HELPFUL LINKS

SPECIAL EDUCATION LAWS AND RIGHTS – LEARN ABOUT 504 PLANS & IEP RELATED SERVICES

Easter Seals – provides exceptional services, education, outreach and advocacy so that people with disabilities can live, learn, work and play in our communities.

Special Olympics – a global movement of people creating a new world of inclusion and community, where every single person is accepted and welcomed, regardless of ability or disability. We are helping to make the world a better, healthier and more joyful place—one athlete, one volunteer, one family member at a time.

United Cerebral Palsy Association – (UCP) is a non-profit organization that provides a variety of services to children and adults with cerebral palsy. It’s currently an advocacy organization for those afflicted with cerebral palsy and their families.

The ARC – fights every day to protect civil rights and access to vital programs, such as Medicaid, for those with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD).

Friendship Circle – offers a number of online special needs resources including a blog with over 1,000 articles on special needs parenting, products, therapy and more.

Federation for Children with Special Needs –  a non-profit organization dedicated to providing information, support, and assistance to parents of children with disabilities, their professional partners, and their local communities.

Family Voices – a national grassroots network organization of families and friends of children and youth with special health care needs and disabilities, promoting partnership with families-including those of cultural, linguistic and geographic diversity—in order to improve healthcare services and policies for children.

Friends of Different Learners – Friends of Different Learners is a group of parents with children from preschool to adult who have been through the trenches and have years of experience navigating the Birmingham Public School District.  We are a safe, judgement free place where families can share their concerns about their child’s challenges and we offer support, acceptance, advice and guidance.

CHADD – dedicated to improving the lives of people affected by ADHD. Provides evidence-informed courses and support to parents, supplying information, tools and resources to families.

International Dyslexia Association (IDA) – a non-profit education and advocacy organization devoted to issues surrounding dyslexia.

Autism Society of America – nation’s leading grassroots autism organization, exists to improve the lives of all affected by autism. We do this by increasing public awareness about the day-to-day issues faced by people on the spectrum, advocating for appropriate services for individuals across the lifespan, and providing the latest information regarding treatment, education, research and advocacy.

Council for Exceptional Children – (CEC) is the largest international professional organization dedicated to improving the educational success of children and youth with disabilities and/or gifts and talents.

National Downs Syndrome Society – the leading human rights organization for all individuals with Down syndrome.

National Center for Learning Disabilities – (NCLD) works to ensure that the nation’s 15 million children, adolescents, and adults with learning disabilities have every opportunity to succeed in school, work, and life. NCLD provides essential information to parents, professionals, and individuals with learning disabilities; promotes research and programs to foster effective learning; and advocates for policies to protect and strengthen educational rights and opportunities. Get Ready to Read!, a program of NCLD, is a national campaign to build the early literacy skills of all preschool children.

Additude – The nation’s leading source of important news, expert advice, and judgment-free understanding for families and adults living with attention deficit disorder and related conditions, ADDitude is your voice and your advocate.

Attention Deficit Disorder Association – (ADDA) is the world’s leading adult ADHD organization. We are an international non-profit – 501C – organization founded over twenty-five years ago to help adults with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) lead better lives. Since its inception, ADDA has become the source for information and resources exclusively for and about adult ADHD. ADDA brings together scientific perspectives and the human experience to generate hope, awareness, empowerment and connections worldwide in the field of ADHD.

Wrights Law – Parents, educators, advocates, and attorneys come to Wrightslaw for reliable information about special education law and advocacy for children with disabilities.

COPAA – The Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates, Inc. (COPAA) is an independent, nonprofit, §501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization of attorneys, advocates, parents and related professionals.  COPAA members work to protect the legal and civil rights of and secure excellence in education on behalf of tens of thousands of students with disabilities and their families each year at the national, state and local levels.

Michigan Alliance for Families – a statewide resource to connect families of children with disabilities to resources to help improve their children’s education. We help facilitate parent involvement as a means of improving educational services and outcomes for students with disabilities.  Michigan Alliance for Families can assist you in knowing your rights, effectively communicating your child’s needs, and advising how to help them develop and learn.