Parents Reaching Out serves families of infants, children and youth with all types of disabilities as well as related professionals as New Mexico's Parent Training and Information Center (PTI) funded by the US Department of Education Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP). Our goal is to provide tools to families to help them make informed decisions as equal partners in their child's Individual Education Program (IEP). Our Family Liaisons use telephone assistance, workshops and publications to provide 'family friendly' training to parents, educators and service providers throughout New Mexico.
We help families obtain appropriate education and services for their children with disabilities; work to improve education results for all children; train and inform parents and professionals on a variety of topics; offer strategies to help resolve problems between families and schools or other agencies; and connect children with disabilities to community resources that address their needs.
NM PTI Liaisons are familiar with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA 2004) and the required processes for Special Education and related services for children with disabilities. However, they are not attorneys or paralegals and do not represent families in hearings or other legal matters. They are parents who are trained to provide information and support to improve educational outcomes for children in today's schools.
Our most powerful outreach tool is commitment and dedication of a group of trained community volunteers known as our Adobe Corp and Adobe Connections. Just like the solid adobes used to construct homes, our Adobe Corp members provide a strong foundation for family involvement in towns and villages across our state. Our community based advocates play a key role in statewide systems change for children with disabilities. They offer a parent to parent connection as families navigate systems in their community.
We encourage families and school districts to work as partners to build positive educational outcomes for students who receive special education services. Partnerships between home and school can open doors and help keep IEP teams focused on the needs of the child. We feel that, at times, systems appear so overwhelming to families that they often feel like giving up. We encourage families and all adults to DREAM for their children, to imagine where their child will be when she/he is age 25!
Today's child is tomorrow's future. Each adult connected with a child has a role and a responsibility for creating opportunities for that child to succeed as a contributing member of the community. We believe Dreams can come true if we all pull together.
We offer a variety of workshops and training experiences designed for families, educators and community members. We can design a workshop series that fits the needs of your school and the families in your community. Our workshops are offered in English or Spanish. Please contact us, if you would like to set up a workshop in your area.
If you do not find a topic to fit your needs on this list, please give us a call. We can design a workshop or series of workshops that works for the needs in your school and community.
Parents Reaching Out sponsors a trained, caring team of volunteers known as the Adobe Corp as a part of our Family Leadership Action Network (FLAN). They are parents, grandparents and others who are resources for families in their community. They help families become full, participating members of their child's IEP team. Our community based advocates are the key to statewide systems change for children with disabilities. The time you share as an Adobe Corp volunteer is a worthwhile investment in the future! We invite you to share your skills and experiences as an Adobe Corp volunteer.
The facts help us see the Big Picture:
"I gain so much from the families. With each IEP, I gain skills that help me with my daughter's education." ~Adobe Corp member
"I felt so alone before joining Adobe Corp--It helped me get out of my rut. Now I have resources & networks. It lifts me up to be there for families." ~Adobe Corp Master Advocate
Advanced training and stipends are provided to those who mentor others as Master Advocates. Our goal is to provide each Adobe Corp volunteer with support systems, information and strategies to help parents succeed as the best advocate for their child.
Parents Reaching Out offers a variety of materials as outreach tools as we connect with communities across New Mexico. Our publications are designed to provide information and resources that build informed decisions as families work with systems to create successful opportunities for children and young adults. We invite you to browse through our Publications and Fact Sheets page for resources and topics that cover, early intervention, education, special education, health care access and systems change.
The Handbook of Parental Rights and Special Education Procedures is a great tool for families, educators and other members of IEP teams. The Handbook covers IDEA 2004 and related laws for children and youth with disabilities. It also includes special sections on: communication, record keeping, the IEP process, and preparing for the IEP meeting. The Handbook offers tools and helpful examples for preparing a Parent Report for the IEP meeting in addition to an entire section on letter writing. We have developed other publications that cover topics like: Inclusion, Adolescent Transition, Behavior and Instructional Strategies (Book of Ideas).
Each project at Parents Reaching Out has an advisory committee made up of stakeholders who provide guidance and promote the goals of the project.
Contact NM PTI: nmpti@parentsreachingout.org
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