CPS Office for Students with Disabilities

Rocking it at the All Star Fest! 🧗‍♂️✨

Today, over 60+ volunteers from the CPS Office for Students with Disabilities headed to Maggie Daley Park to support thousands of athletes with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

From cheering on our own CPS students to helping participants scale the rock climbing wall, our team was there to help everyone reach new heights! 🌟

Chicago Park District Chicago Public Schools Special Olympics Illinois- Region E Maggie Daley Park

Join the Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD) Parent University for our April workshop, All about Autism, on Tuesday, April 14th afternoon and evening!

Whether you're navigating a new diagnosis or looking for fresh ways to support your child's development, this 90-minute virtual presentation has you covered.

We'll be discussing:

Navigating local resources
Connecting with parent support groups and community organizations
Practical tips on advocating for your child's needs in school and social settings

Our goal is simple: no family should feel alone in navigating the world of autism. Let's celebrate the unique strengths of your children while building a stronger, more informed support system — together.
📅 Join us virtually!

🔗 bit.ly/OSDParentUniversity25-26

This April, the CPS Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD) celebrates Autism Acceptance Month.

This month (and every month) OSD is working to support and create classrooms where every student truly belongs, not simply is included.

Inclusion asks: can this student fit into our school?
Rightful Presence asks something different: is our school worthy of this student?

Autistic students don't need to adapt to our classrooms. We need to transform our classrooms to honor who they are — their communication styles, their ways of knowing, their wisdom, their full humanity.

Rightful Presence means our classrooms, our routines, and our relationships are redesigned so that every student doesn't just have a seat at the table, but genuinely shapes what happens there.

This month, we recommit to that work. We celebrate not what students overcome, but what they bring.

Every autistic student in our schools belongs here — not because we allowed it, but because it was always true.

🎤 The OSD FAB wants to hear from YOU!

If your child has an IEP or 504 Plan, your experience matters — and it can help make things better for every CPS student with a disability.

The Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD) Family Advisory Board (FAB) is collecting feedback from families, teachers, and staff. The survey takes just a few minutes and covers things like communication, access to information, and the support your child receives.

Your voice shapes real change.

✔ Take the survey here: https://bit.ly/OSDFABSurvey

March is National Social Work Month 🧡 and today we're celebrating another extraordinary school social worker, one of our own — Deanna Theodore.

Deanna is a tenured social worker whose dedication goes far beyond her assigned school. This year alone, Deanna has provided coverage across multiple schools, mentored new hires through their transition into the district, completed assessments for non-public placements, and maintained full compliance — all while continuing to be a fierce advocate for every student she serves. 💛

Deanna is the kind of colleague who makes everyone around her better. New team members lean on her. Schools count on her. And she shows up every single time — without hesitation, without fanfare, just with heart.

That's the thing about social workers like Deanna. So much of what they do happens quietly, behind the scenes, in the moments that don't make it into a report or a meeting agenda. But the impact? It's everywhere. 🥹

We are so grateful to have her on our team.

Thank you, Deanna, for everything you pour into this work and into the people around you. You are seen, you are valued, and you are so deeply appreciated. 🧡

📢 Parents & Caregivers — this one's for you!

Join the Office for Students with Disabilities Parent University + Family Matters Parent Training and Information Center (FMPTIC) for a FREE 90-minute virtual session on how the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) protects your child.

🎓 Led by Educational Support Coach Zoubida Pasha, you'll learn about:
✅ IEPs
✅ Evaluations & Eligibility
✅ Your Rights as a Parent
✅ Behavior Supports
✅ Educational Placement

Knowledge is power — register today! https://tinyurl.com/42n2mznz

Get the tools you need to support your student!
Join OSD Parent University and FACE on Friday, March 27, 2026, for two essential virtual workshops. At 10:00 AM, learn to navigate IEPs and 504 Plans to secure behavioral and mental health supports in "Supporting Student Mental Health" with Zoubida Pasha from Family Matters PTIC. Then at 12:00 PM, Lurie Children’s Hospital presents "Puberty & Reproductive Systems" to help you discuss social-emotional changes and hygiene skills with your child. Registration is required for these virtual sessions—RSVP at bit.ly/REGISTER4PU today!

March is National Social Work Month 🧡 and OSD is celebrating the incredible work happening in our CPS schools every single day.

This includes school social worker, Kirsten Winston. This year Kirsten launched the Lunch Bunch at Oliver Wescott Elementary on the Southside of Chicago.

The Lunch Bunch is a monthly small-group program for 3rd–5th graders built around something simple: showing up, sharing a meal, and feeling heard. Students sign up, bring a friend, check in with how they're feeling, and connect — over conversation, games, and music of their choice. 🥪✨

The response has been overwhelming. Appointments are nearly fully booked through the end of the year.

This is what student support looks like when we think beyond intervention — it looks like community, connection, and making sure every child knows there's someone in their corner. 🥹

We are so proud of the school social workers across our district who bring this kind of creativity, heart, and dedication to their work every day.

📸 Students enjoying a round of Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza at a recent Lunch Bunch — smiles say it all.

Happy National Social Work Month to our entire social work team. We see you. We appreciate you. 🧡

We want to hear from YOU. The CPS Office for Students with Disabilities Family Advisory Board is asking CPS families, teachers & staff to share your experiences with IEPs and 504 Plans. Your feedback can help improve support for students with disabilities across the district. It's quick, voluntary, and makes a difference. 👇 Take the survey in English: bit.ly/OSDFABSurvey or Spanish: bit.ly/OSDFABSurveySpanish