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Office of Special Education Newsletters, Listservs & Office Hours

The Office of Special Education often communicates with educators via newsletters, listservs and virtual office hours. Listed below are those opportunities.

Adapted Physical Education Teachers Listserv

The Colorado Department of Education Adapted Physical Education listserv supports APE’s by:

  1. providing information and news regarding the profession;
  2. announcing professional development and training opportunities; and,
  3. posting school-based job openings.

There are no advertisements from vendors or contract-based companies. This service is also chat-free. If you were previously a member of this listserv, you do not have to re-join. 

To subscribe to the APE listserv, please complete the online listserv subscription request. Once you have been added, you will receive a confirmation email.

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Administrative Unit Director of Record and SPED Fiscal Contact 

The Special Education Director of Record holds a current professional license with the Special Education Director endorsement and is the person responsible for signing and ensuring the accuracy of all financial and data reports submitted by the AU to the Department. We also require a district fiscal contact for SPED. If you need to be placed on the list or need to update your information, please complete the AU Director of Record & SPED Fiscal Contact form. For more information or questions, please email Suzy Shotts.

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Autism Spectrum Disorder Listserv

The Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) listserv communicates about upcoming training events, job postings or other items that might be of interest to school district, community partners, families and other stakeholders interested in autism.

To subscribe to the ASD listserv, email the ASD Team.

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Brain Injury & Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Listserv

The Brain Injury listserv shares information and professional development opportunities for parents and professionals on brain development, brain injury and Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD)

To subscribe to the Brain Injury and FASD listserv:

  1. Open a new email.
  2. In the “To” field, type the email address TBI-subscribe-request@cdelist.cde.state.co.us and send the message.
  3. You will receive a confirmation email. You will not be added until you respond to this email.
  4. If there is trouble joining the Brain Injury listserv, email Jody Dickerson. 

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Community of Practice for Special Education Teacher Preparation Partners Listserv

The purpose of this Institutes of Higher Education Community of Practice (IHE CoP) is to facilitate connections, awareness, and access to information, learning opportunities, and resources that will improve the lives of students with disabilities and benefit the families, communities, and professionals who support them. Sharing of information is encouraged; however, it is at the discretion of the CDE what information will be posted. This service is chat-free and does not include advertisements from vendors or contract-based companies. To subscribe to the IHE CoP Listserv, please follow the directions below. 

To subscribe to the IHE CoP listserv:

  1. Open a new email.
  2. In the “To” field, type the email and send the message IHE-COP@CDELIST.CDE.STATE.CO.US
  3. Once added, you will receive a confirmation email.
  4. If you have a problem joining the Community of Practice listserv, email Michael Ramirez.

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CONNECT Listserv

The CONNECT (Connect to Networking, News and Encouragement for Caring Teachers) listserv is a place for teachers and service providers working with students with significant support needs (e.g. physical disabilities, autism, multiple disabilities, etc.) to find information, encouragement and networking opportunities.

We know that many times those working with students with significant needs may be isolated and lack the opportunity to collaborate with colleagues or find the expertise they need in a timely and safe setting. This is a place to ask questions, have discussion and share ideas with those in the field that are having the same experiences.

To subscribe to the CONNECT listserv:

  • Please complete the online listserv subscription request, CONNECT Listserv Subscription.
  • Once you have been added, you will receive a confirmation email

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 CO Educational Audiologists Listserv

The Colorado Educational Audiologists listserv shares information relevant to the role of Educational Audiologist, by providing information about upcoming events, and resources to share with families.

To subscribe to the CO Educational Audiologists listserv, email Krista Berkey or email Shauna Moden.

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CO Educational Interpreters Listserv

The Colorado Educational Interpreters listserv shares information relevant to the role of Educational Interpreters, by providing information about upcoming events, and resources to share with families.

To subscribe to the CO Educational Interpreters listserv, email Krista Berkey or email Shauna Moden.

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ESSU e-Newsletter 

The ESSU e-Newsletter is a monthly newsletter is sent to administrators, educators, and support staff of Colorado school districts. This e-newsletter features training opportunities, news and events. The ESSU e-newsletter is open to join, please complete the ESSU e-Newsletter Sign-Up form. For more information or questions about the ESSU Newsletter, please email Suzy Shotts.

