When a homeschooled child seems to flounder for no easily identified reason, parents often exhaust themselves in their search for answers. At some point a parent may wonder if there might be a learning disability at the root of their child’s struggle. Kristen has designed this workshop to help parents sort out the difference between routine struggles and those that could well be a learning disability. We will also explore reasons you may or may not decide on formal testing and how to go about doing that.

What is dyslexia? Is it helpful to have a child evaluated and if so, by whom? What are some reasons to homeschool a dyslexic child? What does it look like to homeschool a child with dyslexia? Any curricula to use? What other resources are available? Is it possible to receive accommodations for tests like the SAT? This workshop will address these questions and allow time for those who attend to ask some of their own questions. Barb's son Micah is also planning to help with this workshop. Barb Beideman has first-hand experience homeschooling her own son who is dyslexic and tutoring other dyslexic children. She is certified in Orton-Gillingham and tutors for the Children’s Dyslexia Center of Pittsburgh, a nonprofit organization. She is also certified in elementary education and as a library media specialist.

Tami Razvi has over 25 years of experience in working with children, especially in the areas of brain development and learning disabilities. She has learned that it is possible to overcome learning disabilities. Many of the Razvi children had learning disabilities which are now completely healed. Come hear their personal stories and let the Razvis share with you a step-by-step process for healing learning disabilities.

Executive functioning describes a variety of cognitive skills which enable a person to engage successfully across environments. When these functions are not working effectively, students, despite strong abilities,can experience significant problems in many aspects of learning, including organization, task initiation, and/or task completion. Learn different ways that executive function can affect learning and get simple strategies to support successful experiences.

Students with significant learning and behavior difficulties are often referred to a professional (e.g., a school or a private psychologist) to determine if they have an educational disability that qualifies them for additional services. The professional administers a battery of psychoeducational tests and makes a diagnosis with prescriptive recommendations. But how reliable and valid are these practices and diagnoses, and just how helpful are they? Gain knowledge about these practices so you are informed when a child is evaluated.

It’s not just about the program, but instead the key components of instruction necessary to master the complex skills needed to read. Through her video, Pam Bazis, UNL, will focus on why the components of Orton-Gillingham based reading instruction are effective in learning to read based on research and theory into reading instruction and how the brain processes information in relationship to dyslexia. Pam will share strategies and practices that can be incorporated into teaching individuals to learn to read and spell. This workshop is a 2-session presentation moderated by Becky Kugler and Gwelda Carlson of the Nebraska Dyslexia Association.

It’s not just about the program, but instead the key components of instruction necessary to master the complex skills needed to read. Through her video, Pam Bazis, UNL, will focus on why the components of Orton-Gillingham based reading instruction are effective in learning to read based on research and theory into reading instruction and how the brain processes information in relationship to dyslexia. Pam will share strategies and practices that can be incorporated into teaching individuals to learn to read and spell. This is Part 2 of a 2-session presentation moderated by Becky Kugler and Gwelda Carlson of the Nebraska Dyslexia Association.

Presented by Help Eliminate Learning Problems

As the Director of Help Eliminate Learning Problems (HELP, Inc.), Bill Hartner has a unique perspective of seeing learning problems from both sides. Bill will give a fascinating look at the right brain and left brain and why balancing the two is so important to effective learning. You’ll learn how concentration, focus, time management, cause-and-effect thinking and organization can be improved by integrating more left-brain critical thinking into the learning process.

Bill has been HELP’s Director for 34 years. HELP is a not for profit organization located on the campus of Marylhurst University between West Linn and Lake Oswego and provides testing and drug-free treatment for children and adults with learning and processing problems. For more information about HELP, check helpadd.com or call 503-635-3389 for an evaluation appointment.

Have you ever wondered if you or anyone you know has dyslexia? If so, you are not alone. dyslexia affects approximately 1 in 5 people. As a mom and home educator of a dyslexic learner, Joann has experienced the worry and frustration of watching her bright and creative child struggle, even though he tries hard. As a person with dyslexia, she has experienced the difficulties and benefits first-hand.

