Author: Melissa Cline

Adair County SB40
Developmental Disability Board

DD Resource Center
314 E. McPherson Street
Kirksville, MO 63501
(660) 665-9400
sb40@sb40life.org

Community Learning Center
1107 Country Club Drive
Kirksville, MO 63501
(660) 660-9400
clc@sb40life.org

Website: https://sb40life.org

May 2025

Sean’s Scoop!

Preparing for a New School Year
Happy Spring everyone! I think Winter has finally left us til next year. With Spring comes an increase in the number of Individualized Educational Plans which Adair SB40 Service Coordinators are working with families and schools to prepare for the upcoming school year.
Before jumping into some content on this subject I wanted to put a “thank you” in here for Melissa Cline, our Community Engagement Specialist, who puts together this newsletter and is moving to another position to help lead a new Day Hab Program coming to our area in the near future (more information to come on that in the near future). Melissa has been an indispensable member of our team & has done so much to support our people & our community, & she will be greatly missed.
Continuity between the student’s IEP at school and their ISP with Adair County SB40 is vital to assure the best progress towards the student’s stated goals. We are committed to assuring that the student and parent vision for adult life is incorporated into planning. Our Service Coordinators are very happy to join parents and students in their IEP meetings and to assist with communication and collaboration with school personnel as much as is needed.
I wanted this month to give a brief overview of the purpose of IDEA for the development of IEP supports, dispel some myths related to IDEA, and also briefly discuss the importance of future planning in relation to transitioning into the community for those with IEP’s.
Overview of IDEA:
Purpose: IDEA ensures that children with disabilities receive a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) in
the least restrictive environment (LRE).
Age Range: IDEA covers children from birth to age 21, helping ensure that they receive services tailored to their needs.
Individualized Education Plan (IEP): The law requires that an IEP be developed for each eligible student, outlining personalized goals and services.
Early Intervention: IDEA provides services for young children (under 3 years old) with disabilities, helping them develop essential skills early.

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April’s Spotlight Award - Employee Spotlight, Benjamin Polley
Ben Polley of Kirksville has been selected as the April Outstanding Employee Spotlight Award Recipient by Adair County SB40 following his nomination by Dwight Buckingham. Buckingham stated, “Ben Polley, who is autistic, is employed at Hy-Vee, Kirksville, as a customer service clerk. He does an exemplary job carrying out his assigned duties, always with a positive attitude and smile. His friendly interaction with customers is always present as he bags groceries with utmost care. I’ve heard nothing but positive comments from friends about the great job they think Ben is doing at Hy-Vee. Ben is known for his excellence in bagging and has participated in competitive bagging events. He willingly accepts and is eager to work and learn about any department of the store he is assigned to, whether it is bagging groceries, assisting in the deli, or customer appreciation barbeques.”
Adair County SB40 Service Coordinator Andy Magruder exclaimed, "Ben has been employed at Hy-Vee for the 1.5 years. He moved here from Kentucky and has worked in other grocery stores for years. Ben’s an excellent worker and very friendly. Ben is dedicated to his job and helpful to customers and fellow employees. He enjoys the discretionary income and is an avid collector of comic books, toys, figurines, and posters.”
Executive Director of Adair County SB40, Sean Jacob, commented, “Ben is competitively employed at Hy-Vee, which is something we are always striving for and encouraging for people with disabilities in our services in our community. They are often the hardest-working and most reliable of employees, and Ben exemplifies this at his job. He is happy to go to work, is getting to know his fellow employees, and plans to continue to belong there in the years ahead.”
If you would like to nominate a great candidate for a monthly Spotlight Award, Adair County SB40 is accepting nominations. Anyone can make a nomination. Nominations can be made in any of the four following categories:
Kids Inclusion Spotlight Award for children in kindergarten - 8th grade
Youth Leadership Spotlight Award for youth in grades 9-12
Community Volunteer Spotlight Award (any age)
Entrepreneur or Employee Spotlight Award (any age)
In March 2026, the Spotlight Award of the Year winners will be selected from all of the monthly winners. Nominations can be made throughout the year by visiting the Adair County SB40 website or by contacting a SB40 staff member to assist you at (660) 665 - 9400. You can also find more information about the four nomination categories by visiting Adair County SB40’s website, https://www.sb40life.org.

