winter 2012
New Assessment Now Measuring Academic Progress
by Michael McSheehan & Gaye Fedorchak
Bookstore Spotlight
between the NH Department of Education and
After only the first year of use, the New
the IOD), this is no longer true. Now students
Hampshire Alternate Learning Progressions
(NH ALPs), a new academic assessment for
are expected to personally show academic
learning and growth from year to year, and
students with the most significant cognitive
older students are expected to know and show
disabilities, has helped dozens of students
more than younger students. We can now
demonstrate academic strength that no one
provide academic sub-scores to show a student’s
ever knew existed before. This population of
students is starting to make sense of text in new patterns of academic strength. We can provide
a teacher with much more useful feedback
ways, to read, to write, and to reason through
and information that could help to improve
complex mathematical ideas. It has helped
personalized instruction. We are also working
school teams identify ways that students with
to improve communication supports for all
special communication needs can connect with
students in this assessment. With an effective
academic content better and show us what they
communication system in place,
really understand.
“We are raising our
some students are no longer taking
The old NH Alternate Assessment, expectations and our
the alternate assessment and,
first launched 11 years ago, served supports—for students
instead, participate in the general
our state well. As the first of its
and one another.”
assessment.
kind in NH, it helped us discover
that students with the most severe cognitive
We’ve come a long way since 1975 when there
were over a million children with disabilities
disabilities are learning academic concepts
more quickly and deeply than any of us had ever across the nation who were not allowed to attend
thought possible. But it also had its drawbacks.
school. We are raising our expectations and our
supports—for students and one another. With
In the old test, some skills assessed represented
our collaborative efforts strengthening, we now
non-academic skills. A student could be called
set no limits on what is possible for students
proficient in a grade, even with hand over hand
with disabilities, even those with the most
assistance, and also again in the next grade when
significant disabilities.
showing the exact same performance as the
For more information on Gaining Access
previous year.
project outcomes, visit www.inclusiveed.org.
In the new assessment, which was developed
through Gaining Access (a partnership project
RENEW Facilitator’s
Manual: A Secondary
Transition Model for
Youth & Young Adults
JoAnne Malloy, Ph.D.,
Jonathon Drake, MSW,
Heidi Cloutier, MSW,
and Donna Couture,
M.Ed.
The RENEW model
is a research-based school-to-career
planning and support intervention
for youth and young adults with
emotional and behavioral support
challenges. This manual outlines
the major elements of the RENEW
model, including person-centered
planning, team development and
facilitation, and school-to-career
planning and resource development.
The manual includes data
collection, implementation process,
and fidelity tools. Available for $30
at www.iodbookstore.com.
Join Our
Mailing List
The IOD produces a variety of
publications, including Vision &
Voice, which communicate the ways
we are connected to individuals and
activities in New Hampshire and
across the country. If you would
like to be added to our mailing
list, e-mail contact.iod@unh.edu
or call 603.862.4320.
Study Supports Caregiver Health and Wellbeing
by Kim Phillips & Melissa Mandrell
We hear it every day: baby boomers are aging
and will need more care as they develop
common problems associated with growing
older. Most of us already have or can expect to
care for an aging parent or spouse if he or she
becomes ill. Research shows that because of the
demands of caregiving, caregivers often become
ill or feel burdened or depressed.
What’s Inside
New Online Genetics Resource . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
The UNH Center on Aging and Community
Living recently completed Transitions in
Caregiving, a three-year study which examined
whether supporting family caregivers would
help them to stay well. We expected that the
health and wellbeing of older adults who
received care
would worsen
over time, but, we
still asked, could
we prevent the
caregivers from
feeling worse?
Supporting Student Behavioral Health . . . . . . . 2
Did You Know?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Calendar of Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Research Shows Reluctance to Hire. . . . . . . . . 4
Reflections on the First Year . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
The 418 NH
caregivers in this
study had each
been caring for a
loved one for an
average of five-and-a-half years and provided an
average of 17 hours of care each day. More than
two-thirds of the care receivers needed help with
two or more activities of daily living, like eating,
bathing, or dressing, and/or they experienced
dementia or other memory problems.
