We are advocates for the rights of children with disabilities and the parents who care for them. We support the mission of the Guam Interagency Coordinating Council (GICC), which is a federally mandated statewide interagency group that advises and assists agencies providing early intervention services to young children birth to 5 years old, with or at risk for disabilities and their families. GICC further advises and assists the lead agency in the development and implementation of policies constituting the island-wide system of coordinated services, participating public and private agencies who are involved with early intervention services for children, birth through five years old and their families.

Guam ICC Website Updates


Guam ICC Website Updates


Monday, November 10, 2014

WOW!  Another Training opportunity JUST FOR YOU!! Please take advantage of this great opportunity with our qualified service provider.
Parent Training - Assistive Technology
Time:  5:30pm—7:00pm
Place: Chief Brodie Elem. School, SPED Training Rm. 2

For special accommodations or to register by phone, call DOE SPED Parent Service Office at 300-1322; or E-mail the Division of Special Education at sped@gdoe.net.

GAS CARDS WILL BE PROVIDED!

Monday, October 6, 2014

This month's parent training will be an ADULT ONLY training. Mr. Castro will be covering topics such as bad language/cuss words, signs dealing with sex and/or intimacy, drugs & alcohol and similar adult content.

This is important information for parents to know so they can communicate guidance in these areas and to be aware of what signs may be expressed among peers.

Parent Training - Sign Language
Time:  5:30pm—7:00pm
Place: Chief Brodie Elem. School, SPED Training Rm. 2

For special accommodations or to register by phone, call DOE SPED Parent Service Office at 300-1322; or E-mail the Division of Special Education at sped@gdoe.net.

GAS CARDS WILL BE PROVIDED!

Friday, September 26, 2014

Parent Trainings Location: Chief Brodie Elementary School, Tamuning Special Education Training Room, Room 2 Time: 5:30pm - 7:00pm Guam Advisory Panel for Students with Disabilities (GAPSD) Meetings Location: Chief Brodie Elementary School, Tamuning Special Education Training Room, Room 2 Time: 9:00am - 12:00pm

Wednesday, September 17, 2014

Hafa Adai!  We are excited to announce a partnership with Hagatna Library and SPED Vision Program.

This is another SPEDTACULAR opportunity.  Please take advantage of theEXCEPTIONAL services for our students and families in the community.

The Hagatna Library Team will conduct a 15-20 minute presentation on services for the Blind and Physically Disabled. SPED service providers will be on-site to assist. In addition, time will also be allotted for questions and answers regarding services.  

Applications for a "FREE" Guam Public Library System (GPLS) Library Card will be available.

Parent Training 
Services for the Blind and Physically Disabled at the Hagatna Library
Place: Hagatna Library

For special accommodations or to register by phone, call DOE SPED Parent Service Office at 300-1321/300-2292; or E-mail the Division of Special Education at sped@gdoe.net.

GAS CARDS WILL BE PROVIDED!

Tuesday, September 16, 2014

Parent Training - Sensory and Motor


Date:  September 18,2014 (Thursday)
Time:  5:30pm—7:00pm
Place: Chief Brodie Elem. School, Rm. 2

For special accommodations or to register by phone, call DOE SPED Parent Service Office at 300-1322; or E-mail the Division of Special Education at sped@gdoe.net.

GAS CARDS WILL BE PROVIDED!

Sunday, June 1, 2014

The ICC Quarterly Meeting is scheduled for Monday, June 16, 2014, 4:00pm-6:00pm at the Head Start Office Conference Room, located in Tiyan, next to Guahan Charter School. Please feel free to contact us for directions.

Saturday, May 24, 2014

PEP Website: http://www.peptalkdisabilities.com


PEP Island-Wide Disability Conference a Success!

Jo Mascorro, Keynote Speaker and Education Consultant from San Antonio, Texas, wows the crowd with her tips and humor.

Jo Mascorro is awarded a cultural plaque for her insightful keynote presentation at PEP's 1st Annual Island-Wide Conference on Disabilities held May 24, 2014 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel.

