BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 BEGIN:VEVENT UID:DEA93A54-5384-44D9-B51A-37543FA35640 DTSTART:20241026T090000Z DTEND:20241026T140000Z SUMMARY:SPECIAL NEEDS CONFERENCE OFFERS SOLUTIONS\, OCT 26 DESCRIPTION:SPECIAL NEEDS CONFERENCE OFFERS SOLUTIONS FOR PARENTS\, EDUCATO RS\, PROFESSIONALS\, SAT\, OCT 26\, FREE EVENT \n Bringing the community t ogether to share experiences\, challenges\, results and possibilities \n   \nAs parents search for the answers in providing services and care for t heir loved one with special needs\, they sometimes don’t know the question s to ask to get the answers they need. Where do parents/guardians go for h elp? What types of services are available? Is there financial assistance t o help pay for these services? \nThe good news is that under Home and Comm unity-Based Services-Adult Mental Health (HCS) there is a waiver program t hat provides home and community-based services to adults with disabilities . The bad news is\, the waiting list to receive such services is an estima ted 18-20 years. That’s right\, one nearly has to register their child for services in kindergarten to possibly receive services when they age out o f high school. \n“The demand for services is only growing\,” said Rachel J elks\, Founder & CEO of TEAM Abilities\, an agency that provides services to adults with special needs through ISS/Day Habilitation and Community L iving care. “And while parents are waiting on services what are they suppo sed to do? Many parents have to quit their jobs to stay at home with their child. The need is desperate for interim and long-term care.” \nThe gap i s so wide and vast that Jelks is hosting a conference with other leaders i n the IDD Community so parents\, professionals and educators can learn mor e about available services. \n“There are numerous enclave services that ca n assist parents while in the gap of waiting for more advanced\, long-term solutions\,” said Jelks. “There are solutions\, services and programs ava ilable and we need to start connecting the dots for our families\, educato rs and professionals in our county.” \nThe conference\, Connecting the Dot s and Filling in the Gaps \, is set for Saturday\, October 26\, 9am to 2pm \, and is provided free-of-charge to parents\, educators and professionals in the Montgomery county and surrounding area. \n“The conference is a sym posium for solutions with expert speakers and panelists that can engage on e-on-one with attendees\,” said Jelks. “This is our way of bringing everyo ne together in the same room to share experiences\, challenges\, results a nd possibilities.” \nNotable speakers will be Nikole Crowder\, Prof Speake r Ed/Parent Liaison Special Education/CISD\; Gayle Y. Fisher \, M.Ed.\, Ed .Tech./ Empowering the World of Learning Differences / Neurodiversity\; Ar mando J. Bernal \, M.Ed.\, BCBA\, LBA\, Founder\, Autism International Con sulting\, PLLC\; Kelly Baughman \, Executive Director    Co-Founder\, Proj ect Beacon and Connie Baker \, M-ED Founder\, Advocacy Aid LLC. There will also be materials on hand provided by the Time to Care Coalition . \nThe event is free and lunch will be provided to all attendees. For more infor mation\, go to www.eventbrite.com/e/connecting-the-dots-tickets-1042317809 627?aff=oddtdtcreator or call Donna Wick at 832-790-2879. \n  \n TEAM Abil ities serves adults with special needs through day habilitation/ISS servic es and Community Living care. The agency has 20 Community Living homes loc ated in Spring\, Conroe\, Willis and Houston\, as well as a robust ISS pro gram for those 16+. For more information\, go to MyTeamAbilities.com.\nTEA M ABILITIES\n611 Westridge Dr\nSpring\, TX 77380 United States\n LOCATION:611 Westridge Dr\, Spring\, TX 77380 URL:http://houston.bubblelife.com/community/wicked_publicity/library/358580 23/key/3511837900/SPECIAL_NEEDS_CONFERENCE_OFFERS_SOLUTIONS_OCT_26 CREATED:20241016T203241Z LAST-MODIFIED:20241016T203241Z DTSTAMP:20260525T080303Z CLASS:PUBLIC STATUS:CONFIRMED TRANSP:TRANSPARENT SEQUENCE:1 END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR