Upcoming Events

AAC in the Classroom (In Person)

Technology Middle School / Library 7165 Burton Ave, Rohnert Park, CA 94928

January 6th, 2025 - 8:30 am

Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) in the Classroom: Creating an Environment with Universal Communication Access Supports (New!)Presenter(s)

Intended Audience

  • Teachers
  • Speech-Language Pathologists
  • School psychologists
  • Board Certified Behavior Analysts
  • Occupational Therapists
  • Para-educators
  • Any professionals supporting students using augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices

Many teachers and support providers work with students who use AAC and rely on the District Speech Language Pathologist (SLP) to support implementation. But communication happens all day, every day, not just in the speech room. What happens when the SLP is not around? How do you create an inclusive classroom and school environment that supports students with a range of communication access needs? This session is designed to get the classroom team on the same page by building a shared understanding of communication modalities and universal classroom supports for AAC users. We highly recommend that classroom teams and service providers attend together. Attendees will leave with resources and practical strategies that can be implemented immediately!

Participants Will

  • See all students as communicators and understand that there are no prerequisites to communication access
  • Recognize their active role as communication partner
  • Learn to build opportunities for students to participate in their educational environment consistently across settings
  • Support implementation of low, mid and high tech tools throughout the school day (universal and student specific)
  • Ensure that classrooms are designed for communication access and have embedded language enriched supports
  • Understand and implement universal strategies to support skill development with AAC systems

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Nuts & Bolts of Interpretation and Translation

Roseland University Prep (Community Room) 1931 Biwana Drive Santa Rosa

January 6th, 2025 - 12:30 pm

Sonoma SELPA proudly offers this training providing the basic tools to help school personnel learn the best practices for interpretation and translation in a school setting.

Presented by Mary Champion and Zenia Lemos Horning.

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Diagnostic Center North: Executive Functioning Academy - Part 1: The Fundamentals

SCOE: 5340 Skylane Boulevard, Santa Rosa, CA 95403

January 8th, 2025 - 9:00 am

Presenter(s)

Intended Audience

  • General education teachers
  • Education specialists
  • Intern and early career school psychologists
  • School counselors
  • Administrators
  • Para-educators
  • Any specialists who would like to gain a fundamental understanding of the executive functioning domains and how they impact student performance

Executive Functioning (EF) refers to a set of processes that have to do with managing oneself and one's resources to achieve a goal. It is an umbrella term for neurologically based skills involving mental control and self-regulation. It is now commonly believed that executive functions are essential for purposeful, goal directed behaviors and actions, and there is substantial evidence that academic achievement and appropriate executive function skills are correlated.
In this beginning level training, educators will gain a fundamental understanding of executive functioning and its impact on student learning and development.

Participants Will

  • Gain a fundamental understanding of executive functioning skills and how EF skills develop
  • Learn about the executive functioning domains, and how they impact student learning and behavior
  • Develop foundational skills needed to plan effective executive functioning accommodations and interventions

 

A Certificate of Completion is available for virtual trainings, in-person trainings, Special Training Opportunities and Technical Assistance Projects. This may be used to document professional development hours or applied towards the credential requirements for Education Specialist Level II non-university activities.

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Diagnostic Center North: Executive Functioning Academy - Part 2: Assessment & Analysis

SCOE: 5340 Skylane Boulevard, Santa Rosa, CA 95403

January 8th, 2025 - 1:00 pm

Executive Functioning Academy - Part 2: Assessment & Analysis

Presenter(s)

Intended Audience

  • School Psychologists

Executive Functioning (EF) refers to a set of processes that have to do with managing oneself and one's resources to achieve a goal. It is an umbrella term for neurologically based skills involving mental control and self-regulation. It is now commonly believed that executive functions are essential for purposeful, goal directed behaviors and actions, and there is substantial evidence that academic achievement and appropriate executive function skills are correlated.
In this intermediate level training, educators will learn about the assessment and analysis of executive functioning skills.

It is recommended that participants have a fundamental understanding of EF to participate in this training. Participants are encouraged to take EF Academy Part 1 if they are early career practitioners, or if their understanding of executive functioning is at a beginner level.

