Volume 25, Number 1, Winter 2007
President’s Message
Many people believe being small means you are weak; in fact, being small means the opposite to me. When I see someone small in statue or someone with a disability, I always imagine and think about their strengths instead of their weaknesses. What does this have to do with DPHD? Everything……….
As your president, I’m pleased to welcome you to one of the smallest divisions within CEC! This is not a joke, I’m very serious. But with this distinction comes the harsh reality that this division may be forced to disband if we cannot remain viable to our membership. I cannot improve things within DPHD by myself or with the few volunteers that help us. We may be small in numbers, but I know there are lots of resources within our membership that can help DPHD grow again. We may never be a large division, but we do make a difference for the students we serve with physical, health, severe or multiple disabilities. Together we can make a difference in DPHD! In turn, we can make a difference for the students we serve. I look forward to this year with DPHD; I hope together we can give DPHD a strong boost in order to grow for many years to come.
April is just around the corner and that means THE CEC ANNUAL CONVENTION IN LOUISVILLE, KY. April 18-21, 2007. Joni Baldwin and I have worked very hard to bring you a complete program dealing with students with physical, health, severe or multiple disabilities. We did not forget our student members; they have two great sessions which I know will be fun!!! Please check out our sessions at: http://2007conf.cec.networkats.com/ShowTopic.aspx?PrimaryTopic=DPHD
If you planning on attending the convention, plan to also join us at the business meeting located at the Galt House on Thurs, Apr. 19th, from 5:00-7:00 PM; we love to meet our members! I will also be staying at the Galt House East. You can leave a message for me there or at the DPHD Division table at the Expo. I will try my hardest to get back to you during the convention. If we don’t connect at the convention, I promise I will call you after the convention.
Together we can truly make a difference for DPHD and the students we serve with physical, health, severe or multiple disabilities. If you are unable to attend the convention, please remember we still need you to get involved with DPHD during the year. Just e-mail me at pdeloach@tampabay.rr.com and we will find a job for you. You will never know the difference you can make!!!!
Join us in Louisville for the 2007
Council for Exceptional Children’s Annual Convention and Expo
This year’s convention will be located in Louisville, KY, April 18-21, 2007.
DPHD is hosting 10 lecture/demonstration sessions, and three poster sessions. See the list of sessions below to begin to plan your schedule for your time in Louisville. Meeting dates and times are also posted. We would love to see you at our annual business meeting. Check out our division booth for a chance to win a wonderful prize at the meeting, and sign up to be a survey participant for the revalidation of our division standards.
DPHD Sponsored Sessions at CEC 2007 in Louisville
Showcase Session:
Cognitive Assessment of Non-Verbal Young Children who have Significant Motor Disabilities presented by Meg Cooper on Thurs., April 19th, 1:15-2:15. Meg is an expert in the assessment of young children and has worked for years to modify and adapt assessments for use with non-verbal children who also have motor delays. This session will be of interest to anyone who would like some ideas for assessing our more challenging children.
Thursday Sessions: Division Day
8:30-9:30 Children with Chronic Illness: Section 504, IDEA and Accommodations. Yvette Getch
9:45-10:45 Validation of Standards for Teachers of Students with Physical and Health Disabilities.
Joni Baldwin
11:00-12:00 Engaging Students with Traumatic Brain Injury: Strategies that Work. Darlene Fewster
2:30-3:30 Playwriting and Acting to Promote Student Collaboration between General and Special Education.
Alberto Bursztyn
3:45-4:45 Providing Educational and Emotional Support to Students with Duchenne’s Muscular Dystrophy.
Peter Mezei, Kathryn Heller & Janie Avant
5:00-6:00 Conductive Education: Unique Approaches to Educating and Treating Children with Motor
Disabilities. Melissa Larson
Poster Sessions 1:30-3:00
· Tourette’s Syndrome and Associated Disorders in the Classroom. Susan Conners
· Using Puppets to Educate Elementary Students about Disabilities: A Student CEC Activity.