This presentation will encourage you on your journey. Dyslexia is a distinctive difference, not a divisive deficit. Using the most reliable research, we'll cover the basics of identifying, re-mediating, and accommodating. We will also cover the gifts and strengths of the dyslexic mind - because, yes, those exist too!

All children have special needs, but some have more challenges than others. Learn how to adapt and plan an effective curriculum so that your child shows measurable progress. Explore the stumbling blocks that can prevent true learning. Don't waste money and time buying the wrong curriculum. This is a great session for parents of more than one child. You'll learn how to adapt curriculum to fit more than one student.

Who needs a Personal Development Plan? What exactly is it? When should you apply? Why should you apply? And most importantly, how do you write an effective measurable plan for your child? Mother of eight, (five with special needs) and homeschool consultant/tutor who has worked with more than 200 individual special needs children in the last 25 years, Jennifer Bliesner will lay out a clear course for developing and maintaining an effective “Personal Development Plan” for your special needs child. This important document will navigate you through the state requirements as well as enhance your child’s education.

Feel overwhelmed with your child’s unique needs? Think you cannot possibly homeschool with these challenges? This presentation is all about offering encouragement to parents who homeschool (or desire to homeschool) their special-needs children. We will discuss the why’s and how’s of homeschooling our special-needs child, record keeping, resources and planning for the future.

Come and laugh with author, speaker, and homeschool mom Linda Crosby as she takes us on an entertaining journey through her many years of homeschooling. You will be refreshed, rejuvenated, and revived. With four children, four different learning styles, a late reader, an international adoption (read: English as a second language!), and a child with special needs, Linda gives hope to a variety of homeschooling parents. You will be encouraged to enjoy each day with your children, to never lose sight of why you do what you do, and most importantly to never forget that it is God who fills in the gaps.

Beth Mora brings her background as a case manager, and certified rehabilitation registered nurse (C.R.R.N.) to this session. She is a student of her patients and has learned a great deal from the families she has served. In this workshop, Beth will introduce the S.O.A.P. method to help you develop an educational plan for your child with special needs and help you locate that missing puzzle piece. Plan to leave this workshop feeling strengthened and empowered to continue your special needs journey.

There are neurologically based learning challenges that affects reading, handwriting, spelling, composition, and sometimes math. You may have the diagnosis and understand what is happening in your child’s brain, but the question remains, how do I teach my child? Beth Mora will present educational life hacks that will help your student thrive in all subjects areas.

Children with learning disabilities must truly understand in order to remember. Their brains tend to store information in pictures, not words. The traditional approach of teaching mathematics using heavy doses of counting, flash cards, and rote memorizing does not work for them. Learn ways to minimize counting and concentrate on place value, strategies to teach the facts with visual pictures, and techniques for mastering the four operations.

They’re in every grade level- how will they survive? We’ll discuss why this happens and what to do to help the struggling reader. This session also addresses reading difficulties, accommodations, support, and self-advocacy.

Does your child have a learning disability or perhaps severe special needs? Have you pulled your child out of public school where he used to have an IEP (individual education plan)? Participants will learn the purposes and benefits of writing an SEP, student education plan, the homeschool version of an IEP. This workshop also provides guidance in how to draft an SEP. Participants will look at sample student education plans, receive a template of a Student Education Plan, and a resource list of books that will assist them in drafting their own homeschool student education plan.

Do you find your teen daydreaming ten minutes after giving him an assignment? Does he make careless mistakes in his work? Is it difficult for him to stay on task and finish school work? Or does your teen struggle with organizing personal and school materials? Does he seem to forget what he has learned the day before? These are all learning problems common among teenagers with ADD or ADHD. Many homeschooling parents find themselves frustrated and looking for answers on how to effectively teach their struggling learners. In this workshop we will discuss ways to help alleviate stress for both the parent and student by giving you practical ideas to help make learning easier for your teenager no matter what subject you teach or curriculum you use!