Participants Will

  • Learn how to assess EF skills through formal and informal measures, rating scales, interviews, and observations
  • Develop an efficient EF testing battery
  • Learn about common EF profiles and assessment patterns
  • Discuss educational impact and decision making for Individual Education Plans (IEP) and 504 eligibilities

 

A Certificate of Completion is available for virtual trainings, in-person trainings, Special Training Opportunities and Technical Assistance Projects. This may be used to document professional development hours or applied towards the credential requirements for Education Specialist Level II non-university activities.

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Working With An Interpreter for IEPs & Assessments Registration

SCOE: 5340 Skylane Boulevard, Santa Rosa, CA 95403

January 9th, 2025 - 1:00 pm

This training is offered by the Sonoma SELPA to provide the basic tools to help school personnel learn the best practices for working with an interpreter in IEP meetings and assessments.

Presented by Janel Plack
 

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DTUG

SCOE: 5340 Skylane Boulevard, Santa Rosa, CA 95403 or Virtual

January 21st, 2025 - 9:00 am

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Administrator Institute

SCOE: 5340 Skylane Boulevard, Santa Rosa, CA 95403 - TLC

January 27th, 2025 - 8:30 am

Join us for a day of professional learning as we explore various special education topics with an emphasis on supporting the General Education administrator's role. 

*Lunch will be provided

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Diagnostic Center North: How to Conduct Meaningful Assessments for Students with Intellectual Disabilities

SCOE: 5340 Skylane Boulevard, Santa Rosa, CA 95403

January 28th, 2025 - 8:30 am

Presenter(s)

Intended Audience

  • School psychologists
  • Speech-language pathologists
  • Special education teachers

Comprehensive psycho-educational assessments are the cornerstone of any well-developed Individual Education Plans (IEP) and are essential for program planning. However, conducting assessments that are legally defensible and meaningful for students with significant needs can be especially challenging. Often, students with significant needs have difficulty participating in formal assessment measures and may even be deemed "untestable". This training will include strategies for how to gain relevant and meaningful information through a combination of formal and informal measures and the use of dynamic assessment.

Participants Will

  • Discuss the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-Fifth Edition (DSM-5) and special education eligibility criteria for Intellectual Disability (ID)
  • Learn how to conduct legally defensible assessments for students with ID that yield useful, meaningful information for goal writing and program planning
  • Discuss formal and informal assessment measures to help providers develop a well-rounded assessment battery
  • Learn strategies for dynamic assessment
  • Learn how to explain ID and the implications to parents

A Certificate of Completion is available for virtual trainings, in-person trainings, Special Training Opportunities and Technical Assistance Projects. This may be used to document professional development hours or applied towards the credential requirements for Education Specialist Level II non-university activities.

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Sonoma County SELPA Presents: Early Childhood Special Education A-Z

SCOE: 5340 Skylane Boulevard, Santa Rosa, CA 95403

February 6th, 2025 - 9:00 am

Sonoma County SELPA Presents:
Early Childhood Special Education A-Z
  • Join us as Jennifer Nix, Partner F3 Lawy, presents updates to SPED law as it pertains to early childhood special education, shares case law, and answers our current questions.
Thursday, February 6, 2025
9:00am - 12:00pm
Sonoma County Office of Education, 5340 Skylane Boulevard
Santa Rosa
 
Questions?  Contact Janel Plack at jplack@sonomaselpa.org

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Diagnostic Center North: Dynamic Assessment: A guide for Speech-Language Pathologists

Virtual

February 12th, 2025 - 1:30 pm

Presenter(s)

Intended Audience

  • Speech-Language Pathologists

Dynamic assessment, you have heard about it but want to learn how to implement it in your practice This training will provide participants with guidelines for how to conduct dynamic assessment.

Participants Will

  • Become familiar with the assessment framework of dynamic assessment.
  • Learn about guidelines and necessary components for designing and conducting dynamic assessment
  • Learn about tools that can be used to score your mediated learning experience
  • Learn how to integrate results into a written report

A Certificate of Completion is available for virtual trainings, in-person trainings, Special Training Opportunities and Technical Assistance Projects. This may be used to document professional development hours or applied towards the credential requirements for Education Specialist Level II non-university activities.

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17th Annual Sonoma County Transition Fair

SCOE: 5340 Skylane Boulevard, Santa Rosa, CA 95403

February 18th, 2025 - 3:00 pm

We welcome you to attend this free annual event, currently in it's 17th year, which is designed to help students and their families learn about services for individuals with disabilities as they transition from school-based programs to adulthood. 

