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Description: Download the Importance of Reviewing Your Childs School Records Factsheet - Did you know that regularly reviewing your child’s school records is one of the most powerful steps you can take as a parent? These records—like evaluations, IEPs, progress updates, and behavior reports—tell the story of your child’s education. They help you stay informed, advocate effectively, and make sure your child is getting the services and support they’re entitled to. Mistakes happen,...
Date(s):
9/6/2025 8:00 AM ET - 9/6/2025 2:15 PM ET
Description: Registration is NOW OPEN for first-time attendees. Register for the 2025 PEATC Parent and Youth Empowerment Summit on September 6th from 8:00am-2:15pm - PEATC is pleased to announce the 2025 Parent and Youth Empowerment (PYE) Summit on Saturday, September 6, 2025, for Virginia high school students (ages 14-22) receiving special education IEP services and their parents! Accepted Summit participants will attend both large group and separate parent/youth breakout...
Date(s):
8/20/2025 6:30 PM ET, 9/3/2025 6:30 PM ET, 9/17/2025 6:30 PM ET, 10/1/2025 6:30 PM ET, 10/15/2025 6:30 PM ET
Description: Register for the Special Education Workshop Series: FALL into Knowledge 2025 - Are you looking to better understand the special education process and how to support your child’s success in school? Don't miss this five-session webinar series designed for Virginia families who want practical, easy-to-understand guidance on navigating special education services!Turn over a new leaf in understanding special education. Whether you’re brand new to special education or need a...
Description: Let’s Hear from the Expert—Your Child!Students with disabilities have unique strengths, preferences, and goals, and they deserve a voice in their IEPs. When students share what they’re good at, what they need help with, and what they want for their future, their IEPs become more meaningful and focused. Download PEATC’s easy-to-use Student IEP Input Form and help your child become an active part of their IEP team today!"Let’s build...
Date(s):
8/6/2025 - 8/27/2025 3:37 PM ET
Description: Register for Building Strong Parent Advocates: August 6th - August 27th, 2025 - PEATC, in collaboration with the Virginia Department of Education, invites families to join us for our online training course, Building Strong Parent Advocates. Families of children receiving special education services find themselves in a world filled with complicated policies, confusing acronyms and terms, and piles of paperwork. Often families find themselves looking for information and background...
Date(s):
8/27/2025 11:00 AM ET - 8/27/2025 12:30 PM ET
Description: Register for the How to Talk so Schools Will Listen *and Listen so Schools Will Talk) on August 27th - How can we improve partnerships between parents of special education students and the educators who work with them? This workshop will help participants discover communication techniques, learn how to recognize and prevent barriers to communication, and build agreements around difficult problems. Presented by PEATC in partnership with Naval Weapons Station Yorktown FFSC EFMPThis webinar will be...
Description: Help Improve Special Education in Virginia—Your Voice Matters! The Virginia Department of Education’s Special Education Parent Involvement Survey for the 2024–2025 school year is now open. If you’re the parent or guardian of a school-aged child with a disability receiving special education services in Virginia, this is your chance to share your experience and help shape improvements across the state.The survey is open through December 12, 2025, and you...
Description: Check out PEATC's new resource to learn more: PEATC’s Special Factors in the IEP Guide - When your child’s IEP is being created or updated, the IEP team must think about certain important areas that could affect your child’s learning and school experience. These are called Special Factors, and they help make sure your child gets the right support to succeed in school. The team must consider behavior that makes it hard for your child or others to learn, your...
Description: Check out PEATC's SAT Accommodations for Students with Disabilities Factsheet - If your child has a documented disability and plans to take the SAT, they may qualify for testing accommodations like extra time, breaks, or assistive technology. These supports help ensure that students with disabilities have equal access to college admissions tests. The process can take up to 7 weeks, so it’s important to start early.PEATC’s new fact sheet breaks down who qualifies, how...
Date(s):
6/8/2025 - 6/29/2025, 9/20/2025 8:00 AM ET - 9/20/2025 11:30 AM ET
Description: Register for Self-Paced Online VA SEAC Training: June 8th-June 29th PEATC in partnership with the Virginia Department of Education is pleased to offer SEAC trainings aimed at helping SEAC members understand the role of the local Special Education Advisory Committee in Virginia and to build a more efficient and effective advisory committee. This training will include information on: SEAC in Virginia SPED Regulations SEAC Roles and Responsibilities Building Your Local SEAC Organization Tips for...
