EXCEPTIONAL CHILDREN'S Committee

The goal of the Exceptional Children's Committee is to support and celebrate exceptional students at Dodgen Middle School; to educate all students and increase awareness about different types of disabilities; to encourage and promote inclusion of differently-abled individuals; and to support special educators and staff members who provide services to these exceptional children. 

New this year: PTA Reflections Accessible Arts Division 

To learn more, or to get involved, contact: exceptionalchildren@dodgenptsa.org

2025-26 School Year Dates:

September 1-30 Deaf Awareness Month

• Deaf Awareness will feature remarkable individuals who have overcome their deafness to make a great mark in our history (both past and present).

October 1-31 Dyslexia Awareness Month

• Dyslexia Awareness will foster understanding, acceptance, and celebration of neurodiversity by featuring famous figures overcoming the challenge of dyslexia.

December 1st - National Special Education Day

• National Special Education Day commemorates the signing of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requiring schools to provide a free and appropriate public education to children with disabilities, and celebrating the progress made for special education

March 2-6 Exceptional Children’s Week

• Dodgen PTSA will celebrate our students with exceptionalities all week long!
• We’ll kick off Exceptional Children’s Week by providing breakfast and RISE Coffee & Tea to all faculty & staff. RISE is a local small business that employs adults with Special Needs.
• Posters featuring famous figures with Autism, ADHD, Dyslexia, Tourettes, Dyspraxia (and more) will line the halls of the school.
• The librarians will display a curated collection of books highlighting a wide array of exceptionalities.
• Our Special Education teachers will be treated to lunch on Wednesday as a small token of appreciation for their hard work and dedication.
• We’ll wrap things up by having a PJ/hat day fundraiser on Friday, collecting $1 donations to benefit our Foundations program classrooms.

March 16-20 Down Syndrome Awareness

• Dodgen students will learn about Down Syndrome in order to raise awareness and increase inclusivity
• Students are encouraged to wear brightly colored, mismatched “crazy” socks on Friday!

April 1-30 Autism Awareness Month

• Dodgen PTSA will kick off Autism Awareness month with a PJ/hat day fundraiser on Friday, collecting $1 donations to benefit our Foundations program classrooms
• Students can participate in trivia featured on the morning broadcast
• Our amazing librarians will have a specially curated collection of books featuring stories of those living life on the Autism Spectrum
• Students can find famous figures with Autism lining the hallways--encourage your child to find them all!