March with FACT Oregon | Marzo con FACT Oregon

Two girls at ballet class holding hands. Both girls have their hair up in buns and are wearing dance leotards.

News and Resources: March 2025

Dear FACT Oregon Community,

March is Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) Awareness Month and a great time to highlight families in our community who navigate services for children and young adults who have IDD.

There is still much more work ahead to protect the promise of whole, full lives for people with IDD. I hope some of the resources below raise awareness and prompt action.

Together, let’s work to ensure that every child and young adult with IDD can thrive and live a self-directed life

With warmth,

Christy Reese
Executive Director, FACT Oregon

LAST CHANCE - Tomorrow!

A teacher sits with students as they do worksheets. Text reads Unlocking Potential in Special Education: Transforming Outcomes for Students with Disabilities.

Unlocking Potential in Special Education: Transforming Outcomes for Students with Disabilities

Saturday, March 1, 2025 | 8:45 am - 1:30 pm | Zoom

Morning Keynote: The What, Why, and How of Inclusion: Five Practices That Transform Classrooms

Dr. Julie Causton and Dr. Kristie Pretti-Frontczak (Inclusive Schooling) will share five powerful and practical strategies to make inclusive education successful.

Afternoon Breakouts Sessions:

Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC)
Dr. Samuel Sennott, Portland State University.
Accommodations and Modifications
Jeremy Wells, Oregon Department of Education.

Register | FREE for families | $50 professionals

Language Services: Training will be provided in English with Spanish interpretation. Please request other language supports at least 14 days before the event. We will do our best to accommodate.

More Trainings

Transition to Kindergarten

Tuesday, March 11, 2025 | 6:00 - 8:00 pm | Zoom

Get Ready for Kindergarten! For Families of Young Children with Disabilities… Kindergarten is a big change! Understand what’s coming next as your child transitions from an IFSP to an IEP. You’ll learn what happens when your child moves from an IFSP to an IEP, how special education works in kindergarten.how you can help with your child’s education, and tips for getting ready for the transition meeting.

Register: English session | Spanish session
Learn More | Download Flyers

Language Services: Trainings will be provided in English and Spanish. Please request other language supports at least 14 days before the event. We will do our best to accommodate.

Click to register for our new online training on special education. Learn at your own pace.

NEW online training resource: Understanding Special Education: Introducing the Six Core Principles of IDEA.

This self-paced, on-demand training is comprehensive, interactive, and vetted by the Oregon Department of Education.

Whether you're a parent, community partner, or educator, this on-demand training will give you the knowledge and tools to better understand and take part in the special education process.

Register!

*** Coming soon in Spanish***

New Resources: Emergency Planning

Get ready for an emergency. Pictures of three storybooks. Each shows a child looking at an image representing an earthquake (ground shakes), fire (house in flames), or flood (house and car under water).

Families and communities need to think about the needs of people with disabilities in emergency planning and response. And families can and should do their own planning based on the unique needs of each family member.

We have created three new storybooks in English and in Spanish to help families and children with disabilities prepare for a fire, a flood, or an earthquake. Read them all with your child!

Read or download here.

Thank you to the Oregon Health Authority for funding to create these resources.

Find Us Out in Community

Oregon Statewide Transition Conference
Wed., March 12 - Fri., March 14
The Graduate Hotel, Eugene

FACT Oregon will present and connect with others at this statewide conference for professionals, with a focus on preparing our youth for adulthood. Learn more.

Transition Resource Fair
Wed., March 19 | 5:00 - 6:00 pm
Sherwood High School
18800 SW Haide Rd., Sherwood

Free to families in Sherwood SD. No registration needed. Info: jsollman@sherwood.k12.or.us.

ASO and THPRD Spring Celebration
Sat., March 22 | 1:00-4:00 PM
Mountain View Champions Park
5915 SW 170th Ave., Beaverton

Click for details

Breaking Barriers: Life Beyond Labels Conference
Tuesday, April 22 | 9:00 am - 4:00 pm
Deschutes County Expo Center

FACT Oregon is proud to support and be a part of Breaking Barriers! Learn more.

Discover and Discuss:
Building Awareness of IDD

IDD and Education

Eligibility requirements for IDD services and special education services are different. But did you know that children with intellectual disabilities are four times more likely to spend their school days in segregated settings than other children on IEPs? (IDEA Data Center 2022-23)

Learn about special education services:

Unlocking Potential in Special Education: March 1 training

Transition to Kindergarten: March 11 training

Understanding Special Education: (On-Demand)

Guide to Kindergarten Transition (Douglas ESD): English | Spanish

IDD Services and Medicaid

Oregon’s Community First Choice State Plan (K-Plan) and Medicaid waivers help children with I/DD get the support and care they need at home and in their communities.

Families value these supports and services. Oregon families whose children qualify overwhelmingly say these supports help their child live a good life and improve their ability to care for their child (NCI-IDD).

Learn more about I/DD services!

Reach out to your local Community Developmental Disabilities Program (CDDP).

COMING SOON: Our NEW online, self-paced training about IDD services in Oregon! Look for it by April!

Tell Congress No Cuts to Medicaid!

IDD In Film

“We Are The Most Beautiful People: Adults with Disabilities”

This important new film, which explores the concept of what it means to be beautiful, is being shown in its entirety by partners in the IDD community on Sunday, March 16 in Portland. Tickets are sold out. However, you can:

Watch the trailer | Watch extended clips (with Oregon partners)

IDD and Supported Decision-Making

Does your child, teen, or young adult understand their rights and know how they want support to make future decisions?

Explore Supported Decision-Making (SDM) with great resources from The Arc Oregon.

IDD Policy and Advocacy

Oregon’s 2025 legislative session is underway. See what issues are important to the IDD community and get involved!

Subscribe to the GO!Project newsletter!

Attend 2025 DD Advocacy Days in Salem:
March 20, April 17, May 22 & June 12.Register!

Act! This week, OCDD put out an action alert:
Tell Congress No Cuts to Medicaid!

Just For Youth

Cartoon characters who have different disabilities are smiling. The words THE Disability Awareness Education Video are at the top.

Disability Awareness Education: Here’s a short video by Timothy Rohrer (Tios4Inclusion), a young adult with autism, to spread awareness about disability. Watch the video.

Welcome to Being a Teen! Becoming a teenager means you get more freedom to discover who you really are and make more decisions. Here is some information from The Arc Oregon:

Supported Decision Making for Teens: English | Spanish

Infographic – It’s Your Decision: English | Spanish

We Need Your Help: Give Today

In the face of uncertain public funding, please help us ensure support remains available to families. All gifts are being matched by the Marie Lamfrom Charitable Foundation!

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