| Thank you to all who joined us a few weeks ago for our panel discussion and speak-out on providing behavior supports to students with disabilities in New York City’s public schools. The ARISE Coalition uses what we learn from our panelists and the parents, educators, and other stakeholders who attend these events to inform the advocacy work we do — pushing the Department of Education to improve the day-to-day experiences of and long-term outcomes for youth with disabilities in NYC. What we hear from all of you impacts every conversation we have with the DOE and every campaign we undertake to push for improvements on behalf of students with special needs. We couldn’t do our work without you. |  |
Along with our co-host, the Mental Health Association of New York City, we welcomed a great panel that included Dana Ashley from the Positive Learning Collaborative, Amy Breglio from the School Justice Project at Advocates for Children of New York, and Lisa Hunter Romanelli from the REACH Institute. In front of a packed room, our panelists:
- Discussed their work related to the topic;
- Talked about the need for systems to avoid and de-escalate problem behaviors at school;
- Advocated for school staff to receive specific training and on-going assistance in their own efforts to support students with behaviors;
- Urged that parents and school staff work collaboratively to meet the needs of students with challenging behaviors;
- Reminded us of the need to consider the unique perspective of each student — using what motivates individual youth to address problem behaviors.