Service providers will be at the event to provide information and answer questions about residential options, adult day programs, vocational training, post-secondary education, employment, support services, and much more. Please join us on February 18th 2025 from 3-6PM; location is Sonoma County Office of Education, 5340 Skylane Boulevard, Santa Rosa, CA 95403.

Information regarding social security benefits and employment, and CalABLE accounts will also be available!

 

If you are experiencing any symptoms of COVID-19 or have been diagnosed with COVID-19 within 10 days of the event, please do not attend the fair. All vendors are available to discuss with you and your family individually their services and supports.

Spanish interpreting will be available. If you require ASL interpreting, please contact Ashley Duke at Department of Rehabilitation at 707-576-2243 by February 1st, 2025.

Le invitamos a asistir a este evento anual gratuito.  Actualmente en su decimoséptimo año, está diseñado para ayudar a los estudiantes y a sus familias a informarse sobre los servicios de transición de los programas escolares a la edad adulta para personas con discapacidades.

 Proveedores de servicios estarán en el evento para brindar información y responder preguntas sobre opciones residenciales, programas matutinos para adultos, capacitación vocacional, educación postsecundaria, empleo, servicios de apoyo y mucho más. Únase a nosotros el 18 de febrero de 2025 de 3:00pm a 6:00pm. La ubicación es la Oficina de Educación del Condado de Sonoma, 5340 Skylane Boulevard, Santa Rosa, CA 95403.

 ¡También habrá información sobre beneficios de seguro social, empleo y de cuentas CalABLE!

 Si tiene algún síntoma de COVID-19 ó le han diagnosticado COVID-19 dentro de los 10 días posteriores al evento, no asista a la feria. Todos los proveedores están disponibles para hablar con usted y su familia individualmente sobre los servicios y apoyo disponible.

 Habrá interpretación en español. Si necesita interpretación de ASL, comuníquese con Ashley Duke en el Departamento de Rehabilitación al 707-576-2243 antes del 1 de febrero de 2025.

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DTUG

SCOE: 5340 Skylane Boulevard, Santa Rosa, CA 95403 or Virtual

February 19th, 2025 - 9:00 am

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DTUG

SCOE: 5340 Skylane Boulevard, Santa Rosa, CA 95403 or Virtual

March 26th, 2025 - 9:00 am

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Diagnostic Center North: When They Don't Show Up: Dealing with School Avoidance

Virtual

April 8th, 2025 - 1:30 pm

Presenter(s)

Intended Audience

  • School psychologists
  • Mental health professionals
  • Administrators
  • Teachers

There has been a steady increase in the number of students who are refusing to attend school. Chronic absenteeism and frequent tardies are significant problems that not only plague schools, but families as well. This training will help provide information on how to identify the reason(s) behind the student's school refusal (whether in person or while engaged in remote learning), and outline evidence-based practice interventions to help students return to class. Case examples will be offered to illustrate the various methods and intervention strategies. Attendees will have the opportunity to share their own case examples.

Participants Will

  • Learn how to identify reason(s) behind a student's school avoidance
  • Learn evidence-based strategies to help students return to class
  • Learn how to assemble an appropriate team to implement and monitor the transition plan

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Diagnostic Center North: Social Communication in School-Age Students- Part 1 of 2

Virtual

April 9th, 2025 - 12:30 pm

Presenter(s)

Intended Audience

  • Speech-language pathologists
  • Administrators
  • Special education teachers
  • School psychologists

Sessions

  • IN014: In-Person (3 hours)
  • IN032: Virtual session 1 of 2 (1.5 hours)
  • IN033: Virtual session 2 of 2 (1.5 hours)

George is having a hard time making friends. In conversations, he sometimes interrupts or changes the topic abruptly. He doesn't pick up on nonverbal cues and often misinterprets his classmates' intentions or feelings. In the classroom, he struggles to follow rules. He always seems to be in trouble. His classmates sometimes tease him. As part of an interprofessional team we are often asked to evaluate and intervene with students who, like George, struggle with social communication. This training will address what social communication is, how we assess it and evidence-based strategies for intervening. The training will focus on students who are in late elementary through high school.

Participants Will

  • Define social communication and its disorders
  • Describe assessment strategies for students' social communication
  • Explain how to implement evidence-based interventions for students who struggle with social communication
  • Work as part of an interprofessional team to address social communication

A Certificate of Completion is available for virtual trainings, in-person trainings, Special Training Opportunities and Technical Assistance Projects. This may be used to document professional development hours or applied towards the credential requirements for Education Specialist Level II non-university activities.