This workshop offers practical resources, lists of materials, and curricula in order to help equip you as you homeschool your struggling learner. Ideas for designing a unique home instruction program tailored to your child’s specific learning strengths and challenges will be presented.

Does your child often forget information from one day to the next? Does she struggle with mental arithmetic and memorizing multiplication tables? Is she easily distracted? This workshop addresses the challenges of homeschooling a child with memory difficulties. We will discuss the critical role that working memory plays in learning and attention, common roadblocks that parents face as they homeschool a child with memory issues, and practical ways that you can come alongside your student by implementing teaching strategies to match the latest research on how the brain functions.

The signs of risk for dyslexia in preschool and early elementary children will be discussed, along with the definition of dyslexia and the differences in the brain’s pathways for reading in dyslexic individuals. Information and activities to intervene early in highrisk individuals to increase print awareness and phonological awareness and to improve handwriting skills will be shared.

Does your student struggle with language, writing, and communication? Does it seem like they are allergic to writing? What you teach your student through language arts is the pavement on the road to your student's future success. Special needs students who struggle with reading usually struggle with spelling, composition, and with interpreting literature. This workshop will give parents ideas, tips, and teaching techniques to help pave the road for their student's future success in Language Arts.

Find out what is happening in the brain of a struggling student—not in technical labels but in compassion and clarity. Discover hope from Esther who knows from her own Nonstandard Learning experience what it is like to struggle in learning—and then succeed. Learn ways to help your Nonstandard Learner thrive in learning and life!

Whatever work God calls your child to in the future, he or she will need to be an excellent communicator. Learn from someone who once was a reluctant writer but now is a published author who writes for pleasure every day. Come participate in writing activities you can use with your children to set them up for success in writing. Discover enjoyable ideas and grading helps that are practical, creative, and easy to implement.

Learning challenges are often discussed as disabilities—but there are different abilities that God purposely designed in your child. Those different abilities are like vibrant colors God uses in painting His creative masterpieces. Learn from someone who knows well benefits of being nonstandard—both from her own experience and from research. Discover ideas that will help you prepare your child for all the good works He has preplanned for him or her to do.

Perhaps the land of numbers is one your child would rather not visit. End the reign of math anxiety forever by providing a solid math foundation. Knowledge really is easier for those who understand. Learn skills that will help unlock your child’s math potential.

Many children (and grown ups) have given up on their handwriting. They don’t like how their handwriting looks, but they feel stuck with it. Learn ways to leave this fixed mindset behind. Discover the important role handwriting plays in unlocking the brain. Find out the role keyboarding and texting play as well. Learn innovative skills that lead to lifelong legibility.

All children have special needs, but some have more challenges than others. Learn how to adapt and plan an effective curriculum so that your child shows measurable progress. Explore the stumbling blocks that can prevent true learning. Don't waste money and time buying the wrong curriculum. This is a great session for parents of more than one child. You'll learn how to adapt curriculum to fit more than one student.

Who needs a Personal Development Plan? What exactly is it? When should you apply? Why should you apply? And most importantly, how do you write an effective measurable plan for your child? Mother of eight, (five with special needs) and homeschool consultant/tutor who has worked with more than 200 individual special needs children in the last 25 years, Jennifer Bliesner will lay out a clear course for developing and maintaining an effective “Personal Development Plan” for your special needs child. This important document will navigate you through the state requirements as well as enhance your child’s education.

You don't have to change the way you homeschool in order to make your child fit the ‘college box.’ Create a unique transcript for your unique child, and it will help them stand out in the crowd of college applicants!

The handout for this session is available at http://www.oceanetwork.org/2016handouts.pdf

Homeschooling has proven to be an exceptional option for any student with special needs or learning challenges. But for the home educator, the task can be daunting. The task often requires extra research, the acquisition of intervention techniques/skills, unique curricula, discernment between character and limitations, unlimited patience, and constant evaluation and investigation. If you find yourself juggling the responsibilities of a challenged student—or if you even WONDER if your student’s tears are indicative of deeper issues—join us for this discussion group. You will find encouragement as you gain insights and ideas from others who are on the same journey!

