Sample List of Available Workshops

KY-SPIN, Inc. provides workshops for parents, self-advocates, and professionals throughout Kentucky. Through our federal funding of SPIN-PTI (Special Parent Involvement Network – Parent Training and Information) and KDE funding we provide these workshops at no cost. If you would like us to come to your area to provide a workshop contact us by completing our Contact Us Form, by email at spininc@kyspin.com or by calling at 1-800-525-7746.

Download Sample List of Workshops

Parent/Family Advocacy and Engagement

About KY SPIN: This session will teach you who KY-SPIN is, who our partners are and what we do to assist individuals, families and professionals.

Skills for Effective Parent Advocacy: This session will discuss what advocacy means, how to improve your advocacy skills and how you can make a difference. We will discuss the importance of collaboration to effectively advocate for your child. This curriculum was created by the National Family Advocacy Support and Training (FAST) Project, a project of PACER Center.

Collaborative Communication: Building Partnerships: A tour through how our communication can effectively build a partnership while advocating for your child. Skills, barriers, and values of collaborative communication will be explored with the child always as the main focus.

Bullying Prevention – Everyone’s Responsibility: What Parents Can Do: Many times children with disabilities and siblings are at greater risk of bullying. This session will explain what bullying is and how parents can help their child when bullying is a concern. This curriculum was created by the PACER National Bullying Prevention Center.

Starting and Maintaining Parent Support Groups: Tips on starting and maintaining Parent Support groups. Families need a support system and many times a Parent Support group will create that for you. This session stresses the importance of the move from isolation to inclusion for the whole family.

Stress Management: Tips, strategies and ways to help relieve the stress that comes from everyday life situations.

Time Management and Organizational Skills: There are not enough hours in each day to get everything done. This session will give you tips on how to manage the demands in your life. The more you can plan and organize the better your day will be.

KY Strengthening Families/ Family Thrive: The overarching goal of the Family Thrive framework is to achieve positive outcomes by mitigating risk and enhancing healthy development and well-being of children and youth. The guiding premises provide the foundation for Kentucky Strengthening Families (KYSF) and Kentucky Youth Thrive (KYYT). This approach can be used in any setting serving families, youth and children typically without making huge changes in daily practice. Programs and communities seeking to align their practice with KYSF/KYYT will find concrete action steps within this workshop. (Minimum of 3 hours)

Parent Café Facilitation and Training: The Parent Café program is a nationally recognized peer-to-peer learning process to keep children safe and families strong. Parents and caregivers create safe spaces to explore their strengths and learn from themselves and each other how to use the Strengthening Families Protective Factors™ with their loved ones.

Connect the Dots for Parents and Caregivers: This workshop series combines the traditional Connect the Dots curriculum with Parent Cafés to build connections in the community. This series is presented in (4) 2 hour sessions.

Connect the Dots for Autism Spectrum Disorder: Connect the Dots highlight 4 easy-to-remember steps to address challenging behaviors. The 4 steps encompass both the “well-being” and the “well-doing” of children to ensure strong social and emotional skills needed for success in school and life. Connect the Dots resources and trainings are for anyone who works with children ages one to five years old. This universal tool can be used in any setting serving families and children by teaching children how to recognize and express their emotions appropriately. These trainings include a make and take aspect as well, where parents can make visuals (schedules/IF–THEN boards etc.) tailored to fit your current needs. They are designed to make interactions with your child positive so they can make progress and to keep peace in the home. (Presented in (6) 2.5 hour workshops)

Behavior Basics: This training will walk you through basic positive behavior strategies, including how to identify triggers, avoid unwanted behaviors, and how to manage problem behaviors. The training will also provide key strategies for parents and professionals to implement at home or in the classroom.

Self-Advocacy

Skills for Effective Self Advocacy: This session will discuss what self-advocacy means, how to improve your advocacy skills, and how you can make a difference. We will discuss the importance of collaboration to effectively advocate for yourself. This curriculum was created by the National Family Advocacy Support and Training (FAST) Project, a project of PACER Center.

Collaborative Communication for Self-Advocates: A tour through how communication can effectively build a partnership while advocating for yourself. Skills, barriers, and values of collaborative communication will be discussed.

Stress Management for Self-Advocates: Tips, strategies and ways to help relieve the stress that comes from everyday life situations. Modified for students and young adults.

Time Management and Organizational Skills for Self-Advocates: This session will give you tips on how to manage the demands in your life. The more you can plan and organize the better your day will flow especially because there are so many things we can’t prepare for.

