Tag Archives: Michigan

MSU Announces Study for Kids with Cerebral Palsy in Michigan.

MSU Announces Study for Kids with Cerebral Palsy in Michigan.

A new Conductive Education Evaluation Project (CEEP) study is being conducted by the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics of Michigan State University. They are looking for children in Michigan who have been diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy, and are between the ages of 2 and 6.

From the brochure:

“Conductive Education (CE) combines the development of physical, social, and thinking skills in a daily educational program for children with motor disabilities such as CP or spina bifida. It’s goal is to teach children how to make the most use of their muscles and to encourage social interaction and independence. Children learn in a small group setting with attention to individual needs. Many CE activities use rhythm, music, a specially designed exercise equipment.

Conductive Education was developed in Hungary in 1945 and is currently practiced in over 30 countries. Grand Rapids’ private, non-profit Conductive Learning Center was established in 1998. Find more information about CLC’s work at its website: Conductive Learning Center.”

Who Is Eligible To Participate

“We’re recruiting 2-6 year olds who are residents of the State of Michigan, diagnosed with cerebral palsy, offering a free 4-week session at the Grand Rapids, Michigan Conductive Learning Center, whose program we are studying.  Because CEEP is funded by the Michigan Department of Education, children must be state residents to participate.”

What happens when you enroll?

“You and your child will be interviewed by the CLC director for eligibility in the study.

If eligible, your child will be assessed with standardized tests to learn about their movement abilities. These assessments can be enjoyable for children. Assessments will be videotaped with copies available on request.

Parents will be asked to complete several questionnaires about their child’s physical and social skills and activities.

At no cost, your child will receive a four-week Conductive Education session (a total of 60 to 100 hours) at CLC.”

The Conductive Education Evaluation Project (CEEP)

“CEEP is a research project designed at Michigan State University by the Cerbral Palsy Outreach Network (CPON) team. The study will compare the effectiveness of Conductive Education to other cerebral palsy services for children ages 2-6. Families will be asked to participate i a free four week long Conductive Education session that fits their child’s age and abilities.”

How To Enroll:

Download the following CEEP Study Brochure .pdf for more details.

ceep study brochure

Or contact:

Deborah Weiland, MSN,                                                                                                                           CEEP Study Coordinator Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics                                             909 Fee Road, B601                                                                                                                            Michigan State University                                                                                                                        East Lansing, MI 48824                                                                                                                                              Ph: 517-432-7182 / Toll Free 877-417-6824                                                                                       Email: dweiland@epi.msu.edu

 

Special Parents Confidential Episode 33 Lt. Governor Brian Calley Returns

Lt. Governor Brian Calley Returns.

What a difference a year can make. In December of 2014, the Michigan Joint Committee on Administrative Rules was going to approve some changes to the Michigan Administrative Rules for Special Education (MARSE) that would have severely impacted parent participation in their children’s education. However, during the only Public Comment time the committee allowed, Michigan’s Lieutenant. Governor, Brian Calley asked the committee to suspend the meeting and take no further action, because he felt that there had not been an adequate amount of time to allow parents to have input into the rules changes.

What followed next, in 2015, was an unprecedented listening tour undertaken by the Lieutenant Governor. He traveled around the State, holding public meetings where he listened to parents of special needs children talk about their concerns. These meetings were up to two hours in length, during which the Lt. Governor said very little and allowed every parent who attended to speak.

I was privileged to attend the meeting the Lieutenant Governor held in Grand Rapids, and had a chance to ask him if he would be a guest on Special Parents Confidential to talk about his efforts. That interview took place in June and you can listen to it here – Special Parents Confidential Episode 24.

In November of 2015, Lt. Governor Calley completed his listening tour and compiled a report summarizing the key points from parents for Michigan Governor Rick Snyder, who then appointed Lt. Governor Calley to head a Special Education Reform Task Force, which would take the Lt. Governor’s report and make a recommendations strategy for the State Board of Education. That report was presented to the Board of Education in January of 2016.

