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The Arc of New Jersey Family Institute provides caregivers with the necessary resources and education to access the appropriate supports and services for their loved ones with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
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Click to follow us on social media! |
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Mondays with Michael Returns for Season 3! |
Our weekly Facebook Live Series Mondays with Michael will return for a third season beginning on Monday, September 11th. This season includes 40 episodes scheduled throughout the '23/'24 school year which will feature special guests, informational resources, and current events. As always, every episode will be recorded and saved in our Mondays with Michael Archive for your convenience. Feel free to enjoy some of last season's episodes in the archive by clicking the button below.
If you're new to the series, each episode is a 10-15 minute discussion about a topic related to special education or services for children with IDD and their families. Episodes take place every Monday at 10am on our Facebook page. No registration is required, just visit our page on Mondays at 10am to attend.
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Honoring Family Advocates |
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As an organization founded by families, The Arc of New Jersey is always proud to honor individuals who support a loved one with an intellectual or developmental disability (IDD). Family members play a vital role in the lives of children with IDD, often becoming advocates for education, inclusion, and services. Every month, we will feature a parent or family member who has shown incredible advocacy skills related to special education. Our August Education Advocate of the Month is Lauren Brick! We asked Lauren to share her experience as an advocate for her son and included some of her responses below. |
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End Seclusion and Restraint in Schools: Sign the Petition!
School should be a place where children are free from abuse and traumatic practices. Yet, every year, more than 101,000 students are subjected to restraint and seclusion. About 80% of those cases involve students with disabilities and, disproportionally, students of color.
Even though these practices have caused thousands of injuries and deaths, there are no federal laws to protect children from the abusive use of these tactics.
The Keeping All Students Safe Act would ban the use of seclusion and stop the practice of restraint in most cases, but Congress must pass this bill for that to happen!
Sign the petition NOW to end seclusion and restraint in schools—and support keeping all students safe!
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East Brunswick Special Ed Teacher Goes the Extra Mile for Students
"Great teachers matter. In East Brunswick, we're fortunate to have teachers like Megan Fischer. Patch has partnered with T-Mobile to recognize teachers and show them how much they're valued and appreciated. This submission comes from Beth Passner, who nominated Megan Fischer, of East Brunswick." Read more here.
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New Jersey Ranks Fourth in the Country for Best Early Education Systems
"The Garden State is behind only Arkansas, Nebraska and Maryland. Three dimensions go into the score's calculation: access, quality, and resources and economic support. Each metric is further defined by relevant measurements such as reported spending per enrolled preschooler or requirement of school safety plans. All these factors amount to a total score out of 100, though none got higher than a 77. New Jersey earned 70.67 points and snagged the highest ranking for resources and economic support. " Read more here.
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2022-2023 NJ Survey for Families of Children with Intellectual and/or Developmental Disabilities |
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The New Jersey Department of Children and Families' Children's System of Care is collaborating with Rutgers, Eagleton Center for Public Interest Polling to conduct a survey regarding experiences of New Jersey families who have children with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (whether diagnosed or not). The survey is approximately 30-60 minutes long, depending on the number of children and time spent on open-ended responses.
Click the button below for more information and to respond to the survey.
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2023 NJ Youth Transition Conference |
October 16th - 21st, 2023
Virtual
The NJ Youth Transition Conference is an annual event for youth and young adults with IDD and their families. This free virtual conference features sessions on accessibility, employment, housing, self-advocacy, and much more. There will also be a workshop on accessing services and natural supports, presented by The Arc of New Jersey's own Jerisa Maseko. Click the button below to register.
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7th Annual Assistive Technology & Community Living Summit |
September 19th-20th, 2023
The Conference Center at Mercer
West Windsor, NJ
The Richard West Assistive Technology Advocacy Center (ATAC) at DRNJ has expanded this year's summit into a two day learning experience for people with IDD, families, and professionals in the field. This year's event will feature over 30 guest speakers with session tracks on K-12 education, higher education, employment, and community living.
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You are encouraged to share this information with others who may also be interested. However, if you are forwarding this, please delete the "unsubscribe" link at the bottom of this email. If you do not remove the "unsubscribe" option and a person who receives your forwarded email clicks "unsubscribe," it would result in your name being removed from our distribution list.
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