Special Education Corner
Welcome to the Special Education Corner! The Department of Special Services will post resources and videos pertaining to Special Education. We will feature staff including Child Study Team Members, Administrators, Teachers, Instructional Assistants, and much more! If there is a topic you would like us to cover, please email Maryelizabeth Tirone at [email protected]. Enjoy!
WINTER 2025 PARENT ACADEMIES
MTPS Special Education Programs
Presented by Alisyn Morder, this presentation provides an in-depth review of all of the special education programs available in the district for the 2024-2025 school year.
Navigating the Path for Support with a 504 or an IEP
Presented by Maryelizabeth Tirone and Ali Morder, this presentation provides a helpful resource to our families when seeking special education or 504 support for their child. We map out the referral process and explain the difference between both documents with regard to their purpose in the school setting.
FALL 2024 PARENT ACADEMIES
Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC): SupportingYour Child's Communication Needs
Created & Presented by: Jill Grun, Nicolette Vulpis, and Sharon Ignoscia, MTPS Speech-Language Pathologists
This presentation provides helpful strategies for our families to support their child's communication needs throughout their day. Our SLP presenters review specific AAC programs and the foundation to language to support our learners in their language development.
Comprehensive Literacy Instruction
Presented by Brigid Mullins, MTPS Dyslexia Specialist
This presentation provides helpful reading strategies to support our families as they approach reading and literacy challenges at home with their children. Ms. Mullins reviews strategies and resources to utilize both in school and in the home to help our learners grow as readers.
MAY 2024 PARENT ACADEMIES
Parent Academy #9: Executive Functioning
Presented by Zach Styler, Sharon Ignoscia, Evelyn Fano, and Jennifer LoRusso
This presentation provides helpful strategies to promote independence in organization and executive functioning for our students in all grade levels.
Parent Academy #10: Inclusive Strategies: School Based Learning
Presented by Peter Bugbee
Created by: Jessica Hamburg, Peter Bugbee, Suzanne Ford, and Nancy Lewental
This presentation provides helpful information and strategies that are a primary focus in the school environment to promote inclusion and to ensure that our learners receive the accommodations to access their learning in inclusive program settings.
Parent Academy #11: Inclusive Strategies: Social Setting
Presented by Ali Garbolino and Lauren Dobrek
This presentation provides helpful information and social strategies to support inclusive opportunities for our learners and their peers while in school and in the community.
Parent Academy #12: Community Based Instruction
Presented by Sue Herrmann and Caolan Sinisi
This presentation provides helpful information about community based instruction, CBI, in our special education programs and how it prepares our learners for real world opportunities.
APRIL 2024 PARENT ACADEMIES
Parent Academy #7: Life Skills
Presented by Sue Herrmann and Tami Feldman
This presentation provides helpful information and strategies to encourage our learners in school and at home to tackle everyday life skill tasks with growing independence.
Parent Academy #8: Fostering Independence
Presented by Caolan Sinisi, Elissa Stanik, Rebecca Spadafora, and Jacqueline Pergola
This presentation provides helpful strategies to promote independence for our learners of all abilities, both in school and at home.
MARCH 2024 VIRTUAL PARENT ACADEMIES
Parent Academy #4: ABA 101
Presented by Maureen Sullivan and Sarah Meliani
This presentation provides a detailed view of the foundations of our ABA program and the elements that support a systematic approach to learning for our students in our autism classrooms.
Parent Academy #5: Supporting Behavior Interventions Within the Home
Presented by Sarah Meliani and Maureen Sullivan
This presentation provides helpful strategies to support behavior interventions from school into the home to encourage consistency and smoother transitions for our students in all special education programs.
Parent Academy #6: MTPS Social Emotional Learning
Presented by Jacqueline Pergola, Rebecca Spadafora, and Diana Starr
This presentation provides a detailed view of how MTPS schools infuse SEL practices into the school day and the importance of learning specific strategies to further support our students throughout their day.
FEBRUARY 2024 VIRTUAL PARENT ACADEMIES
Parent Academy #1: Understanding the IEP and State Testing
Presented by Karyn Tessler and Alisyn Morder
This presentation provides clarification on how to navigate your child's IEP and an explanation of specific information in each section of the document. In addition to the components of the IEP, the presentation further explains the state testing requirements for our special education students.
Parent Academy #2: Preschool Programs
Presented by Meghan Fitzsimmons, Chelsea Russo, Nicolette Vulpis, and Alisyn Morder
This presentation provides a detailed view of all of the preschool programs and supports at the David C. Abbott Early Learning Center. Transitions were also discussed to address questions about the re-evaluation process and transitioning to kindergarten.
Parent Academy #3: MTPS Special Education Programs
Presented by Maryelizabeth Tirone and Alisyn Morder
This presentation provides a detailed view of all special education programs in the district. It provides additional information for supports available for our special education students and families.