PTS Special Education Parent Advisory Committee

The next meeting of the Autism Parent Support Group will be held this Saturday, April 12 at 10 a.m. at the Portage Township YMCA, 3100 Willowcreek Road.
All parents and caregivers of someone on the spectrum are invited to attend.
The goal of the support group is to allow parents/caregivers to discuss issues in a safe space, give and ask for advice and share stories.
The group meeting is free.
The YMCA provides child care for $5 per family. Please register for child care at:
https://ymcaofportage.org/programs/community/autism-community/

You won't want to miss this!

✨️ Join us for an informational event on the topic of 𝗣𝗟𝗔𝗖𝗘𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗧 for students with IEPs ✨️

SEPAC CommUNITY Meeting - June 4, 2025

We warmly invite you to attend our 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘭 CommUNITY Meeting for this academic year. This event is hosted by the Porter County Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC), focusing on the important topic of placement. This meeting is designed to provide valuable insights and understanding for parents, caregivers, educators, and support team members.

We are honored to have Supervisor, Morgan Derby, M. Ed, share her knowledge and insight, where SEPAC parents will also be available to share experiences as a parent on this topic.

Some of the areas that will be discussed are:
▪︎ What Does Placement Mean?
▪︎ What is the Least Restrictive Environment?
▪︎ What are the Continuum of Services?

𝘋𝘢𝘵𝘦: 𝘞𝘦𝘥𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘥𝘢𝘺, 𝘑𝘶𝘯𝘦 4𝘵𝘩, 2025
𝘛𝘪𝘮𝘦: 6:00𝘱𝘮-7:30𝘱𝘮 (𝘊𝘚𝘛)
𝘓𝘰𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯: 𝘚𝘌𝘓𝘍 𝘎𝘺𝘮, 750 𝘙𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘰𝘮 (𝘝𝘢𝘭𝘱𝘰)

Mark your calendars for this informative and supportive evening. This is an excellent opportunity to learn about the process for placement. We look forward to seeing you there!

Medical vs Educational Presentation (Printout).pdf

Portage Township Trustee Brendan Clancy and the Portage Township Autism Action Coalition has updated the township's website to include pages about PTAAC's programming.
We're happy to share this information to everyone we can.
Please visit https://www.portagetrustee.org/about-3 to learn more about the group, it's new Blue Envelope Program and continuing programs including the Emergency Bracelet Identification Program and Parent Autism Support Group.

The Portage Township YMCA is offering an All Abilities Basketball Camp this Sunday. Please see their flyer for details.

Drivers on the autism spectrum and local law enforcement now have a new tool aimed at improving communications and safety.
Portage Township Trustee Brendan Clancy and the Portage Township Autism Action Coalition will launch the Blue Envelope Program effective Jan. 6.
The Porter County Sheriff's Office and Portage Police Department (Indiana) are the first two law enforcement agencies in Porter County to sign on with the program.
Portage Township and Porter County will be the first localities in Indiana to launch the program.
Any driver who has been medically diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, can pick up a package of materials from the Porter County Sheriff’s Department, 2755 Ind. 49, Valparaiso; Portage Police Department, 6260 Central Ave. or Portage Township Trustee’s Office, 3590 Willowcreek Road, Suite B, Portage, beginning Jan. 6.
The packet includes a Blue Envelope with tips on the front to walk a driver through a traffic stop. There are also tips on the back for a police officer on how to interact with someone on the spectrum and how, because of the circumstances, they may behave differently. The driver is to place his license, vehicle registration, insurance card and contact card inside the envelope and place it somewhere readily accessible, such as the visor or glovebox.
Also included is a window cling, which is to be placed on the interior of the driver’s side rear window. This allows an approaching officer to recognize the Blue Envelope emblem and know before approaching the driver is on the autism spectrum.
The third component is a contact card, with the driver’s name and the name and telephone number of a contact should the police officer feel they need to contact someone on the driver’s behalf.
The goal of the program is to improve communications between an autistic driver and law enforcement during a traffic stop. By improving communications, even before contact is made, both the driver and officer will better know what to expect and prevent any situation from escalating.
PTAAC has also been working with trustees from Center, Westchester, Boone and Pleasant townships in Porter County and other local police departments to expand the project beyond the Porter County Sheriff’s and Portage Police departments.
At their Dec. 10 meeting, the Porter County Commissioners approved a resolution endorsing the program and encouraging not only all Porter County police departments to join, but for the Indiana state legislature to use Porter County as a model and adopt legislation statewide.
PTAAC has also been working with State Rep. Chuck Moseley to file draft legislation for the adoption of the Blue Envelope Program throughout the state.
Connecticut first adopted the program statewide in 2020. They were followed by Massachusetts, Vermont, California and Arizona. Other local communities in Pennsylvania and New Jersey have adopted the program.
Porter County would be the first in Indiana and Indiana would be the first state in the Midwest to adopt the program.
We'd also like to give a special thanks to Press Portage for donating the contact cards for the program.

