April 8-10: 5th grade education trip

April 10: SEPTA Board Meeting
7-9pm Elementary School Library

April 11: NJ Bar Foundation 'Health Insurance, HMO's and Appeals' 7-9 p.m

April 16: SEPTA Workshop: "Sensory Intergration Therapy"
Guest Speaker: Anne Cahl 7-9pm S.R. Middle School Library

April 16: End of 3rd marking period

April 18: Special Child Meeting: "An Overview of the Alliance for Disabled In Action's Services: The Needs of Children with Disabilities and Community Resources" 7:30 pm at the E.B. Public Library

April 26: Deadline for the SEPTA 2002 Scholarship.

April 29-30: ESPA testing

April 30: Report Cards sent home.

The ABC's of Learning Disabilities by B. Wong

The Child with Special Needs: Encouraging Emotional and Intellectual Growth by S. Greenspan

Self-Esteem Games: 300 fun Activities by B. Sher

A Parent's Guide to Special Education: A Practical Handbook by D. Smith

Unraveling the Mystery of Autism and Pervasive Developmental Disorders by K. Seroussi

Complete IEP Guide: How to Advocate for Your Special Ed. Child by L. Siegel

Steps to Independence: Teaching Everyday Skills to Children with Special Needs by B. Baker

Smart But Stuck: Emotional Aspects of Learning Disabilities and Imprisoned Intelligence by M.Orenstein

Something's Not Right: One Family's Struggle with Learning Disabilities by N. Lelewer

Life Beyond the Classroom: Transition Strategies for Young People With Disabilities by P. Wehman

A Parent's Introduction to Behavior Modification by J. Wilson

Wrightslaw: From Emotions to Advocacy- The Special Education Survival Guide by P. Wright

Understanding and Managing Child Behavior in the 90's by A. Wildermann

*If you know of a special education related book that SEPTA should put on the donation list for next year- Please let us know !

"President's Commission on Excellence in Special Education"

President Bush created the Commission on Excellence in Special Education in October of 2001. The Commissions is to collect information related to federal, state and local special education programs and to recommend policies for improving the education of students with disabilities. The Commission is charged to produce a final report to the President by this summer that contains findings and recommendations in nine areas:

• Cost-effectiveness
• Improving Results
• Research
• Early Intervention
• Funding Formulae
• Teacher Quality and Student Accountability
• Regulation and Red Tape
• What Models Work in the States
• Federal vs. Local Funding

New Free NICHC Autism Fact Sheets Available:

10 Brain Power Tips for Kids:

1. Show your child love and affection: Showing your children that you love and appreciate them and creating a caring environment at home triggers better memory recall, thinking and problem solving skills.
2. Feed your child breakfast everyday: Children get about one-fourth of their nutrient needs from breakfast, and research shows that skipping breakfast impairs children's performance in school.
3. Ensure your child receives 9-10 hours of sleep each night: Adequate sleep contributes to several important learning, emotional, behavioral, and performance related functions.
4. Schedule regular health checkups for your child: regular physicals, immunizations, hearing and vision screenings are key to monitoring your child's overall health needs.
5. Take an active role in your child's education: Parents who are involved in their child's learning enhance their child's academic success.
6. Dedicate 10-60 minutes a day to your child's homework: Show your child that you think homework is important by staying involved in their assignments.
7. Set high, but realistic expectations for your child: Foster a love of learning by keeping children challenged academically and setting realistic goals for their learning level.
8. Engage your child in cultural art activities: Participation in extracurricular activities has been linked to academic achievement in children.
9. Ensure your child participates in 1 hour of physical activity daily: Research has shown that there is a link between regular exercise with improvement in self-esteem, discipline, some cognitive tasks and classroom behavior.
10. Give your child time for creative play: Creative play helps with core academic skills important for reading, writing language development and problem solving.

Parents can take the Brain Power Quiz at www.quateroatmeal.com under "What's New" For more information or to view the Brain Power Tips for Kids online visit www.pta.org

The Special Education PTA of South River Presents A workshop on "Sensory Integration Therapy"

This free workshop introduces the parent to an over view of Sensory Integration Dysfunction (DSI) and how it may affect a child at school and in the home.
Come learn about Sensory Intergration Therapy and how it can be used to improve gross motor, fine motor, perception, motor planning, organizational skills, activities of daily living, play, socialization, self-esteem, and more.

*For more information about this workshop, please contact SEPTA at (732)432-6747 or email us at septa_srnj@geocities.com