Workshop List

PTI Nebraska Workshop Offerings

All PTI Nebraska’s workshops are available to any group or community upon request and can be adapted for parents, caregivers, students, educators, administrators, and health professionals.  The divisional categories are used only to make finding a particular workshop topic easier.  The workshops are available in English and Spanish.  Alternate formats are available upon request.

Early Childhood Workshops

(Children Birth to 3)

Early Development Network (EDN):

This workshop provides information about the Early Development Network in Nebraska.  It includes the history, philosophy, values, family-centered services and the principles of family involvement.  Information about services coordination, Planning Region Teams and the Interagency Coordinating Council are included.

Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP):

This workshop provides information on how the IFSP works for families who have infants and toddlers with special needs.  Families will learn how their family routines fit into the development of the IFSP and become a part of the goals for their child’s plan to learn and grow.

Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) to Individualized Education Program (IEP):

This workshop looks at the similarities and differences between the IFSP and IEP and provides tips for parents in preparing for the differences in these special educational plans.

Rebuilding Dreams:

Parents often feel a sense of loss and grief when they receive a diagnosis for their child that includes a disability or a special health care need.  This workshop demonstrates the normalcy of the experience and gives tips to families on how to rebuild dreams.

School Age Workshops

(Children age 3 – 21 and into adulthood)

Bright I.D.E.A.s:

This workshop gives you the chance to discover the rights and responsibilities of parents and schools.  The workshop contains a 13 part video series which was created to help parents navigate their way through the special education process. The videos explain how the federal law, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (I.D.E.A.) works in this state. Having this information can help you become an effective member of your child’s Individualized Education Program (IEP) team.  Because of the amount of content in this workshop, Bright I.D.E.A.s can be presented in either two sessions or in a Q & A format about specific topics or videos.  The 13 part video series can also be found on PTI’s website for convenient viewing at any time.

How to Help Your Struggling Child Succeed in School:

This workshop covers what options parents have when their child is struggling in school. Parents will learn about both regular and special education options including the Student Assistance Team (SAT) process, the Response to Intervention (RtI) process, and how/when a child might qualify for special education and related services in an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) or qualify for special services in a 504 Plan. Children might have struggles in different areas – academic/learning, behaviors, emotional – and whatever area it is, parents can work with their schools to address the problems and help their child succeed.

IEP – What’s The Big I.D.E.A.?:

Parents need to be informed about what special education laws state should be considered and included in their child’s Individualized Education Program (IEP) so they can make sure their child’s unique educational needs are being met. It’s important that parents are knowledgeable about all aspects of the IEP program so they can be effective advocates for their child. This IEP workshop will help parents gain the knowledge and the tools they need in order to make the best decisions for their child’s education.

It’s Not What You Say; It’s How You Say It!:

Communication skills help pave the way to better working relationships with the school. In this workshop, you will learn how to communicate effectively in order to build a strong partnership with the school and help improve your child’s success. You will learn how to convey your thoughts and concerns in a way that will be understood and respected, and promote collaboration and an exchange of ideas and information.

Parental Rights:

It’s important for parents to know their rights during the special education process so they can fully participate in the planning of their child’s educational program and can be an effective advocate for their child. This workshop focuses on the parental rights that are most commonly asked about by parents.

Putting the Positive in the IEP – Positive Behavioral Interventions and Support (PBIS):

This workshop helps parents understand the importance of using functional behavioral assessments to understand their child’s behaviors and how using PBIS principles such as teaching expected academic and social behaviors and skills, using positive reinforcement for appropriate behaviors, and having meaningful consequences for misbehaviors can help improve their child’s life.

Special Education: What Do I Need To Know? A Brief overview for parents:

This workshop provides a brief, but sound overview to help parents advocate for their child.  Some of the topics that will be reviewed are:  Evaluations, Related Services, Individualized Education Program, preparing for meetings and Least Restrictive Environments (LRE).

Tips for a Successful IEP Meeting:

This is a hands-on workshop that will help prepare parents to be equal and active participants on their child’s Individualized Education Program (IEP) team. Parents will be given many important tips on what to do before and during the IEP meeting to help make their IEP experience as productive and positive as possible.

Understanding ADHD:

This workshop provides important information about ADHD and how it affects a child’s behavior and their educational process.  Strategies on how parents can support their children, better manage ADHD symptoms, and create a positive learning environment will be discussed.  This workshop can be tailored for parents, teachers or both.

Transition Workshops

Getting and Keeping Your First Job:

Many families may wonder if their son or daughter can or will be employed.  The goal of this session is to help families, caregivers and professionals understand the realities of today’s work world so they can help youth with disabilities earn competitive employment.  The message of the session is simple: families who understand the world of work and who maintain high expectations of their youth can play a pivotal role in the employment success of youth with disabilities.

Journey to Adulthood – Sexuality and Your Child:

This workshop is intended to help participants feel more comfortable and confident as they help their son or daughter with disabilities learn about puberty and the changes in adolescence that every child experiences during this important transition from childhood to adulthood.

Self-Advocacy Tool Kit:

This workshop for students is an open discussion about self-advocacy and self-determination.  Students will discover that the strength of their voices and their opinions can lead to jobs, educational opportunities and activities of their choice.  It will help students recognize their strengths and be able to articulate the areas in their life where they may need support.  They will be able to learn to ask for the support they need in order to lead productive and independent lives.

