The Winchester, MA. Special Education Parents Advisory Council (PAC) advises the school committee and school department in the area of special education and facilitates communication within the community regarding special education. It also provides parents of students with special needs the opportunity to meet one another. PAC meetings are generally held the 3rd Wednesday of the month during the school year, at 7:30 at Town Hall. Meetings are open to the public, but only special ed. parents and students (ages 14 and up) may vote.

We maintain a list of parents willing to speak with others in town who have children newly diagnosed with special needs; questions about either specific disabilities or the special education process are welcome.

We hope you will find the following links helpful. However, neither the Winchester PAC, nor any of its members, takes responsibility for any information found on them.
 

Some of the major changes proposed in the Chapter 766 regulations include:

• Increased class size for early childhood and substantially separate special education classrooms
• Discretion for administrators to establish separate special education classrooms with unlimited age ranges
• Eliminate Parent Advisory Councils (PAC) requirement
• Proposed changes to significantly tighten eligibility, raising serious concerns that the proposed eligibility requirements would deny services to children with disabilities
• Substantially weaken parent rights to independent evaluations, by moving to the federal requirements without the sliding fee scale option (If parents request an independent evaluation the school can either pay for the testing or initiate a hearing to show that the school testing is appropriate)
• Extend timelines in a manner which could result in undue delays (a child could wait more than ½ a school year before receiving services)
• Elimination of the prototype system, and other changes that could result in increased segregation of students with special needs
• Eliminates any reference to “maximum possible development”
• Proposes major reductions in transportation and discipline rights

Major changes to Chapter 766 are now being proposed at two different levels:

1. changes to the Chapter 766 regulations, at the State Board of Education, and
2. changes to the Chapter 766 law, at the State House.

FINAL IDEA  REGULATIONS UPDATE
The link to the “Regs Page” is

Autism - UNC "TEACCH" program
Autism resources

Canine Companions for Independence

CHADD - Children & Adults with ADHD Disorder

Massachusetts Down Syndrome Congress

Deaf World Web

Non Verbal Learning Disorder
 

LD Online: Learning Disabilities Resources
National Center for Learning Disabilities
Learning Disability Association
Landmark School - LD links,seminars, publications

Dimensions (material for teaching speech)

National Center to Improve Practice of Special Education through technology
Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST)
California State University Center on Disabilities - Technology  links  (exhibitor list)
Barrier Free Education

Americans with Disabilities Document Center
National Parent Network on Disabilities
National Information Center for Children & Youths with Disabilities
Other Disabilities Resources - Syracuse University
Best Practices with Disabilities

Special Education Schools

Massachusetts' PAC
Federation for Children with Special Needs

Special Education Advocate - online newsletter, reviews of court cases

Massachusetts Department of Education
U.S.Department of Education

19th IDEA Report

Bibliography of children's books featuring characters with disabilities

Preschool through Elementary  One set of these books is available for circulation in each elementary school.

Adler, David A. A picture book of Louis Braille. Holiday House, 1997. Children's biography of Braille.

Berenstains, The. The Berenstain Bears and the Wheelchair Commando. Random House, 1993. New student challenges bully to game of wheelchair basketball and makes a friend.

Bornstein, Harry and Karen L. Saulnier. Nursery rhymes from Mother Goose. Kendall Green Publications, 1992. Nursery rhymes in Signed English.

Bowen, Andy Russell. A world of knowing: a story about Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet.
Minneapolis: Carolrhoda Books, 1995. Children's biography of the pioneer of public deaf
education in America.

Carlson, Nancy. Arnie and the New Kid. Picture Puffins, 1990. Bully teases a kid who uses a wheelchair, until he breaks his leg and they become friends.

Carter, Alden R. Big brother Dustin. Albert Whitman & Co., 1997. Picture book about a child (with Down syndrome) becoming a big brother.

Caseley, Judith. Harry and Willy and Carrothead. Greenwillow Books, 199 1. Boy with artificial leg, one with red hair, and a teaser become friends.

Condra, Estelle and Linda Crockett-Blassingame. See the Ocean. Ideals Childrens Books, 1994. When fog rolls in, a blind girl wins the family competition to be the first to see the ocean on the way to the beach.

Fenner, Carol. Yolanda's Genius. Aladdin Paperbacks, 1997. Girl tries to help her brother, who doesn't talk much or read well, but plays the harmonica beautifully. A Newbury Honor book.

Fleming, Virginia. Be good to Eddie Lee. Philomel Books, 1993. Girl learns to value her neighbor when Eddie, who has Down syndrome, guards ducks from another boy who would torment them.

Hanson, Re ina. The face at the window. Clarion Books, 1997. With her parents' help, a  young girl in Jamaica gets over her fear of an elderly neighbor with mental illness.

Hines, Anna Grossnickle. Gramma's walk. Greenwillow Books, 1993. Boy and grandmother (who uses a wheelchair) go on imaginary walks.

