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Our Mission: To bring together and support families, caregivers, and educators of children with exceptional needs in SD308.
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Officers
President - Stefan BjesVice President Communication - Desiree MeyerSecretary - Jackie Bjes*There are open board spots if anyone is interestedWhat EPEC is:
- A liaison between the district and parents of exceptional children
- A support group for parents
- A resource for schools and their HSA/HSO/PTO/PTA
What EPEC is NOT:
- An advocate for IEP/504 documents or meetings
- An authority on exceptional children
- Employed by the District
Like us on Facebook @: Exceptional Parents of Exceptional Children - EPEC 308Follow us on Twitter: @EPECSD308email: epec308@gmail.com
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Handout from Legal and Financial Planning for the Special Needs Family Session
Posted by Eric Watt on 10/17/2019On October 9th, the EPIC parent organization hosted Attorney, Katie M. Clancy, from Clancy and Associates LTD. who shared information on Legal and Financial Planning for the Special Needs Family.
Please find the handout from the event in the link below:
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"Legal and Financial Planning for the Special Needs Family"
Posted by Eric Watt on 9/25/2019Join the EPIC parent organization on October 9th, 2019 from 6:30-8:00 p.m. at Eastview Academy (New Gym) 4209 Route 71 Oswego, Illinois to hear from Katie M. Clancy, Attorney.
What can you do today to protect and ensure your child’s access to governmental benefits, programs, and services? How can you provide financially for your child to maximize their quality of life without jeopardizing these services? This seminar will describe basic estate planning, special needs trusts, ABLE accounts, and financial planning for the special needs family.
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February EPEC Meeting
Posted by Eric Watt on 2/22/2019The next EPEC meeting will be on February 28, at 630. We will be in the cafeteria at East View Academy. Presenting for this meeting will be Casey Trasatti and she will be providing an Introduction to ABA services
A few other announcements regarding coaching special needs athletes and summer camps for children and adults with special needs.
Interested in learning more about how to coach special needs athletes? This course is the perfect introduction for new coaches and volunteers. Anyone is welcome to attend. The event is free but requires registration to receive certification.
Link to Eventbrite Website to Register
Special Camps
(getting ready to celebrate it’s 25th year), is starting registration this week for it’s all volunteer run camp for children and adults with intellectual disabilities and autism. Special Camps is a week long, overnight camp experience with friends, guided by our all volunteer team of trained high school and college age camp counselors and experienced adult staff. We have 3 experienced volunteer RN nurse’s (most of whom are parents /caregivers of a special needs child / adult), who dispense all medications and care for your child’s medical needs while at camp.
Dates: June 9 - 14 for kids ages 8 - 20
June 16 - 21 for adult campers ages 21 and over
Day Time Activities: Horseback riding, grooming and painting the horses, swimming, crafts, music + dance, archery, gold mining, talent shows, wood working, field games, and more.
Evening Parties include Hayrides, dancing with several great bands including the Blooze Brothers and the Cottage Cheese Heads, campfire songs with s’mores, bingo, line dancing, participating in a parade and more!
Location: White Pines Ranch in Oregon, IL. Located about 1/2 hour West of DeKalb. Free transportation via bus is available back home to the I88 Warrenville exit and Plano High School.
Cost is $350 for the overnight week, and covers all expenses while you’re there. The actual cost is closer to $600, but is significantly reduced thanks to your local Knights of Columbus, our all volunteer team, grants and donations. Thanks to the Knights, scholarships are available for anyone in need.
Applications are available on line @specialcamps.org, or by contacting our camp director Colleen for more information. Flyer is attached. Please feel free to have anyone contact me for additional information or questions.
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November EPIC Meeting - Music Therapy Children encouraged to attend!
Posted by Eric Watt on 11/1/2018 2:00:00 PMNovember 8, 2018
EPEC General Meeting at 6:30 pm
CUSD308 Music Therapy with Miss Megan! at 7:00 - 8:00 pm
Location - East View Academy
Megan Stiefken attended the University of Illinois as a music performance major. She finished her BA in Music Therapy in 2002 and Masters in Music Therapy in 2005, with a focus in Neurology, at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, CO. She has been a practicing music therapist for 18 years, with a focus on children with developmental disabilities and autism. Megan is currently working as a Music Therapist in District 3308. Megan has two boys in district 308, one in 5thgrade and one in 8th grade.