How to develop an educational plan for your student with dyslexia, dysgraphia, ADHD, and other special needs. Beth Mora brings her background as a registered nurse, case manager and certified rehabilitation specialist (C.R.R.N.) to this workshop. She is a student of her patients and has learned a great deal from the families she has served. In this workshop, Beth will introduce the S.O.A.P. method to help you develop an educational plan for your child with special needs and help you locate that missing puzzle piece. Plan to leave this workshop feeling strengthened and empowered to continue your special needs journey.

Are you concerned about your child's reading difficulties? Reading delays and challenges can vary in cause and severity, ranging from being a “late bloomer” to being dyslexic. Determining the cause and solution can be frustrating for both you and your child. Jenny has worked for over ten years with children who struggle with reading troubles, and she continues to advise and encourage families with these issues. Come discover the clues to identifying your child's issues, and receive some ideas and resources for improvement.

You are the very best teacher and advocate for your child. Our 10 children have had a plethora of educational challenges from dyslexia, gifted, emotional disabilities, moderate mental retardation, and Down syndrome. From my background in special education and elementary education and the real training ground of 26 years of home schooling, I bring a wealth of experience. We will share educational strategies both traditional and some out of the box methods. Homeschooling your learning challenged student is not easy, and comes with unique obstacles, but all things are possible with GOD. Be not dismayed, if you find your home school adventure facing unique challenges, please join us!

THINK Dyslexic! Learn the facts about dyslexia. If trying to teach students with dyslexia/S.L.D. is fresh for most teachers, consider what it must be like from the student point of view. Engage in tasks that simulate the dif?culty a student with learning disabilities might have when asked to perform typical classwork. You’ll look at your role a little differently.

In this overview of ASD (Autism Spectum Disorder), participants will learn about the prevalence and characteristics including cognitive ability, social/emotional development, communication, ?ne and gross motor skills, and sensory processing, together with simple strategies for supporting individuals on the spectrum.

20/20 eyesite is one of many visual components that contributes to the ability to take in visual information for learning. It’s thought that up to 80% of learning relies on the visual system through components of eye tracking, focusing, teaming, and processing of visual information. This presentation is to raise awareness of the impact visual de?ciencies can have on learning, signs that may indicate your child has an underlying vision disorder impacting their ability to learn, and treatment options for these visual de?ciencies.

Learn how digestion is linked to brain function and how proper nutrition improves focus and communication. Also learn about medical conditions and learning styles that are often misdiagnosed as ADHD, and how to treat the real causes.

Faith will share diagnostic checklists for struggling learners, common roadblocks homeschooling parents face, and help you navigate around those, as well as share strategies for success with your children who learn differently. In addition, she will provide an overview of HSLDA’s Struggling Learner/Special Needs Department and the many resources they provide to both members and non-members.

This workshop offers practical resources, lists of materials, and curricula in order to help equip you as you work with a struggling learner in your home school. Multi-sensory teaching methods, direct instruction, modeled teaching, and “scaffolding” instruction are shared, as well as ideas for designing a unique home instruction program tailored to your child’s specific challenges.

This workshop addresses some of the challenges associated with homeschooling struggling or atypical learners in the high school years. Do you have questions such as, “How do I award my child with special needs a diploma?” or “What do I do since my child with dyslexia can’t read typical high school level material?” Faith discusses alternative course work, specialized curricula and learning materials, assistive technology, transcript options, possible graduation guidelines/high school programs for special learners, post-high school options, as well as offer tips for navigating the process of applying for testing accommodations for the college boards.

Does your child have a learning disability or perhaps severe special needs? Have you pulled your child out of public school where he used to have an IEP (individual education plan)? Participants will learn the purposes and benefits of writing an SEP, student education plan, the homeschool version of an IEP. This workshop also provides guidance in how to draft an SEP. Participants will look at sample student education plans, receive a template of a Student Education Plan, and a resource list of books that will assist them in drafting their own homeschool student education plan.