Youth Thrive: Youth Thrive™ is a lens for assessing current efforts and for making changes to the policies, programs, training, services, partnerships and systems that impact young people, particularly those involved in public systems. Youth Thrive uses a Protective and Promotive Factors Framework aimed at youth and young adults ages 9-26 and along with Strengthening Families helps provide a view of two interrelated phases of the lifespan developmental continuum.

Special Education

Special Education Law IDEA, 504 & ADA (ages 3-21): This session will give an overview of Special Education Law which includes the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, & Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Special Education Process (ages 3-21): This session will explain in depth what the Special Education Process is, what your rights and responsibilities are, as well as how to effectively advocate for your child’s needs. This is a step- through of the whole Special Education Process from initial evaluation to the writing of the IEP.

IEP: A Closer Look (ages 3-21): This session will explain in depth what the Individualized Education Program (IEP) is and all of the important parts that make up the IEP.

Transition to Adulthood

Guardianship in Kentucky: This workshop will give an overview of guardianship in KY and the alternatives to guardianship.

Letting Go: Creating a Successful Transition to Adulthood : This workshop will help families understand the importance of “letting go” and how to help their child with a disability find their wings and learn to fly. We will help families learn to brainstorm and begin to think outside of the box and imagine what a desirable future for their child can look like.

Mapping Dreams—Transition to Adulthood: This session is designed for families who are ready to learn what they can do to plan a successful transition from high school to postsecondary education or training, employment and independent living. Topics include: changes in rights and responsibilities, disability disclosure and supporting self-advocacy. Curriculum developed by PACER’s National Parent Center on Transition and Employment through Mitsubishi Electric Foundation grant.

Transition in Kentucky (Youth and Young Adults): Practical strategies for students and young adults transitioning into adulthood.

Mapping Dreams for Self-Advocates: This session is designed for students and young adults who are ready to learn what they can do to plan a successful transition from high school to postsecondary education or training, employment and independent living. Topics include: changes in rights and responsibilities, disability disclosure and self-advocacy. Curriculum developed by PACER’s National Parent Center on Transition and Employment through Mitsubishi Electric Foundation grant.

Employment for Individuals with Disabilities:

Getting and Keeping the First Job: This workshop is designed to help families understand the realities of employment for all youth, with a special emphasis on strategies youth with disabilities can use to improve employment prospects. This workshop begins with a discussion of the importance of work and what some youth with disabilities experience as they attempt to enter the job market. The session then highlights the crucial role of self-awareness, career planning, and how families can help in the process. This curriculum was created by the National Family Advocacy Support and Training (FAST) Project, a project of PACER Center.

Seeing a Brighter Future: This session is designed to inspire parents of children with intellectual disabilities that employment is possible and can be a meaningful part of their son or daughter’s life. Topics include raising your child with disabilities to have expectations of employment; discovering your child’s skills, talents, and interests; preparing for work during the school years; addressing concerns about employment and finding resources; and taking action steps to prepare for work. Curriculum developed by the Human Development Institute (HDI) as part of KentuckyWorks, which is supported by a U.S. Administration on Community Living grant, (90DNEM0004-01-00).

Professionals

Time Management and Organization for Professionals: This session will give you tips on how to manage the demands at work. The more you can plan and organize the better your day will flow especially because there are so many things we can’t prepare for.

Time Management and Organizational Skills for Teachers of Students with Disabilities: This workshop will give teachers practical strategies to allow children with disabilities to more effectively manage their time and stay as organized as possible, depending on the signs and symptoms of their disability.

Trauma Informed Care: This training will provide an overview of trauma, how trauma can affect people’s lives in a variety of ways, and the importance of working towards an approach to care that is trauma-informed. Participants will understand the importance and vulnerability of the first 5 years based on early brain development. Participants will learn the impact of ACES and Toxic Stress on early child development and adult outcomes. Participants will understand how the 6 Kentucky Strengthening Families Protective Factors change the story for children, families, and adults. Participants will increase their understanding about trauma and the use of Trauma-Informed Care as a response to individuals who are predisposed to trauma and at risk.

Connect the Dots: Well Being + Well Doing for Young Children (suitable for ALL AGES): Connect the Dots highlight 4 easy-to-remember steps to address challenging behaviors. The 4 steps encompass both the “well-being” and the “well-doing” of children to ensure strong social and emotional skills needed for success in school and life. Connect the Dots resources and trainings are for anyone who works with children ages one to five years old. This universal tool can be used in any setting serving families and children by teaching children how to recognize and express their emotions appropriately. Connect the Dots provides a common language and a common approach to addressing challenging behaviors in a way that builds strong social and emotional skills in young children.The primary focus of Connect the Dots is on two protective factors from the Kentucky Strengthening Families framework: 1) Social and Emotional Competence of Children; and 2) Nurturing and Attachment.

and other customized Workshops