Ohio Parent Mentors

Congratulations to Rachael Holland, Bexley City School District's Parent Mentor, for being recognized for Embracing Equity, the third pillar of the district’s mission. Her nomination came from the staff of the Bexley Education Foundation, which cited her role as a champion of equity in our schools and pointed to her communication board project as a “perfect physical representation of her mission.”

Ohio Department of Education and Workforce

This would be a great FREE event for families to attend to access practical tools to support children on their reading journey.

Branch Homepage - IDA Central Ohio International Dyslexia Association of Central Ohio (IDA Central Ohio) We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, an all-volunteer Board of Directors, Advisory Council, and membership of educators, researchers, parents, and advocates focused […]

Special Olympics International is partnering with The Ohio State University Nisonger Center to support the work of a Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Health and Function called Can You Hear Us Now?.

The goal of this project is to conduct research to improve the health and quality of life for adults with intellectual disabilities.

OSU Nisonger Center Can You Hear Us Now? REEP Member Andrew Lincoln Andrew Lincoln, a member of The Ohio State University (OSU) Nisonger Center Can You Hear Us Now? Research Experience Expert Panel (REEP), speaks on research ...

As we move through May and into transitioning into summer break, a new job, or a new plan, the Ohio Coalition for the Education of Children with Disabilities encourages us to consider how we empower the youth in our lives.

The My Adventures in Youth Empowerment comic series focused on topics like social interactions, job interviews, and self-advocacy in a format most requested by youth!

https://www.ocecd.org/protected/ArticleView.aspx?iid=6Y2A2GI&dasi=4YY30

Are you feeling uncertain about your graduating student with disabilities transitioning into the workforce?

Only 35% of high schools provide specific transition plans for students with autism. In the workforce, computer software companies understand the value of adults with autism and their impressive ability to focus intensely on minute details.

Check out this video from CBS Evening News on adults with autism finding success in jobs where attention to detail is key:

Autistic adults find jobs where attention to detail is key Seventy-five percent of autistic adults are unemployed, but their uncanny ability to focus intensely on minute details is making them attractive to computer ...

What happens when you gather families, a dedicated Parent Mentor, and 19 agencies dedicated to helping families navigate transitions?

🫱🏼‍🫲🏽New connections and resources
✅Plans for successful transitions
☮️Peace of mind

Learn how Sue Schroeder, Parent Mentor for the Putnam County Educational Service Center led this inaugural event https://parentmentor.osu.edu/building-futures-in-putnam-county-first-transition-fair-connects-families-to-lifelong-support/

Ohio Department of Education and Workforce

Dancing for Inclusion & Community: A recent Tell Me Something Good story from NBC4 Columbus highlighted a tradition where students with disabilities are celebrated through a special dance event. For decades, programs like this have created a space where every student can connect, express themselves, and feel valued.

✨ As Parent Mentors, we know how powerful it is when schools and communities create opportunities where all students belong and shine.

Dancing for inclusion and community COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — For more than 30 years, Columbus City Schools’ speech-language services department has hosted a special dance for high school students with multiple disabilities…

***Transition planning for students post-high school***includes financial and family supports.

Explore these resources to help families navigate the benefits and supports
✔️ Job and Family Services – https://jfs.ohio.gov
✔️ Social Security Administration – https://www.ssa.gov
☑️OCALI's Transition Planning - https://ocali.org/transition-planning-and-the-iep/element-six-involve-needed-adult-service-agencies-and-providers

Graduation is almost upon us, and as you plan for transitions, remember these plans should center on the student’s voice.

Encourage families to ask:
✔️ What are my students’ goals after high school?
✔️ How can they participate in IEP meetings?

The Ohio Coalition for the Education of Children with Disabilities offers training and youth resources on self-advocacy:
https://www.ocecd.org/youthportal.aspx

The 8 Standards for Mathematical Practice Standards (What Students Must Do) in Ohio:

✅ Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them.
♟ Reason abstractly and quantitatively.
🧐 Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others.
📊 Model with mathematics.
📐 Use appropriate tools strategically.
✏️Attend to precision.
🧱Look for and make use of structure.
⠕Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning

These are the standards that mathematics educators at all grade levels will seek to develop in their students. https://education.ohio.gov/getattachment/Topics/Learning-in-Ohio/Mathematics/Ohios-Plan-for-K-12-Mathematics.pdf.aspx?lang=en-US&fbclid=IwY2xjawRPiAxleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETF6Z1NLS3lqV3dGdzJBVEE0c3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHkghwC7eet7AyWgfZqFffj-IMiJA5Uv2EhgDUqsVMyIf8JU7o3kkX3w4HoHS_aem_5PI7v5sZ0t3z2abVo6ardg

Ohio Department of Education and Workforce

Ohio Department of Education and Workforce's Plan for K-12 Mathematics shares the shift toward rigor. What does that mean?

Instruction is rigorous when students use mathematical language to communicate effectively and describe their work with clarity
and precision.

Students demonstrate how, when, and why their procedures work and why they are appropriate. They should be able to answer the question, “How do we know?”

Learn more: https://education.ohio.gov/getattachment/Topics/Learning-in-Ohio/Mathematics/Ohios-Plan-for-K-12-Mathematics.pdf.aspx?lang=en-US&fbclid=IwY2xjawRPiAxleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETF6Z1NLS3lqV3dGdzJBVEE0c3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHkghwC7eet7AyWgfZqFffj-IMiJA5Uv2EhgDUqsVMyIf8JU7o3kkX3w4HoHS_aem_5PI7v5sZ0t3z2abVo6ardg