We are very pleased that Lt. Governor Brian Calley has taken time from his schedule to talk to us on Special Parents Confidential about the Special Education Reforms that the Task Force has recommended, and what Michigan families can do to help. Lt. Governor Calley also talks about a new project that he and Michigan Supreme Court Justice Richard Bernstein (who I interviewed in August of 2015 – Special Parents Confidential Episode 30) are working on together, called the Hidden Talent Tour.

As always a reminder that if you like this episode of Special Parents Confidential or any episode we’ve done, please share our site with your friends, family, and all your connections on social media. You can do this easily with the social media buttons located right below this paragraph. Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, add us on Google Plus, Tumbler, Linked In, Pintrest, Stumble Upon, Reddit, or other social media sites that you use. You can also sign up for our email service and have new posts and podcast episodes delivered right to your inbox the moment they’re available online. That form is located to the right of this text. We’re also on iTunes, Stitcher, and Poddirectory as a free subscription and if you have a moment, feel free to write a review about our podcast on either of those sites. Anything you can do to help spread the word about Special Parents Confidential will help us be able to continue these podcasts.
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Links mentioned in the podcast:

Michigan Lieutenant Governor Brian Calley’s Website

Summary of the Special Education Reform Task Force Recommendations

Full Report of the Special Education Task Force (.pdf form)

Information on the members of the Special Education Task Force

Information on the Michigan Hidden Talent Tour 

Michigan Senate Website – including the Find Your Senator link

Michigan House Website – including the Find Your Representative link

 

Special Parents Confidential Episode 24 MI Lt. Governor Brian Calley

MI Lt. Governor Brian Calley.

Michigan, like many states, has been working on changes to laws in special education to make sure that the rules are up to date and following the laws that are set down in the Federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, or IDEA, which are the main requirements of how special education is to be handled across the United States.

Last December in Lansing, the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules was going to approve some changes to the Michigan Administrative Rules for Special Education (MARSE) that would have severely impacted parent participation in their children’s education. The Joint Committee was holding a public meeting to take comments from parents back on December 11th, when an unexpected guest stepped forward. 

Michigan’s Lt. Governor, Brian Calley asked that the Committee not approve the proposed changes and take no further action, because he believed that there needed to be more participation from parents in this process. The Committee agreed, and shelved the rules. Since that time, Lt. Governor Calley has embarked on a series of open meetings across the State of Michigan, where he invites parents to talk about their experiences with Special Education in their local districts. He’s also created an online survey for Michigan parents to highlight their experiences, both good and bad, in dealing with Special Education services in their districts.

What the Lt. Governor is doing is an extraordinary step in making sure that parents are more involved in determining special education procedures for their children in the IEP (Individualized Education Plan) process. We are very please to have Michigan Lt. Governor Brian Calley on this episode of Special Parents Confidential to talk about what the changes to the MARSE regulations would have meant, and the personal reasons why he’s made special education in Michigan an important priority.

Links that are mentioned in the podcast: 

Michigan LT. Governor Brian Calley – the official State Website.

Lt Governor Calley’s Online Special Education Survey

The Lt. Governor’s Facebook Page

PR.150610.CalleySpecialEducationSurvey – Press release with detailed explanation of Lt. Governor Calley’s online survey.

As always, a reminder that if you like this episode of Special Parents Confidential or any episode we’ve done, please share our site with your friends, family, and all your connections on social media. You can do this easily with the social media buttons on our website. Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, add us on Google Plus, Tumbler, Linked In, Pintrest, Stumble Upon, Reddit, or other social media sites you use. You can also sign up for our email service and have new posts and podcast episodes delivered right to your inbox the moment they’re available online. We’re also on iTunes and Stitcher as a free subscription, and if you have a moment, feel free to write a review about our podcast. Anything you can do to help spread the word about Special Parents Confidential will help us be able to continue these podcasts.