“Special services and supports are no longer just for special education students,” noted Cecilia Absher, co-president of the Mamaroneck-Larchmont SEPTA (Special Education PTA). “And that’s why we’ve expanded our focus in SEPTA and why our speaker series appeals to many parents whose children are not classified to receive special education.”
“The world of education is evolving,” explained Ms. Absher, “with the introduction of Response to Intervention (RTI) and the recently adopted Academic Intervention Services plan (AIS), the lines are blurring between special and regular education. So SEPTA is evolving too.”
“SEPTA’s VPs of Programs, Patty Wolff and Lisa Marr, have put an exceptional slate of experts together to address topics SEPTA members view as very important,” said Ms. Absher. These include: dyslexia (a common reading difficulty), social skills and success, overcoming organizational challenges, AD/HD and stress in children’s lives. Fellow co-president, Amy Lieberman, observed that ”SEPTA is reaching out to a wide variety of parents and sponsoring informational and informal networking programs we believe are relevant to a broad spectrum of parents – these topics are big themes in our schools and community.” (See: School District Presents New Plan for Struggling Students.)
The first speaker program, on Wednesday, October 21, will feature Danielle Mowery of the International Dyslexia Association. She will discuss what dyslexia is, how dyslexia can be identified and what can be done to remediate this common reading disorder.
Details and dates for future speakers are listed below.
SEPTA Reaches Beyond Special Ed and Beyond the District’s Schools
SEPTA’s mission is to help children with learning differences or special needs succeed and to be a resource for parents and educators. In addition to providing information, SEPTA members serve on district committees and advocate for programs and policies for children with learning differences.
The organization is now reaching out to parents whose children are not classified as special education students but who do require extra help, such as support in reading, speech, occupational therapy or counseling. Parents whose children are not receiving any services but have learning or social differences are also welcome to join SEPTA.
“We hope everyone thinks of SEPTA as a sister to each PTA in the district and as the one organization that reaches across all grades – pre-K through 12th grade – and all schools,” said Ms. Absher. “We offer a supportive network of experienced parents and educators committed to enhancing the educational and social experiences of children who benefit from individualized instruction.”
SEPTA also embraces local families whose children attend private schools. “There are children with differences from our community attending Windward School, Eagle Hill and other specialized schools as well as children at local private schools such as Sts. John & Paul and the Westchester Day School. We want all those families with children who have learning differences to know SEPTA,” said Ms. Absher.
Benefit Concert for SEPTA
On Thursday, November 12, singer Marion LoGuidice will hold a benefit concert at Watercolor Café in Larchmont at 7:00 pm. Ms. LoGuidice will perform her unique soulful songs and donate all ticket proceeds to Mamaroneck-Larchmont SEPTA For reservations, please call Watercolor at 834-2213. Tickets are $15.
Check out the SEPTA website for details on joining SEPTA and for extensive information on SEPTA programs and special education issues.
Upcoming SEPTA Programs & Meetings
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Wed, October 21 |
Demystifying Dyslexia – Diagnosis & Remediation (Speaker: Danielle Mowery, NY Branch of the International Dyslexia Association) |
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Thurs, October 29 |
Road to College – Location: MHS Library (Practical advice to help parents with the college process) |
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Tues, November 10 |
Networking Meeting – HMX and MHS parents (Meet other parents & discuss topics of interest) |
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Mon, December 7 |
AD/HD – Practical Guidance at Home & School (Speaker: Dr. Bernard Dreyer (NYU)) |
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Wed, February 10 |
Organizational Skills – Helping All Learners Develop Skills to Achieve Success (Speaker: Donna S. Goldberg) |
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Thurs, April 15 |
Stress in the Life of Your Child (Speaker: Dr. Caren Baruch Feldman) |
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Mon, May 24 |
Keys to Social Success for Kids with Learning Disabilities and Everyone Else (Speaker: Dr. Marcia Eckerd) |
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Note: All programs & meetings are free and open to all. They are held at 7:30 pm in the Hommocks School Library (except Road to College). If you have questions about programs, please contact Lisa Marr lmarrz6@aol.com or Patty Wolff wolffhome@optonline.net. |
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Way to go SEPTA “SEPTA Reaches Beyond Special Ed and Beyond the District’s Schools” – the objective of SEPTA is to take over ALL Education so that ALL Education becomes Special (we are all special in a certain way, aren’t we) – each and every student needs an array of non-traditional ed services to excel, and they need to be provided at great public expense. After all, it is the future of our kids, the most important treasure and the one who will get us out of the recession by spending more public money and taxing the rich.
Congratulations to SEPTA for putting together a wonderful slate of interesting topics/speakers for the upcoming year. I applaud the chosen subjects as they will certainly help broaden the understanding of teaching to individual differences, whether you are a teacher, coach, neighbor or parent. The topics are broad enough in appeal to assure a huge turnout among parents of classified and nonclassified children alike. My hope is the beginning of a more informed and caring community toward children that may not fit neatly into a box. Bravo SEPTA for mainstreaming special ed and helping to educate our community. I look forward to the series.