Over the years Michael has secured nearly four million dollars in external funding to support the important work he is doing.  Also, he has contributed more than 170 scholarly publications to his field, including well over 100 peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters, as well as several books.  In addition, Michael has authored four books of cartoons about the “Absurdities and Realities of Special Education,” a labor of love Michael says, that often does more to break through the ‘mythologies’ and stereotypes surrounding children with special needs than do more conventional narrative forms.

Besides his CESS teaching duties, in both its undergraduate and graduate programs in special education, Michael is frequently invited to lecture and teach in the US and abroad.  Committed to teaching and learning, Michael joins a distinguished group of CESS scholars who have received the University Scholar award, including Marjorie Lipson, emeriti (2008-09), Robert Nash (2003-04), and Susan Brody Hasazi, emeriti (1996-97). 

Accepting the award, Michael thanked his colleagues and students, singling out Cynthia Gersti-Pepin and later the Dean, for all their support in making this award possible. 

In attendance was UVM President, Thomas Sullivan, who extended congratulations to each of the honored recipients.  Also attending the ceremony were a large number of Michael’s friends and colleagues, who joined him for photo ops after the ceremony and at the reception following the event. 

A rousing hurrah to Michael.  

Presented by Nancy Bianchi, UVM Library Associate Professor, and Frances Delwiche, UVM Library Associate Professor, this workshop will be especially helpful for pediatric occupational and physical therapy practitioners, speech language pathologists, and special educators.

For registration information go to: www.uvm.edu/~cdci/?Page=cdcitraining2.html

Placement is one of the most foundational (and potentially contentious) aspects of educating a student with a disability. The IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) requires that students with disabilities be educated in the least restrictive environment (LRE). But what does that really mean? This webinar will review the basics of LRE and discuss its implications for students, families, and educators. The webinar is presented by the Vermont Family Network.

To register, go to the Vermont Family Network webpage: http://www.vermontfamilynetwork.org/training/webinars/

The two-year, $500,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Administration for Children & Families will fund VT-FUTRES (Fostering Understanding To Realize Educational Stability), a collaborative project between CESS and the Vermont Department of Education, Justice for Children’s Task Force of the Vermont Family Court, Vermont Department of Children and Families (DCF), and children and families involved with DCF.

The grant builds on the success of the evidence-informed intervention strategies implemented in the 2006 Casey Breakthrough Series Collaborative grant known as Rock the GRADES. That effort, spearheaded by Joan Rock, regional resource coordinator with the State of Vermont, increased educational stability from 37 percent to 85 percent for youth in foster care in a region in central Vermont. The core of the new grant is based on a toolkit developed from the Rock the GRADES grant.

“We predict seeing similar gains across the state,” says Jessica Strolin-Goltzman, assistant professor of social work, who served as co-principal investigator on the grant with Jesse Suter, research assistant professor in the Center on Disability and Community Inclusion. “Hopefully we will be able to spread the success in Vermont to national partners.”

Key aspects of the grant will be implemented by child welfare resource coordinators and their local multi-disciplinary support networks, enabling them to generate a diverse network of professionals in child welfare, education, court systems and partnering agencies; recruit foster families in school districts with high rates of foster care placements; ask foster parents for transportation support to increase attendance; collect and disseminate data across disciplines to identify needs and track progress; educate local communities on the importance of educational stability; and support screening youth in foster care for educational stability and wellbeing.

“Ultimately, this collaboration will benefit the children in foster care across Vermont by improving their ability to remain in a continuous educational setting where relationships with peers and caring adults can remain stable even if their home environment does not,” said Suter, whose research focuses wraparound services, a team-based planning process for meeting the needs of students with emotional and behavioral disabilities in their homes, schools and communities.

VT-FUTRES will offer discrete trainings and outreach during the duration of the two-year grant, which utilizes social media and smartphone applications to spread successful practices, to lay the foundation for sustainable workforce development infrastructure. These plans include the implementation of the revised Rock the GRADES toolkit statewide; and the creation of a VT-FUTRES interactive website providing educational stability information, data, and strategies for child welfare, educators, members of the legal community, youth, foster parents and other community members.