Join Portage Township Schools for a screening of the first episode of Lakeshore Public Media's "Building Blocks" series!

DATE: Thursday, December 5
TIME: 5:30 p.m.
WHERE: Portage High School L3 Lab (Enter Door E)
WHO: Individuals and organizations who support the development and success of our community's children

In collaboration with First Things First Porter County, Lakeshore Public Media explores the science of early childhood development and other critical topics such as brain development, maternal mental health, early intervention, and the effects of childhood experiences in this dynamic series.

The screening of Episode 1 of Building Blocks will be roughly 30 minutes, followed by a discussion and Q&A session.

This event is free to attend. Please register in advance here: https://lakeshorepm.betterworld.org/events/building-blocks-screening-portag

This Wednesday, for those who attend school in Porter County, wanting information on the IEP process ~
SEPAC CommUNITY Meeting - November 13, 2024

Our scholarship window is OPEN! 🎉

Edited to add my true life parent story: Before I was a special needs parent, I didn't realize that families meet their out of pocket max of their insurance. I'm not talking about the yearly deductible, I'm talking about the large amount, often $7,000 - $10,000, out of your own pocket before insurance pays 100% I thought this number was reached after a catastrophic accident or major surgery. The truth is families are paying this annually to cover the costs of therapies. Expensive but necessary.

Speech therapy to assist with learning to communicate, speak, comprehend,swallow and eat.

Occupational therapy to assist with sensory challenges, spinning/rocking/chewing, fine motor like holding a pencil or spoon.

ABA- an autism specific therapy that helps with behaviors such is eloping, and is personally tailored to the patient and family.

Often insurances will allow for 20 speech sessions for the year. However, the parents have to pay out of pocket (approx $100 per session) before the insurance picks up any of the cost. And guess what... even though the family paid for those sessions, they still count towards the allowed 20!!

Some of the therapies are incredibly expensive. One year, we met our $7000 out of pocket max by the end of February. That's right, two months in to the year, we met that max.

And, our story is of two working parents with good jobs, good benefits. I often think about the children who don't have a two income family. Or, families who can't afford $7000 for the year. Doesn't that child deserve a fair shot at success?? 1 in 59 children are diagnosed with autism but how many can afford the needed services??

At Uniquely Nico, we offer scholarships twice per year to help alleviate this financial strain. Therapies have worked wonders for Nico and our family. I see the importance of therapies and thank God we had the means to provide them to Nico. For families that aren't as fortunate- please know that help like this is available!

If you know of a family that would benefit, please pass this info along. If you'd like to donate to this fund, please let me know. I promise, it will be benefited greatly! Life changing! And, if you've read this far, thank you 💙

Our scholarship application window is open!

* Request an application
* Fill it out
* Email it back

Scholarships are awarded to help ease the financial burden of therapies for families with special needs.