Special Education - Spring 2013 Newsletter

Spring 2013

The Special Education Department hofstra.edu/SPED

The 2013 Conference for the New York State Council for Exceptional Children Save the date! On October 24-25th, 2013, the 2013 NYS Council for Exceptional Children Conference will be held at the Long Island Hilton in Melville, N.Y. Make reservations today by calling 631-845-1000! The theme of the conference will be “Education Improvement for ALL,” with topical strands focusing on the New York State Common Core Learning Standards, Annual Professional Performance Review (APPR), Teacher Education Teacher Performance Assessment (edTPA), and Universal Design for Learning.

Dr. Blue, the new incoming president of the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) of New York, Dr. McDonald, the Long Island Representative of the CEC, and the rest of the Hofstra faculty encourage all students to come and participate! Have you submitted your presentation proposal? Come on Hofstra, let’s show our PRIDE by submitting proposals before May 1st, 2013.

Submit your proposal online at the NYSCEC.org website. ……………..

Hofstra/Freeport After School Academic Support Program

Upcoming Events [05/2/13]

OPEN HOUSE: 6:15- 8:30pm AND FILM FESTIVAL: 8:30- 9:15pm

[05/18/13]

SEMESTER ENDS

[05/19/13]

COMMENCEMENT

[10/24/13] [10/25/13]

CONFERENCE FOR THE NYS CEC

Continued on Page 2

In collaboration with Hofstra’s Special Education Department and Nassau County CEC, The Special Education Graduation Association invites you to our OPEN HOUSE AND FILM FESTIVAL. The films are specific to each of our special education programs: Early Childhood Special Education, Childhood 1-6 Special Education, Secondary Special Education, and Vocational Themes. This event is open to anyone interested in learning more about special education. Refreshments Pg. 1 will be available! Please come and learn more about what this department has to offer!

Lorem Ipsum Dolor

Spring 2012

2013 Convention for the NYS CEC Continued The SAVE the DATE flyer and the Call for Proposals can be found on the NYS CEC website at http://www.nyscec.org/conference.html .

Below is registration information.

EARLY BIRD REGISTRATION (August 1August 15): $165 Members $185 Non Members $95 Students (check with your university for discounts) OPEN REGISTRATION (after August 15): $185 Members $195 Non Members $95 Students (check with your university for discounts) Come share your voice and vision for Special Education! We hope to see everyone there!

Highlights For our second newsletter, we have decided to focus on a woman who has devoted her life to the field; Dr. Mary McDonald. Dr. McDonald has been a professor here at Hofstra for over ten years, has taught the courses SPED 247, SPED 248, SPED 259, SPED 274, SPED 275, and SPED 249, and has implemented a course sequence to fulfill requirements for Behavior Analyst Certification. In addition, she is currently in the process of developing a new course on ethics in behavioral analysis.

Prior to accepting a full time position at Hofstra, Dr. McDonald had taught at both Queens College and CW Post. Aside from her academic work, Dr. McDonald has worked in clinical settings with students on the autism spectrum for over twenty years. At this time, she directs an Autism Center at Genesis, which includes a behavior clinic, speech clinic, vocational programs, and social groups. In addition she is the President of the Association for Science in Autism Treatment (ASAT), an organization that provides resources regarding evidence-based interventions to parents and professionals in the field of autism.

Publishing and research have also been a significant part of her career. She has published articles related to self-management and social reciprocity, RTI, inclusion, disability in the media, tactile prompting, and fads in autism interventions. She is currently working on a number of literature reviews pertaining to video modeling, PECS, and social stories for students with ASD. Dr. McDonald would like students to know that the applied behavior analysis is not just about autism. She stated, “The Advanced Certificate in Applied Behavior Analysis is really about understanding behavior and learning which would not only help students with disabilities, but all students, and it can even be applicable in our own lives.”

Did you know…

PRESS RELEASES Ø 3/5/13—CEC is mentioned in Disability Scoop: Disability Cuts Could Be Here to Stay. CEC talks about how sequestration will affect special education across the United States. Ø 3/13/13—CEC-endorsed bill focuses on teacher development, closing the “excellence gap.” The TALENT Act charts new course for gifted, high-ability students.

2 Pg. 2