• There is NO on-site registration.
• Those who have registered should have received an e-mail confirmation noting all items included in the registration.
• For those who are registered, pick up your name tag and program in the hall outside of Ballroom 1.
• All Monday (9/20) morning Pre-Conference sessions are filled and available only to those who registered for them.
• The Conference begins at 1 PM on Sept. 20 with the General Sessions in Ballrooms 1 and 2.
• Due to the Convention Center's fire code regulations, there is a capacity limit for each of Tuesday's sessions. Only those with the name of the session listed on their name tags will be admitted to each session so those registered for the session will have a seat. The seating is classroom and standing is not an option.
• Print handouts will be available for those registered for each session.
• All handouts will be available both on the www.education.ohio.gov and the www.edresourcesohio.org Web sites.

There is no on-site registration. Those who have registered should have received an e-mail confirmation. Registration will take place in the hall outside of Rooms C110 - C115. Signs will direct registrants to the registration site.

Register now for the 2010 OCALI Conference, Ohio's premier event in autism, assistive technology and low-incidence disabilities, November 17-19, 2010, at the Greater Columbus Convention Center. Keynote speakers include David Koppenhaver, Ph.D., expert in literacy, special education and instructional technology, and Judy Endow, author of The Power of Words: How We Talk About People with Autism Spectrum Disorder Matters! Over 150 sessions will be presented by state and national leaders, and over 100 companies and organizations will showcase their latest products and services. Details are available at http://conference.ocali.org. Contact OCALI at 614.410.0321 or registration@ocali.org.

Join us for a Webinar on September 16. Space is limited.
Reserve your Webinar seat now at: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/499590802

Low Incidence Disabilities: Building Dispositions and General Understanding Webinar 1 in a 4 part series

What is a Low Incidence Disability? How are students with exceptionalities supported and educated in school systems across the state?

This webinar series will address the challenges that accompany the education of students with intensive disabilities. Over the course of the series a planning framework and tools will be discussed to encourage the building of confidence and competence of all stakeholders in the education of students in the Low Incidence population.

Webinar 1 will provide participants with general information about Low Incidence or Intensive Disabilities in an effort to develop statewide capacity and understanding. Make a personal commitment to attend this webinar focusing on dispositions related to Low Incidence Disabilities.

Title: Access to the Curriculum Webinar Series Low Incidence Disabilities: Building Dispositions and General Understanding

Date: Thursday, September 16, 2010

Time: 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM EDT

After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the Webinar.

System Requirements
PC-based attendees
Required: Windows® 7, Vista, XP or 2003 Server
Macintosh®-based attendees
Required: Mac OS® X 10.4.11 (Tiger®) or newer

Join us for a Webinar on September 9. Space is limited.
Reserve your Webinar seat now at: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/527286378

This presentation focuses on using digital text to support Universal Design for Learning (UDL). A very brief overview of UDL will be provided and then we will address the many ways digital text can be modified to support the diverse needs of the students in our classrooms. Several resources for obtaining both copy written and public domain digital text will be provided. We will discuss emerging trends in the use of digital text such as eBook readers and open source textbooks. The presentation will conclude with a review of tools and websites that incorporate many aspects of UDL.

Title: Using and Acquiring Digital Text to Support Universal Design for Learning

Date: Thursday, September 9, 2010

Time: 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM EDT

After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the Webinar.

System Requirements
PC-based attendees
Required: Windows® 7, Vista, XP or 2003 Server
Macintosh®-based attendees
Required: Mac OS® X 10.4.11 (Tiger®) or newer

AIM is an online learning environment that contains comprehensive information on autism spectrum disorders (ASD) at no cost to users. The Autism Internet Modules (AIM) are available at www.autisminternetmodules.org Contact OCALI at 614.410.0321 or email aim@ocali.org.

The National Center of Accessible Instructional Materials is pleased to announce that the AIM Navigator, the latest in a series of tools developed under the auspices of the AIM Consortium, is now available at the National AIM Center website!

The AIM Navigator is an interactive online tool that facilitates the process of decision-making about accessible instructional materials for an individual student. The AIM Navigator guides teams through a step-by-step process and provides just-in-time support with Frequently Asked Questions(FAQs), resources, and links to other helpful tools at each of four major decision-points:

• Determining the need for accessible instructional materials;
• Selecting format(s) that address student needs;
• Acquiring needed formats; and,
• Selecting supports for use (technology, training, instructional strategies, support services, and other accommodations and modifications)
  
  We invite you to explore the AIM Navigator and try out the following features at http://aim.cast.org/experience/training/navigator
  
  
• Guiding Questions: A series of questions that guide teams through a four-step decision-making process about accessible instructional materials for an individual student
• Help Me Decide: A brief set of questions and answers specifically linked to each screen that provide basic information needed for that screen
• Tell Me More: A comprehensive set of questions, answers, and resources for all decision points within AIM Navigator.
• Student Summary: A complete compilation of all decisions and supporting information teams enter into the Navigator that can be edited, printed and/or saved to a local computer.
• To Do List: An optional place for the teams to keep track of actions that need and assign responsibilities that can be edited, printed and/or saved to a local computer.

The IRIS Center is pleased to announce the posting of our latest STAR Legacy Module, Assistive Technology: An Overview, developed with the invaluable guidance of Dave Edyburn of the University of Wisconsin's Department of Exceptional Education. To view Assistive Technology: An Overview, go to http://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/at/chalcycle.htm

The school year is underway, and Ms. Adelaide is pleased at how well she and her students are working together. She enjoys challenging her students to think like scientists even as she recognizes that some of them struggle with the academic demands of her class.

Early one morning, Ms. Adelaide is introduced to Terry, a new student who will be joining her second-period science class. Terry has an IEP because of a learning disability, an IEP that includes assistive technology to help him in the classroom. Terry tells Ms. Adelaide that he is a proficient user of this technology and that one day he wants to be a scientist.

As Ms. Adelaide leaves the office, she smiles to herself about Terry's confidence but she nevertheless feels a bit apprehensive. Will she be able to learn all that she needs to know about these assistive technology tools? And how adept at using the tools will she have to become?

The IRIS Center encourages users to share their materials (http://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/) with your colleagues and students. If you have any questions concerning IRIS materials, please contact Kim Skow at 800-831-6134, kimberly.a.skow@vanderbilt.edu, or iris@vanderbilt.edu.

This policy forum proceedings document contains a short introduction section that describes the current status of virtual public school programs in general and special education programs in particular. Next, this document provides a state-of-the-national report that describes the exponential growth of these programs and the evolving policy issues for students with disabilities, including access, funding, and quality. The next section document is a description of what has been found to work in the area of virtual special education for the federal, state, rural, parent, and related service provider perspectives. Findings from the policy forum are discussed as key issues and recommendations. The major points emphasized during the forum concern personnel quality and preparation; accessibility for students with disabilities; accountability, preparing and implementing quality IEPs; roles and responsibilities; and financial issues. This document is available for downloading at www.projectforum.org.

This brief policy analysis was designed to identify collaborative strategies that states have implemented to address the needs of students with disabilities whose IEP transition services specify postsecondary career and technical education, vocational rehabilitation, and/or immediate employment upon departure from secondary school. Project Forum collaborated with staff from the other organizations and agencies to identify eight states and interviewees. Findings describe states' policies, definitions of competitive employment; vocational rehabilitation and career technical education entry criteria; funding/resources used; professional development; and other key areas. Barriers and recommendations are discussed. This document is available for downloading at www.projectforum.org.

For more information, go to GPS-IEP at the top right of this page or click here.