Action items of the grant also include showing the Casey Family Programs’ “Endless Dreams” video and curriculum at two statewide education conferences and establishing local trainers in the Endless Dreams curriculum; disseminating regular updates on educational stability and outcomes data to multi-disciplinary audiences; and assisting Vermont’s Court Improvement Program initiative disseminating judicial bench cards encouraging judges to ask about educational stability and outcomes for youth in foster care.

“This grant is extremely exciting to us because it is congruent with our career paths and also with the mission of CESS to ‘provide leadership in addressing the educational and human service needs of Vermont,’ said Strolin-Goltzman, who conducts research on trans-disciplinary evaluation and treatment interventions in child welfare, substance abuse and school-based services.

• Build local multi-disciplinary capacity to improve educational stability and academic achievement for middle and high school youth in foster care through trainings and outreach.
• Facilitate the cross-system collection and use of data on educational stability and outcomes of youth in foster care.
• Identify youth leaders to positively influence infrastructure development through regional youth leadership teams and sharing their experiences with social media and marketing.

VT-FUTRES is a collaboration between the UVM’s College of Education and Social Services, the Vermont Department of Education, the Justice for Children’s Task Force of the Vermont Family Court, the Vermont Department of Children and Families, and children and families involved with DCF.

For more information contact: Jesse Suter, 802-656-1130, jesse.suter@uvm.edu or Jessica Strolin-Goltzman, 802-656-2173, Jessica.Strolin@uvm.edu

“Our success in building a better America is measured in terms of helping all children reach their full potential," said  U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. "These grants will support training for early learning providers and educators to make sure that infants, toddlers, children and young people with disabilities are equipped with the skills and knowledge they need to succeed and transition to living independent and fulfilling lives."

For more information contact Dr. Jennifer Hurley at jennifer.hurley@uvm.edu

The visit is sponsored by the Center on Disability and Community Inclusion at UVM, and the Ginkgo Academy.

For more information and accommodation requests please contact Dr. Craig Barringer of CDCI.

For Davis Center accessibility information see: http://www.uvm.edu/~davis/?Page=access.php&SM=menu_planning.html

VWW Executive Directory Tiffany Bluemle says of those selected, "These honorees were chosen because their work and lives testify to the theme 'Labor of Love.' Learning about working women's tenacity, courage and creativity throughout the state has been a tremendous source of inspiration. Knowing and sharing these stories will offer role models for everyone."

The exhibit, featuring photos and recorded interviews of the honorees, will make its first appearance at a special event in Burlington in the fall. Plans are then to take the exhibit on the road to share around the state. Deborah Lisi-Baker is the the Associate Director of the Center on Disability and Community Inclusion at UVM. She teaches UVM's Culture of Disability course and coordinates the Certificate of Graduate Studies in the Interdisciplinary Study of Disabilities. 

To learn more about Vermont Works for Women: http://www.vtworksforwomen.org/

For questions, contact Marie MacLeod at 802-496-5399, email marie.macleod@uvm.edu

The Social Inclusion Committee was formed almost two years ago with the purpose of promoting social inclusion for all students with disabilities in the Burlington Schools, from preschool through high school. The group focuses on the social dimensions of learning, believing that for students to be in an optimum mode for academics, they must be socially included in their schools.

This year's collaboration resulted in the production of a series of three colorful posters created by local artists. The committee developed the idea for the posters. Deena Murphy donated her time for the layout and design, and artwork was included from three artists; Burlington High School students and sisters Julianna and Katrina Roen, and Miranda Stewart, parent of a Burlington Integrated Arts Academy student. The Center's PRIDE Outreach Project supported the artists through an honorarium, and CDCI provided funding for the printing of the posters.

Over 500 of the posters, proclaiming We All Belong, will be displayed throughout the Burlington school system and community this year as a visual reminder of the goal of inclusion.

