The training was provided through the Virginia Murray Sowell Center for Research and Education in Sensory Disabilities.
A group of 40 teachers from schools in south Texas and the upper Texas Gulf Coast area recently completed training as part of Project TEDD: Training Educators in Dual Diagnosis, an initiative to address a state need for K-12 educators who specialize in teaching students who have a dual diagnosis of an intellectual and developmental disability (I/DD) and a mental health condition.
The participants, from schools in Education Service Center (ESC) Regions 1 and 4, completed a one-day workshop through Texas Tech University's Virginia Murray Sowell Center for Research and Education in Sensory Disabilities to learn necessary skills for recognizing, understanding and working with individuals with dual diagnosis. The workshop also equipped them with specialized skills to also train other teachers on dual diagnosis.
“Project TEDD congratulates these educators and thanks them for their commitment to helping children who have a dual diagnosis. Children with a dual diagnosis can face serious learning challenges but oftentimes do not receive the specialized help they need to succeed,” said Devender Banda, the project director and a professor of special education at Texas Tech. "All 40 of our program graduates return to their districts as a valuable resource, able to provide colleagues with training and information on educating students with dual diagnosis.”
A full list of participants from ESC Region 1 and ESC Region 4 can be found on the TEDD website.
“Project TEDD is a step in the right direction in providing the much-needed supports and trainings not only to our district and region, but the entire State of Texas,” said Kristina Cranick, a participating educator from Los Fresnos Consolidated Independent School District. “This program helps us identify students with dual diagnosis and provide trainings for behavior and academic supports, all while creating a more collaborative team of families and professionals. I look forward to sharing what I have learned through Project TEDD with my colleagues so that we may better serve our students and community."
Project TEDD aims to train a total of 400 special educators over five years using a "train-the-trainer" approach. Each participant is expected to train at least five additional educators, meaning Project TEDD will impact an additional 2,000 or more educators across Texas. The first group of teachers to complete the program was selected from ESC Region 17 in West Texas, and Project TEDD plans to eventually provide service to all ESC regions in Texas.
“The trainings are increasing awareness about the mental health needs of students with I/DD,” said Stephanie Barbre, project manager for Project TEDD. “Many of our participating teachers are able to connect their own experiences with the content, and we are empowering Texas educators to advocate for their students' wellbeing.”
Project TEDD is coordinated by Texas Tech and funded by a $1.5 million grant from the Texas Council for Developmental Disabilities (TCDD). The mission of TCDD is to create change where all people with disabilities are fully included in their communities and exercise control over their own lives.