Resources for Special-Needs Children
by Ellen C. Braun
Filed under Child Development
There have been a lot of comments and questions from parents of special needs children recently.
Honestly, as RaisingSmallSouls is a personal website that I have developed about a subject I am passionate about- raising emotionally healthy children- I am not qualified to begin to answer some of the questions regarding special needs children.
Many parents have brought up autism, ADD, ADHD, Asperger’s Syndrome, to name a few.
Please help us guide parents by posting links to websites or support forums that have helped you!
Post the link, a description, and what YOU have found to be helpful on that site!
Thanks!
Ellen
[UPDATE] There’s a large list of learning disability resources for parents located on GuideToOnlineSchools.com. The resources are divided into categories so you can quickly find what you’re looking for. Whether you’re in search of self-help information, non-profit organizations to assist you and your child or even looking for quality Online Schools be sure to check out this site.
No related posts.
For Autism Spectrum Disorders check out
http://www.rdiconnect.com
My 3 yr. old son was diagnosed with Fragile X Syndrome. I found the National FragileX Foundation to be a GREAT resource along with various support groups in the Southeastern Wisconsin area (Wisconsin First Steps, Special Needs Family Center at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, United Cerebral Palsy of Southeastern Wisconsin to name a few). Individuals diagnosed with Autism should check this site out as well. Many Autistic individuals have Fragile X and probably don’t even know it.
God Bless.
We operate a fully inclusive, community based, horse facility offering classes, camps, and clubs for all children. We have many spring and summer camps. We are a Regional Center vendor (specifically SARC) but all Regional Center clients can use our services by assigning some or all of their Respite hours to us! Check us out!
Check out http://www.mbhorsecenter.com – the horse facility mentioned above.
I have a child that has been diagnosed with ADHD and Bipolar disorder. I have learned a lot and received much support from these websites.
I am an occuapational therapist working with young children and their families. I’d like to recommend a great website that has a fresh perspective when looking at individuals with disabilties. This website is produced by Kathie Snow who is a great advocate for individuals with disabilties and their families and communities.
Sorry the website didn’t come out on the first try. http://www.disabilityisnatural.com
Thanks Christina
I created a message board supporting parents with special needs. Please register today.
This site has wasy to use visual supports for children and adults with communication disorders. The images are high quality and the schedules and boards can be customized. There is a forum and the information page has background information on viusal supports for communication.
http://www.languageimages.com
This site has easy to use visual supports for children and adults with communication disorders. The images are high quality and the schedules and boards can be customized. There is a forum and the information page has background information on viusal supports for communication.
http://www.languageimages.com
Sorry the website for the parent support group for any spec needs child is…www.parentsupportgrouponline.com
This is a website I created to help other families like mine who are faced with raising a child with special needs and their typical developing sibling. SpecialNeedsAwareness.org was created so that anyone could share information they found helpful with other families faced with similar struggles. Lots of resources and community calendar of events. If you have something to share just click on “contact us” Together we can accomplish anything.
For San Francisco Bay Area families – I recently witnessed a most amazing demonstration of a gentle method used for young children with developmental, physical and/or genetic disabilities that helps them to gain mobility and focus. It is based on the Feldenkrais method. You HAVE to see this to believe it!
I was having alot of difficulty with my 11 year old son. They gave him the title ODD. Which was not of much help to me as to how to help him. He was put on a very mild sedative, which helped some. But still lost as what to do for him or with him. He is seeing a pychologist, and he recommended that I read the book ” Parenting The Explosive Child”, that book was a God send to me, it gave me some answers on why his behavior was like that and what I could do to help. It has some info on Tourettes also, a bit of an explaination instead of just bandaiding the problems with meds and things that really don’t solve anything. My son and I are on the road to much better communication and behaviors. Still have some rough spots, but nothing like before. His teachers and principal have even read the book so they have some idea on what they can do to help.
