by California Hands & Voices
California Hands & Voices proudly hosted an ASTra level 1 training on February 2nd 2019 in San Diego, California. There were a total of 95 parent and professionals in attendance from all regions of California. We also want to recognize and thank the Hands & Voices Military Project for attending from your home states. Stay tuned for future training opportunities in California.
Each attendee walked away empowered with a better understanding of the basic components of educational advocacy for children who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing and are now equipped to advocate for their child or the children they support.
The ASTra level 1 training includes: definitions of IDEA and the application to DHH children, the IDEA regulations that specifically pertain to the education of DHH children, a basic understanding of Eligibility through IDEA and 504 plans, parent rights through the procedural safeguards, the purpose of assessments and evaluations, the importance of progress monitoring, how to prepare for an IEP meeting as well as an understanding of the required components of an IEP. Whew! That’s a lot! Right? If you’ve not had a chance to attend this training, we highly recommend it!
The California Hands & Voices ASTra team also participated in the level 2 training on Sunday. This intimate small group training provided an extraordinary opportunity for the team to further strengthen advocacy skills and deepen their knowledge of the topics presented on Saturday and beyond. The ultimate goal is to support, train and empower California parents to advocate for their own child. We are honored to support families regardless of the Language, communication tools or the educational approach that works best for the child. Let us know how we can support you!
February 3rd 2019 San Diego, California
We want to take an opportunity to publicly thank the many people who had a hand in making this a reality. Thank you for your sponsorship and in-kind donations: Rock Church, Rock Deaf Ministry, Deaf Community Services, California Department of Education, HRSA grant, Dr. Melissa Smith, Palomar Interpreting Program, and Badass Coffee in Rancho Penasquitos. The presenters: Janet DesGeorges and Lisa Kovacs, thank you for an entertaining and remarkable presentation, for sharing your time, expertise and experiences with us. Judging from the comments of those who attended, the conference was very successful. Thank you to the California Hands & Voices ASTra team! Your dedication will help Deaf and Hard of Hearing youth in California achieve their fullest potential. We would be remiss if we did not acknowledge the California Hands & Voices board who worked tirelessly for months to bring this training and program to California.
Please contact us if we can support you in any way. Our ASTra Coordinator Johanna Wonderly can be reached directly at .
You can find more information about ASTra on the Hands & Voices website.