Welcome to the online trainings/videos page for the Oklahoma Parents Center (OPC). We realize that you are not always available to attend our live trainings and webinars, so we have created a page where you can access online trainings/videos that you can watch at your convenience!
Some of these will be provided by the OPC, but others may be from our trusted partner organizations. You will be asked to fill out a brief registration to access the videos. Please be assured that your information will never be shared!
Please check out the calendar page for other future training and booth opportunities.
UPCOMING TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES:
July 2026
Understanding Related Services in the IEP
Presented By: Melissa Stevens
Date and Time: Thursday, July 16th at 1:00pm
Location: Online – Click here to Register!
Description: This training helps families understand the different types of related services that may be included in an IEP, such as speech, occupational therapy, or transportation. Families will learn how these services support access to learning and how the team decides what services a child needs.
Open Office Hours Collab with SoonerSuccess
Presented By: Nikki Wright
Date and Time: Monday, July 20th at 10:00am – 11:00am
Location: Duncan Public Library – Board Room
3785 US-81, Duncan, OK 73533
Description: Join Nikki from the Oklahoma Parents Center and Stephanie from Sooner SUCCESS for open office hours. Learn about school resources, including IEPs, 504s, and Parents Rights. Also, find out what benefits your child may be eligible for and pick up an application.
August 2026
We have free regional conferences this month. Please click HERE for more information on location and registration!
Understanding Your Child’s IEP
Presented By: Lauren Gann & Amy Synar
Date and Time: Friday, August 7th at 1:00pm
Location: Online – Click here to Register!
Description: This workshop provides a brief overview of what is included in an Individualized Education Program (IEP), how to prepare for meetings, ways to solve disagreements, and the important role parents play in the special education process
Overview of OPC Services
Presented By: Nikki Wright
Date and Time: Wednesday, August 12th at 1:00pm
Location: Online – Click here to Register!
Description: Join Nikki from the Oklahoma Parents Center and Stephanie from Sooner SUCCESS for open office hours. Learn about school resources, including IEPs, 504s, and Parents Rights. Also, find out what benefits your child may be eligible for and pick up an application.
Understanding the Differences: IEPs vs 504s
Presented By: Amy Synar
Date and Time: Saturday, August 15th at 11:30am
Location: Langston University – Board Room
914 N. Greenwood Avenue, Tulsa, OK 74601
Description: A 504 Plan and an IEP both provide support for students with disabilities, but they serve different purposes. A 504 Plan provides accommodations that help a student access learning, while an IEP provides specialized instruction, measurable goals, and related services for a student who qualifies under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
Basic Rights in Special Education
Presented By: Ellen Kimbrell, Associate Director
Date and Time: Wednesday, August 18th at 1:00pm
Location: Online – Click here to Register!
Description: Students with disabilities have the right to a free appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment. Parents have the right to participate in evaluations, eligibility decisions, and the development of their child’s Individualized Education Program (IEP).
Understanding the Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA)
Presented By: Melissa Stevens & Nikki Wright
Date and Time: Thursday, August 20th at 1:00pm
Location: Online – Click here to Register!
Description: This training explains what an FBA is and how it helps the school understand a child’s needs in a supportive, nonpunitive way. Families will learn how an FBA gathers information, how it leads to better supports, and how it helps create a safe and predictable learning environment for the child.
Is the IEP Being Followed? What Parents Should Watch for During the First Weeks of School
Presented By: Ellen Kimbrell, Associate Director
Date and Time: Wednesday, August 26th at 1:00pm
Location: Online – Click here to Register!
Description: This training helps families understand how to tell whether their child’s IEP services, accommodations, and supports are being provided as written during the first weeks of school. Parents will learn what warning signs to watch for, which questions to ask school staff, and how to document and address concerns early.
More future dated trainings are available on our Calendar.
ON DEMAND VIDEOS:
Introduction to Work for Youth with Disabilities and their Families
(on-demand video available 24/7)
The purpose of this four-part training is to introduce work to youth with disabilities and their families. Many families/caregivers of youth with disabilities are unaware of skills that youth and young adults need in order to be successfully employed, and the laws that are available to ensure the youth’s rights are protected. Employment for youth and young adults with disabilities is very low (19% in 2021), and one explanation for this low employment rate may be a lack of skills necessary for available jobs.
This first part of the training examines the family and education’s role in supporting youth to acquire appropriate work and career ready skills. The second part of the training provides an overview of laws that support youth with disabilities and career readiness. The third part of the training introduces the participants to the Independent Futures that Work! project resource, “Working Independently, Here We Come!” Checklist and the work and career readiness skills identified on this resource. Lastly, the fourth part of the training provides an overview of resources available to support the development of the skills identified on the checklist.