If you live in Northern California UC Davis MIND Institute is probably one of the best places for issues related to Aspergers and Autism as well as other neurological concerns. They have trainings and a lot of information and support. Kaiser in Rancho Cordova also recently opened an Autism building. even if you don’t live in California you may want to Contact the Mind Institute at UC Davis for other suggestions or assistance. good luck
Hi, through our journey against ADHD and/or Sensory Processing Disorder, I have found four resources that have changes our lives for the best:
Two books: Transforming the Difficult Child, by Alan Glasser and Sensational Kids, by Lucy Jane Miller
A website that has helped find the treatments my son needed: http://www.inpp.org.uk
and an online community: adhdnews.com/forum. My favorite forum is the one about Alternative and Complementary Medicine.
Great site check it out.
OOps from above
Tourette Syndrome Information Site
Ellen,
I came to your sight by way of your animal movie. I have a 5year old son whom had a stroke in womb-he has cerebal palsy as a result. I have been to all kinds of thearapists but I found my greatest success with Easter Seals. I just want to say I was having a very difficult time with my son’s school when a friend emailed me the movie-I think I have watched it 15 times! I too beleive each child should be celebrated for who they are not what they can or can not do! Thank you.
I have found this site: http://www.cec.sped.org to have an endless supply of information on all special needs areas. You do NOT need to be a member to access it!
Tourette’s and Tics can be easily managed through diet. It is suprising that more people don’t subscribe to this way of thinking, especially since the diet also has been shown to help autistic children. Just my two cents.
The book “Fidget to Focus: Outwit Your Boredom: Sensory Strategies for Living with ADD” by Roland Rotz has been recommended to me by a number of people.
My son is 4 years old, and has no official diagnosis. He struggles socially, mild language delays, mild fine motor delays, and although a year or so ago he technically fit the autism diagnosis we held off on the label and he no longer qualifies. Point being he is one of those borderline kids that is hard to put in any category! Yet he struggles behaviorally, socially and in school a lot, and has the allergy/digestive/asthma/ear infection/yeast thing so many of the autism/adhd kids do. We have had great luck consulting a naturopath on how to heal his digestive system and rebalance his physical system.
Recently sonmeone mentioned the possibility that he might be an indigo child. I still don’t know much about the term, but looking into it I learned that he is picking up on nonverbal cues and the emotions and thoughts behind the words as much if not more so than the words people say! I noticed it with myself first, and now that I have adjusted my communication with him to the best of my ability we have seen amazing changes! He is calmer, happier, and we aren’t clashing anymore – a big change from the constant butting of heads thing we had been into only 2 weeks ago! I wish I understood it more or had a great site to offer, but I am just learning myself so all I can recommend is to google the term “indigo child” and if this sounds like your child you may be able to benefit from varying your approach to communication!
Best of luck to all of you!
This site:
http://www.naturemoms.com/blog
has good info all the time on ADHD, ADD, and Autism – diets ideas and natural remedies.
I would be interested in helping answer questions for parents about special education school related issues. I have been in the field of special education for 15 years and have been a director of special education for over five years. I also have a degree in early childhood education and have had a lot of training in the area of autism.
Treatment for children ages 5 and up who have autism, aspergers or autistic symptoms. The treatment is non drug and is in California. They use neurofeedback combined with therapy and social skills training. All that combined really makes a difference.
Great Article love it http://www.earncow.com
Earncow? What does this have to do with Special Needs??
I just interviewed with a company locally (I don’t work for them, yet), Tobii-ATI, that makes some impressive assistive communication devices. Link to one product that really impressed me: http://www.assistivetech.com/p-mytobiip10.htm – it enables speech, e-mail, web-surfing, etc. by tracking where you’re looking.
My grandson was diagnosed with SOD (Septo-Optic Dysplasia when he was 4 months old is now 4 years old and a second diagnosis of SOD/ONH (Optic Nerve Hypoplasia, needless to say we are overwhelmed. He is developmentally delayed and he has speech impairment. He also struggles in school but he likes school a lot. His vision has improved I believe however he now shows signs of behavioral problems. Because this is so rare we find it very difficult to connect him with good doctors. I want to take him to the Mayo Clinic but cannot afford it. In addition, he has been denied SSI to help provide him with the care he needs. We will reapply soon. My daughter has Ja’den when she was 20 years old and there is no cure for SOD/ONH. My daughter needs a strong advocate to help her move forward in Minnesota.