Description: The Virginia Assistive Technology, Tools, and Strategies (VATTS) Resources will guide the IEP team through the consideration and documentation process. These resources replace the previous versions of the AT Consideration and Resource Guide. VATTS: Consideration and Assessment Guidance Document (PDF) - Guidance for school divisions in the consideration and assessment of AT, including planning and implementing those services for students with disabilities. VATTS: Consideration...
Description: Assistive Technology and Your Child’s IEP Check out the PEATC Assistive Technology and Your Child's IEP Factsheet - this factsheet helps families learn what AT is, when it should be discussed, and what schools are required to provide. From pencil grips to communication devices and apps, AT can make a big difference in your child’s success. Read more in our factsheet so you can discuss it at your next IEP meeting!
Date(s):
7/21/2025 8:00 AM ET - 7/21/2025 4:00 PM ET, 7/22/2025 8:00 AM ET - 7/22/2025 4:00 PM ET, 7/23/2025 8:00 AM ET - 7/23/2025 12:00 PM ET
Description: Register for the Parents as Collaborative Leaders Training (PACL) - If you live in Virginia, have a child currently enrolled in Virginia’s public school system with an active IEP, and have been involved in the special education process for at least 3 years -OR- if you’re a graduate of PEATC’s Parent Institute, you’re eligible to apply for our Parents as Collaborative Leaders (PACL) training!PACL offers a deeper dive into the IEP process and helps you...
Date(s):
6/2/2025 - 8/4/2025
Description: Registration for Summer 2025- Transition University - Life is full of transitions. For families of children with disabilities thinking about the future can bring mixed emotions. Some families are just trying to make it through day-to-day challenges and might not feel they have the energy to think about what happens after high school. Others may want to plan for that transition but are confused by unfamiliar language, complex steps, and the many agencies that may be involved in adult...
Date(s):
8/9/2025
Description: PEATC, in collaboration with the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE), presents the 2025 Family Engagement Summit! Hosted at 2 IN-PERSON locations!!This year's theme: “The Power of Partnerships: Unlocking Student Potential Through Connection and Systems of Support”The Family Engagement Summit is an interactive event that fosters meaningful collaboration among Virginia educators, families, and community partners. Research shows that family engagement is...
Description: Check out PEATC's Glossary of Special Education Acronyms and Terms.
Description: Employment is an important part of our identities. Individuals with disabilities, even the most significant disabilities, can work if they receive the appropriate supports. Sometimes, parents are fearful that if their child works, they will lose their Social Security or Medicaid Benefits. Work incentives can help your child earn a paycheck and keep their benefits. Check out PEATC's new resource: Work and Benefits – How Your Child Can Work and Keep Benefits to learn more...
Description: This is an opportunity for families to visit PEATC staff in-person! PEATC is working on bringing office hours to each and every region. For current hours and locations visit the Regional Community Office Hours page. Current Regional Community Office Hours include: Abingdon (Washington County) Damascus (Washington County) Dinwiddie Hopewell Norfolk Prince George Roanoke Tappahannock (Essex County) If your city is not listed, subscribe to our newsletter here to be...
Description: Every child grows and learns at their own pace, but developmental milestones provide a helpful guide to what most children (75%) can do by a certain age. As a parent or caregiver, you know your child best! If you have concerns about their development, talking to your child’s doctor about a developmental screening is a great first step.PEATC has created two valuable resource documents to help families understand and track early childhood development: Your Child's Development Milestones:...
Description: The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (DEA) provides for a free appropriate public education (FAPE) for eligible students with disabilities. Special education and related services are provided under an Individualized Education Program (IEP) that is based on each student’s unique needs. Some students with disabilities may require services beyond the normal school year, during the summer or other school breaks in order to receive a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE). These...
Date(s):
7/29/2025 9:00 AM ET - 7/29/2025 1:00 PM ET, 7/30/2025 9:00 AM ET - 7/30/2025 1:00 PM ET
Description: Save the date for the 19th Annual Opening Doors-Unlocking Potential: Creative Partnerships to Elevate Success on July 29-30, 2025. This two-day, virtual, statewide professional development event will continue its strong focus on effective strategies to positively impact academic outcomes for students who are deaf, hard of hearing, and deafblind from birth to age 21.We will be using the Whova platform for this event, which will provide an interactive experience for attendees, including...
Description: PEATC is Virginia’s federally mandated Parent Training and Information Center (PTI). PEATC has staff in your region of the state, ready to provide free and confidential assistance to Virginia’s families of students receiving special education services. Read the Special Education Family Support Centers one-pager to learn more. Additional languages: Amharic Arabic Spanish Urdu Vietnamese
Description: Apps Developed by ATware Solutions, LLC - This app development team is in the process of launching several new apps for people with disabilities, service providers and professionals working in the field of special education.
