Colleges with Support Services

Thursday, April 25th
7 PM – 8:15 PM
Please RSVP: Click Here
Remote Panel, Zoom Link to Follow

Students with IEPs/504s and parents are invited to attend a panel discussion, which will include representatives from colleges offering support services.  The panel will share details about available academic, social and living supports.

In addition, panelists will answer general questions about testing requirements, eligibility, programs and accommodations typical for a variety of schools.

Cathy Ostar, Director of Guidance, Darien High School, will moderate. 

Darien SEPAC, Darien Public Schools, and Darien Library are sponsoring this evening program.  

Panelists include:

Dean College
Lynne DaSilva
Director, Arch Learning Community/Engage

  
Fordham University
Mary E. Byrnes
Director, Office of Disability Services

Sacred Heart University
Kathy Radziunas
Director, Office of Student Accessibility

University of Connecticut
Ben Briskin
Marketing and Special Programs Coordinator 
Center for Students with Disabilities 

University of Maryland
Monica Aisenberg
Disability Specialist, Accessibility and Disability Service
Division of Student Affairs

Executive Functioning Strategies for Your Child

Ages and Stages: Understand the Development of Executive Functioning Skills

Thursday, March 7, 7:00 p.m., Darien Library Community Room

Please RSVP: dariensepac@gmail.com

Please join us for a parent presentation on supporting your child’s development of executive functioning skills. Kit Savage, an Executive Functioning Coach, will explain the neuroscience behind executive functioning skills and provide realistic parenting strategies, goals and resources to help your child.  Understanding age-appropriate expectations empowers parents to collaborate with their teachers to improve their child’s school performance. 

All children struggle at times in school, but your child may need support if they regularly:

–          Avoid getting started on homework

–          Resist checking their written work

–          Use cramming as their #1 (or only) study habit

–          Get lost navigating in Google Classroom and miss due dates

–          Struggle with the steps of the writing process

–          Become emotionally dysregulated when you discuss schoolwork

Kit Savage is a certified Executive Functioning Coach and Special Education Advisor to families of children with disabilities and neurodiverse learning profiles.  Her mission is to empower parents to ensure their child reaches their educational potential.  She is a certified teacher of body-based practices of yoga, meditation and breathwork, which is embedded in the EF instruction for students up through college and into the workforce.

This presentation is co-sponsored by Darien Library and Darien SEPAC

Your Special Education Rights: What You Need to Know to Advocate for Your Child

Wednesday, November 8, 7:00 p.m., Darien Library Community Room

Please RSVP: dariensepac@gmail.com

Attorney Jennifer Laviano and special education advocate Julie Swanson will demystify the federal laws that govern the rights of children with disabilities and give you the information you need to help your child succeed in school and beyond. 

Topics will include: What to know about Child Find and having your child evaluated at any age – from preschool to high school…how to craft language in documents…criteria for independent evaluations…securing the appropriate supports for your child…deciphering IEP language.

Jennifer Laviano and Julie Swanson are co-authors of the book, Your Special Education Rights. 

Jennifer Laviano is a special education attorney in private practice in Connecticut. Her firm’s representation of children with special needs encompasses the full spectrum of advocacy under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and Section 504, from attendance at IEP team meetings and mediation to litigation in due process hearings and federal court. She is a regular presenter about the special legal rights of children with disabilities and their entitlement to receive a free and appropriate education and to be free from disability-based discrimination.

Julie Swanson is a Connecticut special education advocate whose practice grew out of her efforts to help her son. As an advocate, she helps parents navigate the special education process, including attending IEP and Section 504 meetings. She speaks frequently on special education matters and has a long-standing history of service on special education-related state boards, task forces, and legislative appointments to state councils. This event is co-sponsored by Darien SEPAC and Darien Library.

Colleges with Support Services- Recording Now Available

Wednesday, April 19th, 7 PM – 8:15 PM

PLEASE SEE RECORDING HERE.

Students with IEPs/504s and parents attended a panel discussion, which included representatives from colleges offering support services.  The panel shared details about available academic, social and living supports. Meghan Emanuelson, Director of Guidance, Darien High School, moderated.

In addition, panelists answered general questions about testing requirements, eligibility, programs and accommodations typical for a variety of schools. Darien SEPAC, DHSPA, Darien Public Schools, Darien Library and SPED*NET sponsored this evening program. 

Panelists included:

Loyola University Maryland

Marcia Wiedefeld, Director, Disability Support Services

Landmark College  

Max McAuley, Assistant Director of Admissions

Syracuse University

Karen Toole,  Assistant Director – Academic Support & OnTrack at SU, Center for Disability Resources

University of Denver

Jim Bailey, Director, Learning Effectiveness Program, Dean of Students Office

Marist College

Krista Ackert, Assistant Director/Learning Specialist, Office of Accommodations & Accessibility

Susan Jenkins, Assistant Director/Learning Specialist, Office of Accommodations & Accessibility

Supporting Learning Disabilities and Early Intervention

Taina Coleman, MA, MEd

Educational Specialist, Child Mind Institute

RECORDING NOW AVAILABLE HERE

Thursday, March 30, 11 am – Noon, Darien Library Community Room

Hosted by Darien SEPAC and Darien Library

Parents are often the first to notice that their child might have a learning disorder.  Sometimes the signs are easy to spot — a student who just isn’t making headway in reading, for example. But the signs are not always as clear, and many children, embarrassed that they are struggling to do things that seem easy for other kids, go to pains to hide their difficulties.   In some cases, the signs are not so obvious, and getting support for a child’s learning can be challenging.  

This workshop provided practical advice and resources to help parents navigate early stages of learning more about a child’s learning profile, as learning profiles can change even as a child grows. The workshop also provided strategies for developing a strength-based approach to managing symptoms at school and at home and building skills for the future.

Topics Covered:

• What is a learning disability? What are common early signs and symptoms?
• Reading, Writing and Math-based difficulties
• Executive Functioning difficulties
• Speech and Language difficulties

• How to support children with LD at different stages of their academic career