TX DCC Speakers Revised.5 (1) .pdf

In Collaboration with:

2015 Texas Callosal Disorders
State Session Update

March 2015

Tentative Session
Schedule


12:30
Registration Opens



1:00 – 1:30
Childcare Opens,
Registration
Continues



1

1:30 – 1:45
Welcome and
Introductions



1:45 – 2:30
Delello: ACC
Research



2:30 – 2:35
Break/Transition



2:35 – 3:20
ILE/CLE and Down
Home Ranch



3:20 – 3:25
Break/Transition



3:25 – 4:10
Jackson: SSI,
Medicaid, SpecialNeeds Trusts



4:10 – 4:15
Break/Transition



4:15 – 4:50
Gee: Skype



4:50
Release for
Childcare Pickup



5:00
Break, Dinner Prep



5:30
Dinner

Compiled by Kim Oren

The Latest:
We are picking up steam as we prepare for the Texas Callosal Disorders State Session,
which will occur at the UT Thompson Conference Center in Austin on Saturday, June 13,
2015.
We have developed a tentative schedule that is included with this Update. We have also
included short bios of the confirmed presenters below, which give hints as to the subject
matter of the presentations,1 and, we have set a registration deadline of May 15, 2015.
We have also included a description of the childcare to be provided at the Session. Links
to the sign-up web page and our Facebook page are included in the left sidebar.
With the housekeeping out of the way, we want to let you know how much we are
looking forward to gathering with you, our fellow Texans, in June. We want the Session
to provide information, resources, and contacts that will help our impacted family
members as they pursue happiness, fulfillment, and meaning in their lives. We also hope
to form new friendships and renew old ones, share our stories, and collaborate as we all
face the unique challenges presented by callosal disorders. We have room for up to 120
attendees, so please share this Update with other stakeholders in our unique
community—be they friends, family members, or educators. Can’t wait to see y’all!

Confirmed Presenters:
Dr. Julie Delello, Assistant Professor in the College of Education and
Psychology, The University of Texas at Tyler
An avid researcher, Dr. Delello's professional interests include,
among other things, response to intervention (RTI) and
intervention strategies for children with agenesis of the corpus
callosum. In addition to being a professor, Dr. Delello is also a
Faculty Fellow for Academic Innovation at The Center for
Teaching Excellence and Innovation at UT-Tyler. Dr. Delello
has more than 20 years of experience in K-16 education as a
practicing teacher and administrator. She received her Ph.D. in
Curriculum and Instruction with a specialization in science and
technology from Texas A&M University. Her scholarly articles address millennial
learners, disability and family studies, visual-media technologies, STEM-education
applications, gerontechnology, and social-media platforms for authentic learning.
Dr. Delello has won several grants and teaching awards including a National Science
Foundation Grant, the Golden Apple Educator Award, the 2012 University of Texas at
Tyler-Kappa Delta Pi Teacher of the Year Award, and the 2013-2014 Jack and Dorothy
Fay White Fellowship for Teaching Excellence. Dr. Delello was also the invited guest
speaker at the United States Department of State's Annual U.S.-China Joint Science
and Technology Commission Meeting, which seeks to expand the scientific and
educational ties between the United States and China. In addition, she is a member of
several national organizations and serves on several city-wide and campus
committees. Dr. Delello is married and has five children at home. One of her children
has agenesis of the corpus callosum and a Dandy-Walker Malformation.

My lawyer husband insists that I point out that the views expressed by the presenters are their own, and do not necessarily represent the
views of the National Organization for Disorders of the Corpus Callosum, with whom we are collaborating.

Registration Deadline
May 15, 2015

Registration Fee
$25 per Adult
$25 per Child
(Dinner and Childcare
Included)
(After May 15, 2015,
Registration-Fee Increases
to $35 per Person, Subject
to Availability)

Registration Site
http://tinyurl.com/txsession-pay

Facebook Page
http://tinyurl.com/txsession
(Informal Updates
Provided)

Contact for Questions or
to Volunteer
krb512@gmail.com
(Kim Oren)

National Organization
Website
You May Also Visit the
National Organization’s
Website for More Details at
http://www.nodcc.org
Tax-Deductible Donations
for this Event Can be Made
to the NODCC by Notating
“Texas 2015 Session” on
Your Payment.

Childcare
Fairy Godsitters, LLC

Dinner
Provided by Catering Staff
at UT Thompson
Conference Center

Mary Alice Jackson, Special-Needs-Planning Attorney
Ms. Jackson is the sole shareholder in the firm of Mary Alice
Jackson, P.C. in Austin, Texas. Her practice focuses on elder
law and special-needs planning, including estate planning for
individuals with disabilities and their families. She has an AV+
pre-eminent rating from Martindale Hubbell.
Ms. Jackson is a Fellow of the National Academy of Elder Law
Attorneys and a recipient of the NAELA Powley Award for
Public Service. Ms. Jackson also serves on the NAELA Public Policy Steering
committee, which identifies public policy priorities for advocacy on the federal level. She
is a member of the Special Needs Alliance, a national association of special-needsplanning attorneys, and serves on its board of directors, its public-policy and longrange-planning committees.
Public speaking has always been one of Ms. Jackson’s interests, and she has made
presentations on elder-law and special-needs-related topics since the beginning of her
practice in 1992. She has been a speaker at the National Conference on Special
Needs Trusts, sponsored by Stetson University, since its inception in 1998. Her topics
have varied from the Fundamentals of Special-Needs Planning, Fee Agreements,
Drafting for Trustees, and the Future of Special-Needs Trusts.
In addition, Ms. Jackson has spoken at the annual Special-Needs Conference
sponsored by the University of Texas for the past several years, where her topics have
included Fund Raising and Public Benefits Recipients, the Affordable Care Act and
annual special-needs-trusts case law updates.

