Join Us for a Webinar on Restraint and Seclusion
LEARN ABOUT SAFE TRAUMA-INFORMED ALTERNATIVES |
|
|
Did you know that autistic students are more likely than other students to be restrained and secluded in school? Restraint (limiting a student’s physical mobility and freedom of movement) and seclusion (confining a student alone in a room and preventing them from leaving) are harmful disciplinary approaches that traumatize and injure students each year, including right here in Montgomery County.
Join xMinds on Tuesday, January 23, at 7:00 PM, for our online presentation “Restraint and Seclusion: What Parents of Autistic Children Should Know.” Guy Stephens, founder and executive director of the Alliance Against Seclusion and Restraint (AASR), will arm you with the facts about the limited circumstances in which these practices are permitted in Maryland schools, and will share his advice on how to stand up for your child and advocate for their rights. He’ll discuss how surprisingly often these practices are still used in our classrooms, and will fill you in on the details of a 2022 Maryland law that bans the use of seclusion in public schools and places strict requirements around its use in nonpublic schools. |
|
|
Guy founded AASR in 2019 after advocating for his own son, who had been subjected to these traumatizing practices at a school in Calvert County, MD. Guy will share how Calvert County has turned around its abysmal record by implementing trauma-informed, neuroscience-aligned approaches. Come find out about alternatives that support students, instead of harming and shaming them. We’ll leave plenty of time for your questions.
The webinar is free and will be presented with simultaneous Spanish interpretation. Register here to receive the Zoom link.
|
|
|
|
Guy Stephens Founder and Executive Director, Alliance Against Seclusion & Restraint (AASR) |
|
|
Ready, Set, Play! Join Us at January’s Open Gym
CONNECT WITH OTHER ELEMENTARY AND PRESCHOOL FAMILIES |
|
|
Get ready for a morning of family fun at our first open gym meetup of 2024, Saturday, January 20, 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM, at the Glen Haven Elementary School gymnasium, 10900 Inwood Avenue, Silver Spring, MD. Our open gym meetups are geared toward families with autistic elementary and preschool students, and offer a fun way to get your kids moving on a winter day. |
|
|
We will have balls, mats, parachutes, and other gym equipment, as well as organized children's activities. This is a great opportunity to connect with other parents of autistic children. We will provide snacks, and will have volunteers on hand to answer any questions.
Everyone is welcome, including siblings, and there’s no cost to attend! Registration is not required, so feel free to just show up. If you would like to receive event reminders and an email if we need to postpone due to inclement weather, sign up here.
Save the dates for our future open gym meetups:
Sat., February 17, 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM at Glen Haven Elementary School
Sat., March 16, 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM at Glen Haven Elementary School Given the recent wintry weather, make sure to register to receive notifications if this event is cancelled due to inclement weather. You can also check the xMinds Calendar of Events for updates the morning of the meetup. |
|
|
Get the Scoop on MCPS Placements
UPCOMING INFO SESSION ON EDUCATIONAL SERVICES |
|
|
If you’re searching for the right MCPS placement and services for your child, you won’t want to miss xMinds’ annual “Primers on MCPS Placements for Autistic Students,” in February. We will hold three live, online sessions, each focusing on a different age group — Preschool, Elementary School, and Secondary School (middle and high school). |
|
|
More than 20 MCPS representatives will share information over the course of the three sessions, detailing the array of special education services that serve autistic students. Many children are able to receive services in the general education setting at their neighborhood school (aka the home school model). Some students require a discrete program exclusively for individuals diagnosed with autism, while others do well in a discrete program designed for a mix of students with similar needs. Some placements are geared toward diploma-bound students and others toward certificate-bound students. Which placement is right for your student?
Here’s the schedule for the three online informational sessions:
Preschool Placements: Tues., February 20, @ 7:00 – 8:30 PM
Elementary School Placements: Thurs., February 22 @ 7:00 – 9:00 PM
Middle and High School Placements: Tues., February 20 @ 7:00 – 9:00 PM (running at the same time as the preschool presentation, in a separate Zoom meeting)
Come get the facts about MCPS’s special education options. We’ll save time for MCPS staff to answer your most pressing questions.
There’s no cost to attend, and simultaneous Spanish interpretation will be available. Register here for any of the three presentations, and we’ll send you the Zoom links. |
|
|
Need Info on Local Autism-Related Services? Check Out the Resource Finder!