Faith will define what dyslexia is (and what it is not), discuss the different types of dyslexia as well as levels of struggle (mild, moderate, severe), and then offer hope by sharing the types of necessary teaching methods, specific, research-based interventions and programs that can be implemented in homeschool setting. Hope and encouragement are offered, in addition to right brain “tricks” and strategies for success to add to your teaching toolkit!

Whether or not becoming a "special needs" parent was something for which you planned, finding yourself in this "club" can cause a sense of being overwhelmed yet also uniquely blessed. In a round-table discussion, Karen & Colton Weber will lead in discovering how to experience God's grace and joy in the midst of the difficulties of parenting and homeschooling children with special needs. You are invited to share your successes and challenges and network with other parents in this "special" session!

This workshop, taught by a Board Certified Behavorial Optometrist, covers vision development and the impact vision has on a child's ability to learn and succeed academically. Gain information about the differences between eyesight and vision. Learn and identify signs and symptoms that can indicate a problem. And hear about modifications parents can make to assist their children in a learning environment.

Find out how you can discover your child's natural way of learning and understanding. We'll explore nine different Multiple Intelligences and learning styles. Once you know how your child processes information so it becomes interesting to them, you can then know how to present information in a way that they enjoy learning. I will be sharing how books from Usborne Books & More can reach and excite your child through their individual strengths.

In the 15 years that Jenny has been homeschooling, she has managed to survive and even enjoy homeschooling with ADHD, ADD, dyslexia, giftedness, sensory integration, and auditory processing issues. Homeschooling with these issues can be discouraging and exhausting. Come get some help for your family's journey.

Have you ever heard “All children are gifts from God” only to roll your eyes and think “Ha! They don’t know what goes on in my house!” If you don't look for God's gifts in your child, you may be missing some of His best. Come laugh and be encouraged to see what God had in mind when He designed your child. Learn to see your child through God’s spectacles and to stay focused on God’s vision of your child...not the world’s.

“Why isn’t this child learning as well as my other children? What am I doing wrong?" When a child seems bright but is not learning as fast as his peers, the problem could be a learning disability. This session explains the symptoms of learning disability and how to determine if this is the problem. Teaching methods, curriculum selection, and specialized tutoring will also be discussed.

A Personally Developed Plan (PDP) is required by Oregon law when a homeschool student with special needs fails to score above the 14th percentile on a nationally normed achievement test. This session will explain how the PDP is cooperatively written by an academic advisor and the parents, and the ways in which the plan identifies, addresses, and measures student progress.

Does your child have a learning disability or perhaps severe special needs? Have you pulled your child out of public school where he used to have an IEP (individual education plan)? Participants will learn the purposes and benefits of writing an SEP, student education plan, the homeschool version of an IEP. This workshop also provides guidance in how to draft an SEP. Participants will look at sample student education plans, receive a template of a Student Education Plan, and a resource list of books that will assist them in drafting their own homeschool student education plan.

Parents of struggling students often find that their best resources are other parents who have walked the same road; this workshop is intended to offer the same encouragement and a few more concrete sources of help.

Families with children who desire competitive athletic experiences have several avenues to meet that need. Hear how families have addressed that need, and what opportunities may be available for your athlete.

Setting realistic goals, choosing effective curriculum, keeping the teaching fun, and adapting curriculum are just a few of the areas that will be covered in this session. Jennifer will also be teaching about the basics of developing and using a “Personal Individual Education Plan” to keep parents and students on the right track.

Uncover the secrets of children’s learning styles: visual, auditory or kinesthetic. What these terms mean and how they impact learning can revolutionize teaching. One may be teaching all the right things, but in the wrong way. In this process discover your teaching style and how it affects your children and their education.