The intervention study gave caregivers small
grants for respite care, and/or Caregiver
Specialists, employees of local ServiceLink
Resource Centers, offered services and
emotional support. Six months later, care
receivers had grown significantly more ill, but
caregivers’ feelings of burden and depression
had not worsened, and their physical and
mental wellbeing had not declined. Caregivers
in the study noted that despite the challenges
of caregiving they were rewarded with strong
relationships with their loved ones, satisfaction
in keeping loved ones at home, and the
knowledge that their loved ones were receiving
high-quality care.
This research was funded by a grant to the NH
Bureau of Elderly and Adult Services from the
U.S. Administration on Aging.
For more information on the study, visit
www.iod.unh.edu.
800315
10 West Edge Drive, Suite 101
Durham, NH 03824
Institute
on
Disability
/ UCED
Supporting Student
Behavioral Health
Building a System of Care for New
Hampshire Children, a statewide
leadership summit to support student
behavioral health, will be held
Tuesday, April 17, 2012, at the Center
of NH Radisson in Manchester, NH.
The day will feature presentations
by Lew Feldstein, former president
of the New Hampshire Charitable
Foundation; Dr. Lucille Eber, state
coordinator of the Illinois Positive
Behavioral Interventions and Supports
(PBIS) Network; and the first statewide
screening and discussion of Dan
Habib’s new documentary film Who
Cares About Kelsey?
“I made Who Cares About Kelsey?
because nearly everywhere I showed
my film Including Samuel, people
have asked, ‘But what about kids with
emotional and behavioral disabilities?
Can they be included as well?’” said
Habib. “I know this summit will lead
to better outcomes for New Hampshire
youth and improve school cultures and
climates across the state.”
To register, visit www.iod.unh.edu/
behavioral_health_summit.
2
Did You Know?
In 2008, people with disabilities
comprised 12% of all working-age
individuals in the United States (ages
25-61) yet participated in federal safety
net programs at higher rates:
• Of the 3.5 million working-age
people who received energy
assistance, 43% had disabilities.
• Over one third (35%) of the more
than 11 million working-age
individuals receiving Supplemental
Nutrition Assistance had
disabilities.
• Working-age people with
disabilities made up 47% of the
more than 12 million Medicaid
recipients and 83% of the 5.6
million Medicare beneficiaries.
• Forty-seven percent of the
nearly 2.8 million working-age
participants in the Temporary
Assistance for Needy Families
program had disabilities.
Source: 2009 & 2010 Current
Population Survey.
Feedback
Have a comment, suggestion, or
story idea? We value your input.
E-mail contact.iod@unh.edu or
call 603.862.4320 to let us know
how we’re doing and how we can
better serve you.
Share the IOD with a friend:
Please let friends or colleagues
know about us. Pass us along!
New Online Genetics Resource for Educators
Students who have genetic conditions will
now be better supported in their educational,
medical, and physical development, thanks to
a new website developed in part by the IOD.
The website, Genetics Education Materials for
School Success (GEMSS), provides educators,
other school personnel, and parents with a “one
stop shop” of useful tools and tips for support of
students with genetic conditions throughout the
school day.
Approximately one in every 20 children
nationwide has a genetic or metabolic condition
like Down syndrome, fragile X syndrome,
sickle cell disease, or Phenylketonuria (PKU).
They most often are taught in general education
classrooms, where teams of classroom
teachers, paraprofessionals, service providers,
and school nurses are charged with meeting
their educational and health-related needs.
Frequently, however, these school-based teams
are ill-equipped to provide the best education
or meet other needs of this population in the
most meaningful ways because of a lack of
information on the rare conditions affecting
these students.
GEMSS provides practical guidance for
educational teams in an easily-accessible online
format. Each condition and its symptoms are
introduced through a brief description in plain
language. From there, site visitors can review
strategies for addressing dietary and/or medical
needs; special education supports; behavior and
sensory supports; physical activity, athletics,
school field trips, and other events; school
absences and fatigue; and emergency planning.