My son attended a wonderful school called The Greenwood School in Putney Vermont. It is for boys with language based learning differences. It is very small(42 boys) and very unique. It gave my son so much self confidence, and the ability to be a self advocate for all his needs. He graduated last year and is now attending a private high school for kids with learning differences,that are headed for college. He is an honor student now and is well prepared for all that life brings on. http://www.greenwood.org
The Gottschall Autism Center will provide early treatment for children with autism and adult employment opportunities for adults with autism.
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http://research.aboutkidshealth.ca/teachadhd/about
TOPIC: ADHD, Teaching kids in your classroom with ADHD
Description: This website is primarily geared
towards teachers, to help them understand what ADHD is, what it looks like, and
different ways to effectively teach students who have ADHD. There is a section
that describes the behavioral characteristics in a classroom setting, there’s a
section that describes the truths and the myths that surround ADHD, there are
descriptions of common cognitive difficulties in his students with ADHD and
teachers can get information in regards to both instructional and behavioral
management plans.
This website originates from the Hospital for Sick Children
in Toronto. The information provided on this site is backed up by both past and
present studies, and comes from a trusted source, the world-renowned Hospital
for Sick Children. As stated in the above description, this site is geared
primarily towards teachers although information on here would be helpful to
parents trying to understand their child. The information presented here is
thorough for teachers but the format is easy to read, the site is easy to
navigate, and in regards to the amount of information there is not so much that
a teacher can get lost and overloaded with information. There is also
information here in regard to the teacher’s role in the assessment and referral
process.
There are both basic and detailed ideas for teaching the
child who has ADHD in the classroom. There are also many resources cited which
include books, studies and websites, as well as reports in free downloadable
format. A teacher can also order the TeachADHD Teacher’s Resource Manual and
supportive DVD through a link on its website.
http://www.chadd.org/
TOPIC: children and adults with ADD/ADHD
Description: This website is for and about children
and adults with ADD/ADHD. This website is about the organization CHADD that
endeavors to provide education, advocacy, and supports for those people who have
ADHD as well as the people who live with, and work with them.
“The
National Resource Center
on AD/HD (NRC): A Program of CHADD,
was established in 2002 to be the national clearinghouse for the latest
evidence-based information on AD/HD. The NRC provides comprehensive information
and support to individuals with AD/HD, their families and friends, and the
professionals involved in their lives.” CHADD is a nonprofit organization and
seems to have an unlimited supply of information. At first glance, it seems
each in navigate but because there is so much information within this site it
might be best to focus on one area of information at a time.
The depth of information contained in this
website is incredible. You can start at the beginning by clicking on the link "
understanding ADD/HD, and navigate your way through finding supports,
membership, finding out about conferences and training, going all the way to
taking action at the federal level (although specifically geared to the USA).
One could easily get lost within this website, however if there is something
that you would like to know about ADHD you are almost certain to find it within
this website, including innumerable links to related sites and articles.
This website is worthwhile to anyone who is
interested in finding out more about ADHD including teachers, parents, children
and youth, those in the mental health field and more. I suspect that those that
would benefit the most from this information however, would be both adults who
have ADHD and parents of children who have ADHD, as much of the information
seems to focus on understanding this disorder and advocating for those who have
it.
http://www.idaontario.com/index.html
TOPIC: Dyslexia (IDA = International Dyslexia
Association)
Description:
“The IDA Ontario Branch is committed to informing, educating and
supporting individuals with dyslexia, their families and the communities that
support them.”
According to the home page
on this website, it is dedicated to:
"Providing
information on dyslexia
Supporting parents of children with dyslexia
Listing
resources for parents, adults with dyslexia and professionals
Encouraging
financial support to provide services to the dyslexia community “
The accuracy of information
on this website can and is backed up by cited research. This is an
international organization, yet this is specifically the
Ontario
branch of the organization. In this respect the reader gets the benefits and
best of both worlds in terms of both worldwide research, and information
relevant to those who live in Ontario. The navigation through this site is
simple and the information is both thorough and concise at the same time. One
can find out what dyslexia is, and what it is not.
