SPECIAL EDUCATION

Eighth Annual Region 9 Special Education Paraprofessional Training Day
By Loree Brown

Planting Seeds of Success was the theme of this year’s paraprofessional training day held at the Alltel Center in Mankato. The Special Education Directors tried something a little different this year with a topical training day. There were over 700 special education paraprofessionals registered from Region 9, South Central, Minnesota. We have grown from 400 to 700 since our first conference in 2000.

Sheila Merzer, MA, Licensed Psychologist, led the seminar with her presentation “Understanding and Supporting Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders in the Schools” Strategies for Successful Programming. This presentation covered a range of issues that are important to providing paraprofessional support to students with Autism Spectrum Disorders in the schools.

The second session was The Brain in Childhood, Adolescence to Young Adulthood: Primed with Potential, Loaded with Liabilities, by Gretchen Collins, Psychologist Southwest Family Services in Minneapolis. This multimedia, highly interactive session explored the work of neuroscientists to tell us what we know about the developing brain. Classroom intervention protocols were provided as well as discussion of strategies that utilize brain-based education techniques to address the many mental health issues experienced by children and adolescents.

Joe Meixl, Health & Safety, District #77 Mankato satisfied the requirements for 2007–2008 OSHA Blood Borne Pathogen Training. The day ended with a short meeting with the directors. This event was a great way for paraprofessionals to reconnect with each other before the school year started.

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