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Equity Diversity Inclusion (EDI) Community of Practice Listserv

The purpose of this Community of Practice is to facilitate connections, awareness, and access to information, learning opportunities, and resources that will improve the lives of students with disabilities and benefit the families, communities, and professionals who support them. Sharing of information is encouraged; however, it is at the discretion of the CDE what information will be posted. This service is chat-free and does not include advertisements from vendors or contract-based companies. To subscribe to the EDI CoP Listserv, please follow the directions below. 

To subscribe to the EDI CoP listserv:

  1. Open a new email.
  2. In the “To” field, type the email and send the message EDI-COP-subscribe-request@cdelist.cde.state.co.us
  3. Once added, you will receive a confirmation email.
  4. If you have a problem joining the EDI CoP, email Michael Ramirez.  

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Interagency Listserv

Disability focused agencies, advocates, and partners can access this platform for information, updates, events, and resource distribution fostering a connected and collaborative community to support individuals with disabilities. For more information or to inquire about approval to join the Interagency listserv, please email Katie Oliver.

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Multilingual Learners with Educational Disabilities Listserv 

The Multilingual Learners (ML) with Educational Disability listserv is for practitioners working with Multilingual Learners identified with or suspected of having educational disabilities.  For more information about the ML listserv or to inquire about approval to join this listserv, please email Hunter Smith. Or subscribe to the ML Listserv by sending an email to MLDB-subscribe-request@cdelist.cde.state.co.us

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Occupational Therapists Listserv

The Colorado Department of Education Occupational Therapy listserv supports school-based OTs by:

  1. providing information and news regarding the profession;
  2. announcing professional development and training opportunities; and,
  3. posting school-based job openings.

There are no advertisements from vendors or contract-based companies. This service is also chat-free. Join the OT listserv by completing the online OT/OTA listserv subscription request.

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Physical Therapists Listserv

The Colorado Department of Education Physical Therapy listserv supports school-based OTs by:

  1. providing information and news regarding the profession;
  2. announcing professional development and training opportunities; and,
  3. posting school-based job openings.

There are no advertisements from vendors or contract-based companies. This service is also chat-free. Join today by completing the online PT/PTA listserv subscription request.

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School-Based Mental Health Listserv

This School-Based Mental Health listserv is open to individuals interested in topics related to special education evaluation, school-based mental health, and associated areas. It is designed for professionals such as school psychologists, school social workers, school counselors, and eligible school-based therapists. 

For more information or to join the School-Based Mental Health Listserv, please email Caitlin Tucker.

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Secondary Transition Listservs

The Secondary Transition has three listservs which shares resources.  The first listserv, TTL, provides training opportunities and information including current trends, research, and ongoing topics of interest related transition for transition coordinators, special education teachers, transition team leads, agency providers, parents etc. The second listserv, KTR, provides information and updates to special education directors and assistant directors. The third listserv, 18 to 21, provides updates and information to the 18 to 21 transition service providers. The purpose of these listservs is to facilitate connections, awareness, and access to information, learning opportunities, and resources that will better the lives of students in Secondary Transition and benefit the families, communities, and professionals who support them. Sharing of information is encouraged; however, it is at the discretion of the CDE what information will be posted. This service is chat-free and does not include advertisements from vendors or contract-based companies. To subscribe to any of the transition listservs, please follow the directions below. 

Transition Team Leads (TTL) Listserv

To subscribe to the TTL listserv:

  1. Open a new email.
  2. In the “To” field, type the email TTL-subscribe-request@cdelist.cde.state.co.us and send the message.
  3. Once added, you will receive a confirmation email.
  4. If there is a problem joining the TTL listserv, email Kacy Little Owl.

KTR Listserv

To subscribe to the KTR listserv:

  1. Open a new email.
  2. In the “To” field, type the email KTR-subscribe-request@cdelist.cde.state.co.us and send the message.
  3. Once added, you will receive a confirmation email.
  4. If there is a problem joining the KTR listserv, email Kacy Little Owl.

 

18 to 21 Listserv

To subscribe to the 18 to 21 listserv:

  1. Open a new email.
  2. In the “To” field, type the email 18-21-subscribe-request@cdelist.cde.state.co.us and send the message.
  3. Once added, you will receive a confirmation email.
  4. If there is a problem joining the 18 to 21 listserv, email Kacy Little Owl.