JOIN US FOR A DISCUSSION ABOUT THIS VALUABLE TOOL
|
|
|
Join us Monday, January 22, at 7:00 PM, for a special session of xMinds’ Small Steps Together virtual discussion group for parents of MoCo autistic elementary and preschool students. We’ll be joined by Kristine Nellenbach, program coordinator for the Resource Finder at the Maryland Center for Developmental Disabilities, housed within Baltimore’s Kennedy Krieger Institute. |
|
|
The Resource Finder provides free information about autism and other developmental disabilities, as well as access to related resources. Whether you’re looking for resources on child care, education, service providers, housing, or more, the Resource Finder can help.
Community members can call 800-390-3372, email, or submit an online form requesting information, resources, or services based on their specific needs. Kristine compiles and disseminates a personalized response to each inquiry. Join our virtual discussion to learn about this valuable tool! Click here to register for the Small Steps Together discussion group. |
|
|
For information on xMinds’ three other discussion groups for parents of MoCo autistic students, please click on the appropriate link below:
|
|
|
Educators: What's on Your Classroom Wish List?
APPLY FOR AN XMINDS GRANT FOR CLASSROOM MATERIALS
|
|
|
Do you know a MoCo educator who needs help purchasing classroom materials for their autistic students? Through our Winter Wish List initiative, xMinds is awarding grants of up to $100 to help MoCo educators stock their classrooms with items that support autistic students, including hands-on manipulatives, flexible seating, and noise-canceling headphones.
|
|
|
We’re also offering grants of up to $250 for trainings on how best to teach and connect with autistic learners. Apply today for a Winter Wish List grant! |
|
|
Celebrating 15 Years of xMinds
|
|
|
We’re thrilled to be celebrating xMinds’ 15th anniversary this year. A group of MoCo parents with autistic students founded Partnership for Extraordinary Minds, or xMinds, in 2009, as a forum to share information with each other and an avenue to collaborate with MCPS on ways to improve education for children with autism. xMinds clearly filled an important need, and 15 years later we remain steadfast in our commitment to improving education for autistic children in Montgomery County, MD. If you would like to get involved, check out the xMinds Calendar of Events, or email us at info@xminds.org to find out about volunteer opportunities. We look forward to many more years of serving the autism community! |
|
|
|
|
New Teen Social Group — We Want Your Input!
|
|
|
xMinds is hoping to form a social group to give autistic teens a chance to make friends in a safe, neurodiversity-affirming environment. Please fill out a brief interest form and let us know your teen’s favorite activities — be it board games, arts and crafts, online gaming, Dungeons & Dragons, or more. Click here to take the survey, and please share the link with other families. Stay tuned for more details about the xMinds Teen Social Group!
|
|
|
What If Your Child Wanders or Runs Away?
FREE RESOURCE PROVIDES TIPS AND TOOLS |
|
|
If your child has ever wandered away from the school playground, bolted from you at a store, or gone missing at all, you know the feeling of utter fear for their safety. Elopement — when an individual leaves without permission or notification — is common among autistic students: 49 percent of children with ASD attempted to elope at least once after age 4, according to one study. |
|
|
A Wandering & Elopement online toolkit, developed by Pathfinders for Autism, provides information, advice, and tools to keep missing children safe and hasten their return. Resources include the 2023 webinar When They Wander or Run Away, featuring Officer Laurie Reyes, of Montgomery County’s Autism/IDD and Alzheimer’s Outreach Program, and Shelly McLaughlin, program director for Pathfinders for Autism, a Maryland nonprofit organization that works to support and improve the lives of individuals affected by autism. The toolkit and webinar encourage families to take proactive measures, including: - Prefill an Elopement Alert Form with information about your child and a current photo. Update the form periodically, so it is ready to disseminate should your child go missing. Have multiple copies available.
- Practice crossing the street safely with your child.
- Introduce your child to local police officers, and tell your child that if they are lost, it is safe to talk to the police.
- Make it easy for police to identify your child by using identification labels on clothing and in shoes, MedicAlert bracelets, and autism disclosure cards.
- Use personal GPS technologies to help track your child.
If your child is missing, call 911 immediately and inform first responders that your child is autistic. For the complete toolkit, click here.
|
|
|
New Maryland Law Provides Alternative to Guardianship: Supported Decision-Making |
|
|
If you have a student in middle or high school, it may be time to consider whether guardianship or an alternative is appropriate once your child reaches age 18. As of October 2022, individuals with disabilities in Maryland have a new, less restrictive alternative to guardianship — supported decision making (SDM).
|
|
|
SDM allows people with disabilities to make choices about their own life, with the help and support of family, friends, or other trusted individuals. Under the new SDM law, interested parties— such as health-care providers, banks, and leasing agents— must allow the disabled adult to make choices and decisions with the help of one or more “supporters.”
