Family Engagement Initiative Handout

Action Planning Notes from Family Specialist Training, Austin, TX, July 15, 2016

FEC Training Priorities

Participants were asked to rank their top 4 training needs from a list of 8. The following is a ranked list (from highest to lowest priority) with examples of specific types of training desired.

(1)Engaging in and Modeling Coping and Self-Care Practices

  • Help with compassion fatigue; mindfulness training & resources

(2)Developing, Conducting, and Evaluating Group Family Engagement Activities

  • How to increase turn out at events
  • How to do a family needs assessment
  • How to get families to connect to the more general DB community in addition to identifying with specific diagnoses

(3)Conflict Prevention, interest-based problem solving, and mediation and due process systems

(4)Cultural Differences

  • How to reach out to diverse populations and connect families from diverse cultures to each other

(5)Group Processes

  • Continuation of Mastermind meetings
  • Clear information about resources (e.g., CADRE, CIPR, individual state resources)
  • Dealing with conflict early

(6)Developing, Conducting, and Evaluating Group Family Engagement Activities

  • How to capture the impact of a training and evaluate and record the things we do
  • How to make the best of limited resources (figure out what is and is not worth doing)

(7)Engaging as Role Model for Advocacy – System vs. Child

  • How to help parents learn how to be clear about what they want out of meetings they attend and what to ask for based on child’s needs

(8)Using teaming and collaboration skills to participate in the family specialist community, peer-to-peer learning, and other activities

  • Better use of local resources, including PTIs
  • Opportunities for collaborating across state lines
  • Digging deeper into “Serving on Groups”
  • OHOA module on teaming

Family Strengths and Needs

The following are some of the strengths and needs of families that family specialist training participants reported about the families in their states.

Strengths of the families in our states:

  • Know their child
  • Willing to share and be connected
  • Hungry to learn
  • Resourceful
  • Optimistic and hopeful for the future
  • Passion for their child and helping children
  • Knowledge of their child’s disability
  • Access technology

What They Need

  • Structure to come together
  • Financial support
  • Inclusion/acceptance
  • Sibling support
  • Opportunities for dads to connect
  • IEP/Special Ed training(including info about services they are entitled to)
  • DB 101 (touch, concept development, communication)
  • Statewide assessments info
  • Conflict resolution skills
  • Self-care strategies
  • Transition/college and career readiness knowledge and skills
  • Skills to advocate and talk to legislators
  • How to support each other
  • Respite/Trained Childcare
  • Conference calls to just talk

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