“The GEMSS site is a wealth of information
and a valuable asset to teachers and parents
in helping them to develop comprehensive
educational programs for children who have
genetic disorders,” said Laurie Lambert, a
former NH general and special educator and
inclusion facilitator. “This new tool fills the void
of information that was previously available to
schools.”
New GEMSS content will be added over time
and will depend upon readers’ input through an
online survey.
For more information on GEMSS, visit
www.gemssforschools.org.
Highlighting IOD Donors
Support from The Jack and Dorothy Byrne
Foundation
In 2011 and 2012, the New Hampshire
Leadership Series received $17,500 in
funding from The Jack and Dorothy Byrne
Foundation of Etna, New Hampshire. This
first-time, two-installment gift—$7,500 received
in 2011, and $10,000 received in 2012—
specifically supports individuals from the Upper
Valley area to participate in the seven-month
program.
This includes support for
participants similar to Ruth
Bleyler, Leadership Series
graduate in 2000, former New
Hampshire state representative,
and mother of a daughter who
lives with a dual diagnosis of
mental illness and developmental
disability.
family and hundreds of other families in the
Upper Valley. It provides the networking and
training necessary to those needing to find a
way to have their or their loved one’s very basic
needs met.”
“It is a continuing challenge to sustain funding
for the Leadership Series,” said IOD Associate
Director Mary Schuh. “We are grateful for the
Jack & Dorothy Byrne Foundation’s generous
support and their continuing generosity to so
many in the Upper Valley area.”
The Byrne Foundation has
provided generous funding
for organizations throughout
the state for many years, with
an emphasis on those serving
Upper Valley families and
communities. In recent years,
this support has included funding
for the Excellence in Teaching Scholarship
Program at UNH and additional support for
UNH programs through the UNH Foundation.
“[The NH Leadership Series]
provides the networking
and training necessary to
those needing to find a
way to have their or their
loved one’s very basic
needs met.”
“The Leadership Series has been serving
families throughout the Upper Valley for more
than 20 years,” said Bleyler in her letter of
support to the Byrne Foundation during the
grant application process. “I know firsthand
how valuable it is, and I continue to witness
its tremendous impact—graduates throughout
the Upper Valley help to shape policies and
programs that support the underserved, and
can be found on area school boards, serving as
advisors, and providing support and guidance to
their neighbors and peers.”
“The IOD provides a voice to those who have
none,” said LuAnne Lantz, 2007 Leadership
Series graduate and Upper Valley resident who
also wrote a letter of support for this grant.
“Leadership has had a profound impact on my
To learn more about making a tax-deductible
gift to the IOD, please contact:
Mary Schuh, Ph.D. – Associate Director of
Consumer Affairs and Development
Institute on Disability / UCED
56 Old Suncook Road, Suite 2
Concord, NH 03301
603.228.2084 | mary.schuh@unh.edu
or visit www.iod.unh.edu for easy and secure
online donation.
Foundations in Transition: PersonCentered Strategies for Students with
Disabilities
Series includes training in practices
shown to improve the self-determination
skills of youth and will provide educators,
community providers, and family
members with tools to help youth
develop transition plans relevant to their
areas of interest, and to use resources
effectively to ensure success.
Remaining Sessions:
February 16, 2012 – Assistive Technology
and Transition
March 29, 2012 – Think Outside the Box:
Student-Centered Educational and
Employment Options
May 3, 2012 – Resource Development
for Transition
Time: 8am – 2:30pm | Cost: $99 each
Location: Holiday Inn, Concord, NH
Presenters: Dawn Breault, CAGS, C.R.C.;
Kim Carter; Heidi Cloutier, MSW; David
Hagner, Ph.D.; Michelle Lewis, M.Ed.;
Therese Willkomm, Ph.D.; Heidi Wyman,
MSW
iPad Learning Series
Will address the basics of operating an
iPad as well as how to teach with an
iPad, manage iPads in a school, and
use apps for specific disabilities and
activities.
