Stepping Stones | Parent Advocacy Mentor (PAM) Cohort 6

January 21 | Session 1: Regional Centers from A-Z: Creating Successful Individualized Program Plans (IPP)

+ The Lanterman Act | Understanding, Navigating and Accessing Regional Center and other Generic Services

+ Early Start and the Individual Family Service Plan (IFSP)

+ Consumer Rights & Responsibilities/Laws & Decision-Making

+ POS Disparities

February 4 | Session 2: First Steps

+ Identifying/Understanding Early Warning Signs of Developmental + Related Disorders

+ Accessing Early Diagnoses and Interventions; Understanding Assessment Results

February 11 | Session 3: Building Blocks to a Successful IEP

+ IFSP to IEP Service Transitions (age 3)

+ Navigating the IEP Process – In-Person

+ Virtual, Hybrid Accessing, and Maintaining Appropriate Educational Supports

+ Mediation & Due Process: When the IEP Process Fails

February 18 | Session 4: Being Your Child’s Best Everyday Advocate

+ Identifying Community Resources & Navigating Systems of Care

+ Utilizing social media and web-based tools to build community and advocacy skills

For over 15 years, Special Needs Network (SNN), one of California’s leading autism advocacy and social justice 501© non-profit organizations, has worked tirelessly to raise public awareness of developmental disabilities and to advance public policy addressing the social, economic, and structural roots of inequity that drive autism-related disparities for families of color.