TACCLD Conference - Columbus, OH

[Guest guest]

Dear Friend of ASO:

Information on the upcoming Transition and Communication Consortium on Learning Disabilities Conference to be held March 2, 2007 at Blackwell Executive Hotel and Conference Center on the campus of The Ohio State University in Columbus, OH. Details follow my signature. FYI - please share.

Sincerely,

Barbara C. YavorcikPresidentAutism Society of Ohio701 S. Main St.Akron, OH 44311(330) 376-0211fax: (330) 376-1226email: askASO@...home: byavorcik@...web: www.autismohio.org Please note: This is provided for information purposes only. The ASO does not endorse or recommend any providers, methodologies or services. Providing this information should not be construed as an endorsement by the ASO, either explicit or impiled.

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20th Annual TACCLD Conference Celebrates 20 Years of Academic Success For Students with Learning Disabilities

When The Transition and Communication Consortium on Learning Disabilities (TACCLD) was founded 20 years ago, many students with learning disabilities were not prepared for college. Many were discouraged from attending college altogether. High school and postsecondary personnel were not fully prepared to provide for these students’ transition to and enrollment in postsecondary colleges and universities.

So much has changed in the past 20 years. Special educators are now instrumental in helping students to develop a transition plan to college. Most colleges now have personnel to serve these students once they enroll in college. The result is that students with learning disabilities are entering institutions of higher education—and graduating—at greater numbers than ever before. However, many students, parents, special educators, school guidance counselors, school psychologists, and other service providers are still unclear as to what students will need upon entering college. Many college and university disability services providers are frustrated when they receive very little quantitative data from high schools. Furthermore, some students find the accommodations and services they receive in college to be very different from what they received in high school. Further knowledge and communication is needed within and between the groups.

TACCLD seeks to improve communication between these groups and to facilitate the transition of high school students with learning disabilities to the postsecondary and vocational experience. TACCLD is a statewide organization that serves as a clearinghouse of information for students with learning disabilities as they transition from high school to college. As part of its mission, TACCLD also supports graduating high school seniors with learning disabilities by offering them scholarships. Patty Carlton, former director of The Ohio State University Office for Disability Services, and one of the founders of TACCLD, sums it up when she states, “TACCLD has made a differenceâ€.

The 20th annual TACCLD conference will celebrate the strides made in the last 20 years to help make successful college graduation a reality for students with learning disabilities in Ohio. The conference will be held on Friday, March 2, 2007 at Blackwell Executive Hotel and Conference Center on the campus of The Ohio State University in Columbus, OH. The conference begins at 8:00 AM with a continental breakfast reception followed by a keynote address by Cobey-Piper, a successful marketing, sales, training, and coaching professional.

will share her personal and professional experiences to help TACCLD participants learn ways of listening and observation, as tools to help students move towards their dreams and goals. Drawing from her own experience as a person with a learning disability, will offer practical coaching strategies that professionals can integrate into their work with students.

In addition to the keynote address, concurrent sessions will be held throughout the day on Thursday with a strand specifically for postsecondary service providers. Conference topics will include:

A session on adaptive technology software to assist students with learning disabilities

A session on writing strategies for students with learning disabilities

A session on documentation issues for professionals who work with students with disabilities

A session discussing the recent changes to IDEA

A panel of successful professionals with learning disabilities

The conference is intended for a variety of participants: postsecondary support services staff, special education teachers and consultants, regular education teachers, guidance counselors, high school college center staff, private consultants, school psychologists, parent mentors, parents, and students with learning disabilities.

The fee for the conference is $90, which includes a continental breakfast and lunch. The deadline for registration is February 1, 2007. For more information and registration materials, please go to www.taccld.org. Questions can also be e-mailed to taccld@....