Judy Horton, Founder of Down Home Ranch
Ms. Horton has an M.A. in Spanish language and literature from
the University of Colorado-Boulder, and is a co-founder of Down
Home Ranch, a residential community for adults with intellectual
disabilities, where she was Director of Programs for 20 years.
Ms. Horton has also taught Spanish at the University of
Colorado and the University of Texas as a graduate student,
and for many years at Austin Community College.
Ms. Horton, and her husband, Jerry, undertook the creation of
Down Home Ranch with the vision that those who lived at the
Ranch would have new opportunities and challenges throughout their lives, just like
everyone else in the world, to achieve new dreams, form new ideals, and realize new
visions. They realized that for people with intellectual disabilities one size does not fit
all, any more than it does for everybody else. Each Rancher is a precious individual
whose ideas about the best way to live his or her life may differ markedly from others
living at the Ranch.

Katherine Gee, Mother, Educator, and ACC Advocate
Ms. Gee has been diagnosed with complete agenesis of the
corpus callosum. Ms. Gee attended Mansfield University and
Corning Community College, graduating with an Associate’s
Degree in General Studies.
Over the years, Ms. Gee has worked in a variety of positions
including at her local school district as a one-on-one teaching
assistant for a special-needs child.
Ms. Gee has been married for seven years and is currently a stay-at-home mom to two
wonderful children: Natalie, age four, and Lillian, age 18 months. Lillian has been
diagnosed with partial agenesis of the corpus callosum. Ms. Gee lives in New York
State, is a strong advocate for the ACC community, and is hosting a regional meeting in
her area this June.

More on Fairy Godsitters
Ferry Godsitters was
founded in 2012 by native
Austinite Jennifer Gomez.
Jennifer saw the need for
a locally owned Austin
agency that valued a
personal connection with
parents. As a mother
herself, Jennifer thought
of all the qualities in an
ideal caregiver:
dependable, trustworthy
and conscientious, while
warm, loving and engaging
with children. Jennifer
started Fairy Godsitters,
LLC with a mission to
provide childcare services
that were just like having
your very own fairy
godmother, and with that
the idea of a Fairy
Godsitter was born.
All Childcare Providers are
Subject to the Following:


Criminal
Background Check
(Every 2 Years);



10-Year WorkHistory
Verification;



In-Depth Personal
Interview;



Infant and Child
CPR/First-Aid
Certification;



Previous Verifiable
Childcare
Experience;



Special-Needs
Training and
Seizure
Management; and



Certification in
Abuse-andMolestationPrevention
Training.

Confirmed Company Presenters:
Independent Living Experience
Independent Living Experience (ILE) is an innovative,
community-based service model operating outside of
traditional state and residential programming by focusing on
the individual needs and desires of each client. ILE designs a
customized support program that meets individual needs by
delivering services in the most natural environment…the
client's local community.
ILE personalizes services based on the needs and preferences of the client and family.
ILE supports include money management, healthy living advice, and transportation
options. ILE works in collaboration with employment partners and job coaches to
support working individuals. ILE also provides social skills and quality-of-life supports to
assist the client with living in the community.
ILE collaborates with state vocational rehabilitation agencies and other providers to
minimize private-pay costs and the overlapping of services. A private-pay structure is
also available for clients who may not qualify for state-based funding; flexible-payment
options are also provided. There are several locations throughout Texas, including
Austin, Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio.

College Living Experience
College Living Experience (CLE) collaborates with a variety of
schools and programs including universities, community
colleges, and vocational programs on behalf of students
working toward their Bachelor’s Degree, Associates Degree,
or completion certificate. Each week, CLE helps student fill
their schedules with one-on-one, content-specific tutoring,
group tutoring, and supervised study halls. With guidance and
instruction from professional tutors, students also receive
coaching in planning, organizing, managing their time, strategizing, and executing.
Students with a variety of disabilities work on independent living skills during their
college-transition program, including making sound decisions about daily life,
budgeting, keeping their apartment in order, and shopping for themselves and their
household. CLE staff work with each student in the areas of financial management,
personal hygiene, health and wellness, community resource development, and publictransportation-mobility training. CLE staffers facilitate a variety of social activities each
week that are geared toward developing specific social skills. Examples of activities
range from community cultural performances, local entertainment events and
attractions, and simply dining out or having a short coffee break. Students develop
social skills such as respecting boundaries, understanding non-verbal communication,
using conversation skills, and perspective taking.
CLE focuses on enabling individuals to establish the skills needed for meaningful
employment. CLE works to accelerate the acquisition of skills, interests, work habits,
and abilities while students enhance the skill sets necessary for viable employment.
From day one, the CLE team designs career-development supports to assist each
young adult in the creation of an individualized employment path. Extensive services
include measurement and personal inventories, job coaching, instruction in hard and
soft skills, support in building a portfolio, job searching, and education in community
awareness. There is one location in Austin, Texas, working collaboratively with Austin
Community College.