Disabilities Screenings to be Held for At-Risk Keiki

The Learning Disabilities Association of Hawai‘i will hold a Traveling Mini-Conference on Maui on Wednesday, Sept. 16, at the Maui Beach Hotel from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. It is free and open to all families. The conference is an opportunity for families to learn more about resources and services available to help their children with or at risk of disabilities.

The conference’s Kid Zone will include interactive entertainment, developmental learning activities provided by specialists and early childhood screenings for children ages 2 through 5. The Kid Zone will include age-appropriate activities and comprehensive childcare for siblings so parents of children with disabilities, students with disabilities and educators can attend informational sessions and workshops.

Registration is required and can be completed by calling LDAH at 1 (800) 533-9684 or emailing Rosie Rowe, LDAH education and training coordinator.

For more information, visit the LDAH website.

According to Michael K. Moore, executive director of LDAH, the conference is designed to meet the specific needs of the local community.

The conference, themed “Building Bridges, Not Walls,” will cover a range of topics, including: helping parents of children with disabilities to understand their children’s needs; building skills to enable parents to effectively participate in the planning process for their children; improving parents’ understanding of their rights and protections under the law; building partnerships between parents, family members, professionals, schools and community providers to best meet the needs of children and youth with disabilities.

Moore said that LDAH is the only agency in the state providing technical assistance, training, mentoring and advocacy to assist parents as they help their children with disabilities to learn and thrive within Hawaii’s public special education system.

“We would like to thank the Hawaiian Electric Company for their generous donation to support our Traveling Mini-Conference this year,” Moore added. “We are grateful for the support of Hawaiian Electric to bring the resources of LDAH to Maui families.”

LDAH has served as the Parent Training and Information Center for the state of Hawai‘i since 1990, helping thousands of families with children with, or at risk of, disabilities.

Six years ago, with funding from Aloha United Way, LDAH also began a multi-agency partnership to implement the first of its kind community-based School Readiness Project (SRP) to provide developmental, social-emotional, hearing and vision screenings to help children ages two through five years old to enter kindergarten ready to learn, with age-appropriate language, literacy and social-emotional skills.

About LDAH

Learning Disabilities Association of Hawai‘i is dedicated to identifying and addressing needs in children that may negatively impact their education and life. Where disabilities are identified, LDAH works with parents and family members to ensure the rights of those children are protected according to law. Since 1990, LDAH has served as the state’s Parent Training and Information Center, a federal distinction under the U.S. Department of Education-Office of Special Education Programs.

For more information, go online.