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DTUG

SCOE: 5340 Skylane Boulevard, Santa Rosa, CA 95403 or Virtual

April 22nd, 2025 - 9:00 am

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Diagnostic Center North: Telling Stories in School with Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) In Person

SCOE: 5340 Skylane Boulevard, Santa Rosa, CA 95403

April 25th, 2025 - 9:00 am

Presenter(s)

Intended Audience

  • Speech-language pathologists
  • Special education teachers

Narrative skills are essential to both social and academic development, but these important skills are often overlooked for students who require augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), particularly when students are at the beginning stages of language development and device use. How can we support the development of these crucial skills in storytellers who use AAC? This session examines the importance and assessment of narrative skills for these students. Finally, we explore evidence-based interventions to support the telling of both personal and fictional narratives from the beginning levels of storytelling to development of episodic stories.

Participants Will

  • Describe the importance of narrative skills for the social and academic development of AAC users
  • Evaluate students' current level of narrative skills
  • Develop intervention plans to increase students' narrative skills

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Diagnostic Center North: Social Communication in School-Age Students- Part 2 of 2

Virtual

April 29th, 2025 - 12:30 pm

Presenter(s)

Intended Audience

  • Speech-language pathologists
  • Administrators
  • Special education teachers
  • School psychologists

Sessions

  • IN014: In-Person (3 hours)
  • IN032: Virtual session 1 of 2 (1.5 hours)
  • IN033: Virtual session 2 of 2 (1.5 hours)

George is having a hard time making friends. In conversations, he sometimes interrupts or changes the topic abruptly. He doesn't pick up on nonverbal cues and often misinterprets his classmates' intentions or feelings. In the classroom, he struggles to follow rules. He always seems to be in trouble. His classmates sometimes tease him. As part of an interprofessional team we are often asked to evaluate and intervene with students who, like George, struggle with social communication. This training will address what social communication is, how we assess it and evidence-based strategies for intervening. The training will focus on students who are in late elementary through high school.

Participants Will

  • Define social communication and its disorders
  • Describe assessment strategies for students' social communication
  • Explain how to implement evidence-based interventions for students who struggle with social communication
  • Work as part of an interprofessional team to address social communication

A Certificate of Completion is available for virtual trainings, in-person trainings, Special Training Opportunities and Technical Assistance Projects. This may be used to document professional development hours or applied towards the credential requirements for Education Specialist Level II non-university activities.

Read More >>


Diagnostic Center North: Universal Design For Learning (UDL) - Part 2: Engagement, Representation, and Assessment Choice Boards

Virtual

April 30th, 2025 - 1:30 pm

Presenter(s)

Intended Audience

  • Special education teachers (transitional kindergarten - high school)
  • General education teachers (transitional kindergarten - high school)
  • Administrators

It is recommended that participants have a fundamental understanding of UDL to participate in this training. Participants are encouraged to take "Introduction to Universal Design For Learning (UDL)" prior to this training.

Universal design for learning (UDL) helps create inclusive and accessible learning environments for all students. By providing multiple means for action, expression and engagement, UDL allows for different learning styles and abilities to be accommodated. This leads to increased student engagement, motivation, and success in the classroom. This training takes a deep dive into understanding the three pillars of UDL (engagement, action & expression, and assessment). You will also learn how to create choice boards in each of those three pillars and have access to an extensive Padlet that contains ready to use resources for teachers to include on their choice boards.

Participants Will

  • Describe the three pillars of UDL (engagement, action- & expression, and assessment)
  • Explore a variety of choice boards and discover how important they are in the UDL framework
  • Engage in instruction on how to create choice boards in all three pillars (engagement, action & expression, and assessment)
  • Receive access to a UDL Padlet that is full of resources, templates, examples, videos, and suggested reading materials

A Certificate of Completion is available for virtual trainings, in-person trainings, Special Training Opportunities and Technical Assistance Projects. This may be used to document professional development hours or applied towards the credential requirements for Education Specialist Level II non-university activities.

Read More >>


DTUG

SCOE: 5340 Skylane Boulevard, Santa Rosa, CA 95403 or Virtual

May 21st, 2025 - 9:00 am

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DTUG

SCOE: 5340 Skylane Boulevard, Santa Rosa, CA 95403 or Virtual

June 17th, 2025 - 9:00 am

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