The Parents Empowering Parents (PEP) 1st Annual Island-Wide Conference on Disabilities held May 24, 2014 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel was meaningful. The theme of the conference was Don't Look Now, YOUR Behavior is Showing! - Strategies to Assist in Teaching Ownership and Management of Behavior.  It featured renown Keynote Speaker Jo Mascorro, Consultant for Education, from San Antonio, Texas.

The conference began with a thought-reflective quote by Helen Keller, which includes the following:  "A person who is severely impaired never knows his hidden sources of strength until he is treated like a normal human being and encouraged to shape his own life."

Behavior protocols for the teacher and student were reviewed.  The teacher must focus on Self, Instruction/Expectations, Environment, and Parameters.  When working with the student, we need to focus on Targeted Behaviors, Student Specifics (Info), Interventions, and Opportunities.

Some ideas reflected on include to focus on "YOU" to make a difference; behavior and words have to match; we must be a role model 100% of the the time; be detailed with praises; and do not measure madness.  Other ideas I was reminded of were to allow for wait time to process, and don't sweat the small stuff.  With regards to Instruction/Expectations, we must be mindful that the brain struggles with "right now."  The brain demand is inclusive of "Hear, See, Do!"  It records and playback.  All brains need to anticipate who, what, when, where, why, and how.  With regards to the environment, we must ensure that it is conducive.  After observing the room environment, we may also reflect and question, "Would you want to go in there?"  The campus parameters can be connected with policies and procedures.  Mascorro reminded the participants that "They're (children) counting on you to set parameters."  This is because parameters validate parameters.  She further mentioned that we "should teach now while they're short."  Other autism resources she recommended were Taylor Crowe and Steven Hinkle.

We reviewed that adults ponder from the frontal lobe; anticipation is critical; and the importance of directives in "3's," such as, "Hear, See, Do!"  It's important to have visuals, rituals, and routines.  We must also always approach from the front first.  In addition, there is a difference between opportunity and intervention.  An opportunity occurs after the fact and is a reaction, whereas the intervention is a replacement behavior.  Also, intervention is the skill that is learned to do instead of the unwanted behavior.  It is person specific, so it depends on the child.

Positive Behavior Support phrasing examples were also introduced.  As part of this, we must keep in mind that the number of words used is driven by the cognitive ability of the student.  More specifically, we were reminded to use "By" to clarify what we say; avoid "?" phrases when the emotion center has turned on; say what you SEE and say what you WANT; (Describe behavior)..."tells me you want (+)"; and (Describe behavior)..."tells me you want (-)"

Lastly, the reflective question she posed a few times were, "How's that working for you?"  She said that if you want positive change to happen, "You got to work it!  You have to put it in before you can get it out!"

Friday, May 16, 2014

SPED Presentation: Does your Child Need a One-to One Aide? - May 22

SPEDTACULAR training being provided just for YOU

Session Title:  Does your Child Need a One-to One Aide?

Consultant:  Cathy Pratt, Ph.D., BCBA-D

Description:  This session will engage parents in a discussion on the importance of starting with the end-in-mind- the long term goals for their child - to determine the educational supports needed, including the use of one-to-one aides.  

Date:  Thursday, May 22, 2014
Time:   5-8pm
Location: UOG School of Business Building, Room 131-IT&E Lecture Hall
ABOUT THE CONSULTANT:
Dr. Cathy Pratt is the Director of the Indiana Resource Center for Autism at the Indiana Institute on Disability and Community located at Indiana University. Dr. Pratt is on faculty at Indiana University, and presents internationally. Dr. Pratt serves on numerous Advisory Boards, including the Advisory Boards of Maap Services, Inc., the College Internship Program, the Autism Society of Indiana, and the Temple Grandin/Eustacia Cutler Autism Fund. In the past, she served on the Board of the national Autism Society and is the Immediate Past Chair. Dr. Pratt also serves on the Panel of Professional Advisors for the Autism Society and is a member of NATTAP (Network of Autism Training and Technical Assistance Programs). Dr. Pratt also assists with the coordination of the Autism Special Interest Group (SIG) through the Association of University Centers on Disability (AUCD). She served as a member of the public review committee for the Research Roadmap of the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee and in 2010 was invited to the White House to provide feedback on the president’s initiatives on autism spectrum disorders. She writes and presents on the following topics: autism spectrum disorders, functional behavior assessment/positive behavior supports, applied behavior analysis, instructional approaches, systems change, and policy. Prior to pursuing her doctorate at Indiana University, Dr. Pratt worked as a classroom teacher for students across the autism spectrum and with other disabilities. Dr. Pratt earned her BCBA and is now a board certified behavior analyst.