Remaining Sessions:
February 17, 2012 – iPad 101
Time: 4pm – 6pm | Cost: $59
March 5, 2012 – Apps for Autism: Social
Stories and Visual Schedules
Time: 4pm – 6pm | Cost: $59
March 19, 2012 – Apps for Autism:
Behavior Tracking and Video Modeling
Time: 4pm – 6pm | Cost: $59
April 6, 2012 – Managing iPads in Your
School
Time: 9am – 12pm | Cost: $79
May 18, 2012 – It’s All Free!
Time: 9am – 3pm | Cost: $115
May 21, 2012 – iPad Training for
Rehabilitation Professionals
Time: 9am – 1pm | Cost: $79
Location: IOD Professional Development
Center, Concord, NH
Presenters: Nicole Finch, M.S.; Dan
Herlihy; Laurie Lambert, M.Ed.; Jason
Paradis; Phyllis Watson, CCC-SLP; Therese
Willkomm, Ph.D., ATP
Inclusive Practices in Action
Workshop and webinar series supporting
busy educators, paraprofessionals, and
other service providers trying to fully
include their students in the general
education curriculum. Attend in person
or online!
Remaining Sessions & Dates:
Using Web-Based Adapted Books to
Connect Students with Disabilities to the
General Education Curriculum
Webinar: March 8, 2012
In-Person Workshop: March 15, 2012
Writing Standards-Based Individual
Education Plans (IEPs) with Measurable
Objectives
Webinar: April 5, 2012
In-Person Workshop: April 12, 2012
Using Collaborative Teaming to Support
Learning of the General Education
Curriculum by Students with Disabilities
Webinar: May 3, 2012
In-Person Workshop: May 10, 2012
Time: 4pm – 6pm EST | Cost: $59 each
Location: IOD Professional Development
Center, Concord, NH (in-person only)
Presenter: Laurie Lambert, M.Ed.
Creating a Dementia-Friendly Home
Training on how environmental factors
can affect an individual with dementia,
along with many simple, low-cost
modifications that can be made in most
households.
Date & Location: March 16, 2012 –
IOD Professional Development Center,
Concord, NH
Time: 9am – 4:30pm | Cost: $99
Presenters: Cathy Creapaux & Janet
Dineen
The Paraeducator’s Toolbox: Practical
Strategies to Support Students with
Learning and Behavioral Challenges
Join your colleagues and expand your
own toolbox of strategies to ensure
that classrooms are well-supported,
all students are learning, and solutions
are implemented successfully through
collaboration.
Remaining Sessions:
March 23, 2012 – Supporting a
Welcoming Class and Meaningful
Relationships
Presenter: Susan Shapiro, M.Ed.
May 7, 2012 – Planned and On-the-Sport
Curriculum Accommodations in the
Inclusive Classroom
Presenter: Laurie Lambert, M.Ed.
Time: 9am – 3pm | Cost: $115 each
Location: IOD Professional Development
Center, Concord, NH
Webinar – iPad 201: Accessories,
Adaptations, and Awesome App
Resources
Using a combination of short video clips,
photos, and an extensive resource list,
this 90-minute live webinar will help
individuals select the appropriate iPad
apps, accessories, and adaptations for
users with disabilities.
Date & Location: April 3, 2012 – Online
Time: 3:30pm – 5pm EDT | Cost: $59
Presenter: Therese Willkomm, Ph.D., ATP
Navigating Choice and Change
in Later Life: Frameworks for
Implementing Person-Centered
Planning
An introduction to person-centered
planning for adults, including an
overview of what is meant by a personcentered system of care. Information
on how to facilitate person-centered
planning meetings and tools to use
in the planning process will also be
presented.
Date & Location: April 13, 2012 –
IOD Professional Development Center,
Concord, NH
Time: 9am – 3:30pm | Cost: $75
Presenters: Susan Fox, M.Ed., MA, & Patty
Cotton, M.Ed.
