By Lauren Beyer, Rural Institute Project Assistant

"Unlike most teenagers, Aaron looks forward to school every day. His favorite class is history, especially learning about the English colonies.  He does not shy away from the social aspects of school, either. He has many friends."

Read more about Aaron.

View Novelene Martin's, Bureau Chief, Developmental Disabilities Program Presentation on "Children's Autism Waiver 0667 1915(c) Waiver.

The Children’s Autism Waiver renewal was approved by CMS. A letter will be mailed to families who have children currently enrolled in the Waiver. Please see the PDF letter for more details.

Updates

1. 

   The Montana Children’s Special Health Services (CSHS) Survey was mailed to a sample of families with a child(ren) or youth with special health care needs (CYSHCN) in Montana. Deadline to submit the Survey is May 15th, 2017. If you intend to mail in your survey please do so no later than 4-5 business days prior to the May 15th deadline.
2. We are in our final phase of the CSHS Project and will be hosting Community Discussion Forums across Montana in April and May 2017. During these forums, parents and primary caregivers of CYSHCN will be asked to discuss and interpret the Montana Children’s Special Health Services Survey current findings.

In conjunction with National Autism Awareness Month this April, several University of Montana departments and organizations will join forces to call attention to Autism Spectrum Disorder, which affects about one in every 68 children in the U.S. and is the fastest-growing disability category in Montana’s public education system.

Students and faculty members from UM’s psychology, communicative sciences and disorders, and teaching and learning departments will highlight the University’s efforts to address ASD, as well as provide information and resources, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday, April 5, on the UM Oval.

Volunteers with the UM student groups Operation Smile and Students in Communication and Hearing Working in Action (SCHWA) also will participate, and UM mascot Monte will be on hand from 1 to 2 p.m.

http://news.umt.edu/2017/03/033017atsm.php

This fun event supports a fund for educational materials for kids on the autism spectrum at the Child Development Center. Celebrate Acceptance, April 7 from 5 - 8pm at MSO Hub/Bicycle Hangar, 140 N. Higgins, Missoula, MT

Thursday, April 13, 2017

10:30 AM - 12:00 PM MDT

Free Webinar

Presenters will share ideas of activities promoting work and college readiness for students with disabilities that can be facilitated by Montana Vocational Rehabilitation staff in the classroom. In addition to suggested activities, developed curricula and free resources will be shared.

Register now

Tuesday, March 28, 2017
1:00 PM - 2:30 PM MDT

Join Independent Living Specialist Cassie Weightman to learn:

• What "independent living" means and what life domains it includes
• How to plan and prepare for it from the time kids are young, and
• How Centers for Independent Living fit in and what resources they can offer transition-age youth

Registration and more information

Presented by Early Childhood Intervention

Hanen's More Than Words workshop has just been updated to provide you with even more effective tools for zeroing in on the very specific needs of young children with autism and addressing those needs with evidence-based, family-centered techniques.

When you make the commitment to attend More Than Words, you take the first step towards fundamentally changing the way you provide intervention. What you learn will make a more tangible difference for families and young children than you ever could have imagined.

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Words cannot describe how grateful we are for the amazing program Wheels Across Montana made possible through a Dana & Christopher Reeve foundation High Impact grant!  Because of this program, Jace was able to actually ride a bike—all by himself—for the very first time.  The pure joy he felt was seen through his huge smile while pedaling this super cool bike.

This webinar is the second of a two-part series discussing the array of activities that Montana students can participate in within the five required Pre-ETS categories: Job Exploration Counseling, Work-Based Learning Experiences, Counseling for Post-Secondary Education, Workplace Readiness Training, and Instruction in Self-Advocacy. Presenters will provide examples of activities in each area, illustrate how many of the areas can be addressed through combined meaningful activities, and demonstrate through examples how an evolution of Pre-ETS services for each individual student best prepares them for college and careers.