Tag Archive for: special needs

Spotlight on Special Education San Bernadino: Resources for Students, Teachers, and Parents

Raising and educating special needs children are not often tasks one can do alone. Fortunately, there are many resources available to parents and special education teachers.

Special Education San Bernadino

Image courtesy of Shutterstock.com

For those in San Bernardino, California, these resources are offered through schools, nonprofit organizations and mental health centers. Professionals and parents can find information and support through meetings, service programs and online articles. Programs are also available that are designed to help special education students build social and other skills.

In some cases, those seeking resources may need to venture outside of San Bernardino.

Educational Resources for Special Education in San Bernardino

The San Bernardino Unified School District provides online information for parents and staff. This includes downloadable files concerning intervention processes and parents’ rights. The school’s website also provides information about the Community Advisory Committee, types of academic instruction programs and psychological services.

The East Valley SELPA (Special Education Local Plan Area) is located in San Bernardino and is overseen by the San Bernardino Superintendent of Schools. The SELPA’s website provides links to IEP forms and parents’ rights information.

Hope, Inc. Academy and Institute in Rancho Cucamonga, located about 20 miles west of San Bernardino, is a combined non-public school and mental health institute providing various services to special education students.  The Academy provides specialized classroom learning, while the Institute offers clinical programs for children with autism, AD/HD and other disorders. These programs include behavioral, speech and occupational therapy, memory training, neurofeedback and behavior analysis.

Support and Development Resources for Special Education Parents and Students

The Institute for Child Development & Family Relations at California State University – San Bernardino offers behavioral intervention programs. Parent support groups are also found at the Institute.

The Inland Regional Center serves adults and children with developmental disabilities in San Bernardino County. It offers an Early Start program as well as services for school age special needs children.

Special Education San Bernadino

Image courtesy of Shutterstock.com

San Bernardino Parents of Asperger Kids Meetup Group provides links and information about social activities and meetings in the area.

Beyond San Bernardino’s city limits, meetings of the Pomona Valley/Inland affiliate of the Learning Disabilities Association (LDA) of California are held in Rancho Cucamonga the third Thursday of each month. While these meetings provide an opportunity for face-to-face interaction with special education parents and professionals, the association offers many online resources as well.

Its website provides links to articles and books as well as other helpful websites. Updated information about special education laws and a quarterly newsletter addressing such topics as instructional strategies for teachers and current research and legislation are also available on the LDA site.

Based in Pasadena, California Special Needs Law Group (CSNLG) offers its services throughout California. These services include conflict mediation and assistance with IEP development.

/by

Spotlight on Special Education in Santa Ana: Resources for Students, Teachers, and Parents

One of the most populous cities in Orange County, California, Santa Ana offers various online and on-site resources for special education families and professionals.

Special Education Santa Ana

Image courtesy of Shutterstock.com

From public schools to nonprofit organizations, special education teachers, parents and students in Santa Ana can find support, educational and therapeutic services within and near the city. These services range from clinical programs to online articles.

Educational Resources for Special Education Students, Parents and Teachers

Many resources in special education are found in public and nonprofit school settings in or within a few miles of Santa Ana.

The Santa Ana Unified School District offers occupational, physical, and language and speech therapy services to its special needs students.

The website of the Orange County Department of Education offers a link to an Early Education program for children with special needs up to five years of age. Links to information about assistive technology, parent rights and special classes in areas of language and behavior are also provided.

In addition, the department provides extensive training programs for special education teachers through its System of Support (SOS). This program allows teachers to receive training in instructional strategies, classroom management and intervention methods through classes and guest speakers.

Serving special education students in Orange County, The Prentice School in nearby North Tustin, about five miles northeast of Santa Ana, offers specialized education programs for elementary, junior high and high school students. The school utilizes a specific language arts approach for elementary and junior high students with dyslexia. The high school program utilizes active collaboration, community service and individualized support.

The school’s resources include parent support workshops, online publications about dyslexia and assistive technology, links to local, national and international special needs organizations, and information about assistive technology tools.

Services and Resources for Special Education Students and Parents in Santa Ana

The Center for Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders is based in Santa Ana. The center offers evaluation and treatment services and online resources for parents, which include recommended book listings and links to online articles. It also has a monthly family support group and advocacy services.

Easter Seals Southern California in Santa Ana offers behavior analysis and therapeutic services for autistic children. These services include speech, language and physical therapy.

The Greater Orange County C.H.A.D.D. (Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) holds monthly support meetings in Santa Ana as well as in nearby Irvine and Orange. These meetings provide information about AD/HD as well as networking opportunities for families.

Based just several miles outside of Santa Ana, in Irvine, the nonprofit Talk About Curing Autism (TACA) offers learning seminars and social events for autistic children and families. The organization’s website provides links to helpful articles about therapies, medical interventions, parent support, parents’ rights and more. Books, DVDs and CDs on autism are available to members through TACA’s resource library.

