The IOTA Board welcomed School Practitioners as an official special committee. Co-chair persons include Deb Edwards of Ft. Wayne, Colleen Renie of Indianapolis, and Linda Kinkade of Evansville. The trio of chair persons will unify the group in southern, central and northern regions for in-person meetings.

Efforts are also stretched to participate in district meetings as a means of networking in person, at least with special events such as the computer lab training that is being planned for the Central District June meeting.

Electronic networking is currently through the Yahoo group page OTsTogether4KidsIN, Indiana School Occupational Therapists. The Yahoo group page is essential in the network for several reasons. 

· Members can go to the group page 24/7 to participate and watch messages, much like the AOTA list serve options.

· Members can share files and links by posting them to the site.

 · The menus are easier to use than ICAN (the Indiana State database for setting up Individualized Education Plans).

· And, the networking for the co-chair is fluent since all three chair are moderators on the group page.

This is necessary since now that there are three persons coordinating efforts, it is not reasonable for information to be managed through one email address.  So, if you were a part of the group, and have not visited the Yahoo Group page, please go to join the group. Eventually we hope to have the group networking electronically on the new IOTA website. For now, we will use the Yahoo Group page.  

The spring conference in May in Evansville will be ideal for southern school therapists meet in conjunction with the IOTA spring conference. Linda Kinkade and Deb Edwards will present several sessions concerning Response to Intervention and Early Intervening Services. There will also be a table at which you can learn more about how to become active in the special school-based practitioners’ special committee of IOTA.