Description: The I'm Determined Project provides 12 Self-Determination Checklists on various topics for educators and families. The checklists include: Self-Determination Educator Checklist Self-Determination Elementary Educator Checklist Self-Determination Elementary Parent Checklist Self-Determination Elementary Student Checklist Self-Determination Parent Checklist Self-Determination Student Checklist Self-Determination Elementary Parent Checklist - Spanish Exit Survey Parent Exit Survey Student Exit...
Description: Transiton POINTS: Across the entire lifespan - Families need realistic, actionable information with which they can make a wide range of decisions as their child grows up. The Arc of Northern Virginia’s Transition POINTS program (Providing Opportunities, Information, Networking and Transition Support) provides critical information on six key decision points in the lifetime of an individual with an intellectual disability. Six Transition Guides are provided: Early Intervention Special...
Description: The Assistive Technology & Accessible Educational Materials (AT&AEM) Center is committed to ensuring access for all people with disabilities. The center promotes accessibility and personalization, creates and disseminates accessible materials and offers specialized training and technical assistance.
Description: Self Directed IEPs - A Parent Factsheet and Self-Directed IEPs - Your child's IEP (Individualized Education Program) is more than a plan for their education—it’s a roadmap to their future. Encouraging them to take a self-directed approach to their IEP can help them develop critical self-advocacy skills, build confidence, and ensure their voice is heard in planning for their goals after high school. PEATC offers a variety of resources to help families and youth navigate...
Description: Your Life Your Voice provides ways for pre-teens, teens, and young adults to get help via call, text and email. Their trained counselors are able to offer advice for real life situations and they can be reached 24/7 via phone at (800) 448-3000 or by texting VOICE to 20121. They also provide tips and tools on their website for a number of issues such as coping skills, transitioning to adulthood, anxiety, abuse, identity, depression and more. It includes information on a Your Life Your Voice...
Description: This resource includes Free VESOL Literacy Instruction Materials: Reading Comprehension Files Core, Fringe and Robust AAC Vocabulary Alternatives Pencils/Manual Boards with Alphabet Math Social Emotional Learning, Social Stories & Visual Supports Cooking Files Art and Music Files Talker Power Files
Description: Adaptive Toys for Children with Disabilities and General Toy Safety Inclusive Gifts for Kids with Disabilities and Their Families What Are Switch-Adapted and Switch-Activated Toys and Games?
Description: Creating an Autism-Friendly Holiday: Strategies for a Joyful Season - The holiday season can be overwhelming for many. Disrupted routines, travel, increased social gatherings and expectations, can contribute to stress and dysregulation. This article shares ideas on how to reduce stressors to contribute to a more joyful season for the entire family.
Description: This Microlearning Training provides small bites of learning on hot topics focused around foundational knowledge and easy-to-implement skills and strategies. Microlearning is always available and take just 10-15 minutes to review. This Microlearning series includes: Social-Emotional Learning Early Childhood Toolkit Classroom Essentials: Schedules Strategies to Support Autistic Learners Strategies to Support Everyday Transitions Foundational Five for Families
Description: Using Functional Behavioral Assessments to Create Supportive Learning Environments - What is a Functional Behavioral Assessment (FBA)? What are the Common Characteristics of an FBA and Behavioral Support or Intervention Plans (BSP/BIPs)? How Can an FBA Be Used to Inform Instructional Strategies? What Guiding Principles Support the Effective Development and Implementation of FBAs and BSP/BIPs? How Can FBA's Support Students with Disabilities? And more...
Description: Decision Tree: How to Assist and Support Students through Interventions - When a parent, teacher, another person, or a school-based team thinks a student has a health condition, learning difficulty, or other challenges that are affecting the student’s ability to learn, the school should take a proactive approach to determine the type of support and/or services that will help meet the student’s needs. This could be a range of informal and/or formal services provided by one or more of...
Description: Video- Play in Early Childhood: The Role of Play in Any Setting - When children play, they can reduce sources of stress, strengthen core life skills, and build responsive relationships with caring adults—all of which are core principles of early childhood development. This video highlights the importance of play.
Description: Text and Online Acronyms Parents Need to Know - When it comes to texting, parents and children don’t speak the same language. Texting often includes acronyms. An acronym is an abbreviation, that consists of the initial letters of the other words and is pronounced as a single word. When you look at your child’s text messages or online chats, you likely won’t understand these acronyms. But they are popular on the internet and found mostly on social media platforms because they...
