Our staff will be at the 2023 Family Café! We are hosting a public forum along with many presentations. View the our presentations list for more information.
News Room
Disability Rights Florida Sessions at The 2023 Family Café
Wednesday, May 24, 2023
DRF Sessions Happening Friday, June 9
Going to A Due Process Hearing Without an Attorney
Time: 1:30 PM - 2:30 PM
Location: Bayhill 27
Presenter: Kevin Golembiewski
About: Parents have a right to request a due process hearing when they believe that their child has been denied a free and appropriate public education (FAPE). At a due process hearing, the parent and school district present evidence to an Administrative Law Judge, who determines whether the child was indeed denied FAPE. Parents are permitted to litigate a due process hearing without an attorney. This presentation will offer guidance to parents on how to do so. The presentation will discuss the deadlines that parents must meet, the procedures that govern due process hearings, and strategies for effective advocacy.
How to Get Better Outcomes For Your Child – Transition Planning Starts Early!
Time: 1:30 PM - 2:30 PM
Location: Bayhill 28
Presenter: April Katine
About: Do you want your child to be self-sufficient and successful in their desired post-school education and employment outcomes? Is your school putting your child through a one-size-fits-all transition program? By law, transition starts in Florida at age 12. It is never too early to learn how to get what you need for your child in the area of transition. Join us to learn information that will help you advocate for a more individualized, results-oriented transition planning process. Your child becoming a successful adult can begin in preschool!
Disability Rights Florida Public Input Forum
Time: 3 PM - 4:30 PM
Location: Barrel Springs Room 1 & 2 on the Lobby Level
About: Disability Rights Florida wants your input about what issues matter most to the disability community. Each year, Disability Rights Florida reviews its goals and priorities for our legal and advocacy work. We believe these decisions should be based directly on the experiences of individuals with disabilities and their families. Join some of the DRF staff, Board of Directors, and PAIMI Advisory Council—our mental health advisory council—and share issues across all disabilities including physical, intellectual, psychiatric, developmental, neurological, mental health, and others. Topics that you tell us to focus on may include community integration, housing, accessible emergency planning, education, abuse and neglect, accessible mental health services, and more. If you join us, enter to win a $50 gift card, and tell us how we can better advocate for your rights!
Understanding Florida’s Mental Health System
Time: 4:30 PM - 5:30 PM
Location: Bayhill 19
Presenters: Curtis Filaroski & Aaron Victoria
About: Florida’s mental health system is made up of many different agencies, places, and providers. This can make it hard to understand what kinds of services are available for you and your family. It can also make it confusing to know who to contact when you have questions or concerns about service provision. This presentation will provide an overview of what state agencies are part of Florida’s mental health system, where you and your family may receive services, and who to contact when you need help. Engaging activities and the chance to ask questions will leave participants better equipped to navigate Florida’s mental health system.
Is There a Right Way to Teach Reading? Improving Reading Proficiency for Students with Disabilities
Time: 4:30 PM - 5:30 PM
Location Bayhill 27
Presenter: Wendy West
About: This presentation will focus on the science of reading, what skills are involved in becoming an effective reader, the cognitive developmental processes involved in learning to read, determining instructional methodologies, specially designed reading instruction, and developing progress monitoring plans to make sure what we are doing is working.
DRF Sessions Happening Saturday, June 10
Guardianship and Guardianship Alternatives – A Discussion about Supported Decision Making
Time: 9:30 AM - 10:30 AM
Location: Bayhill 27
Presenter: Z. Felicia Jordan
About: This session will explore empowering individuals in making an informed choice about the decision process regarding life choices. Topics will include self-determination, the supported decision-making process, and requirements for the guardianship and guardianship advocate process. The main goal of our presentation is to equip the attendees with basic knowledge of the rights of the adult who may require assistance in making decisions in his/her life.
Compensatory Education: What Is It and Do I Need It?
Time: 9:30 AM - 10:30 AM
Location: Bayhill 28
Presenter: Karem Castane-Blanco
About: Learn what compensatory education is and different ways in which it may be provided and calculated. We will discuss when and why your child may be entitled to compensatory education and have a brief overview of some related services that may be provided as compensatory education. We will explore examples and hypotheticals of cases when compensatory education has been requested and their outcomes.
