Special Education Guide http://www.specialeducationguide.com/ is a resource for mastering the terminology, procedures and best practices in special education.
504 Regulations https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/504faq.html
Requires a school district to provide a "free appropriate public education" (FAPE) to each qualified student with a disability who is in the school district's jurisdiction, regardless of the nature or severity of the disability. Under Section 504, FAPE consists of the provision of regular or special education and related aids and services designed to meet the student's individual educational needs as adequately as the needs of nondisabled students are met.
504 vs IEP https://www.understood.org/en/school-learning/special-services/504-plan/the-difference-between-ieps-and-504-plans
Abilities Network www.abilitiesnetwork.org Phone 410-266-7941 Toll Free 800-966-7940
A non-profit organization, that helps to create a personal path to independence by seeing abilities, not disabilities. It provides customized services to children and adults with disabilities, as well as their families and caregivers, throughout Maryland.
World of Possibilities disAbilities Expo https://expo.caringcommunities.org/ (Free ticket available online)
Americans with Disabilities Act Hotline: 1-800-514-0301
Call and ask questions about general or specific ADA requirements
The Arc Maryland http://www.thearcmd.org/about-the-arc-maryland/
Advocacy for people living with intellectual and cognitive disabilities.
Find a Chapter http://www.thearcmd.org/find-a-chapter/
The Arc Maryland is the largest statewide nonprofit organization dedicated to the rights and quality of life of persons with I/DD and their families. We are a membership-based organization of 8,000 members. With our ten local chapters serving 19 counties and Baltimore City, we encompass all ages and more than 100 different diagnoses including intellectual disabilities, autism, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, fetal alcohol syndrome, Fragile X syndrome, and other developmental disabilities. Our local network of chapters provides a wide range of human services and other supports to people with I/DD and their family members, including individual and public policy advocacy, residential, educational, and vocational services, employment, family supports and early intervention that promote people with I/DD to participate and be included in their communities.
Best Buddies https://bestbuddies.org/ friendships, integrated employment, leadership development
Who We Serve: The IDD community that Best Buddies serves includes, but is not limited to, people with Down syndrome, autism, Fragile X, Williams syndrome, cerebral palsy, traumatic brain injury and other undiagnosed disabilities. Programs: Best Buddies is the world’s largest organization dedicated to ending the social, physical and economic isolation of the 200 million people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Our programs empower the special abilities of people with IDD by helping them form meaningful friendships with their peers, secure successful jobs, live independently, improve public speaking, self-advocacy and communication skills, and feel valued by society.
Dyslexia http://www.webmd.com/children/understanding-dyslexia-basics
International Dyslexia Association (IDA) http://www.interdys.org/
Non-profit organization dedicated to helping individuals with dyslexia, their families and the communities that support them.
Learning Ally (formerly Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic) http://www.learningally.org/
provides information on over 80,000 recorded textbooks and other classroom materials, from 4th grade through postgraduate levels, available for loan. Individuals with learning disabilities are eligible to participate but must complete the certification requirements.
Learning Disabilities Association of America https://ldaamerica.org/
Free resources available or pay $55 to join
Parent Support: Being a member of LDA can be an enormous support to the parents of a child with a learning disability. When parents initially discover that their child has a learning disability, they may have feelings of guilt, worry, uncertainty, self-pity and anger. There may be a lack of knowledge as to what the problem really is. Parents look for help, they may receive conflicting advice and become more confused and frustrated. Understandably, they may develop anger towards the community, schools, professionals and themselves. Parents may even deny the problem or blame each other.
Learning Disabilities Association of Maryland http://ldamd.org/ld-information/local-resource-links/
LD OnLine http://www.ldonline.org/
offers information for parents, teachers, and other interested professionals in the areas of learning disabilities, legal issues, current research, instructional strategies, and personal stories.
Maryland Book Bank http://www.marylandbookbank.org/
Distributes 100,000 free books to children, teachers, schools, and organizations each year.
National Association for the Education of African American Children with Learning Disabilities
http://www.aacld.org/ includes information and resources provided by an established network of individuals and organizations experienced in minority research and special education. It also provides a parent resource network and publications for teachers, parents, and others.
National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD) http://www.ncld.org/
seeks to raise public awareness and understanding, furnish national information and referrals, and arrange educational programs and legislative advocacy.
National Coalition on Auditory Processing Disorders, Inc (NCAPD)
http://www.audiologyonline.com/Articles/article_detail.asp?article_id=327 includes a state-by-state referral network.
National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities (NICHCY)
http://nichcy.org/state-organization-search-by-state NICHCY has compiled lists of organizations that offer information, support, and services related to disability in every state and territory in the United States.
National Joint Committee on Learning Disabilities (NJCLD)
http://www.ldonline.org/about/partners/njcld Founded in 1975, the National Joint Committee on Learning Disabilities (NJCLD) is a national committee of representatives of organizations committed to the education and welfare of individuals with learning disabilities.
Reading Partners http://readingpartners.org/ serves more than 1,140 elementary students.
ReadingRockets.org http://www.readingrockets.org/ provides detailed information about learning to read and strategies for supporting struggling readers at home, at school, and in the community. It offers news, practical information, expert advice, and resources for parents, teachers, tutors, child care providers, and policy makers.
Service Dogs for Special Needs https://4pawsforability.org/
Support for Parents - SmartKidswithLD.org http://www.smartkidswithld.org/
is the website of Smart Kids with Learning Disabilities, Inc., a non-profit organization dedicated to providing support to parents of children with learning disabilities and/or attention deficit disorders.
Support for Parents - The Parent’s Place of Maryland https://www.ppmd.org/about-us/
The Parents’ Place of Maryland began in 1990 as a grass-roots effort of families, professionals, and community leaders determined to provide resources, support, and information to parents of children with disabilities and special health care needs. Our philosophy of “families helping families” reflects our commitment to supporting families of diverse backgrounds. Today, the Parents’ Place offers a variety of programs and services that continue to support families of children with disabilities and special health care needs. Serving as Maryland’s Parent Training and Information Center and Family-to-Family Health Information Center, Parents’ Place supports thousands of Maryland families each year. Parents’ Place, staffed primarily by parents who have faced these challenges, believes that experienced parents are a key source of knowledge and support to help other families become effective voices for their own children. Please continue to explore the website to learn more about our staff members, programs http://ppmd.wpengine.com/programs, services http://ppmd.wpengine.com/services/, and resources http://ppmd.wpengine.com/resources/.
Special Needs Videos for Parents/Kids https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/videos/?WT.ac=p-nav-videos
Wrights Law http://www.wrightslaw.com/
Yellow Pages for Kids http://www.yellowpagesforkids.com
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