A supporter does not have the right to make a choice for the disabled person, but instead helps the individual consider all parts of the decision, interprets information, poses relevant questions, provides reminders, and helps communicate decisions, if needed. While a written SDM agreement is not required, families may choose to develop one to outline the type of support needed and to appoint supporters. To download a sample agreement, click here.
Each family must carefully consider their child’s capacity to make decisions when determining whether guardianship or an alternative is appropriate in their particular situation. With guardianship, a person loses the right to make certain decisions for themselves, and the decision-making power is granted to a guardian. Under the new SDM law, a Maryland court must consider SDM before placing an individual under guardianship. To learn more about guardianship, supported decision making, and other alternatives, check out the following resources:
In addition, MCPS Transition Services is offering a free webinar on Guardianship & Supported Decision Making, Tuesday, February 6, at 6:30 PM, as part of its Transition Information for Parents and Students series. Click here to register.
|
|
|
On YouTube: Navigating Cultural Biases |
|
|
As we commemorate Martin Luther King Day this week, it’s fitting that we take some time to consider how cultural biases lead to disparities in autism diagnosis and treatment. A recording of our webinar Navigating Cultural Bias With a Child on the Autism Spectrum is available to watch on the xMinds YouTube Channel. Clinical neuropsychologist Dr. Joette James with The Stixrud Group in Silver Spring, MD, examines this complex societal problem and explores what steps can be taken to reduce and eliminate disparities and biases. |
|
|
|
|
The recorded webinar explores a range of disparities, including disproportionality in suspensions. Click the image to watch. |
|
|
Upcoming xMinds Events
xMinds events, resources, & services are always FREE
Saturday, Jan. 20, 10:00 – 11:30 AM
Elementary and Preschool Open Gym Meetup
Meet other elementary and preschool families with autistic children. Join us for indoor play at Glen Haven Elementary School in Silver Spring, MD. See the details here.
Monday, Jan. 22, 7:00 – 7:45 PM
Small Steps Together
Online discussion group for MoCo parents/guardians of an autistic elementary or preschool child. With special guest speaker Kristine Nellenbach of the Resource Center at the Maryland Center for Developmental Disabilities, Kennedy Krieger Institute. Register here.
Tuesday, Jan. 23, 7:00 – 8:30 PM
Restraint and Seclusion: What Parents of Autistic Children Should Know
Online presentation by Guy Stephens, founder and executive director of the Alliance Against Seclusion and Restraint. See the details above. Register here.
Wednesday, Jan. 24, 7:00 – 7:45 PM
Let's Talk Transitions
Online discussion group for MoCo parents/guardians of an autistic child in middle or high school. Register here.
Monday, Feb. 5, 7:00 – 7:45 PM
People of the Global Majority Discussion Group
Online discussion group for MoCo parents/guardians of autistic children who are Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC). Register here.
Wednesday, Feb. 7, 7:00 – 7:45 PM
Hablemos Educación Especial
Online discussion group for Spanish-speaking MoCo parents/guardians of autistic students. Register here.
|
|
Tuesday, Feb. 20, 7:00 – 8:30 PM for Preschool and 7:00 – 9:00 PM for Middle and High School
2024 Primers on MCPS Placements for Autistic Students
Session 1: Preschool Placements
Session 2: Secondary Placements
Two simultaneous live online presentations from MCPS staff on the array of special education services and programs for autistic students. Register once for the Primers series to receive Zoom links to all three sessions and attend the one of interest to you. Register here.
Thursday, Feb. 22, 7:00 – 9:00 PM for Elementary School
2024 Primers on MCPS Placements for Autistic Students
Session 3: Elementary Placements
Third and final online presentation from MCPS staff on the array of special education services and programs for autistic students. Register here.
Community Calendar
Our community calendar is FULL of great offerings not only from xMinds, but from professional service providers located in Montgomery County. Check out the programs and events posted on our Events Calendar.
Note: Our Events Calendar shows events on their start date, but some community programs require you to apply before the start date, so please look ahead!
|
|
|
|
|
|
.png){kind=spacer}
%20(1).png)
.png)
.jpg "child wandering in a field")
.png)
