Please note that the Palo Alto CAC does not recommend or endorse any particular organization or program, but includes this information for the benefit of families with special needs kids.
CAC Resource Fair
List with participants of the CAC Resource Fair 2014.
Resource Guide
List with local resources, handed out at the Learning Challenges Resource Fair (1/31/2014)
What Works Clearinghouse
Summarizes and compares the evidence of the effectiveness of interventions and programs.
National Center on Accessible Educational Materials (AEM)
This site provides resources for educators, parents, students, publishers, conversion houses, accessible media producers, and others interested in learning more about AEM and implementing AEM. In addition, the AEM Center provides support for the use of AEM in early learning, higher education, and workplace settings and has extended its reach to include educational materials that are first developed and distributed in digital formats.
CAST
Solutions to make education more inclusive and effective.
Local Resorces
SELPA 1CAC (our local SELPA)
SELPA1CAC is a group of people dedicated to raising awareness and education on special needs issues. SELPA1CAC is made up of four school districts: Los Altos, Mountain View-Whisman, Mountain view-Los Altos High, and Palo Alto Unified.
CAPTA
California PTA, an organisation for parents and teachers has published a back to school leaflet: Easing Transition: Tips for Parents of Students with Special Needs. With some tips on going back to school after the holidays.
Parents Helping Parents (PHP)
PHP is a parent directed non-profit organisation that supports families with special needs children.
Children’s Health Council
A diagnostic and treatment center for children and adolescents facing developmental and behavioral challenges.
Friends with Children of Special Needs
Friends of Children with Special Needs, a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization, was formed in 1996 by ten Chinese-American families to support each other, share ideas, offer a hand for the newly diagnosed, and to educate the community about people with special needs. The ten families’ mission, which becomes FCSN’s mission today, is to build a community of love, hope, and respect for the special need population
Morrissey-Compton Education Center
Diagnosis and Treatment of Learning Disabilities.
Stanford Autism Center, Lucille Packard Children’s Hospital
The Stanford Autism Center diagnoses and treats children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD’s), and studies these conditions.
San Andreas Regional Center
A community-based, private nonprofit corporation that is funded by the State of California to serve people with developmental disabilities. Who they serve.
Santa Clara County Office of Education
The Santa Clara County Office of Education provides administrative, business and technical support; instructional services for educators and administrators; and student programs, which include Special Education, Alternative Schools, Migrant Education, Environmental Education and Head Start.
Santa Clara County Resources for Teens
List from Palo Alto Medical Foundation Health Care with Teen resources in Santa Clara County.
Abilities United
Early intervention, Milestones Preschool, After-school socialization, respite.
Parents Education Network (PEN)
Parent education and support for parents of children with learning disabilities. PEN events.
They also have a Student Advisors for Education (SAFE) student (13-19 year) community that strives to educate, mentor, and support students, parents and teachers regarding the challenges and strengths of students with learning and attention differences. This unique group of teens is passionate about learning differently, pursuing their fullest potential and spreading awareness of their capacity for academic and life success. Resource Guide PEN San Francisco.
EvoLibri
EvoLibri Consulting provides a wide variety of services, geared primarily to those individuals who are neurodiverse — with Asperger’s Syndrome, ADHD, Learning Differences, and Mood Disorders — whose challenges are often not severe enough to warrant state or federally-funded services, but which nevertheless cause the client great difficulty in life. They also run social groups for teens and tweens.
Online Resources
California Dept of Education Resources
Cal Dept of Ed/Diagnostic Ctr North: Curriculum Relevant Therapy
Various tips for Children with Learning Disabilities
Center for Parent Information and Resorces (CPIR)
The National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities (Resource of information on disabilities in infants, toddlers, children, and youth) does not excist anymore. Some of the materials and publications that NICHCY produced over the years has a new home on the website of the Center for Parent Information and Resorces (CPIR). Which serves as a central resource of information and products to the community of Parent Training Information (PTI) Centers and the Community Parent Resource Centers (CPRCs), so that they can focus their efforts on serving families of children with disabilities.
Understood
Website of 15 nonprofit organizations who have joined forces to support parents of the one in five children with learning and attention issues throughout their journey.
Legal/procedural
US Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs’ IDEA website
Cal. Dept of Ed Special Education Complaint Resolution Process Information and Forms
US Dept of Education, Office for Civil Rights: Disability Discrimination Resources
San Mateo County Office of Education (NOT our county, but still useful)
Wrightslaw
Information about special education law and advocacy.
Special Education Law Blog
http://specialeducationlawblog.blogspot.com/
This is a blog by Jim Gerl, who is a consultant for a state and local education agencies and he also speaks on special ed law topics. The blog is about a fresh look at special education law-mostly in understandable English.