Upcoming Events

About the Organization
Families Together is here to assist all Kansas families and transition age youth who have disabilities and/or special healthcare needs ages birth-26.

Special Education Rights
Don't navigate special education on your own! Understand your rights and effectively advocate for your child with Families Together's Know Your Rights in Special Education guide, created in partnership with the Disability Rights Center of Kansas.

Parent-to-Parent
The Parent-to-Parent program matches Support Parents who have experience raising a child with a disability with parents who need someone to listen, encourage and support them. Matches can be made based on a diagnosis, a new family situation, sibling challenges, medical needs, and more. Once you’re matched, you’ll be able to speak with a fellow parent or caregiver with a similar experience in raising a child with a disability or special health care need. Support Parents are trained in providing peer support and empathetic listening. Become a Support Parent here.

Family Advocacy, Support, & Training (FAST) 
The FAST program is coordinated by Families Together, Inc., the Parent Training and Information (PTI) Center and the Family-to-Family (F2F) Health Information Center for Kansas. Funded by DCF, the FAST program serves families of children birth through 17 who have intellectual/developmental disabilities or a dual diagnosis.

To learn more about this organization and its programs, visit the Families Together website.

RISE is a Day Service program for semi-independent individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities who are interested in growing in their independence and exploring the community around them.

Learn More.

The National Center on Deaf-Blindness (NCDB) is reminding people that it's important to get deaf and hard of hearing children's vision checked since they are highly dependent on their vision. I've attached flyers that NCDB has created.

The Parent Empowerment Peer (PEP) Project supports Kansas families navigating the child welfare system. Parent Empowerment Peer Support Specialists (PEPs) are parents who have walked this path. They understand your journey because they've been there too, and they are here to help you!

Summit Behavioral Services partners with schools to provide on-campus BCBA leadership and skilled implementer support. The organization works alongside educators to create practical, individualized strategies that build meaningful skills, reduce barriers and strengthen the entire learning environment. Summit Behavioral Services values collaboration, consistency and respectful partnership with the professionals who know their students best.

Welcome to WALLop. WALLop means to have a significant impact. We hope to do that. My husband, Darryl, and
my granddaughter, Emily, along with her friend, Hailey, will be joining us to help with all those things… you know
all those things! We will help with ordering from a menu, and finding something they want and can afford),
restroom breaks, help with activities, etc.
I have sent you a couple months of tentative calendars. I want the students to be able to mingle and have a great
adult social life. I know many have other activities but I hope this also teaches them some things while out in our
community. Some activities might have to be limited, (cooking/baking at our house), and some of the venues may
be too small. I will be calling places these next couple weeks to confirm space and possible costs.
We are charging a $10 participation fee. (We originally thought $15). This will help pay for the time of Emily,
Hailey, Darryl, and I as well as our gas/travel, and a little bit for our time.
Darryl and I were both educators for 32 years in the public schools, most of those in special education. (He taught
adaptive P.E.). In addition to teaching at a high school level, I taught in the colleges and universities in the area for
25 years. I started programs in the areas; Circle of Friends, Laughing Feet Performers, (Jenny renamed it when she
took over), and Friendship Fields at Friends University.
We realize everyone will not go to everything. Please email me your requests as soon as you can so I can save you
a spot. RSVP will be due 5 days before an activity. I will send additional information on some of the activities very
soon.
I still want to go to the zoo, learn archery, take some art lessons, go to Hutchinson to the Cosmosphere, possible to
Topeka and help on the senate floor, ( my brother is a state representative), and do some card making. We will
likely go to a couple of sports events also.
I will keep the movies G, PG, or PG 13. We will eat at one fast food and one sit down place each month. We will
try to go to two movies a month. If you are interested in Regal Membership, check it out on their app or on their
site, It is $19.30, ( I think), for as many movies as you would like per month. It also gives %10 off concessions and
you accumulate points for free concessions or tickets.
I am wondering if any of the participants would enjoy having a book club. They could listen to it, read it, or have
someone read it to them. We will read out of youth books. Let me know if there is an interest. We could do it
every other month. There would be an overall fee of $25 for 16 weeks, ( meeting 8 times).
I also wondered about a bible study for our participants that are interested. Again, let me know if there is interest.
Behavioral issues will not be tolerated. We will call parents if we need a pick-up. They do get a second chance but
if there are still problems, we reserve the right to refuse that individual participation.
I hope there is interest and we can get all individuals some outing with friends!

Darryl and Valerie Wall
Emily and Hailey

WALLop Events Calendar