Please confirm you participation by responding to this e-mail or call Parent Services at 300-1321/2 no later than Wednesday, 5/21/14.

Sunday, April 20, 2014

Parent Training - Basic Sign Language - April 24


Date: April 24,2014 (Thursday)
Time: 5:30 p.m. — 7:00 p.m.
Location: Chief Brodie Elem. School, Rm. 2
For special accommodations or to register by phone, call the DOE SPED Parent Service Office at 300-1322, or e-mail the Division of Special Education at sped@gdoe.net.
GAS CARDS WILL BE PROVIDED!

Monday, April 14, 2014

Parent Cafe- April 25

The Head Start Parent Cafe team will be hosting a Parent Cafe on April 25 from 8:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. at the Pacific Star (formerly Marriott) Hotel. The theme will be on "Building Strong Relationships with Your Children."  It will also cover all 5 Protective Factors. If you are interested, call 735-2438.

Friday, April 4, 2014

Week of the Young Child



We will be celebrating the Week of the Young Child from April 7 - 11, 2014.  Everyday the different early childhood programs will be facilitating a Parent Training at Astumbo Gym, Sinajana Mayor's Office, and the Agat Mayor's Office in the morning from 9:00am - 10:30am and in the evening from 5:30pm - 7:00pm. 
As part of the parent trainings we will also be facilitating a Parent Cafe on April 9, from 5:30pm - 7:00pm at the Sinajana Mayor's Office and also on Friday, from 9:00am - 10:30am at the Agat Mayor's Office.

You are invited to attend the Week of the Young Child, Proclamation Signing on Friday, April 4, at 10:30 a.m. in the Governor's Cabinet Conference Room at Adelup.

Thursday, April 3, 2014

Parent Training - Use Stories To Build Oral Communication Skills

We all tell stories about everyday events. Find out how you can use stories to build oral communication skills by joining us for an evening session with Verna Chinen, M.S. CCC-SLP on Thursday, April 10, 2014, 5-8pm, at UOG School of Business Building, Room 131. Ms. Chinen is the Hawaii Department of Education State Coordinator responsible for the management of speech-language pathology, occupational therapy and physical therapy program statewide. During this session, Ms. Chinen will share ideas on how to increase language literacy through storytelling and storybooks. Please confirm you participation by responding to this e-mail or call Parent Services at 300-1322 no later than Wednesday, 4/9/14.

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

Parent Training - Manifestation Determination, January 28 (Tuesday), 5:30p -700p

Dear Parents,

Please take advantage of the upcoming Parent Training.  

What:   Manifestation Determination - Discipline Procedures

When:  January 28, 2014 530p - 700p

COST:  FREE.

To Register:    Please call DOE SPED Parent Services Office at 300-1322 or 300-1321 or email sped@gdoe.net.

HURRY and Register!!! Space is Limited.

Parent Workshop - An Overview of the Special Education Process, February 1, 2014

Dear Parents,

Please take advantage of the upcoming Parent Workshop.  

What:   An Overview of the Special Education Process
When:  February 1, 2014, 8:30a - 2:00p
Why:  This workshop will help you:
  • Be an active participant in your child's IEP Process
  • Increase familiarity with the special education forms
  • increase awareness of supports and services
COST:  FREE. Gas Coupons will be provided.

To Register:    Please call DOE SPED Parent Services Office at 300-1322 or 300-1321 or email sped@gdoe.net.

HURRY and Register!!! Space is Limited.