CT AHEAD

Contents

Membership Meeting Minutes

Date: December 5, 2003
Location: University of Hartford
Chair: Pamela Starr

2003 - 2004 Executive Board
President: Pamela Starr
Vice President: David Ryan-Soderlund
Secretary: Carol Young
Treasurer: Barbara MacKay

Treasury Report

In Barbara MacKay’s absence, Pamela Starr reported that the current balance of the budget is $2,812.44.
Members were encouraged to submit their completed 2003-2004 membership forms along with payment as soon as possible. The form, which includes membership fee information and mailing instructions, is attached.

Business Meeting/News

Update on the Proposed Interagency Agreement: John Jarvis reported that there has been little to no progress on this matter since the summer. However, he has made a commitment to remain in the pursuit of a working Interagency Agreement, serving as Ex-Officio during this year.
Download the proposed interagency agreement
Affiliation with AHEAD: At the request of the Steering Committee, David Ryan-Soderlund learned that CT AHEAD can become a National AHEAD affiliate with a one-time fee of twenty-five dollars ($25). He indicated that the advantages of this affiliation to CT AHEAD members include a small discount on AHEAD membership and opportunities to co-sponsor workshops and conferences. Members expressed their interest and David agreed to initiate the affiliation process.
Non-Profit Status: David Ryan-Soderlund, after investigating the opportunity for CT AHEAD to become a non-profit entity, reported that he collected the necessary paperwork and will need to review the materials further. Karen Halliday identified a potential resource person, by the name of Kathleen Kabara, who has recently completed an application for non-profit status. David was encouraged to contact her for advisement at Kathleen.kabara@po.state.ct.us. It was stated that a lawyer may be needed to review the documentation. Some possible resources were briefly discussed.
Upcoming Membership Meetings: The following is the membership meeting and presentation schedule for the remainder of the 2003-2004 year. All meetings will be held on Fridays, from 8:45 am – 12:15 pm, approximately.
Date: February 6, 2004
Presenter/Presentation: Amy Norton, Assistive Technology
Location: University of Hartford

NOTE: Pam Starr invites members to forward questions and/or specific interest areas you may have about Assistive Technology to her at starrp@easternct.edu. She will share them with the presenter in an effort to have all of your concerns addressed at the presentation.

Date: April 2, 2004
Presenter/Presentation: Steve Robillard, Official Unveiling of the CT AHEAD Website
Location: University of Hartford
Additional Items: There will be a Taste of College workshop at Southern Connecticut State University on April 30, 2004. Students may attend in the morning, while agency personnel and disability service providers are invited to attend the afternoon session, which will be held from 1–3 pm.

Donna Korbel, the Disability Concerns Knowledge Community Chair of the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA) Region I, invited CT AHEAD members to consider co-sponsoring a workshop/conference with NASPA in the Spring 2004, possibly in April. Several topics of interest were mentioned including Asperger’s Syndrome, Technical Standards, Documentation, Transition Planning, and Psychiatric Disabilities. The Steering Committee agreed to discuss it further.

Karen Halliday reminded members that secondary schools are not obligated by law to provide testing/documentation on a student’s impairment unless the parent requests it. She believes that testing/documentation should be part of the transition plan for a student in special education, and she is committed to voicing her opinion and standing firm on this issue. She urges members to advise parents and secondary students of their rights to testing/documentation, as they prepare their students for college.

Presentation: Transition Programs in Age-Appropriate Environments

Karen Halliday, an Education Consultant with the Department of Education, Bureau of Special Education, was today’s primary presenter. One of her main responsibilities is to serve as state consultant to transition services for students with disabilities. In this role, she is responsible for providing training and technical assistance to school/agency personnel and families regarding state and federal requirements for transition planning, best practices in transition planning, and services and supports available when students exit special education.

Today's presentation covered the background and history of Age-Appropriate Programs in Connecticut, including the process of how they got started in Connecticut, and the future of program development in the state. Several panel members from four participating colleges took part in the discussion. Carol Young will provide presentation handouts and notes upon request.

Important reminders to all members:

Steering committee meetings are held immediately after each membership meeting. The executive board invites all interested members to stay and participate in discussions around the focus and direction of the Association.
Carol Young is compiling a current list of member’s e-mail addresses. Please be sure to notify her if you are having difficulty receiving emails or if your email address has changed. Forward concerns or changes to Carol at youngc@ccsu.edu.

In attendance: Lauri DiGalbo, Susan Duques, Lynne Golden, Karen Halliday, John Jarvis, Donna Korbel, Jennifer Lucia, Christine Morello, Kathleen Moran Doskos, Laurie Novi, David Parker, Teresa Russo DeMars, David Ryan-Soderlund, Pamela Starr, Carol Young

Steering Committee Notes

Regarding the CT AHEAD Website, Carol Young agreed to speak with Steve Robillard about an expansion of the site to include a link for members to join the listserv, a membership form, meeting minutes, and a narrative history of the Association. John Jarvis agreed to speak with a long-time member for the history summary.
Regarding the Interagency Agreement, John Jarvis agreed to pursue CSU Commissioner Cibes for an update on the document’s status within the CSU System.
Regarding the opportunity to co-sponsor a conference/workshop with NASPA in Spring 2004, the Steering Committee agreed that a timely topic is effective techniques when dealing with disruptive students across the campus. It might be a presentation panel of experts on Aspergers, Psychiatric Illness, etc. and a possible title might be “Disability Related Disruptive Student Behavior.” Pam Starr agreed to contact Donna Korbel to initiate further discussion.

In attendance: John Jarvis, Laurie Novi, David Ryan-Soderlund, Pamela Starr, Carol Young