals working with children and youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This forum will feature expert discussions, valuable resources, and guidance on accessing autism-related services. (Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs (CYSHCN) Program)
Sat., April 5, 2025: Youth Abilities Fair: A Special Needs Resource Fair: Suffolk County. Includes a sensory room and magic show. Address: Middle Country Public Libraries, Eastwood Blvd., Centereach, N.Y. Time: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. (In partnership with Middle Country SEPTA)
Tues., April 15, 2025: Special Education Training: Tools to empower you at every step of navigating the special education system. (New York Lawyers for the Public Interest)
Stock photo: Supported Decision Making takes a team. (Credit: Freepik)