WV F2F and P4P Programs

06/04/2026

June Support Parent Spotlight

Parent to Parent of WV is shining a light on Support Parents!

This month we have a Support Parent who is trained, certified and eager to offer peer support!
This parent has experience raising a child with an Autism diagnosis (level 2) as well as a communication disorder. She’s a single parent and a strong advocate for her son. She has experience with homeschooling, IEPs, child rights, IDD waiver and more. She is easy to work with and will offer support in any way she can. Overall, she would love to be an outlet for a parent to reach out to, ask questions to and just be that person to talk to when they need it most.
Looking for support or know someone who could benefit, reach out to Parent to Parent of WV!

Contact:
Ali Shipman- Parent to Parent Program Coordinator
[email protected]
or
complete the interest form below
https://cedwvu.wufoo.com/forms/s6yritw17rhcev/
Let us know you would like matched with the June Spotlight Parent!

06/03/2026

Patience, respect, and trust. Provider relationships with families of children with special healthcare needs requires all three, especially when transitioning from pediatric to adult healthcare.

In this video for our Navigating Transitions from Pediatric to Adulthood series, Dr. Richard Shorter shares advice for providers who are starting a new relationship with families. After their daughter Haylee turned 18, the Hatcher family began a new journey with Dr. Shorter as Haylee's adult doctor.

View the playlist for this entire series: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLVT0MCgZq8xju_WGNzJAR-yam3kZ0xNsk

Thank you to the Hatcher family and Dr. Shorter for sharing their experiences with us to educate and support others.

WV F2F and P4P Programs
Association of University Centers on Disabilities

06/02/2026

The West Virginia Assistive Technology System (WVATS) is working with the WVU Speech, Language, and Hearing Clinic to help clients and professionals access assistive technology (AT) via a new loan library housed within the Clinic’s location at the WVU Applied Human Sciences Building in Morgantown.

06/02/2026

Ready, Set, Drive - ASL Driver’s Prep Program. 🚗

Need extra support with the written driver's license test?

This virtual program is designed for Deaf and Hard of Hearing individuals (ages 15+) who use American Sign Language (ASL) and want to build confidence before test day.
➡️NO AGE LIMIT!

✅ Instruction is fully in ASL
✅ Road signs, traffic laws & test vocabulary
✅ Practice questions with explanations
✅ Test-taking strategies that work

📅 Choose Your Path:
🚦 First-Time Test Takers
July 7–30 | Tuesdays & Thursdays

🏁 Retake Prep Boot Camp
July 13–17 | Monday–Friday

💻 Small-group Zoom sessions

🔗 Register today: forms.office.com/r/zpgBPm2Nnh

📩 Rachel Lanham
[email protected]
📞 304-822-4810

06/02/2026

Are you the parent or caregiver of a child age 7-13 with autism spectrum disorder (ASD)? If so, please consider participating in our new research study about the relationship of stress, puberty, and behavior in children with ASD.

With your help, we can shape future supports for healthy development!

Contact Dr. Lesley Cottrell to learn more and participate:
[email protected] or 304-293-2914.

WVU Health Sciences
WVU Medicine

06/01/2026

Today is Global Day of Parents!

The Family to Family (F2F) and Paths for Parents (P4P) programs at the WVU CED offer peer support, connections to resources, support groups, and parent/caregiver education for families of children with special healthcare needs.

In addition to the weekly Circle of Parents virtual support group that happens every Tuesday at 7 p.m. EST, several in-person Parent Connect groups are also offered throughout the state. These informal meetings provide warm, welcoming space for parents/caregivers of children with special healthcare needs to talk, laugh, learn, and support one another. Check out the currently offered meetings below and send an email to register for free:

- Wheeling, WV at the Augusta Levy Learning Center. 3rd Tuesday of each month at 2:30 p.m. - [email protected]

- Daniels, WV at the Raleigh County Healthy Families Alliance and Support Center. 2nd and 4th Tuesday of each month at 12 p.m. and 4 p.m. - [email protected]

- Williamson, WV at the Mingo County Family Support Center. 3rd Thursday of each month at 6 p.m. - [email protected]

- Logan, WV at the Logan County Family Support Center. 4th Wednesday of each month at 2 p.m. - [email protected]

Augusta Levy Behavioral Services
Raleigh County Healthy Families Alliance & Support Center
Mingo County Family Support Center
Step By Step Logan County Family Support Center
WV F2F and P4P Programs

06/01/2026

School is out or almost out! Check out these skill building tips for summer.

☀️ Turning Summer Moments into Skill-Building Opportunities! 🍦💦

School routines might be on pause, but your child’s progress doesn't have to be. Summer is the perfect playground for organic growth! Some of the most powerful learning happens right in the middle of everyday fun.

Parenting Special Needs Magazine's latest article breaks down how you can seamlessly weave development into activities you’re already doing:
💬 Water Play: Great for practicing communication and turn-taking.
🌳 Park Visits: Perfect for practicing safety, flexibility, and transitions.
🎨 Summer Crafts: A low-pressure way to boost fine motor skills and follow directions.

You don't need a rigid schedule—just a little planning and celebrating the small wins along the way! 🎉

👉 Read the full article here for practical tips: https://parentingspecialneeds.mydigitalpublication.com/articles/turning-summer-moments-into-skill-building-opportunities

06/01/2026

Join our friends at the WV Autism Training Center for a free “Overview of ASD” webinar

Please join us (virtually) on June 18, 2026, from 9:00 - 10:00 am, with Autism Specialist, Ben Childers, for an Overview of ASD webinar.
This event is free to attend but you must register using the QR code on the flyer or the link provided below. Once registered, you will receive an invitation to access this virtual event.
The link to register is https://www.marshall.edu/atc/mos/.

05/29/2026

Parent to Parent of WV needs your help!
If you are a parent/caregiver or know of a parent/caregiver that is interested in offering emotional support and wants to connect with another parent, we are looking for Support Parents with experience in the areas of...

1. ADHD (only not paired with additional diagnoses)
2. IVIG, chronic illness, partial hearing loss and developmental delays due to chronic illness
3. Osteogenesis Imperfect Type 3
4. Unilateral cleft lip, bilateral cleft palate, PFO

If you're interested in offering support in any of these areas and becoming a Support Parent, please contact:
Ali Shipman
[email protected]
or message us

Thanks!

05/29/2026

As we are approaching the end of Foster Care Awareness Month, we discuss aging out and foster care in WV.

As of early 2026, nearly 6,000 children are in West Virginia's foster care system, with a significant number of teens (ages 13–17) facing high risks upon aging out at 18. About 76% of WV foster youth aged 18–21 leave care without a permanent family.

Our final podcast of the month welcomes Michelle Fleece, Program Manager of the MODIFY program at the WVU CED. Michelle reviews all the details of how her program can help aging youth from foster care to attend college or other training programs after high school!

Listen here: https://sites.libsyn.com/429900/options-for-aging-foster-youth-in-west-virginia-michelle-fleece-modify-program-manager