Digestive, immune & metabolic conditions common in autism, ADHD and special needs can negatively impact development & behavior; learn about medical treatments to optimize learning.

The Truth about ADHD: Myth vs. Research

Learn the facts about the cause, symptoms and diagnosis of this learning challenge and what really works for struggling readers.

Is your child frustrated with schoolwork? Does he seem to detour easily? Discover hope from a non-standard learner who was told she would not graduate.

Is reading comprehension a problem? Is your child having trouble matching symbols to sounds? Is your child discouraged? Find hope from someone who also struggled with dyslexia.

How can a child lose things? Why does he seem lost in time and space? Esther will give real-life strategies from her experiences that are transformational.

Items that will be covered in this workshop are: • The legal process for teaching students that qualify for “Special Ed Services” • Types of disabilities that one might need to specifically address through this legal process • Ideas proven to help many students with special needs • Can you write your own PDP? How? • Answers to specific questions from the group.

Dad, you don’t have to be a spiritual giant with a towering intellect to be a leader in your family’s homeschool.

Mad? Angry? Ticked off? Or just frustrated? What ever you call it, it will drive your kids away, divide your marriage, and destroy your home. No one likes living next to a volcano that could erupt at any moment. What are the dangers, the signs, and some Biblical solutions? How does one deal with an angry person and how do I get rid of these feelings that scream at me?

Not many people realize that the historical development of evolutionary ideas were based on philosophical assumptions and shifts, not on scientific discovery. This seminar takes a critical look at this fascinating piece of history.

Consider the research of Dr. Chall and Stages of Reading Development. Learn ways to build a solid base for reading success for either the beginning non-reader or the floundering learner.

Consider the unique challenges of special needs home schooling, with a home school mom of eight (five of which were special needs kids!) Learn helpful tips in how to assess a child's learning ability, where to go to receive help, and how to develop your own unique plan for your child.

Discover many benefits for the revival of connected writing as a powerful help in nipping dyslexia. Gather practical tips for teaching it to all ages.

Rick Boyer and his wife have been home schooling since 1980. Starting out young and green in a time when only a handful of families was home schooling, Rick and Marilyn found few resources to help them in their journey. They had to blaze their own trail, surviving such obstacles as skeptical grandparents, hostile school authorities, unhelpful curriculum publishers, blizzards, Indian attacks&(just kidding). The Boyers are still home schooling today and now share their experiences around the world through their books and their speaking ministry. Rick will share some of the most profound lessons learned along the way, including: -It's not schooling, it's discipleship -Life is the curriculum -The kid is the can -Socialization is for socialists -George Washington survived without Little League -and many more!

"Why isn't this child learning as well as my other children? The other kids all learned to read using this curriculum, what am I doing wrong?" When a child seems bright but is not learning at the same rate as his/her peers a learning disability could be the reason. This session will explain the symptoms of a learning disability and how to determine when this is the problem. Teaching methods, curriculum selection and specialized tutoring will also be discussed.

A Personally Developed Plan (PDP) is required by Oregon Law when a home school student fails to score above the 14th percentile on a nationally normed achievement test. This session will explain how the PDP is cooperatively written by an academic advisor and the parents, and the ways in which the plan identifies, addresses, and measures student progress.

Find out why your children (and people around you) think and act the way they do (both mentally and physically) as you are introduced to the most scientific and 21st-century approach to human understanding. Quickly becoming known worldwide as the only accurate insight into individual behavior, Brain Typing helps you look inside your children and yourself and appreciate differences as never before. This knowledge is invaluable for parents who want to fully develop their children's God-given potential in every area of life (educational, vocational, spiritual, social/relational, physical/health, and much more).

Consider the unique challenges of special needs home schooling, with a home school mom of eight (five of which were special needs kids!) Learn helpful tips in how to assess a child's learning ability, where to go to receive help, and how to develop your own unique plan for your child.

Learn from an experienced home school mom who mentors families with special needs students. Discover how to choose the proper curriculum for your special needs student and then how to adapt it for your student's unique needs.