Stimulus Funding, ARRA 2009

Two portions of the new stimulus funding, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, can be used to dramatically improve the social and emotional health of children. Half of these funds have already been disbursed can be used for new, research-based programs and professional development of teachers.

• More than $11 billion is being made available and through IDEA Part B grants. These funds are provided to state educational agencies (SEAs) and through them to local educational agencies (LEAs) to help them ensure that children with disabilities have access to a free appropriate public education to meet each child’s unique needs and prepare each child for further education, employment, and independent living.


• $10 billion is being provided through ESEA Title I, Part A grants to LEAs and schools that have high concentrations of students from families that live in poverty in order to help improve teaching and learning for students most at risk of failing to meet State standards. These funds provide an unprecedented opportunity for educators to implement innovative strategies to improve education for academically at-risk students and to close the achievement gap in Title I schools while stimulating the economy.

Our Social Skills Group Intervention (S.S.GRIN) program and professional development training are tailored for the special needs of these populations. S.S.GRIN can be used as a level 2 intervention for schools using the Response to Intervention (RtI) and in conjunction with the Positive Behavioral Support initiatives. The S.S.GRIN program has also been used effectively in Title 1 programs to help students gain control of their behavior and succeed in class.

We also are very excited about our new S.S.GRIN HFA program designed for high functioning autistic children, meeting an important and growing need in the exceptional children area. This well researched program will be available this fall and can also be funded with the stimulus funding described above.

The S.S.GRIN program and professional development training meet the target goals of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act because:

• The program has been proven effective with children in special populations
• They are one-time costs that avoid the ‘funding cliff’
• The professional development training is based upon the latest research on social skills with school aged children (including those on the autism spectrum)

We invite you to review the samples materials below. In the current world of cuts and budget reductions, we believe this is one way to advance your program goals.

Thank you for being a partner with us in the effort to improve the social and emotional development of all children.

Downloadable Materials (.pdfs)
- S.S.GRIN 3-5 Sample
- Research on S.S.GRIN and Socially Odd Children

- Overview of S.S.GRIN HFA program – available Fall ’09
- S.S.GRIN HFA Sample