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COVID-19 and Special Education

Overview

These Exceptional Student Services Unit (ESSU) webpages are continuously expanding to support educators who serve, and families of Colorado children with disabilities through the provision of Special Education-specific information and resources during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

State & Federal Guidance 

This section organizes guidance provided by the U.S. Department of Education, State Of Colorado Agencies including the CDE Exceptional Student Services Unit. 

 

 

Learning Supports for Students With Disabilities

This section provides resources across a wide multitude of disability topics. 

Resources for Families of Students with Disabilities During COVID-19

This section provides access to resources for families and caregivers of children with disabilities, as they support their children during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Disability & Topic Specific Information

Autism Spectrum Disorder

Brain Injury & Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD)

Deaf and Hard of Hearing

Facility Schools Information

IEP Tele-Facilitation

Serious Emotional Disability, Social Emotional Learning, Mental Health & Behavior

Significant Support Needs

Speech & Language

Transition Age

Visual Impairment, Including Blindness

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                                       Virtual Office Hours

After the time of remote instruction, the Office of Special Education has been fielding many phone and email questions regarding how best to support the accessibility, behavior, learning, social-emotional, and transition needs of learners with disabilities.  In response to requests from the field, the following office hours have resumed: 

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

The ASD team has concluded the 2022-23 ASD Office Hour Sessions.  ASD Office Hours will resume in the fall; please check back for more information. 

BCBA Conversations

If you are a BCBA working in a public or facility school across the state of Colorado, you are invited to a monthly gathering of other BCBAs to collaborate, problem solve and share resources. We will gather from 4:00 - 5:00 PM, on the first Wednesday of each month, to discuss topics relevant to our work, host guest speakers and collaborate with others around the state doing the same work.

2023-2024 Dates

  • September 6, 2023
  • October 4, 2023
  • November 1, 2023
  • December 6, 2023
  • January 3, 2024
  • February 7, 2024
  • March 6, 2024
  • April 3, 2024
  • May 1, 2024

Blind/Visually Impaired (B/VI) - Sound Bites

Tanni Anthony will be providing Sound Bites for the 2023-2024 school year.  Sound Bites provides opportunities for personnel trained to work with learners with visual impairments, including blindness to gather once a month for professional learning and conversations on improving educational assessment and programmatic practices.

Some sessions will be restricted to teachers of students with visual impairments (TVIs).

  • September 13, 2023 - Update for Eligibility Criteria for Visual Impairment, Including Blindness
  • October 4 - Strategies/Resources-Nemeth/UEB for Math/Science
  • November 8 - Middle School Students with BVI Accessing Technology
  • December 13 - Topic to be Determined

  • January 24, 2024 Executive Functioning Needs for Students with BVI 
  • February 21 -College Prep Considerations for Students with BVI
  • March 13 Topic to be Determined
  • April 10 Topic to be Determined

Register for Sounds Bites

All participants must register no later than two weeks in advance for each training/conversation event.

Deaf and Hard of Hearing Listen, Learn, Ask, Answer (LLAA)

Shauna Moden and the Deaf, Hard of Hearing team will have Listen, Learn, Ask, Answer sessions two times a month. One session will be for "New D/HH Employees" and the other will geared for "Seasoned and New Employees"

Participants must register for each session individually.

New D/HH Employee LLAA Session Dates, Topics & Registration Links: 

Seasoned & New D/HH Employee LLAA Session Dates, Topics & Registration Links: 

Multilingual Learners with Educational Disabilities Webinar Series

Hunter Smith is holding a webinar series for Colorado educators. After attending each webinar participants will receive a certificate. Registration for each webinar will close 2 weeks prior to scheduled webinar date. 

Date, Time & Topic

New or Near-New Special Education Directors - Lunch Connect Meetings 

Lunch Connect meetings have concluded for the 2022-23 school year. Please check back for more information.  

Serious Emotional Disability, Social Emotional Learning, Mental Health & Behavior

Bill Brown will be holding monthly office hours the first Tuesday of each month from 8:00 AM to 9:30 AM. All participants must register no later than two weeks in advance for each office hour due to logistical requirements.  

Session dates & topics of focus are: 

  • September 5, 2023 - Elopement
  • October 3, 2023 - Perfectionism
  • November 7, 2023- Selective Mutism 
  • December 5, 2023 – Learned Helplessness
  • February 6, 2024 –  Lying
  • March 5, 2024 –  Stealing
  • April 2, 2024 – Avoidance Behaviors
  • May 7, 2024 – Attention Seeking 

Significant Support Needs - Power Hour

The Significant Support Needs Network Team and the Significant Support Needs Task Force Members will be holding monthly office hours.  The SSN Power Hour will be on Wednesdays of each month from 3:30 PM - 5:30 PM. 

Dates:

  • September 27, 2023 - Individual Student Score Reports (DLM) Accessing Student Data
  • October 4, 2023
  • November 1, 2023
  • December 6, 2023

SSN Power Hour
Registration

All participants must register no later than two weeks in advance for each power hour session/conversation.

Special Education Evaluation Webinar Series

Krista Klabo will host a six-part monthly webinar series on foundational concepts of special education evaluation!  Throughout the series, we will cover essential topics, including comprehensiveness in evaluations, meaningful family participation and collaboration, cultural considerations, building a thoughtful body of evidence beyond standardized measures, and assessment interpretation and communication. These topics are crucial for ensuring thorough evaluations, fostering strong partnerships with families, addressing cultural diversity, utilizing alternative assessment methods, and effectively communicating assessment findings.

This monthly series will be held on Tuesdays from 8:00 – 9:30 am. Registration is required to attend.

Dates and Topics:

  • September 19, 2023 - Comprehensiveness in Special Education Evaluation
  • October 24, 2023 - Meaningful Family Participation and Collaboration
  • November 28, 2023 - Cultural Considerations in Special Education Evaluation
  • January 30, 2024 - Assessment Interpretation and Communication
  • February 27, 2024 - Basics of Building a Thoughtful Body of Evidence
  • April 16, 2024 - Convergence of Data to Build a Stronger Body of Evidence

Special Education for Youth in Correctional Facilities

Zack Van Sant will host office hours regarding special education for youth in correctional facilities on the second Tuesday of each month at 8:30am-9:30am.

Dates: 

  • November 14, 2023
  • December 12, 2023
  • January 9, 2023
  • February 13, 2024 - CANCELLED
  • March 12, 2024
  • April 9, 2024
  • May 14, 2024

Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) Office Hours

Shani O'Brien will hold Speech-Language Pathology Office Hours on Mondays from 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM. Registration is required to attend.

Dates and Topics: 

  • September 11, 2023 - Evaluation and Eligibility
  • October 16, 2023 - Autism and Communication Strategies - Guest Speaker
  • *November 13, 2023 - CANCELLED*
  • December 11, 2023 - Open Hours - Bring your questions!

  • January - No office hours
  • February 26, 2024 - Dynamic Assessment Mediated Learning Experiences - Guest Speaker
  • March 11, 2024 - Making the Most of Push-In Services
  • April 8, 2024 - Transition Planning
  • May 13, 2024 - Open Hours - Bring your questions!

Register for SLP Office Hours 

Registration for each session closes two weeks prior to the session

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