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For
some students, printed instructional materials can be a barrier to
participation and achievement in the general education curriculum. Accessible educational materials (AEM) remove that
barrier. Under the Individuals with
Disabilities Education Act, state and local education agencies must ensure
that children with disabilities who need AEM in the four specialized formats (audio,
braille, digital text, and large print) receive those materials in a timely manner,
which is defined in Ohio as the delivery of the accessible materials at the
same time as their peers receive their materials.
The
Center for Instructional Supports and
Accessible Materials (CISAM) works with school districts to locate AEM for
students with print disabilities through their onsite collection, the annual
Federal Quota Registration of Blind Students, and other sources. CISAM assists
Ohio school district personnel in accessing National
Instructional Materials Accessibility Standard (NIMAS) electronic
files, adapting the NIMAS files into the four specialized formats, assigning
the NIMAS files to accessible media producers, and/or producing the accessible
materials for eligible students. To request AEM for students who can benefit
from specialized formats, complete and return a CISAM Materials Request form. Now is the time
to send in requests for AEM for the 2016-2017 school year to CISAM.
Please
share this information with the appropriate personnel in your district. Questions
regarding submitting an AEM request can be directed to Judy Siens at 614-644-8357
or jsiens@cisamoh.org.
Access
the following links for additional information:
Participants
will gain strategies to:
- Strengthen
relationships between early childhood professionals, families and children;
- Create
environments to foster social emotional growth/learning; and
-
Prevent
challenging behavior.
Early
childhood classroom and itinerant teachers, early intervention providers,
developmental specialists, administrators, and undergraduate and graduate
students welcome.
As
required, the Ohio Department of Education is reviewing the Autism Scholarship
program rules. Generally, the rule changes seek to do a number of things:
- Rescind portions of the rules that simply restated the statute;
- Specify
the deadlines for parents to apply for a scholarship for an eligible student;
- Update
the reporting requirements to accurately reflect ODE’s shift to an electronic
application process for both parents and providers; and
- Establish
clear guidance as to the documentation required from private providers to
demonstrate fiscal soundness.
Stakeholder
review is an important step in the process. You may provide any comments or
suggestions or ask questions you may have concerning the proposed changes to
the rules by the close of business March 25, 2016.
To review the rules and comment:
- Go
to the autism scholarship web page at www.education.ohio.gov/autism,
- Click
on the Autism Scholarship Program: Five-Year Rule Review quick link on the left
side of the page.
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