The conference will explore opportunities for people with disabilities, including intellectual disabilities, to participate in inclusive community options, such as post-secondary education, University or College experiences, customized employment, self employment and more. Session topics will cover a range of current successful programs in Vermont, with comments by student and employee panels.

Sister Janice Ryan, a pioneer in Vermont special education, will be the keynote speaker. Sister Janice Ryan began teaching at Cathedral School in Burlington, Vermont. Her experiences with an after-school assignment working with children with developmental disabilities led her to a master’s degree in special education, curriculum development in the field, and eventually to organizing support for successful passage of mainstreaming legislation in 1972, the first such law in the country. As president of Trinity College, she was instrumental in starting Enhance: a post-secondary education program for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities, one of the first of its kind in the country. In addition to teaching and leading Trinity College as president for 17 years, she has worked on projects to ban land mines and eliminate the death penalty, lobbied for mainstreaming special needs children, and served as Vermont’s deputy commissioner of corrections. She recently received an Honorary Doctoral Degree from the University of Vermont.

For session details and registration information go to the Think College website at:

http://www.uvm.edu/~cdci/thinkcollege/?Page=springconference.html

UDL@UVM will also share the Design for All articles in an upcoming series on the UDL@UVM website: http://www.uvm.edu/~cdci/universaldesign/

For more information on the Project contact Dr. Susan Edelman at Susan.Edelman@uvm.edu

For questions, contact Marie MacLeod at 802-496-5399, email marie.macleod@uvm.edu

To help in the fundraising effort tax deductible donations may be made to: Vermont Friends of AMBUCS, and mailed to: Vermont Friends of AMBUCS, 12 Hopkins St., South Burlington, VT  05403.

You can also donate online: http://www.active.com/donate/vtkidbike

“I love the college experience: making friends, socializing and learning a lot,” says Peebles, who has Down syndrome and wrote her paper on what it’s like living with the chromosomal abnormality. “I would like to continue on and get a bachelor’s degree in fine arts with a focus in film. Think College is a great opportunity for students like me to pursue their dreams to go to college.”

Launched in the fall of 2011 after the Center on Disability & Community Inclusion (CDCI) won a five-year, $1.6 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education, Think College Vermont is an inclusive, academic, social and vocational program for students with intellectual disabilities seeking a college experience. The initiative is one of 27 such programs nationwide currently funded by an $11 million federal program designed to open doors for individuals with intellectual disabilities by improving their employment opportunities and ability to live independently.

The initial cohort comprises four students who take nine credits of coursework, including one primary academic course, a socially focused course like yoga or art, and an internship in an area they hope to work when they graduate with a Certificate of Professional Studies from Continuing Education. Program coordinator Kiersten Hallquist organizes the schedules and activities of the nine UVM undergraduates who serve as mentors and provide academic support, logistical planning and social support so students experience all aspects of college life.

“Vermont has been at the forefront of the inclusive education movement in the United States since the 1980s," says Susan Ryan, principal investigator of the grant and executive director of UVM's CDCI. "We would never have a project here at CDCI that in any way that supports segregation. Think College Vermont is an extension of our other Center projects.” 

Ryan, a professor of early intervention & special education with 35 years of experience in special education, says an earlier $15,000 mini-grant allowed UVM to position itself to compete for the larger federal grant. Ryan included Johnson State College as a partner on the grant and allocates $50,000 annually to the school to run a smaller-scale version of Think College. Since the grant money can’t be used for tuition for students, Ryan says Think College relies on Ellen McShane, student financial advisor, to help students identify funding and put together financial packages.

“This project brings those of us at UVM a bit closer to being the social justice institution to which we aspire,” says Fayneese Miller, dean of the College of Education and Social Services. “It is another door that has been opened, this time for a group of people who are rarely spoken of within the context of higher education. I am pleased and honored that Susan Ryan and her colleagues care enough to speak on behalf of people who sometimes cannot advocate for themselves.”

