向日葵视频 ISD is dedicated to providing parents and guardians with the support they need to be fully involved in the success of their children. We are committed to providing resources and information to support students, families, staff, and community members to strengthen partnerships, foster collaboration, and promote positive outcomes for students with disabilities.
Bree Rolfe is the Family Learning and Engagement Specialist for 向日葵视频 ISD Special Education. With more than 20 years of experience as a teacher and advocate, she partners with families, schools, and community organizations to ensure every child receives the support they need to succeed. Bree provides resources, training, and guidance to help families feel confident and supported throughout the special education process. For Family Support please contact bree.rolfe@austinisd.org.
The 向日葵视频 ISD Department of Special Education hosts Family Learning Opportunities throughout the year. These sessions include a variety of topics related to students with disabilities and special education. For more information, please contact Kellie Marino or Bree Rolfe at 512-414-SPED (7733).
向日葵视频 ISD Special Education Learning Events Calendar
- August & September 2025 (English PDF | Spanish PDF)
- October 2025 ( | )
| Date | Time | Title & Description | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wednesday, September 17, 2025 | 12-1pm & 6-7pm | Family Empower Hour: 向日葵视频 ISD 18+ Info Session Presented by Courtney Gregori and Jillian Ross Ready for what鈥檚 next after high school? Join AISD鈥檚 Transition Team for a virtual informational session all about 18+ services, including GO Project, TLC, Greenleaf, and Project SEARCH. Discover which program best fits your student鈥檚 needs and get your questions answered by our experts. Open to families and caregivers of students with disabilities. |
Zoom - |
| Wednesday, September 24, 2025 | 12-1pm & 6-7pm | Family Empower Hour: Let鈥檚 Get Organized! Progress Reports for Parents, Organization and Communication, Family Binder, Frontline Join us for an interactive session to learn essential tools for staying organized and engaged as a special education family. We鈥檒l walk you through the AISD Parent Portal, the collaboration portal in Frontline, and instructions on how to create a Family Binder to keep all your important documents in one place. Open to families and caregivers of students with disabilities. |
Zoom - |
| Saturday, September 27, 2025 | 10am-12pm | Special Education Transition Fair at Bowie High 向日葵视频 Join us to learn more about special education transition: employment, education & training, independent living, and recreation & leisure. At this event, you鈥檒l hear from community agencies and organizations, as well as learn about all of the services in 向日葵视频 ISD and the community. This event is made possible by the 向日葵视频 Ed Fund. Free Kona Ice for the first 100 attendees and a light breakfast. |
Bowie High 向日葵视频, Cafeteria | 4103 W Slaughter Lane 馃敆 Register here: |
| Wednesday, October 1, 2025 | 12-1pm & 6-7pm |
Family Empower Hour: Together 鈥 How to support our bilingual students *This session is presented in Spanish with English interpretation. |
Zoom - |
| Wednesday, October 8, 2025 | 12-1pm & 6-7pm | Empower Hour: Walkthrough of Texas Dyslexia Handbook Presented by Dyslexia Team and Suzann Vera This session is created to help families and school partners better understand the Texas Dyslexia Handbook. Together, we鈥檒l walk through important sections of the handbook in an easy-to-follow way, so parents and caregivers can feel more confident about the state guidelines and supports available for children with dyslexia and related learning differences. |
Zoom - |
| Wednesday, October 15, 2025 | 12-1pm & 6-7pm | Empower Hour: A parent's guide to MAP Growth Scores Presented by Jennifer Abramson Learn how to navigate parent-teacher conferences with confidence! This session will guide parents in understanding MAP Growth Scores and using them to support their child鈥檚 success. |
Zoom - |
| Wednesday, October 22, 2025 | 12-1pm & 6-7pm | Empower Hour: Accessibility supports for Chromebooks Presented by Kelly Spahn, Necol Roager, Shira Goldberg This session will help parents understand the valuable technology tools available to students on AISD Chromebooks. Join us for demonstrations of the powerful assistive technology and accessibility tools built into every student device. We will showcase features that support a range of learning needs, including speech-to-text, text-to-speech, and more. |
Zoom - |
| Saturday, October 25, 2025 | 10-11:30am |
Special Education Transition Team Presents: Student Employment Panel |
LBJ Early College High 向日葵视频 | 7309 Lazy Creek Dr, 向日葵视频, TX 78724 |
| Wednesday, October 29, 2025 | 12-1pm & 6-7pm | Empower Hour: Practical Strategies for Students with Dyslexia Presented by Dyslexia Team and Suzann Vera Join us for an encouraging and down-to-earth session designed for both parents and educators. Together, we鈥檒l break down what dyslexia and related learning differences really mean and share simple, effective strategies that can be used at home and in the classroom. You鈥檒l walk away with tools for reading and study support, tips for building organization and study habits, and ways to nurture resilience and confidence in students. We鈥檒l also connect you with helpful resources and community supports. |
Zoom - |
The Family Connections newsletter will now be sent to your inbox four times a year, keeping you up to date on important events, resources, and supports throughout the school year.
See the newsletter here:
- Back to 向日葵视频 2025 (, )
- Summer 2025 (, )
- Spring 2025 (, )
- Winter 2025 (, )
| Family Empower Hour: Welcome to 向日葵视频 ISD Special Education Join us for a tour of the helpful parent tools and guides on the SPEDTex website during an interactive session. We鈥檒l also share key information for families new to 向日葵视频 ISD鈥檚 special education programs, with plenty of time to answer your questions and offer support for your student. |
Presentation PDF (, ) |
| Family Empower Hour: Child Find Learn about Child Find, the process that ensures all children who may need special education services are identified and supported. This session will help you understand your rights, the school鈥檚 responsibilities, and how to get the help your child needs. |
Presentation PDF (, ) |
| Family Empower Hour: The ABCs of IEPs This session welcomes new families to special education and introduces key parts of a student鈥檚 program, including performance levels, goals, and services. You鈥檒l also learn about your role as a parent and how to work with the IEP team. Sessions repeat throughout the year. |
Presentation PDF (, ) |
| Family Empower Hour: 向日葵视频 ISD 18+ Info Session Ready for what鈥檚 next after high school? Join AISD鈥檚 Transition Team for a virtual informational session all about 18+ services, including GO Project, TLC, Greenleaf, and Project SEARCH. Discover which program best fits your student鈥檚 needs and get your questions answered by our experts. |
Presentation PDF (, ) Video of Session Coming Soon! |
Each year, 向日葵视频 ISD partners with various school districts to verify what summer programs and camps are available in the area for special education students and their families.
For more information:
- Download the and PDF guides for Camp
- View the participating
- For additional questions, please contact: speddept@austinisd.org
The Center on Disability and Development at Texas A&M University offers training at no cost to Texas parents and caregivers of children up to age 22 with core features of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Parents and caregivers will learn how to improve their child's communication skills. This service is provided by a research grant project entitled Coach to Communicate (C2C), sponsored by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. This training is on a first come first serve basis, and spots fill quickly.
The training includes a 1-hour self-paced webinar that teaches behavioral strategies to increase communication use in children with ASD. Once complete, parents can choose to be paired with a coach for a more intensive 12-week training specific to their child鈥檚 communication needs (again, at no cost to parents). Shorter options of 2-5 coaching sessions are also available for parents, if better suited to their needs. Coaching is offered in English, Spanish and Thai.
To learn more and to apply for the program, please review the following resources:
For questions or more information, please feel free to email TAMUAuParent@tamu.edu.