LESA Parent Advisory Committee

AAC is hugely beneficial and gives a voice to someone who can struggle with words. Want to learn more?

Do you want to learn more about Augmentative & Alternative Communication (AAC)? Do you need help accessing it for your child? Please join Caitlin Hurban, AAC Assistive Technology Specialist from MDRC's Michigan Assistive Technology Program and our partners from Michigan Alliance for Families, Alt+Shift, and Disability Rights Michigan to learn about AAC and accessing AAC for school aged children and infants/toddlers. Our lunch and learn on AAC is January 30th from 12:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. This is a free event. Register on Eventbrite. If you cannot make it the day of the event, it will be recorded. ASL interpretation and CART are provided.

AAC means all of the ways that someone can communicate besides talking (e.g., facial expressions, gestures, pointing to pictures, spelling, writing, speech generating devices). "Augmentative" refers to communication methods used in addition to speech and "alternative" means communication methods used instead of speech. All methods or modalities of communicating are valid. In this presentation, we will be discussing AAC systems, including lite, mid, and high tech (usually speech generating) options.
[Image description: Four Hexagons on the top left of the Image: 2 orange hexagons, a green and a blue hexagon on a teal background. Four logos are on the bottom of the image, a Disability Rights Michigan logo,a Michigan Assistive Technology program logo, a Michigan Alliance for Families logo and a Alt + Shift Logo. Text: " Introduction to Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) and Resources in Michigan. Tuesday, January 30th, from 12p.m. to 1:30p.m. Join MATP AAC AT Specialist Caitlin Hurban, Alt+Shift AT/AAC Specialist Carolyn Parker, and Michigan Alliance for Families Training Manager Stephanie Nicholls for an introduction to augmentative and alternative communication, an overview of supporting organizations for school aged AAC users in Michigan, and many resources! Register today for the live session and access to the future recording! Eventbrite: https://TechTuesdayAAC.Eventbrite.com." End Image Description]

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/techtuesday-intro-to-augmentative-alternative-communication-resources-tickets-796079183267?aff=oddtdtcreator

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Sept. 7, 2023

CONTACT: Chelsea Wuth, 517-241-2112, [email protected]

Michigan Developmental Disabilities Council announces Dr. Yasmina Bouraoui as new executive director

LANSING, Mich. — The Michigan Developmental Disabilities Council (MiDDC), part of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS), is excited to announce the appointment of Dr. Yasmina Bouraoui as its new executive director. Bouraoui replaces Vendella Collins who retired this summer.

“Dr. Bouraoui’s extensive public health experience and passion for advocacy, capacity-building and systems changes makes her the perfect fit to lead MiDDC as it supports people with developmental disabilities to live lives to their full potential,” said Elizabeth Hertel, MDHHS director.

Since 2007, Bouraoui has served as MiDDC’s deputy director. She has a proven track record leading the Employment First Initiative in Michigan to increase competitive, integrated employment opportunities for people with disabilities. Before working at MiDDC, she served over 15 years at the city, county and state levels in the planning and delivery of maternal, infant and child health services. Bouraoui has also made numerous contributions to public health, including co-authoring several Centers for Disease Control and Prevention scientific briefs on breastfeeding, infant mortality and infant safe sleep.

“I am honored to lead an organization dedicated to advocacy and the advancement of disability rights to improve the lives of individuals with developmental disabilities,” said Bouraoui. “My passion for disability rights and advocacy is a direct extension of my lifelong commitment to human rights and justice, and my goal is to make MiDDC a trailblazer across the state, nation and the world.”

Bouraoui will oversee the strategic direction of MiDDC, including fulfilling mandates under the federal Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act of 2000 and Michigan’s Executive Order 20 of 2016. As executive director, she also serves as the chief advisor to the council to ensure it develops policies and advocacy priorities to improve the lives of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

“We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Bouraoui as our new executive director,” said MiDDC chairperson Jeremy Murphy. “We conducted a thorough search and Dr. Bouraoui’s extensive public health experience and passion for improving the lives of underserved individuals stood out as a tremendous benefit to creating a more accessible and inclusive Michigan for residents with disabilities.”

In addition to her professional experience, Bouraoui’s passion for human rights and justice also impacts her personal life. Since 2001, she and her daughter have served as a foster family to eight different refugee youth from across the globe. This experience led to involvement as a founding board member for the Global Institute of Lansing, a high school completion program for immigrant youth and adults. She also serves on boards for the Greater Lansing United Nations Association and the Alliance Francaise of Lansing.

Bouraoui holds a master’s degree in public health and a doctorate in public health policy from the University of Michigan.

Bouraoui officially began this role on Tuesday, Sept. 5.

For more information about MiDDC and its initiatives, please visit Michigan.gov/DDCouncil.

Michigan Alliance for Families is hosting an online workshop!

Back to school, back to the IEP. Get a better understanding of your child's IEP by taking a closer look at the core areas and how they build on each other. We'll also talk about how to get your concerns addressed.

We offer IEP: A Closer Look every month, to provide parents with the information they want when they need it.

Register to join us for this free, online virtual workshop next on Thursday, September 14 at 9:30am. https://tinyurl.com/yckh9s6w

We know schedules can be quite busy. This webinar is scheduled throughout the year on different days of the week and at different times of day.

Find more workshops our calendar at www.michiganallianceforfamilies.org/upcoming-events/

Hi friends, Katie here! I’ve been following this page and a couple others about Gestalt Language Processing, and holy smokes, light bulbs go on! This is 1000% my kid. Do you see this kind of learning in a kid in your life?