Every year, Michigan Alliance for Families Parent Mentors present a free series of webinars to help parents of children with IEPs or IFSPs as we get ready to head back to school.
Webinars take place on Wednesdays at 12pm – 1pm, starting July 30, 2025. Attend all the webinars in the series, or just the one that interest you the most.
Register at https://tinyurl.com/rtsw2025
Flyer for Return To School Webinars
Please note: The August 6 “Start Strong!” webinar will be presented in Spanish the next day (Thursday August 7), with a separate registration required.
Miss a session? Recordings will be available on our YouTube channel.
July 30 – Picture this! Developing your Student Snapshot with Kelsey Biswanger, Hayley Cason Grobbel, Teryn Hetrick and Capri Martinez
Introducing your child to new people can feel overwhelming at the start of the school year. A student snapshot can help! A snapshot gives a brief overview of your child’s individual interests and needs. Join us as we focus on templates, tools, and tips to create your own student snapshot. After attending this webinar, you will:
- Understand what a student snapshot is and how it can be helpful
- Know what information to include and how to share with the school
- Be able to create a student snapshot from our template
Handout- Picture This!
August 6 – Start Strong – Be IEP Ready for Back to School! with Andrea Beachnau and Amy Sanderson
Families will gain practical strategies to review and understand their child’s IEP before the school year starts.
- Learn how the key components of the IEP work together
- Learn how to align school services and supports with current needs
- Build confidence to support your child throughout the entire school year.
Bring your child’s IEP as we walk you through how to use different tools to strengthen your knowledge, advocacy, and collaboration as a key member of your child’s IEP team.
Handout- Start Strong!
August 13 – Living Your Life with Your SPIN with Kara Clarke, Joyce Dearhamer and Stephanie Nicholls
Young adults (and their loved ones) are invited to explore ways to share your strengths, preferences, interests, and needs (SPIN). Attendees will walk away with tools to communicate their SPIN at school and in life. Wait, what is SPIN?
- Strengths: What you are good at
- Preferences: What you like
- Interests: How you spend your free time
- Needs: What supports allow you to be successful
Handout- Living Your Spin!
August 20 – Setting Up Your Household for Success with Emily Lessnau, Samantha Salo and Emiliana Urbina
Join our team of parents, and Regional Parent Mentors, to chat about how to prepare your house and family for the new school year. Let’s explore some things that work for us and might help your family have a smoother start to the new school year. We will cover:
- Morning routines
- Calendaring
- Communication
- Organization
Handout- Setting Up for Success!