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Social Emotional Disability Listserv

The Serious Emotional Disability (SED) listserv is a place for teachers and service providers working with students with significant emotional Disabilities to find information, encouragement and networking opportunities.

We know that many times those working with students with significant needs may be isolated and lack the opportunity to collaborate with colleagues or find the expertise they need in a timely and safe setting. This is a place to ask questions, have discussion and share ideas with those in the field that are having the same experiences. 

The SED Listserv is for any staff who work with Affective Needs, this could be SED Teachers, Mental Health staff, members of an MTSS PST. The topics are Social, Emotional and Behavioral covering information on Social Emotional Learning (SEL), Functional Behavioral Assessments (FBA), Behavior Intervention Plans (BIP), SED Individualized Education Program Eligibility, SED Quality Indicators etc.

To subscribe to the SED Listserv, email Caitlin Tucker.

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Specific Learning Disabilities Listserv

For Special Education Teachers and Administrators to subscribe to this listserv, follow these instructions:

  1. Open a new email.
  2. In the “To” field, type the email SLD-subscribe-request@cdelist.cde.state.co.us and send the message.
  3. Once added, you will receive a confirmation email.
  4. If there is a problem joining the SLD listserv, email Lauren Gould

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Speech-Language Pathology Listserv

The Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) Listserv provides information pertinent to field educators working in speech-language pathology, including but not limited to SLPs, SLP assistants, and special education teachers. For more information or to inquire about approval to join this SLP listserv, please email Caitlin Tucker.

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CO Teachers of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Listserv

The Teachers of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing listserv provides access to all the latest offerings for assistive technology training and resources provided at a state level as well as a quarterly newsletter on Assistive Technology.

To subscribe the Teachers of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Listserv, email Krista Berkey or email Shauna Moden.

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CO Teachers of Students with Blindness/Low Vision and Orientation and Mobility Specialists

Colorado teachers of students with visual impairments (TVIs) and/or Orientation and Mobility (O&M) Specialists working at A Shared Vision, Anchor Center for Blind Children, and/or Colorado administrative units are eligible to be on this interactive listserv. For more information about approval to join the CO Teachers of Students with Blindness/Low Vision and Orientation and Mobility Specialists listserv, please email Tanni Anthony.


Virtual Office Hours

The Office of Special Education has been fielding many phone and email questions regarding how best to support the accessibility, behavior, learning, social-emotional, and transition needs of learners with disabilities.  In response to requests from the field, the following office hours have resumed: 

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

The ASD team will be hosting Office Hours2024-2025 ASD Office Hour Sessions.  ASD Office Hours will resume be held on Fridays from 11:30 am to 12:30 pm on the following dates: 

  • August 16, 2024 - Meet the ASD Team
  • September 20, 2024 - Dr. Pat Romani, Children's Hospital & University of Colorado
  • October 18, 2024 - Dr. Laurie Sperry, Autism Services and Programs and Yale Autism Forensics Team
  • November 15, 2024 - Emily Daniels, Daniels Counseling
  • December 20, 2024 - Dr. Jodi LeGray, ASD Communication Specialist
  • January 17, 2025 - Robin Singer & Ann Symalla, Facility School Specialists-CDE
  • March 21, 2025 - Dr. Gavisk will discuss Social Skills/Groups for Adults
  • April 18, 2025 - CDE Preschool Team
  • May 16, 2025 - TBD


Blind/Visually Impaired (B/VI) - Sound Bites

Tanni Anthony will be providing Sound Bites for the 2024-2025 school year. Sound Bites provides opportunities for personnel trained to work with learners with visual impairments, including blindness to gather once a month for professional learning and conversations on improving educational assessment and programmatic practices.

Some sessions will be restricted to teachers of students with visual impairments (TVIs). 

