Understanding Disabilities and Development

Infographic: Advocating for Your Child
Tip #26: Parents: You have a voice and a critical decision-making role throughout the whole special education process. You know your child best–be sure to ask questions and never stop advocating for your child in a professional, productive way.

How Paraeducators Help Students and Teachers
A paraeducator’s role in the classroom typically involves providing extra support during a teacher’s instruction to allow students with an Individualized Education Program (IEP) to participate in general education lessons.

Self-Determination Survey
The Department of Special Education at Kansas University Center on Developmental Disabilities is looking for adults with any disabilities age 18 to 65 to take a quick online self-determination survey.
Tourette Awareness Month 2018
Students of all ages shared their stories as part of the National Tourette Syndrome Awareness Month on social media to help raise awareness about the neurological disorder, which usually becomes evident in early childhood or adolescence.

Transition: Links to Learn More
Maryland Resources The Maryland Department of Disabilities offers help with employment, housing, transportation and disability benefits. The Developmental Disabilities Administration (DDA) helps eligible students who are leaving school and need assistance with job training and transportation. Maryland Transitioning Youth is the website of the Governor’s Interagency Transition Council (IATC) that provides a wealth of information and resources […]

Get to Know – Rocco Aiello
Rocco Aiello, Coordinator for Adapted Physical Education and Corollary Sports, St. Mary’s County Public Schools. Talk to Rocco Aiello about his amazing journey as an Adapted Physical Education teacher and you soon discover that he is all about inspiration. In fact, Aiello is either inspiring children with disabilities to discover the joys and benefits of […]
Developmental Disabilities Day: Feb 22, 2018
Marcella E. Franczkowski, Assistant State Superintendent for the Division of Special Education/Early Intervention Services, represented the Maryland State Department of Education and showed her support for students and their families at Developmental Disabilities Day at the Legislature on Feb. 22, 2018.

Independent of Autism Strives to Meet Needs in Carroll County
Anna Curtis had a small blue puzzle piece with a tiny heart cut out tattooed on the top of her right foot three years ago to serve as a both a reminder and a conversation starter about her life’s passion. She inked her commitment to autism awareness during her second year of graduate studies in autism at Towson University. But Anna did more than get the degree and tattoo while at Towson. She started a small nonprofit called Independent of Autism.

Improving Students’ Lives by Engaging Their Minds
Principals at schools in Baltimore and Dallas believed they could transform students’ lives and improve academic performance by trying strategies that changed the way students engaged their brains.
The novel approaches worked.

Making the Unfamiliar Familiar: Children with Disabilities in Child Care Settings
A child care provider may be entirely unfamiliar with how to work with children with disabilities. Here’s how to make the unfamiliar familiar.