Hoffinan, Alice. Fireflies. Disney Press, 1997. A boy is ridiculed for his clumsiness until he solves the mystery of the missing fireflies.

Kirk, Daniel. Breakfast at the Liberty Diner. Hyperion Books, 1997. A boy is breakfasting with his family when President Roosevelt, on a political stop, sees him and encourages him to think big, despite his leg brace.

Konigsburg, E.L. The View from Saturday. A teacher recovering from a disabling accident coaches an unusual academic bowl team. By the author of From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler.

Krishner, Trudy. Kathy's hats: a story of hope. Albert Whitman & Co., 1992. Girl thinks of all the hats she has worn and will wear, including the ones she wears now, when she has cancer.

Lee, Jeanne M. Silent Lotus. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 199 1. Deaf girl in Kampuchea earns fame and respect as a temple dancer.

Martin, Bill, Jr. and John Archambault. Knots on a counting rope. Henry Holt & Co., Inc. 1987. Blind Native American boy gains confidence with the help of his grandfather. A Reading Rainbow book.

Millman, Isaac. Moses goes to a concert. Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 1998. A boy and his friends go to a concert, where the percussionist, like them, is deaf.

Moon, Nicola. Lucy's picture. Picture Puffins, 1997. While the other children paint, a girl makes a collage so her grandfather, who is blind, can appreciate her art when he visits the school.

O'Shaughnessy, Ellen. Somebody called me a retard today ... and my heart felt sad. Walker and Co., 1992. Girl is saddened by teasing, even though she knows her own worth.

Okamoto, Jean Davies. A place for Grace. Sasquatch Books, 1993. A stray dog (who appears to have some learning disabilities of her own) finds success as a hearing assistance dog.

Polacco, Patricia. Thank you, Mr. Falker. Philomel Books, 1998. Girl is excited about learning to read, but find the letters and numbers in her book look all jumbled up.

Rabe, Berniece. Where's Chimpy? Albert Whitman & Co., 1988. Picture book about a girl with Down syndrome who looks for her toy at bedtime - and then helps Daddy find his glasses.

Smith, Mark. Pay attention, Slos . Albert Whitman & Co., 1997. Boy's life improves as he learns to cope with ADHD.

Testa, Maria. Thumbs up, Rico! Concept Books, 1994. In three short stories Rico, a boy with Down syndrome, makes friends and learns how to be a good brother.
 

Middle school  One set of these books is available among the middle             school buildings.

Butts, Nancy. Cheshire Moon. Front Street, 1996. Deaf girl's friend dies in a boating accident and she has to choose between living in the past and living in the real, but difficult, hearing world.

Dodds, Bill. My sister Annie. Caroline House, Boyds Mills Press, 1993. Boy entering middle school who wants to join a club, play baseball, and slow dance, has a sister with Down syndrome.

Dorris, Michael. Sees Behind Trees. Disney Press, 1997. 16th century Native American boy finds he doesn't need to see to earn an adult name - and that there is more to adulthood than rites of passage.

Janover, Caroline. Zipper: the kid with ADHD. Woodbine House, 1997. 11 year old struggles with life, but learns to cope with his disability and find real friends.

Mikaelsen, Ben. Stranded. Hyperion, 1995. Girl who has lost a foot struggles to prove her independence and rescue stranded whales.

Rubin, Susan Goldman. Emily Good as Gold. Browndeer Press, 1993. 13 year-old girl with developmental disabilities faces adolescence and learns she can make good social choices.

________ Emily in Love. Browndeer Press, 1997. In this sequel to Emily Good as Gold, Emily enters high school, the first time she has attended a regular school. Does she have the nerve to tell Hunt, the boy she likes, about her disability?

Shyer, Marlene Fanta. Welcome home, Jellybean. Aladdin, 1978. Boy's sister with developmental disabilities comes home from a residential placement.

Tashjian, Janet. Tru confessions. Henry Holt & Co., Inc., 1997. 12 year-old wants a career in television and to help her developmentally disabled twin brother. She wins a cable contest with her video of a day in his life, but learns real help for her brother is not that easy.

Werlin, Nancy. Are you alone on purpose? Houghton, Mifflin Co., 1994. Girl whose twin brother has autism and boy whose mother has died initially dislike each other, then find they have much in common.

Wilson, Nancy Hope. The reason for Janey. Atheneum, 1994. Developmentally disabled adult moves in with the family of a girl whose parents have recently divorced. The adult helps the gifted child learn that living with the truth is better than pretending.

Wood, June Rae. The man who loved clown. Hyperion, 1995. Girl likes her uncle with Down syndrome, but is ashamed of him.

 The Massachusetts  Dept. of Education Special Ed liason for Winchester is Robert Bozarjiann at 781-388-3300, Extension 418.