The links to other sites and
information is organized in a clear an orderly fashion. There are many links to
Ontario organizations and resources, followed by Canadian websites and then
International websites. There are also several books listed as suggested
reading.
This site is useful to both
parents and teachers who are trying to both understand and help those who have
dyslexia as there are suggestions for both modification and accommodation for
students, as well as ideas on how to support the student at home. Also listed
are common signs and things to look out for as both the parent and the teacher
as well as what tests and evaluations should include in diagnosing dyslexia.
http://www.dyslexiaassociation.ca/english/mandate.shtml
Topic: Dyslexia
Description:
According to this website, “The mandate of the Canadian Dyslexia Association is to
promote awareness of dyslexia in order to improve the quality of life of the
estimated five million Canadians who have dyslexia.”
At first glance this
website does not appear to have much in the way of content and information. The
information contained in this website however, is concise, easy to understand
and does not tend to overload one with too much information. Here we find that
there are three basic types of dyslexia with short and easy-to-understand
examples. There are characteristics listed for one to look out for as well as
listed myths in regards to dyslexia.
Although teachers could
find useful information here, I feel that this website is geared primarily
towards students and parents. There are large amounts of information on the
method of teaching those with dyslexia that has been tried and tested, and found
very successful called SMT, which stands for Simultaneous Multisensory
Teaching. There are many links with information from characteristics and
diagnosis all the way to those with dyslexia at the university level.
One area of this
website that may be extremely useful to students, are celebrities from many
walks of life who had dyslexia and yet were very successful in their life and
what they did. Some of these people include authors and writers, artists,
politicians and those in the military, scientists and inventors, business people
and actors. I feel that this could be an excellent motivator for students to
help them understand that dyslexia could be looked at as a gift rather than a
disability.
One further note –
there is a link which will convert the entire website into French.
http://www.ldonline.org/
Topic: Learning Disabilities
Description: If you are looking for virtually any
kind of information on pretty much any kind of learning disability at all you
can find it here. You can learn about the basics of Learning Disabilities, or
you can go to the section for “Learning Disabilities in Depth”, and everything
in between. If there is a learning disability that has been identified, it is
almost certain to be listed somewhere within this website.
On the home page of this website, there is a statement that
says" the world’s leading website on learning disabilities and ADHD" – and based
on what I see here I can certainly believe that that might be true. The depth
that this website goes into is incredible. With so much information on one
website, one might think that it would be easy to get lost-but this site is so
well organized that it’s easy to navigate. LD Online, offers hundreds of expert
reviewed articles, along with many other resources, links, newsletters, and
expert advice.
This website would be an incredible resource for anyone who
has an interest in any kind of learning disability. This includes, but is not
limited to parents, teachers, younger students, college preparation and college
students, those who are transitioning from school to work, and those whose first
language is not English. For teachers there are instructional strategies and
other issues such as inclusion in behavior and social skills. For parents there
is information identifying Learning Disabilities, supporting your child, and
working with the school. For kids there is a special section which includes an
art gallery, personal stories, books and e-cards.
This website along with all of the links and resources that
gives people, could easily keep one busy for weeks.
I found this website several years ago, as I tried everything I possibly could to help my son speak. I searched, and searched for a sign language video that would help us communicate with one another. When I came upon “Signing Time”, I was amazed at how well it was put together, and how much fun, and engaging it was for my son and I. I know that for us it helped. He was interested in it, and began signing with me, and later his speech came. At three years old he started his first few words, and now, at six, he is as fluent as can be. This collection of videos are really great, and have had a great impact on my son’s ability to speak, in addition to speech therapy. Great collection for deaf children which is what it is directed to.
I like receiving the free e-newsletters from this ADHD site so here’s the address to join and sign up for the e-news:
http://www.additudemag.com/members/signup.html
Their top 10 articles each month have provided excellent solutions, kept me up on recent info, and prompted me to read up on ADHD developments once a month, which I wouldn’t get around to doing without the email link.
Linda