Each day I look out my office window the grass is a little greener, there are buds on the trees and warm weather has begun to tease its way through early spring. Welcome to April, the month where aside from Earth Day, Child Abuse Prevention Month, International Children’s Book Day, and Tax Day, we have Autism Awareness Month. Autism awareness brings with it some heated dialogue. Most people are already aware of autism. Some have opted to replace the wordRead more

By Anna Marcus & Leann Springer Around the world, children are excluded from schools where they belong because of disability, race, language, religion, gender, and poverty. PEAK’s mission, as you probably already know, is to provide training, information, and technical assistance to equip families with strategies to advocate successfully for their children. As a result of these services children and adults will live rich, active lives participating as full members of their schools and communities. We know that an inclusiveRead more

“When your formative years include people with disabilities, as an adult you make decisions to include people with disabilities.” “Every student needs to hear, ‘We do not see you as a problem. We see you as an opportunity.’” “Membership in the regular class is directly tied to reading...Kids are not retained because of math scores.” “Focus on the solution, not the problem.” Above are some of the words from Doug Fisher that I jotted down at the 2018 PEAK ParentRead more

Shelley Moore’s research is rooted in one fundamental question: how can we find the value in the day-to-day practices in our classrooms in terms of inclusive education? The answer, Shelley argues, lies in the science of bowling. Yes, you read correctly, bowling. Who knew an understanding of bowling strategies could provide solutions to the limits of our existing education systems? First, here’s a little background on Shelley. Originally from Edmonton, and now based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Shelley Moore isRead more

“The function of freedom is to free someone else.” - Toni Morrison Beginning last spring and into the summer, PEAK Parent Center staff began the momentous task of writing grant proposal applications to continue our work for the Parent Training and Information (PTI) Center project and the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) Shift project. After a ton of work, It came down to the final hours and we rallied as a team to produce two proposals that met the stringent setRead more

I sit here typing in my home office looking out the large windows to our back yard. It’s a patio that at some point was closed in. I hear my son speak into his school computer to two of his teachers via Zoom meeting. His voice echoes from his bedroom, down the hall, through my bedroom, and finally to me while I ponder all the problems we’re facing and glance out at the ponderosa pines dancing in the breeze. IRead more

Aside from the daily statistics on rates of infection, lockdowns, curfews, shutdowns, economic instability and more, It is really easy to get overwhelmed with all the information being dumped on us about educating our kids from home amid indefinite school closures. Every other post I’ve scrolled through in the last week seems to be a free subscription, ways to keep your kids busy and learning while at home, or some method to keep parents sane amid the chaos. It’s difficultRead more

We’ve been busy these last few months creating all things conference. Everyone at PEAK Parent Center is excited and proud to bring you the 34th Annual Conference on Inclusive Education , Discover the Possibilities. Whether you are a veteran attendee or plan to attend for the first time, PEAK’s Annual Conference on Inclusive Education is the premier event to connect you with all things inclusive education. This year’s line-up of keynoters features classic conference names like Jonathan Mooney , who’sRead more

While the days are long and hot, the beginning of the school year is just around the corner! As exciting as the beginning of the year is, it can also be stressful for both parents and children. Whether you need planning or advocacy advice for transitions, tips and tricks for behavior, or information about IEPs, PEAK is here to help! From planning for smooth transitions between grades or schools to navigating the IEP, PEAK is offering a handful of FREERead more

So your child has been identified as having a disability. Perhaps you’ve had some concerns about their development and requested an evaluation for special education services. Perhaps your child is transitioning from Part C services (birth-3 years) to Part B (children ages 3-21). In any case, an evaluation has been done to show that your child qualifies for an IEP. Now what? Congratulations! You are now part of your child’s IEP team - and you are the most important memberRead more