SPED*NET New Canaan

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SPED*NET, Special Education Network of New Canaan, Ltd.
P.O.Box 1612
New Canaan, CT 06840

President: Judi Anders; Vice-president: Denise Buckenheimer; Treasurer and Past President: Beth Lurie; Board Members: Becky Duplock, Meghan Cioffi, Wendy Davis, Heather Devitt, Laurie Gupta, Victoria Muñoz, and Virginia Tierney. Founder and Executive Director: Anne Treimanis.

Mission: We educate the public on special education and disability-related issues. We empower parents, professionals, and children to become more effective advocates in their schools and communities. We serve as a resource for disability-related information.

SPED*NET is a monthly forum for discussing ideas and developing strategies for special education and §504 issues.

To see what we’ve done in previous years, click here.

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2011 - 2012

September 10, 2011: Hair Cut-a-thon for Autism. Please consider getting your hair cut and/or styled at Lisa’s Classic Cuts, 16 Cross Street, New Canaan. Proceeds go to SPED*NET New Canaan to raise money for a sensory friendly fitness path at Waveny Park in New Canaan. Construction begins this fall! Call Lisa at 203-966-3799 for an appointment. Noon to 6pm.
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October 8, 2011: Hair Cut-a-thon for Autism. Please consider getting your hair cut and/or styled at Lisa’s Classic Cuts, 16 Cross Street, New Canaan. Proceeds go to SPED*NET New Canaan to raise money for a sensory friendly fitness path at Waveny Park in New Canaan. Construction taking place this fall! Call Lisa at 203-966-3799 for an appointment. Noon to 6pm.
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October 15, 2011: Saturday, 9:00am. SPED*NET New Canaan and New Balance Fitness Area Dedication and Ribbon Cutting ceremony. Location: Waveny Park New Canaan across from the mansion. This is a sensory friendly fitness path built for everyone in the entire community, designed with the needs of individuals with Autism in mind. Celebrate our project that is finally completed after three years of hard work, dedication and commitment. The fitness area is perfect for individuals with Autism 12 years or older. The area is available to the entire community including seniors and athletes.
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October 19, 2011: Wednesday, 7 - 8:30pm. Wine Tasting event, portion of proceeds donated to SPED*NET New Canaan. New Canaan Wine Merchants, 36 PIne Street, New Canaan. RSPVP to info@newcanaanwine.com or 203-972-0100. Enjoy an evening with Luca Sanjust, proprietor of Petrolo featuring Galatrona.
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October 26, 2011: It’s time for a Girl’s Night Out! Wednesday, 7:30-9:30pm. Becky Duplock have invited you and a friend to a Silpada Multi-hostess Jewelry Party! Held at 139 Southwood Drive, New Canaan, CT. RSVP: Becky at 203 594-1431 or duplock007@mac.com. NO PRESSURE, NO PRESENTATION! Just friends and fun “dressing Up” with Silpada Jewelry! Wine & Appetizers served! Proceeds to SPED*NET New Canaan.
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October 27, 2011: 10 to noon, Thursday. Creating Fluent Readers. Many struggling readers acquire the phonetic skills required to sound out unfamiliar words long before they possess the requisite fluency to comprehend fully what they are reading. This presentation will explore the concept — and critical importance — of fluency, as well as effective means of measuring and remediating difficulties in this arena. Speaker is Sheryl Knapp, M.Ed., A/AOGPE, Founder, Literacy Advocates. For more info on Sheryl Knapp, check http://literacyadvocates.com. Held at the Waveny House, Waveny Park, New Canaan, CT. Refreshments served. Sponsored by SPED*NET, Special Education Network of New Canaan. RSVP to Anne Treimanis at attorneytreimanis@gmail.com. For more info on SPED*NET New Canaan, check www.spednet.org.
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November 29, 2011: 10 to noon, Tuesday. Stress Management for Parents of Special Needs Children: Understand and Manage stress to make life better for you and your loved ones. Dr Leonaura Rhodes from the Neurofeedback Coach, offers a unique perspective on Stress and the Special Needs Family. Held at the Waveny House, Waveny Park, New Canaan, CT. Refreshments served. Sponsored by SPED*NET, Special Education Network of New Canaan.  This talk will include understanding the origins of stress and how it affects the mind, brain and body and how to effectively manage stress to help you be calmer, more content parent and a great role model for your family and will finish with teaching you a fast effective technique to manage your stress.  Dr Leonaura Rhodes, a Developmental Pediatrician from the UK now specializes in Neurofeedback and Coaching for Special Needs Children and their families. For more info on Dr. Rhodes, check  www.theneurofeedbackcoach.com. Please RSVP to Becky Duplock at duplock007@mac.com. For more info on SPED*NET New Canaan, check www.spednet.org.
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December 15, 2011: Thursday  from 10-12 noon.  SPED*NET New Canaan is hosting a presentation by the CT Dept. of Developmental Services (DDS) on what services are available to children with disabilities that have “aged out” of the system.  Those in attendance can learn about new and existing services offered through the DDS for children with disabilities during and after transition from school to life after school. Participants will be able to learn about the DDS five year plan that is being proposed by the new commissioner Dr. Macy. Representatives from the DDS help line and transition services will give the presentation and will be available to answer questions. Held at the Waveny Mansion in Waveny Park, New Canaan, CT. Coffee and bagels. Please RSVP Victoria Muñoz at victoriamunoz@optonline.net. For more info, check www.spednet.org.

