WNY Service Coordination Institute
CASE: Center for Autism Support and Education
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Home > About Us
About Parent Network of WNY
Parent Network of WNY is a parent-led community resource for parents of children with special needs and professionals working with individuals with disabilities. We are a designated Technical Assistance Parent Center funded by New York State Education Department (NYSED) and several other funding sources. We are also professional members of several local, state and national organizations such as the Developmental Disabilities Alliance of WNY, NYS Disability Advocacy Association and the National Alliance for Information and Referral.
Who We Serve
Parent Network staff specialize in empowering parents to communicate effectively with professionals and successfully advocate for their children. Professionals and parents/caregivers play a critical role in helping children with special needs achieve success in their lives. Since Parent Network reorganized in 2001 over 10,000 people have used our services. What We Do
Parent Network provides parents/caregivers of children with special needs, the tools necessary to allow them to take an active role in their child's education. This is accomplished through:
- Comprehensive information and referral service
- Seminars, workshops and conferences on various special education topics.
- Extensive library and resource materials housed in the Dena B. Goldstein Family Resource Initiative.
- Website and bimonthly newsletter, Special Insights, providing local, state and federal information.
Networks
In our ever-present goal to reach families we collaborate with a large group of organizations that serve the community. We have affiliated ourselves with a number of local organizations including Baker Victory Services, Erie 1 BOCES, EPIC (Every Person Influences Children), and the New York State Education Department (VESID).This is done through joint planning and implementation of trainings, participation in events and being a resource about disability related topics. The diagram below represents these networks:
Workshops/Seminars
Parent Network of WNY offers a wide variety of workshops/seminars. Current topics are listed below. For a list of upcoming workshops, click here. As Parent Network of WNY continues to grow and evolve, we are constantly developing new workshops. If you have thoughts and/or suggestions about topics, contact us.
Special Education
- Overview of Special Education
- Overview of Special Education (Spanish)
- Development of a Meaningful IEP
- Transition: From School To Adulthood
Services
- Roles of the Service Coordinator
- Overview of Office of Mental Health (OMH)
- Overview of Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities (OMRDD)
- Home Modifications
Disability Specific
- Autism
- Down syndrome
- Nonverbal Learning Disabilities
Helpful for Everyone
- Assistive Technology
- Advocacy Skills
- Benefits/Financial Planning
- Guardianship/Wills/Trusts
- BinderBuilding Workshop
- Can I Make It?
- Inclusion: Know Your Choices
- Making It Work: Effective Communication
- Person Centered Planning
- Homework Help
- Keys to Empowerment
- Sensory Integration Dysfunction
- Letting Go...Empowering Your Child