Ben Polley, Hy-Vee Customer Service Clerk and Andy Magruder, Adair County SB40 Service Coordinator

National Mental Health Awareness Month
May is National Mental Health Awareness Month and a great time to talk about how people with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities can be impacted by poor mental health. People with I/DD are 34% more likely to struggle with mental health issues than their non-disabled peers. The National Council for Mental Health’s initiative, “Four Ways Forward,” is an invitation for you to take action in four unique ways during the month.
Week 1: Raise Your Voice and Advocate for Change - Not enough people are receiving the care they need. Through advocacy for public policy that expands accessible care and treatment, we can help ensure that people receive the care they need.
Week 2: Lead by Example—Prioritize Your Self-care - Practicing self-care is very beneficial for your own menta health and serves as an important example to others.
Week 3: Celebrate Mental Wellbeing - When we communicate the importance of good mental health, we can help raise awareness and inspire change.
Week 4: Be the Difference—Get Involved - When we get involved, spread awareness, and learn skills on how to help others through programs such as Mental Health First Aid, we can ensure people are receiving the help they need.
For more information about the initiative, visit https://www.thenationalcouncil.org/mental-health-awareness-month.

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Sean’s Scoop - Continued
Parental Involvement: Parents must be involved in the IEP development process and have the right to
participate in educational decisions.
Transition Services: Beginning at age 14 (or younger, depending on state guidelines), IDEA mandates the
development of transition plans to prepare youth for adulthood, focusing on education, employment, and
independent living.
Non-Discriminatory Evaluation: Schools must conduct evaluations that are fair and assess the student's
needs comprehensively, without bias.
Protection of Rights: IDEA includes safeguards to protect students and parents, such as dispute resolution
procedures and the right to access educational records.
Qualified Staff: Schools are required to have highly qualified professionals, such as special education
teachers, to work with students with disabilities.
Emphasis on Inclusion: IDEA supports inclusive practices, ensuring that students with disabilities have the
opportunity to learn alongside their peers without disabilities to the greatest extent possible.
Myths and Clarifications:
Myth – IDEA is Just About Keeping People Safe: IDEA is not about protecting people with disabilities by
isolating them but about empowering them to become self-determined, active participants in society. It focuses
on providing the tools and resources necessary for independence and success.
Myth – IDEA Is About Restricting Opportunities: The goal of IDEA is to expand opportunities for people
with disabilities by providing education and services that foster self-advocacy and autonomy, not limiting their
growth potential.
Myth – IDEA Only Focuses on Disability: IDEA prioritizes fostering self-sufficiency, personal growth, and goal achievement, not solely focusing on disabilities as a barrier to success.
Transition to Adulthood and Employment Planning Thoughts:
If your child is over the age of ten, conversations about their transition into adulthood could and should be included in the planning for their future.
Certainly, by the time your child is a teenager, a vision of their future should begin to be formed with all members of the planning team and in their IEP.
The student is an essential member of the planning team and, along with their parents, should be shaping the vision of what their adult life will be. We encourage students being prepared to, not only participate in the IEP planning process, but eventually lead their own IEP meeting before graduation.
Certainly, envisioning community integrated vocational options after public school is completed should be a major part of goal setting within individualized plans during the school years, and the earlier this discussion and planning starts the better.
In conclusion, we encourage you to educate yourself and feel confident in working through this process together. We are here to support the whole planning team! Adair SB40 Service Coordinators are all trained and able to help families walk through the transition to adulthood years. So, feel free to ask all questions! We love supporting futures planning! If we don’t know the answers, we certainly will work to find the answers with you.
I also want to thank Adair, Schuyler, Sullivan, Scotland and Putnam County schools for their labors in this area for the children and youth in our schools. There are always going to be challenges and obstacles in the way of each student successfully being prepared for a self-determined life and transitioning to employment and independent living, and it takes all team members working together for the good of each student to achieve success in his or her vision for a good life in the future.

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Adair County SB40 Developmental Disability Board
314 East McPherson Street
Kirksville, MO 63501

Postage
Information

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You can help support activities and classes at the Community Learning Center by donating to the Adair County DD Link
Visit https://sb40life.org or scan this QR Code

Come Join Us!
ATTENTION! The open hours for the Community Learning Center will be different for the month of May! This is a temporary change with regular hours resuming in June.
The CLC will be open from 8AM - 3PM on Tuesdays and Wednesdays and 8:AM - 12PM on Thursdays and Fridays.
In May, the CLC will offer most of the regularly scheduled activities led by Angela as the new Community Engagement Specialist, Cheyane, prepares to begin in late May.
Each Wednesday, Bre with the Adair County Public Library will be here for story time to share stories and a craft, which is fun for visitors of all ages. On Tuesday, May 20th, Holly with the Missouri Department of Conservation will be at the Center for Nature Time.
If you would prefer to receive this mailing as an email, please contact the Community Learning Center (clc@sb40life.org)

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