Gainful employment is the goal

Leah Boardman is on a 15-minute break from her Think College internship as a baker and prep cook at the University Marché in the Living/Learning Complex. She talks with pride about working at the Marché and touts it as the best place to eat on campus. Her goal is to work in the food industry when she graduates and already has a part-time job at Pillsbury Manor, a senior housing community in South Burlington.

“I’ve been cooking and baking with my mom since I was five years old,” says Boardman as she eagerly heads back to work before her break is over. "I like everything I do here, but I prefer baking. I’d really like to work in a restaurant (after graduation).”

The primary goal of the federal program Think College is to increase the quality of employment for its participants. Youth with intellectual disabilities who participate in postsecondary education are 26 percent more likely to exit their program with employment and 73 percent more likely to earn a higher weekly income.

Bryan Dague, program coordinator for Think College Vermont and a CDCI employee since 1992, is responsible for helping students land successful jobs by providing training and technical assistance in the areas of supported employment and transition. The Vermont State Division of Vocational Rehabilitation is a partner in the grant and provides $600 per semester to help students through the program and onto a better career.

Inclusionary learning is a two-way street

Another goal of the program is for mentors to help socialize Think College students through peer-to-peer interactions. In return, mentors and undergraduates who share classes with Think College students learn what it’s like to live with a disability. Youngok Jung, assistant professor of early childhood education, says the addition of Think College student Taylor Terry to her childhood development course has been a valuable addition to the class.

“It’s really rewarding to see the little amounts of progression toward independence that have happened in such a short amount of time,” says sophomore social work major Devon Miles who mentors Taylor. “A lot of the time we just talk about things that most students would talk about. The socializing is an important aspect of the program.”

Amber Casterlin, a senior nursing major, says she tries to push Peebles out of her comfort zone to try new things, but sometimes that motivation flows in the opposite direction, like when Peebles invited Casterlin to play racquetball with her. “I definitely get just as much out of this as Stirling does,” says Casterlin. “I’ve really felt the value of this experience and have truly benefited from Stirling educating me on what it’s like to live with Down syndrome.”

According to Peebles’ mother, Giovanna Peebles, Vermont state archeologist and director of the Vermont Division for Historic Preservation, the mentoring piece was lacking at other institutions and has been critical to her daughter’s success at UVM. “One of the reasons we were so excited about the program was because the level of support was exactly what she needed,” says Peebles. “Stirling has always wanted to go to college, and UVM was willing to give students like her with alternative learning styles a chance. With the support of a mentor in the beginning to help her adjust to college life, she’s quickly becoming self-sufficient, and that’s the primary goal.”

Mr. McIntyre has worked in the field of education in Vermont for 11 years, most recently as the Director of Student Support Services in the Rutland Southwest Supervisory Union. He received his Masters in Educational Leadership from Castleton State College, and is currently working toward his doctorate in Administrator Leadership for Teaching and Learning at Walden University.

Mr. McIntyre says, "I am excited to join such a commendable team of professionals, and look forward to the year ahead."

His office is located at The Center on Disability and Community Inclusion on the third floor of Mann Hall.

PRIDE staff Deborah Lisi-Baker and Lisa Maynes have been busy this year visiting school throughout Vermont. For more information on the project's activities go to www.uvm.edu/~cdci/pride. Contact PRIDE Director, Deborah Lisi-Baker to learn how you can be involved.

Tim Fox, the Coordinator of the Vermont I-Team, retired in June after over 30 years of service at the University of Vermont. In late June, CDCI and friends gathered at the home of Wayne and Karen Fox to honor and celebrate Tim's work.  Although the weather did not support an outdoor feast, it did not dampen the spirits of those in attendance. The day was hailed as Tim's graduation from the I-Team, with colleagues offering roasts and stories about his many years of work in Vermont schools. Tim's advocacy on behalf of students with developmental disabilities will forever be greatly appreciated.

Louse Lynch, i-Team Referral Specialist says, "Tim has the talent of getting you to find wisdom in the quiet. His calmness, and ability to administrate without getting bogged down with unnecessary details, was invaluable when working with families and educators throughout the state."

