Special Needs Resources

ABLE National Resources Center https://www.ablenrc.org/get-started/what-is-able/  Living with a disability is often associated with significant amounts of extra costs. Millions of individuals with disabilities and their families depend on a wide variety of public benefits for income, health care, food and housing assistance. Eligibility for these public benefits (SSI, SNAP, Medicaid) requires the individual to have very minimal savings. ABLE accounts are tax-advantaged savings accounts that can fund disability expenses without impacting public benefits.

Guiding Exceptional Parents https://guidingexceptionalparents.com/ Special Needs Care Navigation ~ Helping parents figure out what supports to put in place and helping them navigate medical, educational, and community-based systems to access those supports. Relationship Development Intervention ~ Coaching parents of kids with social communication challenges and autism to teach their kids the skills that make relationships (and life!) work. Parent Coaching ~ Working with parents to brainstorm challenging situations and behavioral issues so they can put effective supports in place and teach their kids essential skills.

Special Needs Alliance https://www.specialneedsalliance.org/ A national alliance of committed attorneys who help with all types of legal and financial planning for families with disabled children, maximizing and preserving benefits, protecting assets, and assuring lifelong care.

ADDitude https://www.additudemag.com/. Since 1998, millions of parents and adults have trusted ADDitude’s expert guidance and support for living better with ADHD and its related conditions. Our mission is to be your trusted advisor, an unwavering source of understanding and guidance along the path to wellness. This online magazine is a comprehensive resource providing free articles, booklets, newsletters, webinars about everything ADD/ADHD and beyond.

Google https://www.google.com. There is probably no better search engine in our world today than Google. It will bring you to resources, articles, videos, programs, or even images of any topic related to you, your child, your family.

Parenting Special Needs (PSN) https://www.parentingspecialneeds.org/about/. The PSN site/vlog/magazine was started 15 years ago by Chantai Snellgrove “to get some help raising my daughter with special needs. While helping my daughter, I also wanted to share what I have learned to help other families.” Today Parenting Special Needs’ website, magazine, and Social Media reaches over 300,000 families each month who are “in the trenches” raising a child with special needs. With Parenting Special Needs Magazine, you can: Listen to the articles, Read the text and tips, Watch the online videos, and Connect with direct links to services, programs, experts, products, and more.

YouTube https://www.youtube.com/. Look up any word from Autism to Xenophobia or Zoology and there is a YouTube about it. Amazingly informative and helpful insights about everything and anything around caring for your child, your family, and yourself. Warning: You can spend hours and hours on YouTube! Another Warning: Although YouTube monitors and removes or blocks offensive messaging, protect yourself by only watching/listening to what brings you joy and hope.

All About Learning https://www.allaboutlearningpress.com/ offers effective, fun, and affordable reading and spelling programs to help your student become a proficient reader and speller for life. The step-by-step unique, multisensory lessons are based on Orton-Gillingham’s approach. Complete Reading or Spelling programs, reasonably priced, and very well-supported with many free resources for students who have not yet learned to read and spell!

Please note: The majority of these resources are located in the U.S. but there are many resources around the world that can be sources of information and support, regardless of where you live. Nearly 240 million children in the world today have some form of disability. (UNICEF Feb.2022).

You are not alone!