Susan Conners, M.Ed., an authority on educating students with Tourette Syndrome who serves as a go-to source for major networks and other media outlets in their coverage of TS, presented “The 504 Accommodation Plan vs. the Individualized Education Plan (IEP)” on January 15 and “Accommodations, Strategies and Techniques for Working with Students with Tourette Syndrome” on January 22 as part of the NJ Center for Tourette Syndrome & Associated Disorders’ (NJCTS) popular ongoing Wednesday Webinar series.
The webinars discussed the differences between various education accommodation plans and offered assistance to parents and educators who need help understanding which is most appropriate for a student with TS, an associated neurological disorder or other special-needs condition both in the classroom and at home. Here is some feedback NJCTS has received on the webinars:
We can now respond to the school who denied us the IEP because our son’s educational skills and performance are adequate. We feel relieved to know others have had the same obstacles we have come against and now feel better prepared to help our child.
~Janet from New JerseyAs a parent of a child with TS and an educator, I will use this info to review my child’s IEP. I will also be more aware of parents’ rights and be more of an advocate for the family. I also run a local chapter support group, and I will be able to be more of an advocate to those families who are having problems with the schools (there are several). I now have more information to give them and ideas to help them get the accommodations they desire and need for their child to succeed in school.
~Susan from DelawareI am particularly happy I learned more about specific examples of OCD. My son has TS plus anxiety and OCD, but I didn’t realize his obsessive sense of justice was part of OCD, nor did I attribute his ‘fear/worry when he heard a siren and thought it was about us’ as part of it. This was very helpful, and I plan to discuss with his therapist and psychiatrist.
~ Heather from North Carolina
NJCTS has two Wednesday Webinars scheduled for February. On February 12, Martin E. Franklin, PhD, will present “Treating Specific Phobias: When & How”, which will focus on cognitive behavioral therapies that can help properly manage the many fears that are commonly associated with neurological disorders and mental health conditions.
On February 26, Brian C. Chu, PhD, will present “Getting Unstuck: How to Overcome Anxiety and Mood Problems with Behavioral Activation and Exposure”, which will describe how evidence-based practice strategies, such as behavioral activation and in vivo exposure, can be used to help pre-teens and teens develop a more active coping approach toward life.
NJCTS’ Wednesday Webinar series was launched in 2008 and today draws an audience from 48 states and 15 countries. The series has featured more than 50 online seminars for parents, educators, physicians and professionals on topics of interest to the Tourette Syndrome and associated disorders community.
These webinars are FREE to view, but those wishing to receive a Professional Development Certificate or a Certificate of Attendance for attending any of these live webinars must pay a $20 nonrefundable fee to receive the certificate. For more information, please call 908-575-7350 or visit www.njcts.org.
What specific phobias will be talked about?
Hello, the webinar will be about phobias in general, but he will specifically address dog phobias and spider phobias. Hope this helps!