Accessing Services Through the Medicaid iBudget Waiver
Time: 11 AM - 12 PM
Location: Bayhill 27
Presenter: Patrick Heidemann
About: This session provides practical tips and advice for individuals with Autism applying to the Medicaid iBudget Waiver. Topics to be covered include Medicaid iBudget Waiver eligibility guidelines for individuals diagnosed with Autism, the iBudget Waiver application process, and the significant additional needs (SAN) process, including explanation of Rule 65G-4.0218, which governs the SAN process. Additionally, the session will include information regarding behavior analysis services, both prior to age twenty-one and after age twenty-one, along with tips for getting behavior analysis services approved. Join us for helpful information in navigating the Medicaid iBudget Waiver process.
To Be or Not To Be a Manifestation, That is the Question
Time: 11 AM - 12 PM
Location: Bayhill 28
Presenters: Nately Alvarez & Ann Siegel
About: A Manifestation Determination Review (MDR) is required when a public-school student with a disability, covered under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act or Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, is considered for a significant change of placement due to suspension/expulsion. We will focus on how to prepare for a manifestation determination, what constitutes a significant change of placement, what the legal requirements are, and rights of the individual student with (or suspected of having) a disability. This presentation will outline and highlight steps you can take to acquire behavioral supports for your child, such as Functional Behavioral Assessments and Positive Behavioral Intervention Plans. In addition, this presentation will include scenarios and strategies, relevant case law, and regulations and state and federal laws that govern the process and provide procedural safeguards/due process for student with disabilities to afford them access to a free appropriate public education.
Access the Vote Florida (ATVFL): Voting in Florida
Time: 11 AM - 12 PM
Location: Bayhill 31
Presenters: Olivia Babis, Deborah Dietz, and Sarah Goldman
About: Access The Vote Florida (ATVFL) is the Florida chapter of AAPD’s REVUP Campaign. REV UP stands for: Register! Educate! Vote! Use your Power! The chapter is a coalition of organizations and self-advocates that are working to raise awareness about issues that impact persons with disabilities, encourage people with disabilities to participate in the voting process, and educate elected officials on issues important to persons with disabilities. The presentation will be a panel discussion on how to vote using an accessible machine, poll accommodations, what an elected official actually does in office, and how to run for office as a person with a disability.
Planeando el futuro de su hijo: Estrategias Claves para Colaborar de manera efectivaen el equipo de IEP
Hora: 3 PM - 4 PM
Ubicación: Bayhill 27
Presentadora: Daysi Ortiz
Esta presentación le brindará información y estrategias para ayudarlo a abogar y participar significativamente en la reunión del IEP de su hijo(a). Definiremos qué es la colaboración y por qué es fundamental; explicaremos los elementos del Plan Educacional Individualizado (IEP), que envuelve ser un defensor; y discutiremos cómo navegar la cadena de mando dentro del distrito escolar, desde el maestro(a) de su hijo(a) hasta el director(a) de ESE del distrito. Además, brindaremos consejos sobre cómo practicar el poder de la comunicación persuasiva al expresar desacuerdos y sobre la importancia de estar preparados antes de las reuniones e interacciones con el personal del Distrito.
Transition Guide for Youth ages 16 through 25
Time: 3 PM - 5:30 PM
Location: Celebration 2
Presenters: Pam Ford & Ann Siegel
About: Disability Rights Florida will present an overview of their updated and popular Transition Guide. The guide is a handbook of services and information to assist youth with disabilities in their transition from youth to adulthood. Session participants will also receive a copy of the Transition Guide and instructions on how to access the guide through Disability Rights Florida’s website.
The ABCs of OCR
Time: 4:30 PM - 5:30 PM
Location: Bayhill 27
Presenter: Lauren Eversole
About: What is OCR? What can OCR do for you? This presentation will introduce parents to the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) and provide basic information on how to navigate the OCR complaint process from beginning to end, including when to file a complaint, how to file a complaint, and what happens after.