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January 17, 2012: Tuesday, from 10-12 noon. SPED*NET New Canaan is hosting a presentation What is Biofeedback and Neurofeedback? Dr Leonaura Rhodes from the Neurofeedback Coach presents an introductory talk on Biofeedback and Neurofeedback. Held at the Waveny Mansion in Waveny Park, New Canaan, CT. Coffee and bagels. Please RSVP Becky Duplock at duplock007@mac.com. For more info, check www.spednet.org.
     Biofeedback and Neurofeedback are State of the Art training methods to teach body and brain self regulation in order to improve health, function and wellbeing in a wide variety of people including Special Needs Children and children with chronic health problems, adults with chronic health issues, stress management and Peak Perforance (education, sports, music and the Arts). The talk will cover the history, science and uses of Biofeedback and Neurofeedback and will end with a live demonstration of these training methods. Dr Rhodes is a medical doctor from the UK runs The Neurofeedback Coach LLC in New Canaan and her practice combines Biofeedback, Neurofeedback and Coaching, visit www.theneurofeedbackcoach.com.   

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March 22, 2012: Thursday, from 10-12 noon. SPED*NET New Canaan is hosting a presentation with Todd Kellogg, LMFT, BCBA on adolescent behaviors. Mr. Kellogg is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and a Board Certified Behavior Analyst. To learn more about Todd, check www.positivefamilybehavior.com. Held at the Waveny Mansion in Waveny Park, New Canaan, CT. Coffee and bagels. Please RSVP Judi Anders at judianders@sbcglobal.net. For more info, check www.spednet.org.
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April 24, 2012: Tuesday, from 10-12 noon. SPED*NET New Canaan is hosting a presentation: An Introduction to Sensory Processing Disorder; Creating Effective Sensory Diets for your Child, with seasoned Pediatric Occupational Therapist, Rae Suba OTR/L, Owner of Child’s Play Clinic, LLC in Westport CT. Held at the Waveny Mansion in Waveny Park, New Canaan, CT. Coffee and bagels. Please RSVP Wendy Davis at Wkwdavis@aol.com. For more info, check www.spednet.org.To learn more about Rae, check http://www.childsplayot.com.  You will learn the basics about Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) and how to begin to create an effective “Sensory Diet” at home to help your child stay organized and optimize their overall motor development and learning. Rae will provide a framework to understand how to pick the most beneficial Sensory Diet activities to match your child’s particular sensory profile. These activities and strategies work with children of all ages and abilities, nourishing their potential for achievement in motor, social, emotional and cognitive development. Rae will enthusiastically present a sampling of real activities that she has found to be particularly effective in her work with children of all ages for the past 16 years. You will leave this lecture with tools to begin organizing your Sensory Diet and actual activity ideas that you can begin immediately with your child!
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May 24, 2012: 10 to noon, Thursday. Strategies to Help your Child Transition and Prepare for New Summer Schedules and Routines. Speaker is Francine Baffa, PhD, BCBA-D. Integrated Behavioral and Educational Services and Training (IBEST). www.FrancineBaffaPhD.com.   Sponsored by SPED*NET New Canaan. Held at the Waveny House in Waveny Park New Canaan. Bagels and coffee served. Please RSVP to Meghan Cioffi at meghan@cioffi5.com. For directions, check http://www.newcanaan.info/content/9492/9224/675/1531.aspx.
     Many children have extreme difficulties with transitions. This can be a simple transition such as moving from one activity to another or a more significant transition like school letting out for the summer. When parents plan ahead and schedule summer activities for their child, the transition out of school and into the less structured summer time can be easier for all involved. Dr. Francine Baffa will discuss how to plan for this with your child and help them transition more smoothly. She will address the use of schedules and other strategies, including the use of daily routines and ways to add structure to blocks of open time in functional ways. Additionally she will speak to how to prepare for the end of summer and return to school. Dr. Francine Baffa, BCBA-D has been specializing in autism spectrum disorders for over 15 years, helping children, families and educators realize their maximum potential.