Online Resources for Special Education

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Online Resources for Special Education

Check out these online resources for information about learning disabilities, help for special education students and advice about parents' legal rights

By GreatSchools.net Staff

Read this article in Spanish.

The wealth of online resources for parents interested in special education can be overwhelming. The following links are great places to start your search for the best information. A good place to begin is your state Department of Education Web site.

California Department of Education Special Education Division
The CDE's site lists diagnostic centers statewide, state schools for the deaf, contact information by county and a resources section containing information about the Individual Educational Plan (IEP) and an IEP checklist. This site is particularly useful for its legal information; relevant state and federal laws are presented in their entirety, along with guides to understanding the laws.

Also, be sure to check the GreatSchools.net article, Special Education:A Practical Primer

SchwabLearning.org: A Parent's Guide to Helping Kids With Learning Differences (also provided in Spanish)
This Web site helps parents understand the concepts and consequences of learning differences for themselves and their children. The site offers extensive resources, including a free information desk where professionals respond to individual questions.

Family Village School
Family Village School provides a wide variety of education resources for families with a child who has disabilities.

LD Online
A well designed, interesting and comprehensive site, LD Online offers an enormous selection of books and other products in an online store, information (basic to detailed) on every type of learning disability, first-person essays, a calender of events in the learning disabled (LD) community, state-by-state resources for finding help and discussion boards for parents and educators to interact and chat about various issues.

ParentPals.com
ParentPals.com offers a solid collection of articles and resources on specific disabilities, highlighting current issues, news and views. A unique feature of this site is its emphasis on support; it offers a special education professional locator, weekly tips, games and an informative dictionary of terms.

National Information Center for Children and Youth with Disabilities (also provided in Spanish)
A comprehensive clearinghouse of special education information, this site answers common questions that parents have, gives detailed descriptions of the Individualized Educational Program and related processes, and lists parent resources state-by-state.

Wrightslaw
This organization provides a wealth of information on special education law and advocacy for children with disabilities.

Comments From GreatSchools.net Users

09/17/2008:

"I wept when I found your sight. My eighth grade son is slipping through the cracks at school along with a room of other students. They are mainstreamed and meet one class period a day with their learning support teacher who is overworked because he has too many kids. They lower expectations of my son and call the IEP a success. My heart was breaking but now I am full of ideas for his next IEP. Thank you for the wealth of information!"

09/17/2008:

"MY son has adhd since he diogonosed sine was in pre-school he can't comprehend to any of school work."

06/19/2008:

"my grandson is gratuating from high school - the school system has failed him. He cannot count change and has a speech problem and is 18 - he was never referred to the regional center - how can his mother and father help him at this point - he apparently, is graduating without any skills. Is he going to stay in his room for the rest of his life? - please help me. what can i do to help this youngman. "

06/18/2008:

"My son is entering 10th grade and has had an IEP since he was 7. Any suggestion on a good supportive school in the Marin /Sonoma area? He has above normal intelligence with processing speed issues."

06/4/2008:

"Is there a listing that shows which schools have good learning centers in Southern California?"

06/3/2008:

"I am looking for support for my family. I have an 8 year old son who has been diagnosed with ADHD. He currently is in a private school,primarily because without the small class room setting and one on one attention he would be completely lost. The school is very expensive though and we have been told that the government can offer financial aid. Do you know of any resources that can help me????"

04/17/2008:

"my daughter did not get into a school that we open enrolled for because there was a slot in the school but not one in the resource department to support her LD. I was never notified that the enrollment process would be different for her. If I had known that I would have pulled her from those resources and provided my own privately. Do I have any ground to stand on in order to get her into this school since I was not properly notified of the enrollment process of a resource student? thanks for you help"

05/30/2007:

"'Ten Things Every Child with Autism Wishes You Knew' by Ellen Notbohm - http://www.southflorida.com/sfparenting/sfe-sfp-autism,0,6196233.story Website of Paula Kluth, Ph.D. - http://www.paulakluth.com/autism.html Positively Autism (free online magazine, includes free lessons/activities) - http://www.positivelyautism.com Teaching Tips for Children and Adults with Autism by Temple Grandin, Ph.D. - http://www.autism.org/temple/tips.html 'The Discovery of 'Aspie' Criteria' ~ What if Asperger’s Syndrome was defined by its strengths? - http://www.thegraycenter.org/sectionsdetails.cfm?id=38"

04/13/2005:

">From Michigan 4-13-2005 There is alot of good information here, and I am familar with the process in my state. However I'm thinking about moving to the Jacksonville,Fl area and would welcome any advice in getting my son Joshua(4yrs) enrolled in the appropriate school. Joshua has a mild case of CP, which has resulted in a Moderately Impaired condition. I am a single working mom who believe that Josh will overcome his educational challenegs if given the proper training early in life. Thank you for this site and the information you are providing."

08/4/2003:

"I understand that there is some financial support for children with add and adhd. I have one of each and the things I have to do to ensure that my children have academic success are draining us financially "