J.R. Esquivel will discuss the possibility of starting a Ray Graham Association support program at the first District 202 Next Steps Transition Program meeting.
The Ray Graham Association is a private DuPage County organization serving and supporting adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families. Ray Graham provides educational, vocational, community, respite, early intervention, recreational, home-based and residential programs and services, according to its web site.
This meeting is scheduled for Sept. 20 at 6:30 p.m. at the District 202 Administrative Center, 15732 Howard St, Plainfield.
Next Steps is designed to help parents and caregivers with planning, transitioning and advocating for children with disabilities. District 202 vocational education staff make up the Next Steps team.
Dee Graves, assistant director of private placement and transition at District 202, said the goal of the program is to deliver services to families of students with disabilities, increase family awareness of disability options and resources, and link families in need to agencies that can support them with issues related to transition.
This is the third year that District 202 is offering the Next Steps transition training for community members interested in helping parents and caregivers plan, transition and advocate for their children with disabilities.
Additional Next Steps trainings will be held regularly throughout the 2016-17 school year. All trainings will start at 6:30 p.m. Community members can attend as many of the trainings as they want.
Next Steps team members include Anne Twist, of Plainfield North High School; Kathy Thomason, of Plainfield South; Colleen Goldenberg, of Plainfield Academy; and Project SEARCH teacher Colleen Kelly.
Next Steps Scheduled
Oct. 18 – Sharon Butterfield from Park Lawn
Nov. 15 – Benjamin Rubin from Rubin Law
Jan. 17 – PACE Program, National Louis University
Feb. 21 – Topic TBD
March 21 – Topic TBD
April 16 – Topic TBD