Can you do it? Yes, You Can!
Youth Leadership
WVPTI is looking for a talented Youth Engagement Specialist (YES) to generate engaging, original content supporting leadership for students with disabilities. Under the supervision of the WVPTI Project Director, the YES will use FaceBook (FB) Live and Zoom to share information.
You will need basic knowledge of FB, Zoom, and other social media platforms. A preference will be given to youth who have a disability, between 16-21 years of age. (Parent or guardian will be required for youth under 18 years of age.)
The YES will receive an honorarium for participating in this new WVPTI initiative.
United States Department of Education Office of Civil Rights' Factsheet
(New)
Long COVID under Section 504 and IDEA
Roadmap to Reopening Safely and Meeting All Students' Needs
Parent and Family
Digital Learning Guide(New)
Parent and Family Digital Learning Guide
United States Department of Education
Office of Civil Rights
Questions and Answers for K-12 Public Schools in the Current Covid-19 Environment
United States Department of Education Office for Civil Rights.pdf
A Transition Guide to Postsecondary Education and Employment for Student and Youth Disabilities (New)
by Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services Department of Education, August 2020. Click Here: A Transition Guide to Postsecondary Education and Employment August 2020.pdf
Additional resources to help families with the process are linked below.
West Virginia Schools Re-entry Toolkit COVID-19 Guidance by WV Department of Education and WV Department of Health and Human Resources: WV Virginia Schools Re-entry Toolkit.pdf
WV Department of Education Special Education Tips and Suggestions: WV Department of Education Special Education Information.pdf
WV Department of Education's Providing a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) During School Closure due to COVID-19 Pandemic Through Distance Learning Frequently Asked Questions: Frequently Asked Questions.pdf
WV Department of Education's Providing a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) During School Closure due to COVID-19 Pandemic Frequently Asked Questions About In-Person and/or Blended Instruction/Virtual Options/Remote Learning/Homebound:QuestionsAboutFAPE.pdf
New Information from Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP)
The Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) provided Q & A documents to help you with your inquiries concerning procedural safeguards and Dispute Resolutions in Part B and Part C.
IDEA Part B Dispute Resolution Procedures IDEA Part C Dispute Resolution Procedures
Questions and Answers IDEA Part B Procedural Safeguards
IDEA Part C Procedural Safeguards
Joint Statement on Serving Students with Disabilities during the COVID-19 with Susan Beck, Executive Director, Office of Special Education and Student Support, Brenda Lamkin, Executive Director, West Virginia Parent Training and Information, and Susan White, Executive Director, West Virginia Advisory Council for the Education of Exceptional Children. Joint Statement on Serving Students with Disabilities during the COVID-19 Outbreak.pdf
Resources for Parents and Caregivers during COVID-19
West Virginia Parent Training and Information is continually posting resources on Facebook for families of children and youth, including those with special needs, that can be helpful while we all respond to COVID-19 crisis. Please follow us for new resources every day. Please click on the Facebook link at the top right of this page.
COVID-19 and Special Education
Parents and Caregivers are learning to live a new normal with children, youth and young adults home. Schools are working to identify and provide virtual and other online learning options; this is even more challenging for students with disabilities who receive special education, related services and who have a right to a free, appropriate public education (FAPE) under the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). There are several guidance documents and websites that may be helpful to parents, caregivers and educators. Click on the tab at the top of the page to View COVID-19 Resources.
Information tailored to families and family-serving organizations can be found at the Center for Parent Information and Resources (CPIR): https://www.parentcenterhub. org/coronavirus-resources/
COVID-19 Updates (State)
WV Department of Education (WVDE) Special Education & Student Support: https://wvde.us/covid19/resources/
Special Education & Student Support Resources for Families & Educators:
https://wvde.us/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/SpecialEducation-StudentSupport-FamiliesEducators_final.pdf
Free Appropriate Public Education for Distance Learning – Frequently Asked Questions:
https://wvde.us/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/COVID-SpecialEducation-FAQs-v3.pdf
Resources for Parents and Teachers from WVDE:Resources for Parents and Teachers from WVDE.pdf
Virtual School Counseling Resources: Virtual School Counseling Resources.pdf
For other resources, please click the tab at the top of page titled View COVID-19 Resources.
What is West Virginia Parent Training and Information, Inc.?
West Virginia Parent Training and Information began in 1991 as a grass-roots efforts of parents, professionals and community leaders determined to provide information, support and resources for parents of children with disabilities and special healthcare needs. WV PTI strives to empower parents and families by strengthening the parents' role.
WV Parent Training and Information Center ensures that parents of children and youth (0-26} with disabilities receive information on their rights, responsibilities, and protections under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA} to develop the skills necessary to be effective participants in the planning and decision making relating to early intervention, education, and transitional services.
WVPTI is the federally designated Parent Training and Information Center for the State of West Virginia. As the state PTI, we have access to state of the art information and materials developed by some of the best experts in the field of disabilities and education law. Pat Haberbosch, the previous Executive Director of WVPTI Inc., (25 years) devoted her life to helping families of children with disabilities. The current Executive Director of WVPTI Inc., is Brenda Lamkin who has worked for WVPTI for fifteen years and has completed her M. Ed. Since our initial funding in 1991, we have trained parents and other professionals on a variety of topics, such as: Basic Rights, Special Education Laws, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, Individual Education Program (IEP), Transition, Assistive Technology, Effective Communication, Family Engagement and other topics.
Read More
Family Voices - West Virgina
West Virginia Parent Training and Information, Inc. is the State Affiliate Organization for Family Voices in WV. Family Voices of WV is a program that services parents and families who have children and youth with special health care needs. We provide information on advocating for your child in the health care system and refer you to resources that are available in West Virginia that provide information on health care.
West Virginia Parent Training and Information (WVPTI) is the Family Voices State Affiliate Organization (SAO) in West Virginia.
Family Voices is a national, nonprofit, family-led organization promoting quality health care for all children and youth, particularly those with special health care needs. Working with family leaders and professional partners at the local, state, regional, and national levels since 1992, Family Voices has brought a respected family perspective to improving health care programs and policies and ensuring that health care systems include, listen to, and honor the voices of families.
To learn more about Family Voices, please visit the Family Voices website using the following link: www.familyvoices.org/