Building a System of Care for New
Hampshire Children: A Statewide
Leadership Summit to Support Student
Behavioral Health
Receive training on cutting-edge,
evidence-based practices to improve
outcomes for youth with emotional/
behavioral challenges, help mold an
emerging statewide vision for children’s
mental health, and participate
in regional strategic planning
conversations.
Date & Location: April 17, 2012 –
Center of NH Radisson, Manchester, NH
Time: 8am – 3pm | Cost: $99
Presenters: Lew Feldstein, Lucille Eber,
Ed.D., Dan Habib, Kelsey Carroll, and
JoAnne Malloy, Ph.D.
Using iPads to Achieve Educational
Success for Students with Disabilities
Improve educational outcomes for
students with disabilities by exploring
numerous iPad apps and accessories
with benefits for a wide range of
learners.
Date & Location: May 2, 2012 –
Grappone Conf. Center, Concord, NH
Time: 9am – 3:30pm | Cost: $120
Presenter: Therese Willkomm, Ph.D., ATP
Save the Date
14th Annual Autism Summer Institute
Dates: August 6–8, 2012
Location: Grappone Conf. Center,
Concord, NH
7th Annual APEX Summer Leadership
Institute
Dates: August 15–16, 2012
Location: Attitash Grand Summit Hotel
and Conf. Center, Bartlett, NH
For more information and to register, visit www.iod.unh.edu or call 603.228.2084
3
IOD Leadership
Charles E. Drum, MPA, JD, Ph.D. – Director
Linda Bimbo, MS – Deputy Director
Susan Fox, M.Ed., MA – Clinical Assistant
Professor
Matthew Gianino, BA – Associate Director,
Communications & Technology
Andrew Houtenville, Ph.D. – Research Director
Mary C. Schuh, Ph.D. – Associate Director,
Consumer Affairs & Development
Executive Committee
Carol Stamatakis – Executive Director
New Hampshire Developmental
Disabilities Council
www.nhddc.org
Matthew Ertas – Bureau Chief
Bureau of Developmental Services
New Hampshire Department of Health
and Human Services
www.dhhs.state.nh.us/DHHS/BDS
Neil B. Vroman, Ph.D. – Interim Dean
College of Health and Human Services
University of New Hampshire
www.chhs.unh.edu
Santina Thibedeau – State Director of
Special Education
New Hampshire Department of Education
www.ed.state.nh.us
Richard Cohen, JD – Executive Director
Disabilities Rights Center
www.drcnh.org
UCED Partners
Tom Bunnell, JD – Director
Institute for Health, Law and Ethics
Franklin Pierce Law Center
www.fplc.edu
John Moeschler, MD – Program Director
Dartmouth Center for Genetics and Child
Development
Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center
www.dhmc.org
4
Consumer Advisory Council
Robin Carlson – Laconia, NH
Gina Colantuoni – Bow, NH
Jeff Dickenson – Concord, NH
Bonnie Dunham – Concord, NH
Nathan Gams – Hampton, NH
Sandy Hicks – Manchester, NH
Beth Hillsgrove – Dover, NH
Amy Howe – Hopkinton, NH
Cabrinni Kulish – Loudon, NH
Dan Louney – Bedford, NH
Kirsten Murphy – Hanover, NH
Julie Noel – Concord, NH
Mary Schuh – Concord, NH
Chrissy Shaffer – Litchfield, NH
Julie Smith – Durham, NH
Jim Tobin – Effingham, NH
Pat Vincent-Piet – Concord, NH
Kathryn Wallenstein – Concord, NH
Marian West – Concord, NH
Support the IOD!
As a community oriented nonprofit focused on ensuring that
equal opportunities and a
satisfying quality of life are
accessible to all persons, we
rely on the generosity of
supporters like you to help
further the mission of the IOD. If
you would like to contribute to
the IOD, tax-deductible
donations can be made:
Online
www.iod.unh.edu
Research Shows Reluctance to Hire in Hospitality
According to new research from the University
of New Hampshire, people with disabilities
seeking employment in the U.S. hospitality
industry face employers who are often reluctant
to hire them because of preconceived notions
that they cannot do the job and that they are
more costly to employ than people without
disabilities.
accommodations are a tried-and-true method
for addressing the nature of the work,” the
researchers said.
