Resource spotlight: Reading & Math Tips for Families
This website was originally developed to help Ohio’s families learn more about reading. Now they are offering resources and support for math skills as well.
Visit the website often to explore new, fun, and engaging activities. These activities will be archived under one of the tabs at the top of the website. You can also use the Search feature to quickly find information that interests you.
We hope you’ll discover helpful tips and activities to encourage your child’s reading and math learning. The site also provides research and resources for those who want more in-depth information.
Along with the new name, the site has added several exciting features.
The site now offers a one-stop shop for learning support, including Tips and Activities, Video Resources, and Additional Languages.
Click the blue Reading tab to access reading tips.
Click the green Math tab to explore math tips.
Click the All tab to view both reading and math resources in one place.
While some features are new, you can still count on finding categories for ages birth through high school under Tips and Activities. Monthly content will continue to be added. Video Resources, Additional Languages, and the Glossary are also still available and will continue to be updated.
The Ohio Coalition for the Education of Children with Disabilities and the Department of Education & Workforce Office for Exceptional Children invite you to visit Reading & Math Tips for Families
DODD is replacing the OhioISP with standardized person-centered templates. The department’s person-centered planning templates must be used for people enrolled in Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) waivers and for people living in intermediate care facilities (ICFs). These templates include the same information that was in the OhioISP Discovery Assessment and Individual Service Plan. The content has not changed, but the templates were updated for ease of use and to meet federal accessibility rules.
The department’s templates are accessible, fillable PDF forms and can be found HERE. They may look longer at first, but extra space was included, and not every section needs to be filled out for every person.
County boards and ICFs can copy the questions into Word or other programs, as long as they do not change the questions and keep them in the same order.
The Synergy Marketplace is a FREE vendor opportunity for individuals receiving or eligible to receive DD services to sell or promote their products or services. The Marketplace will be held during the Synergy Exchange at the 2026 Synergy Conference on Wednesday, September 30 from 2:00-5:00PM. This vendor space is only available on Wednesday and does not allow for vendor space during the remainder of the conference.
Please visit DODD’s Waiver Changes page to find information describing the upcoming changes and updates to the department’s waivers. These changes will take effect on July 1, 2026, upon Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) approval.
Communication boards help people communicate with others by using symbols, pictures, or photos. They can be used by people to express their needs, preferences, and decisions. DODD has created a collection of communication boards for people to download to allow people with various communication needs to engage in their communities and activities.
Summer is approaching, and air travel is picking up. The airport communication board helps people share needs, feelings, and questions at every step of the journey.
People who have received an interRAI ID or the Child and Youth Mental Health Instrument for Developmental Disabilities (ChYMH DD) assessment can find assessment results in the Assessment Center.
Instructions on how to create an OHID, and accessing the Assessment Center can be found on the DODD Waiver Modernization InterRAI Assessments website.
An overview of interRAI assessments and Collaborative Action Plans (CAPs), along with individual results, is available in the Assessment Center.
On October 20, 2025, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine signed House Bill 144 into law. This important legislation, known as Keith’s Law, builds upon Communication Disability Law, enabling first responders to have information shared by people with disabilities when responding to countywide 9-1-1 calls.
Any person with a diagnosed disability, who drives or regularly has someone with a communication disability in their vehicle, can voluntarily enroll in a database that connects to the Law Enforcement Agencies Data System (LEADS). The law enforcement officer can then be made aware that the driver or a person in the vehicle may have difficulty communicating and can approach the vehicle with awareness to reduce any potential misunderstandings or problems. To enroll, complete the verification form.
Service and Support Administrators (SSAs) and individuals served by the Erie County Board of Developmental Disabilities gave a presentation in early October at the Synergy Conference, a conference held annually at the Kalahari Convention Center where individuals receiving services and DD professionals from across the state learn and have fun together. Over 800 people attended the conference, and many of them attended this session presented by our Board employees and the individuals they serve. SSAs Becky Criswell, Destiny Jones, Maggie Thurston, and director Felicia Zendejas joined individuals Melanie Feizkhah, Evan Goretzki, Carly Sabo, and Kristin Webb to share with their peers valuable information in a session entitled, “I Don’t Have A Waiver, So What About Me?” They detailed how people receiving services can utilize their community resources and individual budgets to help them live fulfilling and independent lives without a Medicaid waiver, as well as how using tools such as Charting the Life Course and making connections with those around them to empower them to make decisions and take charge of their own lives.