Drew Lamb
· HIV/AIDS Prevention: Considerations for Special Educators. Jane Sileo
Friday Sessions:
11:00-12:00 What’s Health Got to Do with Transition? EVERYTHING. Patti Hackett
3:45-4:45 HIV/AIDS Prevention Education among Youth and Asian Pacific Islander Americans. Mia
Youhne
Saturday Sessions:
8:30-9:30 Fitness: A Collaborative Program between Physical Therapy and Special Education. Cheryl George
DPHD Sponsored Meetings at CEC 2007 in Louisville
All meetings will be held at the Galt House Hotel and Suites. Check the Convention Program or Hotel Lobby for room assignments. Come join us and get involved with DPHD. You can make a difference!!
Executive Committee Meeting Wed., April 18 5:00-7:00 PM
Business Meeting Thurs., April 19 5:00-7:00 PM
Severe and Multiple Disabilities Thurs., April 19 8:30-9:45 AM
Hospital/Homebound Thurs., April 19 9:45-10:15 AM
Critical Issues & Leadership
With Knowledge & Skills Fri., April 20 10:00 AM –Noon
DVI-DPHD Social Thurs. April 19 8:15-10:00 PM
DPHD 2007 Officers and Committee Chairs
You may have noticed DPHD did not have elections in the Fall of 2006 to elect the 2007 officers! This was the result of a variety of reasons and instead of attempting to push a slate of officers through at the last minute we have drafted a few “old friends”, asked our President to stay for an additional year, and have already started drafting the ballot for the Fall 07 elections for your 2008 officers. Would you be interested in being more involved with DPHD? Come to Louisville and join us at workshops and meetings to see what we do and how you might be interested to contributing to your DPHD! (See a few names more than once? That’s because we need more help! Please join us in rebuilding the division. Contact Pam and she’ll help you figure out a good spot for you that complements your interests.)
Officers:
2007 and 2008 President: Pam DeLoach (pdeloach@tampabay.rr.com
Interim President-Elect: Joni Baldwin (baldwijL@notes.udayton.edu)
Interim Vice President: Maribeth Coleman-Martin (mbcm@gsu.edu)
Past President: Alison Stafford (alisonmstafford@gmail.com)
Interim Secretary: Peggy Allgood (peggyallgood@hotmail.com)
Treasurer: Adrienne Duris (alduris@aol.com)
Historian: Mark Oppenheimer
CAN Coordinator: Donald Cross (dpcross@insightbb.com)
Student Representative: To Be Appointed
Publications:
Journal Editor: Barbara Kulik (barbara.kulik@csun.edu)
Newsletter Editor: Joni Baldwin (baldwijL@notes.udayton.edu)
CEC Today: Sylvia Martin (smartin@monmouth.edu)
Committee Chairs:
Critical Issues & Leadership: Kathy Heller (kheller@gsu.edu)
Knowledge & Skills: Joni Baldwin
Severe/Multiple Disabilities: Alison Stafford
Home/Hospital: To Be Appointed
Constitution & Bylaws: Liz Cohen (Elisabeth.Cohen@pisd.edu)
Finance: To Be Appointed
Advisory Board: Michael Weinroth (mikeweinroth@aol.com)
John Venn (jvenn@unf.edu)
Newsletter Topic or Issue: A New Feature!
There are several issues facing our students and teachers in today’s educational and vocational world. This is your spot to let us know what issues are bothering you, or what you are concerned about, or your chance to chime in on a topic someone else presents. As we become more proficient with our online version of the newsletter, hopefully you can just go on line and give your opinion. For now, you’ll have to write or email your responses and we will include them in the next newsletter! Below you will find out first topic of concern submitted from Barbara Kurylo in Leland, IL. Send your comments/questions/concerns to Joni Baldwin at baldwiJL@notes.udayton.edu, or via snail mail to Joni at her home address: 800 Rockcreek Drive, Centerville, OH 45458. Get involved! Let your voice be heard! What are your concerns or what do you have to say about Barbara’s comments????????