Transition for Life:

This workshop provides crucial information to parents and students regarding the necessary process of planning for the future as students move through the educational system and prepare for life after school.  Planning for careers, higher education or adult services needs to begin early in a student’s educational career.

Family to Family Health Education and Information Workshops

Family to Family Health Information Center:

This workshop explains what the Health Information Center is and what it can do to help families access healthcare services their children need.

How Do I Pay For It? – Part 1 –  Understanding Insurance and Public Programs

Families who have a child with disabilities or a special health care need often find themselves asking: “Where do I look for funding to help with my child’s special medical needs?” This workshop explains in plain language private insurance, how it works and what to do when it doesn’t cover the services needed.  The session also explores public systems and programs that might be able to help.

How Do I Pay For It? – Part 2 – How To Find Alternative Funding

When private or public insurance/programs are not available, where might a family find the funding needed for services, treatment, medication, equipment or other things a child with a disability or special health care needs.  This workshop explores many other resources available to families to find the funding they need.

Individualized Healthcare Plan (IHP):

This workshop discusses the IHP which is developed in collaboration with the school, medical personnel and family to address medical needs of a child while in the education setting.

Kids + Families + Doctors = A Partnership:

When families partner with medical professionals, children receive the care they need at home and in the doctor’s office. This workshop explains an approach to high quality, cost effective, health care services called Medical Home.

Take Charge of Your Health:

In this workshop, students with special health care needs and their families will learn about healthy living and taking charge of their own healthcare.

Teaching Teens to Manage Healthcare

Young adults will be living their own lives soon.  What do teens need to know about their own health care.  This workshop helps families and explore the options in teaching young people to participate in their health care at the level appropriate for each person.

Stress Management for Teens

Young people with disabilities and special health care needs are doing more in their lives than ever before.  Many experience levels of stress that equal or exceed those of their same age peers.  Going to college, living on their own, managing medication and healthcare all enter in their world.  This workshop provides teens information about stress and what to do about it.

PTI Webinars

PTI Webinars are scheduled twice a month and presented 2 times each day – 12:30pm and 8:30pm Central Time.  Many topics are covered during the year.  The Webinars give families an opportunity to be at home or at work while they participate in a hour of information important to them and their child with a disability or special health care need.

Other Workshops

Building Blocks of Self Esteem:

This is a hands-on workshop that will help parents focus on building a positive sense of self-esteem in their children. Parents will learn ways to encourage, teach, and enhance their children’s sense of self-concept, self-esteem, and confidence and will gain an understanding of the ways they can influence these processes at home. Building trust, a sense of belonging, and sense of worth are a few of the important topics that will be discussed.

Bullying: Recognition and Intervention:

Can you identify bullying and know when to intervene to help keep kids safe?  Current internet, cyberspace and cell phones heighten the importance of our answers.  This workshop helps you stay current with educational directives, laws, definitions, and recommendations for action, strategies and ideas.  We will discuss the causes of bullying, reporting, and record keeping. We will also discuss ways to address bullying through the IEP and talk about functional skills that can be taught to students to help with social interactions.  Anti-bullying resources will be provided.

Developing Successful Community Support Groups:

Parents have the gift of being intimately familiar with emotions and real problems that new parents are just beginning to experience.  This training provides the tools needed to start and sustain a support group.  A support group in a community gives parents the opportunity to share their experiences and learn and grow from each other and become knowledgeable advocates for their children.

Parent Panel:

PTI Nebraska can organize and/or facilitate a panel of parents available for presentations to civic groups, university classes or conferences and other group meetings.

Parental Advocacy 101:

The goal of this workshop is to empower parents so they can become effective advocates for their children and receive the services their children need.  Advocacy is a skill best practiced in the key knowledge areas of: understanding their child’s disability, knowing the key players, knowing their rights and responsibilities, being well organized, using clear and effective communication, and knowing how to resolve disagreements.

Parental Impact on Policymaking:

This workshop offers information on affecting positive change in the issues impacting families of children with a disability or special health care need.  Participants will learn who their legislators are, how to read a bill and tips on providing testimony.

PTI Overview:

This presentation is available to professionals and others to help inform them about the services provided by PTI Nebraska and provide a parent perspective on issues surrounding families who have a child with a disability.

Sibling Success:

Disabilities affect the lives of all family members. In this workshop, parents will explore the concerns often experienced by brothers and sisters of a child with a disability including resentment, embarrassment, and concerns about the future, and discuss ways to support the siblings through increased awareness of how they are affected. The unique opportunities often experienced by brothers and sisters of a child with a disability will also be discussed such as compassion, acceptance, and advocacy. A proactive approach is encouraged when dealing with sibling issues and various strategies for use in the home or classroom will be presented.

Using the Power of Your Family Story:

The goal of this workshop is to empower parents to become effective system change agents through telling their family story. It is because families have told their stories that so many things have changed for children with disabilities. Parents will gain the skills and strategies needed for telling their stories to school professionals, service providers, students, policy makers and other important audiences so families can continue to make a positive difference in the lives of people with disabilities and special health care needs.

Email:  info@pti-nebraska.org

Website:  www.pti-nebraska.org

PTI Nebraska is funded by grants from the Federal Department of Education Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), The Nebraska Department of Education, and the U.S. Departmentof Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, Maternal and Child Health Bureau, Division of Services for Children with Special Health Needs.