From the monthly archives:

September 2008

Did you catch this article, On playground, autistic kids bond with peers:  Scottsdale school encourages interaction, in Sunday’s paper:

In January, Copper Ridge’s playground became an incubator for a new kind of recess in which kids teach their autistic classmates about the joys of the playground. And autistic kids teach them a little compassion. 

Full Article

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ADA Amendments Become Law Today

by Dru Bloomfield on September 26, 2008

From the Special Education Law Blog

ADA Amendments Passed and Become Law!

The following is a posting from Jess Butler who is an attorney and officer with COPAA.org one of the leading special education advocacy organizations in the U.S. She has summarized and explained the effect of the new amendments for school age children and in later life. These revisions represent a win for people with disabilities.

Today (9-26-08), the ADA Amendments Act (ADAAA), S.3406, was signed into law…. <more>

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Disability Awareness Day at Fenway Park

by Dru Bloomfield on September 22, 2008

Need a little pick-me-up? Watch this.

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SEPACS Meeting Reminder for Wednesday, September 17th

by Dru Bloomfield on September 16, 2008

Please join us for our next meeting.

Planning for your Child’s Special Life Needs

With guest speaker – Catherine Leas

  • Estate Planning: Wills vs Trusts
  • Special Needs Trust: Pros vs Cons
  • Federal Government Benefits: How to maintain eligibility
  • Guardianship: Process to maintain Guardianship into Adulthood

Plus: Meet and Greet

Wednesday, September 17th
6:00-8:30 p.m. – Notice the earlier time for this meeting only!

Mohave District Annex
Kachina Room
8505 E. Valley View Road, Scottsdale 85250-6768

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Jason Cowans, from our SEPACS board, forwarded the following link to the board for our information.  Since it’s such an important topic to all parents of children with special needs, I’m forwarding on:

Presidential Candidates Offer Different Positions on Issues Related to Special Needs Community

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Safety in Scottsdale Schools

by Dru Bloomfield on September 15, 2008

Scottsdale Parent Council invites you to attend a General Meeting on Wednesday, September 17th at 9:30 am. The topic of this meeting will be Safety in Scottsdale Schools with talks from our SROs, updates on the phone notification system and volunteer policy, and of course, Q&A with Dr. Baracy.

Additionally, may we remind you, Scottsdale Parent Council will host Governing Board and Legislative Candidate Forums. Please come and meet the candidates that want to represent you!

Governing Board Forums
Wednesday, September 17th, 6:30 – 8 pm at Desert Mountain High School
Thursday, September 18th, 6:30 – 8 pm at Coronado High School

Legislative Candidate Forums
Tuesday, Sept. 23rd, 6:30 – 8 pm at Mountainside Middle School (District 8)
Thursday, Sept. 25th at Arcadia High School (District 11)

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Special Olympics Bowling Team – Just a Few Openings Left

by Dru Bloomfield on September 6, 2008

I spoke with Neal Hallihan from Scottsdale Parks and Recreation, and he shared that they still have several openings in the Junior division (ages 8-18) of the Special Olympics Bowling Team.

Practices start this week.  Thursday night from 6:30 to 8 at Frontier Lanes on the northeast corner of Scottsdale Road and Thomas Road.  Cost is $7 per practice.

For more details, contact Neal at (480) 312-2218 during business hours.

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