Finding great resources for parents with a child with special needs can be difficult. Happily, we at Aspire Advocacy have compiled a list of some of the high-quality resources we find most useful as parents of children with special needs. These resources are compiled in no particular order, given that they can be helpful in different ways.
Parents Helping Parents (PHP) is a bountiful resource dedicated to helping families with children or adults with disabilities in the Bay Area. PHP has E-Learning workshops and events you can get involved in that are currently scheduled through June 2021. In addition to E-Learning, PHP also offers access to information that may help you based on your child’s age, they offer access to a myriad of support groups, and they offer ways to get involved in the persons with disabilities community!
Disability Rights California (DRC) is an agency created under federal law designed to protect and advocate for the rights of Californians with disabilities. The people at DRC work in many different areas: litigation, legal representation, investigations, advocacy, and public policy. They also work to provide information, advice, referrals, and community outreach.
Not just for parents, educators, advocates, and attorneys can come to Wrightslaw for accurate, reliable information about special education law, education law, and advocacy for children with disabilities. They have a comprehensive list of articles from A to Z while they provide extensive information about COVID-19 and how it has affected the landscape of special education.
It can sometimes be difficult to know what to expect from some resources for parents with a child with special needs. Here are the remaining two high-quality resources:
As one could expect, the California Department of Special Education is one of the most informative resources for parents with a child with special needs. Their mission is to provide information and resources to serve the unique needs of persons with disabilities so that they may meet or exceed high standards of achievement in academic and nonacademic skills.
A skilled advocate can make all the difference for your child’s education and your experience interacting with your child’s school district. Leigh and Susie have spent over twenty (20) years heavily involved in special education and understand that special education IEPs and 504s are difficult mazes to navigate. Your school district—like most districts—operates on a tight budget. If the school district is not obligated to provide services for your child, they may not. At Aspire Advocacy, we pride ourselves on the several hundred families we have helped obtain a free, appropriate, public education for their child with special needs.
While these five resources for parents with a child with special needs are fantastic, there are hundreds (if not thousands) of other possible resources. If we did not mention a resource you trust on this list, please comment yours below!