Employers also cited the cost of workplace
accommodations, the cost of workers’
compensation, the nature of work, coworkers’
attitudes, discomfort and unfamiliarity, and lack
of knowledge of the effectiveness of people with
disabilities as employment barriers.
Using the Office of Disability Employment
Policy Employer’s Survey as their data
The researchers said offering tax credits to
source, UNH researchers Andrew Houtenville,
offset accommodation costs and productivity
associate professor of economics and research
differences may encourage companies to employ
director of the UNH Institute on Disability,
people with disabilities.
and Valentini Kalargyrou,
assistant professor of hospitality “The most frequently cited “In addition, disability
management, analyzed data from challenge or concern…is awareness training is frequently
320 hospitality companies in
that the nature of the work cited as a useful tool to
the United States. They found
facilitate the employment
is such that it cannot be
similar concerns and challenges
of people with disabilities,”
effectively performed by
regarding employment of people people with disabilities…” the researchers said. “Such
with disabilities.
training would address and
correct misconceptions such as the concern
“We found prejudice, stereotyping, and limited
that those with disabilities lack the appropriate
choices in employment as employment barriers
competencies to be effective in their jobs, are
for people with disabilities, but the chief
less productive, and are more accident-prone.”
concern among those in this survey involved the
bottom line,” said the researchers, who are both The research is presented in the journal Cornell
professors at the UNH Whittemore School of
Hospitality Quarterly in the article “People
Business and Economics.
with Disabilities: Employers’ Perspectives
on Recruitment Practices, Strategies, and
“The most frequently cited challenge or concern
Challenges in Leisure and Hospitality.”
among hospitality and leisure companies
is that the nature of the work is such that it
For more information on IOD research, visit
cannot be effectively performed by people
www.iod.unh.edu/research.
with disabilities, even though workplace
From the Director: Reflections on the First Year
On January 18, 2012, I reached the one-year
anniversary of being appointed director of the
Institute on Disability.
It has been an interesting and satisfying year.
There have been a few changes at the IOD over
the last year, mainly because the environment
that we work in has changed. Like many
organizations that are sustained by grants
and contracts, the economic climate has
been challenging for us. We have worked to
augment our traditional strengths in technical
assistance, training, and model demonstration
projects with an increased emphasis on
research and evaluation. Other changes include
establishing a new management team and
increasing opportunities for IOD faculty and
staff to participate in decision-making in the
organization.
On a personal level, I have enjoyed getting to
know the people who work here and the breadth
of programs and projects at the IOD. I have
enjoyed meeting some of the leaders in the
disability community and from state and local
agencies.
It has also been thought-provoking being
exposed to New Hampshire values and habits
and the culture of the state. And can anyone
explain to me what happened to winter?
What does the future
hold for IOD? As
many people know,
the University of
New Hampshire is
facing budgetary
challenges. We hope
that these challenges
will not affect
the work of the
IOD, and we have
taken a number of
steps to ensure that we continue to be a strong
organization. We plan on increasing the amount
of research projects being conducted at IOD,
while at the same time maintaining our excellent
and technical assistance, training, and service
provision activities.
Regardless of how our portfolio of projects and
activities may change, our commitment to the
fundamental mission of the IOD and supporting
individuals with disabilities and their families
has not, and will not, change.
Charles Drum, MPA, JD, Ph.D.
Director, Institute on Disability
Mail
56 Old Suncook Road, Suite 2
Concord, NH 03301
Phone
603.228.2084
An IOD staff member will assist
you with the process and
answer any questions you may
have about your contribution.
Stay Connected
For the latest IOD news, follow the Institute on Disability on Facebook and Twitter:
www.facebook.com/instituteondisability
www.twitter.com/unhiod