Weekly Update: May 27, 2022

Thank you for the amazing staff appreciation event!

Thank you to the entire parent community for putting together a fantastic afternoon of appreciation for Cotting staff and faculty.

• There were tons of thank you notes.
• The food and drinks were special and plentiful.
• There were plenty of parent volunteers to receive food, set up, serve and clean up.

All in all, every single Cotting staff member was delighted and moved by your generosity! Thank you!!!

Transition Fair 2022

Have you checked out the Virtual 2022 Transition Fair yet?

Our focus this year is on the various types of transitions that happen at—and beyond—Cotting School. You’ll hear from experts you know and you’ll find numerous resources from specific adult programs, state agencies and other types of supports. There will be three videos published over the next week or so — the second one will be posted early next week!

Attend the 2022 Virtual Transition Fair here.

Please note: This tee shirt will be available for purchase indefinitely. The days available listed on Bonfire are just the number of days left before they print the next batch. The first batch is already in production and the next batch will start shipping to homes around June 10th.

Unfortunately, we are unable to offer a hoodie this year and youth sizes are currently limited due to supply chain issues. If this situation changes, we will let you know.

Order your shirt here!

Puberty: Changes, Challenges and Opportunities

Don’t worry we’ve got you covered! You can watch it on YouTube here.

We are excited to announce that two upcoming summer youth leadership programs are accepting applications. Partners for Youth with Disabilities (PYD) will host both, the 2022 Youth Leadership Forum (a virtual week-long conference) and Young Leaders Rising Program (a leadership series consisting of 4 modules).

The Youth Leadership Forum (YLF) is a multi-day conference for youth and young adults with disabilities. Participants build leadership skills and leave better prepared for future employment, higher education, and independent living. During the conference YLF participants have the chance to engage in discussions and workshops on topics such as: self-advocacy, disability pride, assistive technology, independent living, employment skills, career exploration, higher education, legislative advocacy, the Disability Rights Movement, and community participation. YLF 2022 will take place ONLINE from June 25 -June 30, 2022. Note that this year, Peer Leaders will receive a small stipend for their work.

Additional details about each role and the YLF application are at: Youth Leadership Forum – Partners for Youth with Disabilities (pyd.org)

Information about Young Leaders Rising can be found at: https://www.pyd.org/programs/young-leaders-rising/

Wednesday, June 8 at 12:00 p.m.

Filing a Chapter 688 referral sets in motion a two-year planning process for students whose entitlements to special education services will end when they graduate from school or turn 22 years of age. Dianne Lescinskas from the Department of Transitional Services will walk you through who is eligible and responsible for filing a Chapter 688 referral and how it is determined which adult service agency receives the referral.

June 14, 2022, 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm, Free

Register now and watch this webinar live or later on-demand here.

DESCRIPTION: PLAN of MA & RI is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that offers Special Needs Trusts to people of any age with any disability, helping to preserve their assets, protect their access to public benefits, and to live well. This presentation on Special Needs Trusts will explain what a Special Needs Trust is, why opening one is beneficial to you and your family, the different types of trusts that PLAN offers and how an ABLE account can be used with a Special Needs Trust.

SPEAKERS

• Joan McGrath, Executive Director, PLAN of MA & RI,
• Kathy Vitello, Director of Operations, PLAN of MA & RI

June 21, 2022, 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm – Fee $25

Register now and watch this webinar live or later on-demand here.

DESCRIPTION: Driving schools cover a wide range of topics, such as traffic laws, road signs and traffic signals, road safety rules and more. Driving lessons may start out in a parking lot, progress to local roads, then highways, and crowded city streets. Not a lot of research has been done on what’s the best way for autistic individuals to learn how to drive or to cope with some of the ongoing challenges of driving. In this webinar, we take more of a “grassroots” approach. We know what helps autistic individuals learn to drive and be successful at it, because we are those individuals.

SPEAKER:

Andrew Arboe: Founder of  Driving with Autism

Please share your own resources and suggestions! Send them to pvarrin@cotting.org.