Announcements
Any information provided in our announcement page is for general information purposes only, and SPaN is not responsible for the orginal source's accuracy of content, nor does content necessarily reflect the views of SPaN
Governor Patrick signs H.391 Act to Provide Access to Information for Parents' Evaluators Governor Patrict signed the bill to improve access of independent evaluators to observe a child in school. Many parents have been essentially prevented from having an evaluator observe their child which has undermined their ability to get needed services. ...summary of H.391 bill | |
FY 2009 Fiscal Challenges Facing DMR (October 16, 2008 advisory) Yesterday, Governor Patrick presented the Fiscal Action Plan that the Commonwealth will implement to address the estimated deficit of $1.4 billion in the FY 2009 state budget due to the economic downturn. The Plan calls for spending cuts and cost saving initiatives. For the Department of Mental Retardation (Department of Developmental Services as of July 1, 2009), our $1.2 billion budget is reduced by a total of $7.336 million, with $1.9 million cut from the administration and operations account, $3 million cut from the state facilities account, $1.8 million cut from the autism account and the balance from reductions in earmarks in the community residential services, community day and work programs and family support services. ...more DMR Fiscal Challenges | |
The Higher Education Opportunity Act will address multiple barriers students with disabilities face in accessing and completing higher education. The legislation builds upon previous demonstration projects to provide assistance to faculty, staff, and administrators in educating students with disabilities. The creation of an advisory commission and new programs will help improve access to college course materials for students with print disabilities. ...more on the Higher Ed Opportunity Act.. | |
Two positive pieces of news from Beacon Hill: | |
| DOE Mandates New Forms for SLD Eligibility The Massachusetts Department of Education has issued a new set of forms and technical assistance documents that are to be used when finding a student eligible for special education with a Specific Learning Disability (SLD). District eligibility Teams may begin using the new forms immediately and must begin using them by the beginning of the 2008-09 school year. A variety of training opportunities will be available to districts over the course of the next several months. | |
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Summit Academy Aids Central Massachusetts Parents by Offering Immediate Scholarships for Placement in Unique Special-Needs School In an unprecedented move, Summit Academy School for Alternative Learners in Leominster is offering qualified students scholarship assistance for immediate placement. Summit Academy, with its classroom model of 12 students to two certified, highly qualified teachers, is specifically designed for students from age 6 to 15 with Asperger's Syndrome, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and other related Non-Verbal Learning Disabilities. ...more on Summit Academy Scholarships | |
Family Wins Case In Autism Coverage Lawsuit Anthem Ordered To Cover Costs Of Autism Therapy Fri Nov 30, 2007 8:05 pm (PST) Like most mothers, Jill Tappert searched for treatment plans --anything that would help her daughter live as normal a life as possible. Today, Abby is quite capable of having a conversation at the lunch table. She even has an extensive dinosaur collection that she loves to lineup and name off. Her mother credits Abby's remarkable progress to a treatment plan called Applied Behavior Analysis or ABA. The only problem with the plan was it wasn't covered by their insurance company and it wasn't cheap. In fact, two years of treatment cost the family about $110,000. But, Jill Tappert didn't give up. She launched appeal after appeal and finally called in a lawyer. Last week, an arbiter sided with the Tapperts and awarded them$110,000. It was an important decision for the Tapperts and other families of autistic children across the U.S ...more Family Wins Autism Coverage | |
Massachusettes Advocates for Children is seeking volunteers for two advocacy activities: 1) to help MAC respond to calls to our Helpline; 2) to help a low income family by providing pro bono advocacy. ....more on MAC volunteer opportunities | |