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First Meeting of 2018!
Posted by Eric Watt on 10/5/2018Our first EPEC Meeting of the year will be held on Thursday, October 11, 2018, at Hunt Club Elementary School, 4001 Hunt Club Dr. Oswego. Our general meeting will begin at 630 with our speaker beginning at 7 pm.
Flyer for October Meeting (MS Word Document)
Our speaker, co-sponsored with the Learning Disabilities Association (LDA) of Kane-Kendall, for this meeting will be Beverley Holden-Johns and she will be covering "Everything you wanted to know about your rights and responsibilities as a parent of a child with disabilities".
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Job Opportunity for Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders
Posted by Eric Watt on 8/6/2018Thank you for your interest in AutonomyWorks!
We are a digital marketing company that offers long-term, part-time, employment opportunities for talented individuals with autism and similar abilities. AutonomyWorks is located in the western suburbs of Chicago, within 100 yards of the BNSF train line.
There are more than 1 million potential workers with Autism Spectrum Disorders who want to contribute their talents to the business community…and AutonomyWorks is a part of that solution. Please see our profile video for more information about our company: AutonomyWorks Profile Video
We are looking to hire part-time associates who:
- Enjoy working on computers
- Work best following routine processes and step-by-step instructions to complete tasks
- Have an excellent attention to detail and an ability to maintain focus for extended periods of time
- Are available to work 24-35 hours, 4-5 days/week at our office location in Downers Grove
If this seems like a position that may be of interest, please see the link below to register for the first step in our hiring process, our Job Shadow events. During a Job Shadow Event, prospective employees learn more about who we are and what we do. Attendees also have the opportunity to job shadow with current employees and finish the event by trying a sample of our work.
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Event - What we know about the causes of Autism
Posted by Eric Watt on 8/6/2018What We Know About the Causes of Autism
Lecture by Dr. Wendy Chung
Augurst 10, 2018, 8:00 pm
Fermilab Ramsey Auditorium
Autism is a common condition, affecting 1/68 individuals. There is significant heterogeneity across the autism spectrum that has made it difficult to understand the causes of autism. We will explore the current state of knowledge of what we know about the causes of autism and how such understanding can help to better understand the brain and behavior and develop better supports for individuals with autism.
Wendy Chung, M.D., Ph.D. is a clinical and molecular geneticist and the Kennedy Family Professor of Pediatrics and Medicine and the Director of Clinical Research for SFARI at the Simons Foundation. She received her B.A. in biochemistry and economics from Cornell University, her M.D. from Cornell University Medical College, and her Ph.D. from The Rockefeller University in genetics. Dr. Chung leads the Simons Foundation Powering Research for Knowledge (SPARK) study and Simons VIP study of genetic subtypes of autism. She directs the clinical and translational autism research portfolio at the Simons Foundation. She leads NIH funded research programs in human genetics across a range of genetic conditions as well as the Precision Medicine Resource in the Irving Institute At Columbia University. She has authored over 300 peer-reviewed papers and 50 reviews and chapters in medical texts. She was the recipient of the American Academy of Pediatrics Young Investigator Award, the Medical Achievement Award from Bonei Olam, and a career development award from Doris Duke. Dr. Chung is renowned for her teaching and mentoring and received Columbia University’s highest teaching award, the Presidential Award for Outstanding Teaching. She was the original plaintiff in the Supreme Court case that overturned the ability to patent genes and served on the Institute of Medicine Committee on Genetic Testing. Dr. Chung enjoys the challenges of genetics as a rapidly changing field of medicine and strives to facilitate the integration of genetic medicine into all areas of health care in a medically, scientifically, and ethically sound, accessible, and cost-effective manner.
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The following presentation was given at the EPIC meeting on May 16, 2018.
You can also access a PDF Version of the presentation.