Newsletter Topic: Suggested Wheelchair Options
by Barbara Kurylo
Wheelchairs come in different sizes and different models for many different reasons. Subsequently, there are many wheelchair options. One option that should be available, but generally is not, is cushioning or padding on the foremost part of the chair. This would most importantly include the footrests. There are walls in homes, and probably schools and universities, where wheelchairs have left noticeable gouges. Specialized wall construction materials or wall padding as an alternative to chair padding would be cumbersome and probably cost prohibitive. Padded footrests would also be easier on ankles and shins, especially around the lockers and hallways of schools and universities. The padding material would need to be durable and preferably non-marking, similar to the soles of shoes.
Another rarely seen option is solid rims for wheelchair wheels. Spokes do not hold up well. They sell because they are “sportier”, but adjusting them is difficult. Such adjustments cannot be done well in a bike shop. Things would not get caught in solid wheel rims as they do with spokes or even mag rims. Solid rims would result in no more pinched fingers, tangled robes, blankets, pets or fingers of first responders who try to reach through to get to the frame of the wheelchair.
A feature that should not be an option, but rather should be required on all power chairs is the ability to transfer from power mode to freewheel mode quickly from behind, without having to bend or stoop. A first responder, be it a fireman or a teacher, should be able to approach a power chair, switch from power to freewheel mode and push that chair at the speed of the evacuation traffic. Some power chairs are necessarily slow and would hold up all trailing evacuees, causing a bottleneck or jam. Many power chairs have the power/freewheel switch down under the chair. Some power chairs need special equipment added onto the chair, thereby causing more obstacles when trying to reach the power/freewheel switch. Considering recent evacuation debacles (e.g., World Trade Centers), the power chair should be streamlined for mass exits. Power chairs are expensive, and there are many of them available, so newer “evacuation friendly” chairs could replace current power chairs via attrition.
DPHD is Accepting Nominations for Awards
Wetzel Scholarship
The Elizabeth Wetzel Scholarship awards up to $500 to students working toward a teaching credential in physical and health disabilities. To apply for this scholarship, submit the following:
Personal Information: Telephone number, email address, school attending, type of degree.
Summary Statement: A 300-400 word essay stating:
1. Professional philosophy
2. Goals for teaching students with physical and health disabilities
3. Statement of progress towards these goals
4. Official transcript
5. Two letters of support from instructors and/or colleagues.
Joan Wald Baken Award
The Joan Wald Baken Award was established in 1997 to honor the memory of the devoted member of DPHD who dedicated herself to individuals with physical and health disabilities. Up to two awards are given annually to individuals whose accomplishments represent exemplary advocacy and educational practice. The recipient must be involved in direct delivery of services to individuals with physical and health disabilities in schools, hospitals, clinics, homes, or in the community. Self nominations or nominations by colleagues will be accepted. To apply for this award, submit the following:
Personal Information: Name, address, telephone number, email.
Summary Statement: A 300-500 word narrative stating qualifications for the award, including:
1. Lengths and types of service to persons with physical and health disabilities
2. Description of service/advocacy efforts
3. Outcomes achieved on behalf of persons with physical and health disabilities
4. Future activities and goals
5. Resume.
Send completed packets for either award to:
Pamela De Loach
6711 Spanish Moss Circle
Tampa, FL 33625
pdeloach@tampabay.rr.com
Editor’s Note: Questions or comments about the newsletter? Want to contribute an article for the next newsletter? Please contact me at baldwijl@notes.udayton.edu, or 213A Chaminade Hall, University of Dayton, 300 College Park, Dayton, OH 45469-0525. We value your input! Joni Baldwin, Ed.D.