Tim will continue to teach special education classes at UVM in the fall.

Story and photos contributed by Louise Lynch.

The conference, a forum for presentations and discussion on a pedagogy called University Design for Learning, or UDL, attracted over 100 participants from five states and Canada.

Universal Design for Learning is a teaching approach used in both K-12 and higher education settings designed to address the diversity of learning styles and needs in any classroom by giving students multiple means of absorbing course material, becoming engaged with it and demonstrating that they have mastered the material. Originally conceived as a way to improve access and learning for students with disabilities, UDL is now understood as a highly effective means of engaging all students.   

In 2008 UVM received a $1 million, three-year grant from the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Post-Secondary Education to implement a UDL program at the university. 

If the goal of UVM’s first Better Learning by Design conference was to expose attendees to the idea of UDL, this year’s conference was designed to “look back and share what we’ve done,” said one of the grant’s co-principal investigators, Susan Edelman, an associate professor in the Center for Disability and Community Inclusion in the College of Education and Social Services. 

That sharing took many forms. One of the most powerful was a panel of four faculty members -- Larry Rudiger in Psychology, Sheila Boland Chira in English, Marti Woodman in Business Administration and Brian Lee in Engineering -- who discussed how they had incorporated UDL principles into their teaching and how effective each felt the approach had been.

The panel was a good example of one of the conference’s key goals, Edelman said – further spreading the word among UVM faculty and staff about what UDL is and its power as an engagement strategy.      

Other workshops at the conference included Creation of Materials the Accessible Way, Universal Design for (Service) Learning, Applying the Arts to UDL Partnerships, Choosing and Designing Materials for ESL/ELL Students and What Literature Teaches Us About Learning.

The conference also featured keynotes speeches by David Rose and Skip Stahl, two of the founders of the Wakefield, Mass.-based Center for Applied Special Technology, or CAST, which pioneered the UDL pedagogy three decades ago and now works to expand its application.  

Tailored training

In addition to the conferences, the DOE grant funded several other key initiatives at UVM.

Faculty on the conference panel, along with 16 others, all benefited from a unique training program the grant enabled UVM to develop – two three-member consulting teams who helped faculty incorporate UDL into a specific course they were teaching. The consulting team consisted of a faculty member, a technical specialist and a graduate assistant, who tailored their support to individual faculty members’ needs and met with them periodically during the course of the academic year.   

The UDL grant also funded an introduction to UDL that has been incorporated into training sessions for new faculty and graduate fellows; a study of faculty attitudes toward UDL, which is nearly complete; the creation of a comprehensive library of UDL Web resources, which is in progress; and a Google map of on-campus UDL resources, a prototype of which has been built. The prototype map has also spawned a multi-unit effort to create an accessible multi-layer interactive map designed for multiple UVM constituencies.  

As the grant winds down, Edelman and Human Development and Family Studies associate professor Larry Shelton, the other co-PI on the project, couldn’t be happier with the impact it has had.

UDL has been “infused into (institutional) awareness at important levels far more than we could have imagined,” Shelton said.  An example is the Campus Accessibility Task Force, created by President Dan Fogel after UDL advocates made a presentation to the President’s Commission on Diversity and Inclusion, which recommended its formation. The task force is grounding its work in the principles of UDL.

Edelman also sees a “convergence” of several of the university’s key strategic initiatives, all of which could benefit from cross-pollination with UDL: the university’s growing internationalization efforts; the Student Success and Satisfaction initiative, and the emerging General Education program.

UVM’s UDL program, and those at all the other colleges and universities that received funding from U.S. DOE, won’t be re-funded by the cash-strapped federal agency, but Edelman and Shelton are optimistic they’ll find funding elsewhere to continue the work, perhaps at a regional foundation, at a larger foundation that focuses on higher education or via new federal sources, like the National Science Foundation, which is funding science, technology, engineering and math-related UDL initiatives.