The dates are as follows from 4:00 to 5:30 PM

  • October 16, 2024 - Transportation Toolbox
    • Presenters: Dr. Tina Herzberg and Dr. Penny Rosenblum
  • November 13, 2024 - Teaching Self-Advocacy
    • Presenters: Dr. Lauren Leiberman and Ruth Childs
  • December 11, 2024 - TBD
    • Presenter: TBD
  • January 28, 2025 - Interest and Engagement in Science
    • Presenters: Dr. Tina Herzberg and Dr. Mary Robbins

  • February 19, 2025 -  APE for Students with Blindness/Low Vision
    • Presenter: Connor Rodrigo
  • March 19, 2025 -  Low Vision Topic 1
    • Presenter: Dr. Kara Hanson
  • April 16, 2025 - Low Vision Topic 2
    • Presenter: Dr. David Simpson

Registration

All participants must register no later than two weeks in advance for each training/conversation event.

Register for Sounds Bites

Mental Health Office Hours

Please join us for the 2024-2025 Mental Health Office Hours Series hosted by Bill Brown and presented by Dr. Tyler Anderson.  

One of the requests from the mental health practitioners from across the state of Colorado includes more in-depth clinical mental health knowledge to be able to better address the mental health needs of students in schools.  The Mental Health Office Hours series will take a deep dive into the world of clinical mental health diagnosis and clinical mental health services and treatment approaches. The discussion will focus on how the presented clinical mental health information can be adapted and used appropriately within schools to better meet the needs of students with significant mental health needs. Each session will have a 30-minute presentation and a 30-minute question and answer period. Due to logistical requirements, all participants must register no later than two weeks in advance for each office hour.  

Dates: 

  • October 1st, 2024, Anxiety Disorders
  • November 5th, 2024, Depression Disorders
  • December 3rd, 2024, Trauma and Stressors and Related Disorders
  • February 4th, 2025, Somatic Symptoms and Related Disorders
  • March 4th, 2025, Disruptive, Impulse-Control and Conduct Disorders


Serious Emotional Disability (SED) - Webinar Series

The SED (serious Emotional Disability) Office hours will be replaced with an every-other-month webinar that will be made available. The topics for this school year's webinars will be: 

  • Looking at how mental health and behavioral approaches can work together to better meet the complex needs of students;
  • Reviewing a basic review of mental health and a basic review of behavior;
  • We will then look at how to combine a mental health approach and a behavioral approach;
  • Exploring the intersection of trauma and behavior;
  • Sharing how Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and behavior interventions can work together including an example of a BIP written from this perspective; and
  • Looking at Traumatic Brain Injury and behavior.


Significant Support Needs - Power Hour

The Significant Support Needs Network Team and the Significant Support Needs Task Force Members will be holding monthly office hours.  The SSN Power Hour will be the first Wednesday of each month from 4:00 PM - 5:30 PM. These sessions will not be recorded.​

Please register for the following sessions:

  • October 2, 2024
  • November 6, 2024
  • December 4, 2024
  • February 5, 2025
  • March 5, 2025
  • May 7, 2025

All participants must register no later than two weeks in advance for each power hour session/conversation.

Register for SSN
Power Hour

Special Education Evaluation Webinar Series

Join our five-part webinar series on foundational concepts of special education evaluation! This series will cover essential topics to ensure thorough evaluations, foster strong partnerships with families, address cultural diversity, utilize alternative assessment methods, and effectively communicate assessment findings.

This event is open to public educators across Colorado, especially professionals who are new to special education or those needing a refresher on evidence-based foundational strategies in special education evaluation.

Each webinar will be held from 8:00 - 9:30 AM on the following dates & topics: 

  • September 24, 2024 - Comprehensiveness in Special Education Evaluation and Data-Based Decision Making
  • October 29, 2024 - Best Practices in Non-Discriminatory Assessment for Special Education
  • December 17, 2024 -Meaningful Family Participation and Collaboration in the Special Education Evaluation Process
  • January 28, 2025 - Best Practices in Teleassessment: Leveraging Technology for Effective Evaluations
  • March 5, 2025 - Effective Psychoeducational Reports and Data Communication


Special Education for Youth in Correctional Facilities

Zack Van Sant will host office hours regarding special education for youth in correctional facilities on the second Tuesday of each month at 8:30am-9:30am.

*September Office Hours will be held on September 17, 2024*


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If you have problems with broken links or accessing the content on this page, please contact the Exceptional Student Services Unit at ESSU@cde.state.co.us. Please copy the URL link for this page into the email when referencing the problem you are experiencing.