Supporting Siblings
Contributed by Anne Fricke The quotes in this blog come from the transcript of an NPR Talk of the Nation broadcast, “Siblings with Special Needs Change Childhood”, that aired on Sept. 25, 2012. Don Meyer, the person quoted, is the founder of the Sibling Support Project. As the parent of a child with PWS, I...
Conversation with a Sibling
Transcript from an interview by Carrie Larsen, Director of Marketing and Communications for PWSA | USA with Leora Saacks, adult sibling to Andrea (living with PWS). Interview log: I’m Leora, I’m Andrea Saacks’ younger sister. Andrea is 2 years older than me; she has Prader-Willi syndrome, and we live in Philadelphia. I live about half...
Harmony Biosciences Initiates TEMPO PWS Study
Harmony Biosciences Holdings, Inc. is seeking participants for its TEMPO study, a global Phase 3 trial investigating pitolisant as a potential treatment for excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) in individuals aged six years and older with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS). Pitolisant is a medication that could help manage sleepiness and behavioral issues in people with PWS. There...
Jennifer Bolander has been serving as a Special Education Specialist for PWSA (USA) since October of 2015. She is a graduate of John Carroll University and lives in Ohio with her husband Brad and daughters Kate (17), and Sophia (13) who was born with PWS.
Perry A. Zirkel has written more than 1,500 publications on various aspects of school law, with an emphasis on legal issues in special education. He writes a regular column for NAESP’s Principal magazine and NASP’s Communiqué newsletter, and he did so previously for Phi Delta Kappan and Teaching Exceptional Children.
Evan has worked with the Prader-Willi Syndrome Association (USA) since 2007 primarily as a Crisis Intervention and Family Support Counselor. Evans works with parents and schools to foster strong collaborative relationships and appropriate educational environments for students with PWS.
Dr. Amy McTighe is the PWS Program Manager and Inpatient Teacher at the Center for Prader-Willi Syndrome at the Children’s Institute of Pittsburgh. She graduated from Duquesne University receiving her Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Education with a focus on elementary education, special education, and language arts.
Staci Zimmerman works for Prader-Willi Syndrome Association of Colorado as an Individualized Education Program (IEP) consultant. Staci collaborates with the PWS multi-disciplinary clinic at the Children’s Hospital in Denver supporting families and school districts around the United States with their child’s Individual Educational Plan.
Founded in 2001, SDLC is a non-profit legal services organization dedicated to protecting and advancing the legal rights of people with disabilities throughout the South. It partners with the Southern Poverty Law Center, Protection and Advocacy (P&A) programs, Legal Services Corporations (LSC) and disability organizations on major, systemic disability rights issues involving the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and the federal Medicaid Act. Recently in November 2014, Jim retired.