Description: The Brain Architects Podcast: Building Resilience Through Play - These days, resilience is needed more than ever, and one simple, underrecognized way of supporting healthy and resilient child development is as old as humanity itself: play. Far from frivolous, play contributes to sturdy brain architecture, the foundations of lifelong health, and the building blocks of resilience, yet its importance is often overlooked. In this podcast, Dr. Jack Shonkoff explains the role of play in supporting...
Description: Brain-Building Through Play: Activities for Infants, Toddlers, and Children - From infancy on, play is an important part of a child’s life. This handout series, developed with support from the LEGO Foundation, provides suggestions games and play-based activities based on a child’s age. The activities for younger children are designed for adults to engage in with children. Activities for later ages allow the adults to step back, enabling children’s independence to blossom...
Description: Virginia's students, families, and educators have long deserved a system that prioritizes high expectations for every child and provides clarity on how each school is preparing students for success. Virginia’s new accountability system, the School Performance and Support Framework, builds trust among schools, parents, and communities through transparent, easy-to-understand reporting on a school’s performance. The Framework shows how students are mastering grade level content,...
Description: College Options for Students with Disabilities - College programs for students with disabilities are as unique as the students they support. Programs differ by awarded credentials, admission requirements, costs, and the levels or types of support, just to name a few. There are many different options for students with disabilities to access college. The three main categories of college options for students with disabilities are college accommodations, supported education programs, and Inclusive...
Description: Counseling on Educational and Training Options is one of the five pre-employment transition services (pre-ETS) categories. Providing students with counseling on educational and training options after high school opens multiple pathways for future career and financial stability and success. Students should receive guidance on the full variety of options available to them, such as college, vocational programs, and apprenticeships. Providing students with education and training guidance helps...
Description: What are the Diffferent Kinds of Learning Disorders? This article talks discusses: What kinds of learning disorders can kids be diagnosed with? and What are some common signs of learning disorders? Early Signs of Learning Challenges - This article answers the following questions: What are the earliest signs that a child might have learning challenges?, How old do kids have to be to be diagnosed with a learning disability? and What can parents do to help?
Description: Tips for Recognizing Learning Disorders in the Classroom - This article discusses: Why is it hard to spot some learning disorders?, How do learning disorders afect kids in school? and What signs should teachers look for? How to Help Kids Talk About Learning Disabilities - This article answers the questions: Why is it important for kids to talk about learning disabilities?, Why is it hard for kids to talk about learning differently? and How can parents help kids speak up?
Description: College Readiness for Neurodivergent Students shares the results from the 2024 survey of 50 leaders of U.S. college austism and neurodiversity support programs. There is a Summary of College Readiness Survey that is downloadable for free and an e-Book that costs $17.99.
Description: Classroom accommodations for dyscalculia - Dyscalculia can make it hard to understand math concepts or do tasks that involve math. Explore this list of accommodations that can help. Download and print the list to use at school — and even at home. Introducing new concepts and lessons Giving instructions Completing assignments Completing tests More resources
Description: Dyscalculia is a learning disability in math. People with have trouble with math at many levels. They often struggle with key concepts like bigger vs. smaller. And they can have a hard time doing basic math problems and more abstract math. Snapshot: What dyscalculia is Dyscalculia signs and symptoms Possible causes of dyscalculia How dyscalculia is diagnosed
Description: Engaging Families for Math Success - Asking children simple questions about the world around them can reinforce math skills and help them apply their math knowledge in new ways. Young children who have lots of opportunities to develop and apply their mathematical knowledge are more likely to achieve in school and in life. Helping families understand the importance of math and of supporting their children's math learning outside the classroom is one way to set children up for success.
Description: People with disabilities often encounter challenges when seeking out effective and accessible mental health care, whether it’s in-person or virtual communication barriers making it difficult to interact with a mental health professional or the lack of reliable transportation for a person with a mobility-related disability. Warning Signs and Symptoms - Trying to tell the difference between what expected behaviors are and what might be the signs of a mental...
Description: The Virginia Department of Education has launched a new online tool, the VQB5 Portal, to help families learn about early childhood programs across the state. With information on over 3,000 publicly funded early childhood sites, the portal makes it easy to check the quality, curriculum, and safety of programs for children from birth to age five. Families can search by location and review important details to choose the best option for their children. This tool is designed to help families make...
Description: Growth mindset printables for STEM - A growth mindset is a way of viewing challenges and setbacks. People who have a growth mindset believe that with hard work, their skills can improve over time. Having a growth mindset is important for students. It helps them face challenges and learn from mistakes. It’s essential for students who learn and think differently to have opportunities to practice a growth mindset. And is the perfect place to practice this. This includes printable resources:...