Parent Mentors share advice on key topics for families of students with special needs
Parents of students receiving special education services in Gwinnett are invited to attend upcoming informational sessions, part of the Gwinnett County Parent Mentors Present” series. This monthly learning series is designed for families of children with disabilities, and presented by Gwinnett County Parent Mentors Dawn Albanese and Jackie McNair in collaboration with GCPS' Special Education Department staff and community leaders and organizations. Parent Mentors are parents who work within GCPS' special education department, providing information and support to other families who have children served in special education. The mentors have first-hand knowledge of raising a child with special needs as they both have a child who has been served or is being served in GCPS.
· Tuesday, April 16-- Waleska Ackerman, a bilingual speech-language pathologist in GCPS' Special Education and Psychological Services Department, will present “Raising a Bilingual Child with Special Needs.” Topics will include myths of being bilingual, benefits of being bilingual, disorder vs. difference, and how to maintain home language. The session will be held in the Central Gwinnett Room (2.111) in Building 200 of the J. Alvin Wilbanks Instructional Support Center (ISC) located at 437 Old Peachtree Road, NW, in Suwanee. Hours are 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. To RSVP, contact Ms. Albanese by phone at (678) 301-7212 or by email at dawn_albanese@gwinnett.k12.ga.us by April 15.
· Wednesday, April 17-- Chris Shaw, a special education instructional coach with GCPS, will present "Learning with Processing Deficits and the Impact on Life." In this session, parents will learn how to better understand their child’s needs. Ms. Shaw will share strategies to promote independence and personal responsibility. This special meeting will be conducted at the OneStop Centerville Community Center, located at 3025 Bethany Church Road in Snellville. Hours are 10 a.m. to Noon. To RSVP for the meeting, contact Ms. McNair by phone at (678) 301-7149 or by email at Jackie_McNair@gwinnett.k12.ga.us by April 16.
For more information regarding the Georgia Parent Mentor Partnership, go to www.parentmentors.org.