Format: On-demand video (must register to gain access)
Length: 4 part series, 1 hour 53 minutes total
Target audience: Youth, Parents, Professionals
Click to Register: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/OPC-Work
Behavior Management Strategies for Families
(on-demand video available 24/7)
Children do not come with an instruction manual,
and even if they did, who would have the time to read it?!
As parents, we often feel as if we are stumbling through our day wondering if we are making the right decisions. It seems as if everyone has an opinion about your child’s challenging behavior but no one has an answer.
In this video, you will learn a few tips, techniques, and strategies to prevent and address common challenging behaviors as well as increase your confidence in your parenting skills. It isn’t the complete answer, but it will provide some quick and easy strategies for everyday use that actually work! Are you ready for a change?
ABOUT THE PRESENTER: Dr. Mary Ann Shepherd specializes in working with children with Autism and Pediatric Developmental Disabilities utilizing the principles of Applied Behavior Analysis. Dr. Shepherd completed an internship at The May Institute School for Autism and Developmental Disabilities, as well as, the School for Brain Injury and Related Disorders. Following her internship at The May Institute, Dr. Shepherd completed a Postdoctoral Fellowship through the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine at the Kennedy Krieger Institute in the Pediatric Developmental Disabilities Clinic in Baltimore, Maryland.
In addition to the doctoral training in school psychology, Dr. Shepherd is a Licensed Health Service Provider in the State of Oklahoma, is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst, and is a Nationally Certified School Psychologist. Currently, Dr. Shepherd provides consultation and training to school districts and families in Oklahoma regarding the development and implementation of function-based interventions utilizing ABA principles to reduce behavioral disruptions in the classroom and increase skill deficits.
Format: On-demand video (must register to gain access)
Length: 46 minutes
Target audience: Parents
Click to Register: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/FWNDC25
An Oklahoma mom shares her story of navigating the “Distance Learning” model with her children
(on-demand video available 24/7)
Melanie Berry, a wife, mother of four, and full-time employee. Melanie had to accept the responsibility of assisting her children with learning disabilities through their school district’s “distance learning model”. There have been good days and some bad days too. Listen to her story as you may find it relatable and receive some good advice.
Format: On-demand video (must register to gain access)
Length: 14 minutes
Target audience: Parents
Click to Register: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/OPC-OKmom
Increasing Student Involvement in IEP & Transition Planning
This presentation discussed how to get your student more involved in their IEP and transition planning process and how self-advocacy will impact students’ future outcomes. Students gain critical skills they will use in employment and further education settings all through adult life.
Handout (pdf)
Format: On-demand video (must register to gain access)
Length: 49 minutes
Target audience: Parents, Professionals
Click to Register: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/OPC-StudentInv
All About SERC
(on-demand video available 24/7)
Learn how the Special Education Resolution Center (SERC) can help your school district resolve conflicts! In this webinar, SERC Program Manager Jo Anne Blades explains the purpose and role of SERC, more about the programs it provides as well as how to access those programs.
Format: On-demand video (must register to gain access)
Length: 28 minutes
Target audience: School Districts, Parents, Professionals
Click to Register: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/About_SERC
The Best Me I Can Be
(on-demand video available 24/7)
The Best Me I Can Be is a film that highlights the efforts of DC students, parents, and schools to increase the involvement of youth with disabilities in their Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) and prepare them to take a more active role in planning for their futures.
This film shows how involving students in the IEP process increases student engagement, empowers students to achieve their goals, and prepares youth to successfully transition to adulthood. This is a project of the DC Office of the State Superintendent of Education, the District of Columbia’s state education agency.
Format: On-demand video (must register to gain access)
Length: 43 minutes
Target audience: Youth, Parents
Click to Register: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/TheBestICanBe
Transitioning to College with a Disability
(on-demand video available 24/7)
College can be a challenging undertaking. This video features two students with learning disabilities. It explains how accommodations can be different in college compared to what students have in high school. It describes how one discloses a disability at the college level including the importance of knowing what the disability is, how it impacts the student, and what accommodations have worked well in the past. Additionally it stresses the importance of long term planning, online searching, and on campus visits.
Format: On-demand (must register to gain access)
Length: 5 minutes
Target audience: Youth, Parents
How to Register: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/3NND85L
Deep Reading and the Digital Culture
What is happening to the reading brain as it unavoidably changes to adapt to digital mediums in this age of technology?
The pros and cons of different mediums (particularly print vs screen) will be described by Dr. Maryanne Wolf, with their implications for the preservation of deep reading processes. Throughout the years, as we have become increasingly dependent upon digital media, she has studied, reflected, written, and spoken widely and passionately throughout the world on the implications of the possible atrophy of these important human processes for the individual reader and for democracy as a whole. While giving us food for thought, Dr. Wolf will inspire us, provide some helpful suggestions, and leave us with hope, even during this time of high technology.
Format: On-demand (must register to gain access)
Length: 2 hours
Target audience: Parents, Professionals
How to Register: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/332113391567472656A