The links below are often forwarded to our department to assist parents with students with disabilities. Bellville ISD is not responsible for the content on the websites below. The below websites are intended to assist parents and/ or adult students in creating a successful path to and in school and beyond.
PARENT SERIES - REGION 6
TEA RESOURCES
Resources on Special Education in Texas:
The documents linked here have been created as general resources for families on the topics listed.
GENERAL INFORMATION
The Special Education Information Center (SPEDTex) provides resources and interactive features for increasing family awareness of disabilities and special education processes, with the goal of improving partnerships between schools and families.
Website: https://www.spedtex.org/
Phone: 1-855-773-3839
Email: inquire@spedtex.org
You can also find the following:
Special Education Dispute Resolution resources (English and Spanish) including:
Disability Rights Texas
https://www.disabilityrightstx.org/
PARENT WEBINARS
https://prntexas.org/statewide-webinars/
FINANCE
The Stephen Beck, Jr., Achieving a Better Life Experience Act of 2014 (the “Act”) was passed by Congress and signed into law by the President to provide certain individuals with disabilities a means to save for disability-related expenses. It allows creation of a qualified ABLE program by a state (or agency or instrumentality thereof) under which an ABLE account may be established for an individual with a disability who is the Designated Beneficiary and owner of that account. The Texas Legislature enacted the Texas Achieving a Better Life Experience Act that established the Texas ABLE® Program (“Texas ABLE” or the “Program”) (1) to encourage and assist individuals and families in saving funds for the purpose of supporting individuals with disabilities to maintain health, independence, and quality of life; and (2) to provide secure funding for qualified disability expenses on behalf of Designated Beneficiaries with disabilities that will supplement, but not supplant, benefits provided through private insurance, the Medicaid program under Title XIX of the Social Security Act, the Supplemental Security Income program under Title XVI of the Social Security Act, the Social Security Disability Insurance program under Title II of the Social Security Act, the Designated Beneficiary’s employment, and other sources.
ECSE
See links below for a new resource that has been designed for parents of ECSE students. While this is targeting parents of 3-5 year-olds, the content can be applicable to any child. These modules are free and can be accessed at any time.
ECSE Parent Module 1 Structure & Routines at Home
ECSE Parent Module 2 Loving Boundaries, Choice, and Positive Reinforcement for Lifelong Success
ECSE Parent Module 3 Our Little Ones & Their Big Emotions
ECSE Parent Module 4 Power of Voice - Communication for All
A Parent's Guide to Early Childhood Intervention (ECI) and Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE)
This guide provides information, explanations, and resource links to assist parents with understanding what is meant by ECI/ECSE and what options are available to them. This guide includes tips and information for parents on: ECI/ECSE Eligibility, What a Transition Conference looks like from ECI to Preschool, the evaluation process and What the Continuum of Services should look like.
Texas Transition Network ECSE Resources
Region 6 ESC Parent Involvement Website
Early Childhood Intervention
ECI Contacts:
Early Childhood Intervention Specialist
Region III ESC ECI
Ester Baker, ebaker@esc3.net
Kristine Merritt, kmerritt@esc3.net
361-573-0731
email: kmerritt@esc3.net
Early Childhood Texas Website
Early Childhood Texas is a streamlined website to connect Texas parents with access to a variety of free or low-cost services and resources available through different state agencies and programs. As highlighted below by a parent, the ease of having information and resources in one place allows parents to focus on supporting their young children in other areas.
HELPFUL RESOURCES
Mobile App Handout for College Students
TUTORING
https://education.tamu.edu/aggie-homework-helpline/
The program, through Texas A&M University, is called Aggie Homework Helpline. The Aggie Homework Helpline (AHH) is an initiative to help provide quality, free online tutoring to PK-12 learners and families. The mission of the AHH is to connect Texas families and school district partners with Aggie tutors and education interns who are committed to improving learning outcomes for PK-12 students. Tutoring appointments through the AHH can be scheduled between 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. CST Monday-Thursday and 8 a.m. — 5 p.m. CST Friday. You do not have to be affiliated with Texas A&M to participate!
How does it work?
Step 1: Sign up for a homework helper
Step 2: Choose between a Regular Homework Helper or an On-Demand Homework Helper
Step 3: Engage with the Homework Helper via Zoom or by phone
Step 4: Repeat these steps as needed for your PK-12 learner
Aggie Homework Helpline tutors help with:
- Homework
- Reviewing for a test
- Practicing and retaining concepts
- Practicing reading skills
The tutors do not:
- Take tests
- Assist during tests/quizzes
- Provide answers to homework, tests or quizzes
- Complete homework for students
PARENTING TIPS
The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services recently shared the link to GetParentingTips.com, which is full of parenting tips.
COLLEGE TIPS/ TRAINING
SHSU College Connection Flyer 2021-2022
The SHSU will have a College Connections support program for students with disabilities who are degree-bound. This goes above and beyond what is provided by traditional disability services at a postsecondary institution. Although students who attend SHSU come from all over the U.S. and other countries, most come from Regions 4, 5, and 6. The students can be served by SPED or by 504. If you have any questions please reach out to Dr. Mitchell at 936-294-2429 or vmitchell@shsu.edu.
Universities are developing programming for students with intellectual disabilities. Please contact each university for additional information regarding their programming options.
https://elevar.unt.edu/
Accommodations List Added to Industry-Based Certification (IBC) Resources
Did you know that the TEA's Career and Technical Education (CTE) webpage has resources for IBCs, including over 200 one-page fact sheets for each of the industry-based certifications? They have recently added a new IBC resource that identifies whether accommodations are allowed and where to go to request them from each IBC vendor.
If you are not familiar with each IBC and need more information, you can explore the IBC fact sheets. Each fact sheet includes a description of the IBC, certifying entity with contact information, and exam information that includes price, study materials, and candidate requirements (where applicable).
GUARDIANSHIP
Brazos Bend Guardianship Services
BEHAVIOR
Supporting Families with PBIS at Home