That would be a good thing, according to Kirsten Behling, director of disability services at Suffolk University in Boston, who presented at the conference and attended both days. When Behling held a similar post at UMass Boston, which had received UDL funding from DOE, she provided UVM with a small three-year UDL "Equity and Execellence" planning grant and provided technical assistance to the university.

“It’s incredible to come up here and to see this,” she said of the conference. “To see the growth and the ownership that the campus has really is fantastic. And the faculty excitement and enthusiasm; you can’t ask for anything better.”

Life Histories of Older Vermonters with Disabilities

The Life Histories Project at CDCI has started to collect stories of older Vermonters with developmental disabilities. In these videos Vermonters share what it was like to grow up in Vermont, in their towns and in institutions.

Bringing Universal Design for Learning to Life: The UDL - UVM Consultation Model                   

The UDL@UVM Project seeks to create opportunities for successful learning for all students, including those with learning challenges and disabilities. This video introduces a collaborative consultation model designed to assist faculty in designing teaching strategies that are based on the neuroscience of learning. Students and faculty using UDL practices, and UVM’s president, Daniel Fogel, share their perspectives on UDL for UVM.

Supporting Toilet Learning: A Team Approach

This video explores a variety of perspectives on teaching toileting skills to individuals with disabilities. A parent, physical therapist, speech and language professional, behavior therapist and special educators share their perspectives, highlighting the importance of teamwork in teaching independence. (Continence Project website).

All videos can be seen online on the Center's website: hppt://www.uvm.edu/~cdci.

The CDCI A.T. Tryout Center provides device demonstrations, short-term equipment loans, technical assistance and training, and information on the latest in Assistive Technology for people with developmental disabilities. The mission of the CDCI Tryout Center is to increse the use of technology by children and adults with developmental disabilities and functional limitations. CDCI encourages and facilitates the empowerment of people with disabiliities to participate fully in their communities.

The A.T. Tryout Center is a project of CDCI, The Vermont Assistive Techology Program, and the Vermont State I-Team.

Stop in at your convenience to check out our inventory of Assistive Technology. Refreshments will be served.

For questions contact Leslie Ermolovich, Center Director, at 802-656-4767, or email cdciat@uvm.edu

The Center on Disability and Community Inclusion and the Vermont Friends of Ambucs are sponsoring the next Amtryke fitting event on Saturday, June 11, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m, at Delehanty Hall, located at 208 Colchester Ave., behind the CDCI offices at Mann Hall.

If your child has been unsuccessful in riding a traditional bike, and you would like an opportunity for your child try an AMTRYKE, then come to this event! There will be bikes for children of all ages to try out. If your therapist is available please have them come.

You must register for an assigned time to try out the bikes and be fitted. Slots are limited so register early.

If your child has received an Amtryke in the past and now needs a bigger size, please let us know that when you schedule and bring the old bike with you when you come.  We will “ Pay it Forward”  and maybe someone that comes will take it home! Who knows, someone just might have the bigger bike your child needs.

To register call Leslie Ermolovich at CDCI: 802-656-4767 or email cdciat@uvm.edu

Bringing Universal Design for Learning to Life: The UDL - UVM Consultation Model                   

The UDL@UVM Project seeks to create opportunities for successful learning for all students, including those with learning challenges and disabilities. This video introduces a collaborative consultation model designed to assist faculty in designing teaching strategies that are based on the neuroscience of learning. Students and faculty using UDL practices, and UVM’s president, Daniel Fogel, share their perspectives on UDL for UVM. (UDL@UVM website.)

Supporting Toilet Learning: A Team Approach

This video explores a variety of perspectives on teaching toileting skills to individuals with disabilities. A parent, physical therapist, speech and language professional, behavior therapist and special educators share their perspectives, highlighting the importance of teamwork in teaching independence. (Continence Project website).

Life Histories of Older Vermonters with Disabilities  

The Life Histories Project at CDCI has started to collect stories of older Vermonters with developmental disabilities. In these videos Vermonters share what it was like to grow up in Vermont, in their towns and in institutions. (Life Histories at CDCI website.)

Click on the related links (above) to go to the project website and view the videos.