PARENT ROUNDTABLE:

Talking With Your Child About Their Disability

Your child's disability may be emotional, physical, intellectual, sensory, or a combination, but one thing we all have in common is the need to talk with them about their disability. While we know it is important to be age-appropriate and open to revisiting the conversation as they mature, it is also very typical for parents to avoid the conversation for fear of making their child feel like they can't succeed or to infuse too much of their own emotion into the dialogue.

Wherever you are on the comfort scale, we invite you to join our upcoming parent roundtable. Moderated by Needham parent Mira Tamir Spiegel, the panel will be made up of parents with kids of different ages, genders, and disabilities, as well as a student who will discuss their experience.

This event will not be recorded.

Monday, January 24 • 7pm • Join Zoom here • Meeting ID: 818 0567 8651 • Passcode: 703538

Monthly Meeting

All parents and guardians are invited to join for updates from the district special education administrators, followed by a special presentation titled Annual Update: The Intersectionality of Special Education, METCO and ELL.

This month, SEPAC welcomes back Joanne Allen-Willoughby, PhD (METCO Director) and Jamie Singalais (Director of English Language Learner Education/Teacher) to discuss the intersectionality of Special Education, METCO, and ELL and share details about how their programs support families in Needham Public Schools. To ensure that we can address as many questions and concerns as possible during the session, we are encouraging submissions in advance. Please email your comments to the SEPAC Co-chairs at co-chairs@needhamsepac.org. Your name will not be attributed to the comment unless you request otherwise.

The remaining time is reserved for parent-only discussion, to share experiences, and ask questions in a safe and supportive environment.

Tuesday, January 25 • 12-1:30pm • Zoom • Meeting ID: 617 696 9653 • Passcode: 383531 • Agenda