Participate in community research offered by Boston University!

Are you a teen or young adult with a developmental disability? 

Would you like to try a new activity in your community?

This study is looking for teens and young adults ages  14- 21 with developmental disabilities such as cerebral palsy, autism, or intellectual disability.

Young people and their parents will complete questionnaires about the physical and social environment, the activities they do, and how they feel about themselves.

Questionnaires will be completed three times over four months. After the first meeting, each young person will receive a $50 gift certificate to try a new activity, like going to the movies or a restaurant. 

Young people will also receive gift certificates when they and their parents complete the questionnaires: $25 after the second session and $30 after the third session. 

 Some teens enjoyed talking about themselves and what they like to do in the community. Some parents said that their teens enjoyed setting a goal and talking about their goal with the researcher.

Jessica Kramer at Boston University is in charge of this study.

For more information, contact her at:

kramerbulab@gmail.com        617- 353-7522         617-353-2702

U.S. Department of Education, NIDRR Grant # H133G120091.

FREE WORKSHOP on preparing for life after Special Education!

Massachusetts Families Organizing for Change (MFOFC)

in partnership with

Multicultural Community Services (MCS) Holyoke, 

Holyoke/Chicopee’s Family Support Center

presents

A Full Life Ahead

A Full Life Ahead is a series of workshops for parents and guardians of young adults with a disability. The series focuses on transition, employment, friendships, housing and other topics that will lead to interdependent, full lives in the community for young people with disabilities.

Please join us…

Wednesday, April 1, 2015

6:00PM – 8:00PM

MCS Holyoke Family Support Center

260 Westfield Road, Holyoke, MA 01040

Planning for Life After Special Education

This workshop will identify specific suggestions on how to develop comprehensive post-secondary vision statements, IEPs and transition plans, developing appropriate transition services for students, knowing various diploma options, best practices for family involvement and more. We are excited to have Attorney Pamela Coveney and Attorney Stefanie Krantz from the Disability Law Center present on this topic. 

Please RSVP by Monday, March 30^th to Karen Fletcher 413.534.3299 or karenfletcher@mcsnet.org

For more information please contact Karen Fletcher or Lisa Kochian at 413.534.3299.

www.mfofc.org                                                                                                                                 www.mcsnet.org

FREE EVENT for students 14-22 with special needs & their families!

Transition Resource Fair

Building Bridges from High School to

Community Life

The place for students with special needs (14-22+) and their families to find resources to help create a life plan

PLACE: Northampton High School (NHS) 380 Elm Street, Northampton 
DATE: March 25, 2015 
TIME: 5:30-8:30 p.m.

Keynote Presentation: NHS Black Box Theater, 5:30-7:00 p.m.
Reservations required for the presentation in the Theater due to space limitations

Exhibitor Resource Fair: NHS Cafeteria, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
This year’s Transition Resource Fair brings together more than 30 exhibitors offering college and post-secondary options, job training, career investigation, day and recreation programs, independent, living ideas, special needs financial planning, and health services, just to name a few.
Students and their families can talk with agency representatives and get their questions answered as they consider their transition plan to adulthood.
The keynote presentation highlights the theme “Person Centered Planning, Building Bridges from High School to Community Life”.
The speakers will discuss the different service paths available for students in school to a life in the community.

The Keynote Presentation
5:00-5:30 p.m. : Presentation arrivals 5:30 p.m.: Presentation begins Location: Black Box Theater
Reservations are required due to limited seating. Please call 585.8010 or email donna.kushi@theassociationinc. org to reserve your spot by March 23.

Exhibitor Resource Fair
6:30-8:30 p.m. : Fair hours Location: Cafeteria
Reservations are NOT required. For more information
call 585.8010 or email donna.kushi@theassociationinc.org. 

PARTICIPATING ORGANIZATIONS
Resource Fair exhibitors include:
Bacon and Wilson P.C.
Special needs financial planningBaroco, Day activitiesBerkshire Hills Music Academy, Post-secondary Bulkley, Richardson and Gelinas, LLP
Special needs financial planning Carol Joyce, Person-centered planning Clinical and Support Options
Childrens’ Behavioral Health Initiative (CBHI)
Community Resources for People with Autism Department of Developmental Services Department of Public Health,
Special health care needs
Edward Jones Financial Planning Family Empowerment
Hampshire County Family Support Center
Federation for Children with Special Needs (FCSN) Franklin County Home Care
Personal Care Attendants and Adult Family Care
Franklin/Hampshire One-Stop Career Center
Job search related skill building
Holyoke Community College
Inclusive Concurrent Enrollment (ICE) Program J.Lynn Enterprises LLC, Transition Consultant Jericho
Life Skills, Day activities
Massachusetts Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
Milestones
Day and community skill program for adults
New England Business Associates (NEBA)
Employment supports
Pioneer Valley Transit Authority (PVTA)
Travel training services
Riverside Industries ServiceNet
Children’s’ Behavioral Health Initiative (CBHI)
ServiceNet Farm
The Association For Community Living
Adult Family CareStavros, Transition to Adulthood Programs (TAP)/
Peer Advocates
The United Arc
Berkshire County Family Support Center
United Cerebral Palsy Assistive Technology Center UMass Amherst
Inclusive Concurrent Enrollment (ICE) Program
Valley Educational Associates (VEA)
Employment supports
Westfield State University
Inclusive Concurrent Enrollment (ICE) Program
This year’s Transition Resource Fair is co-sponsored by Family Empowerment and the Departmental of Developmental Services.
A Program of The Association For Community Living