Special Education Santa Ana

Image courtesy of Shutterstock.com

KiDA (Kids Institute for Development and Advancement) is also based in Irvine and serves Orange County. It is the largest Center for Autism in the county and offers clinical and educational services. These include behavior, occupational, and speech and language therapy, social groups and a school for K-6 students that focuses on behavior management and social skills development.

For legal support and advice, Santa Ana residents can turn to California Special Needs Law Group (CSNLG), which serves clients throughout the state. CSNLG can assist parents with Individual Education Plan (IEP) development and help to mediate disputes between special education parents and school systems.

/by

Spotlight on Special Education in Burbank: Resources for Students, Teachers, and Parents

Burbank, California, is known as the “Media Capital of the World” because of its vast resources in the media and entertainment industries. It is home, for instance, to major facilities of such companies as Warner Bros. and The Walt Disney Company.

Special Education Burbank

Image courtesy of Shutterstock.com

The city also offers various resources in special education. From schools to nonprofit organizations, Burbank provides special education professionals, students and parents with online and on-site resources that include therapy programs, seminars, online publications and legal support.

Educational Resources for Special Needs Teachers and Families in Burbank

The Burbank Unified School District provides several links on its website that are useful to parents of special education students. There’s an online Parent Handbook, which provides information pertaining to, among other topics, IEP meetings and special education laws. Links also direct parents to brochures and pamphlets, which address parents’ rights, childcare and an Early Start program.

The Burbank Unified School District is part of the Foothill Special Education Local Plan Area (SELPA), which contains a Community Advisory Committee (CAC) that provides parent training workshops and special education policy review. The CAC also holds quarterly meetings for parents, teachers, school administrators and community members.

Foothill SELPA’s website also provides online literature regarding parents’ rights, a glossary of special education terms and acronyms and links to various advocacy services.

Recreational and Therapeutic Resources for Special Education Students and Parents

A few nonprofit organizations devoted to specific behavioral or learning disorders have a presence in or near Burbank.

Autism Spectrum Therapies, with locations in Arizona, Washington and Louisiana as well as throughout California, has a Burbank office offering diagnostic, analysis and social development services to autistic children. These services include behavioral analysis, occupational and speech therapy, social skills programs and psychological evaluations.

Meetings of the SFV (San Fernando Valley) Autism Families in North Hollywood, approximately five miles west of Burbank, offer workshops, lectures and conferences. There’s also play activities for children with autism that help them to build social skills.

Special Education Burbank

Image courtesy of Shutterstock.com

The Help Group, a nonprofit organization with various clinical and support programs for special needs children and their families, has a location approximately 20 miles south of Burbank. Services includes an after-school rehabilitation program, weekend and after-school activities such as basketball, tennis and a gaming club, and camps that integrate social development, trips and activities. These activities range from art to sports.

The Help Group is there for parents as well. Classes, seminars and conferences focus on topics such as stress management and communication techniques. Parent support groups are also offered.

Located approximately 15 east of Burbank in Altadena, California, Education Spectrum has programs for both autistic students and their parents. Play therapy and family therapy programs, social skills training, community integration and parent training classes are among the main offerings of this organization. Its website provides links to national autism organizations and research news.

Pasadena-based California Special Needs Law Group (CSNLG) offers its services throughout California. These services include mediating conflicts between special needs families and school systems and assistance with IEP development.

/by

Spotlight on Special Education in Glendale: Resources for Students, Teachers, and Parents

Glendale, California, is the third largest city in Los Angeles County. Being a large city, Glendale offers various resources for special education teachers and parents through online articles, seminars, workshops and meetings.

Special Education in Glendale

Image courtesy of Shutterstock.com

Special education students, too, can find programs and other resources designed to help them develop social skills or benefit from various therapeutic approaches. Legal and advocacy services for special needs families are also available in Glendale.

Educational Resources for Special Education Teachers, Students and Parents

The Glendale Unified School District provides a resource specialist for special education students in regular classrooms. Special day classes are also available. The district has an advisory committee to offer support for parents and educators and raise awareness about special education in the community. The school district’s website also includes an online Special Education Glossary and details about IEP development.

The Los Angeles County Office of Education offers several services to special education students, including speech and occupational therapy, counseling, mobility assistance and adapted physical education classes. An Early Start program overseen by the office targets infants and toddlers who might have a development disability.

The Foothill Special Education Local Plan Area (SELPA), which includes the Glendale Unified School District, contains a Community Advisory Committee (CAC) that provides parent training workshops and special education policy review. The CAC also holds quarterly meetings for parents, teachers, administrators and community members.

Foothill SELPA’s website provides several helpful resources, such as online literature regarding parents’ rights, a glossary of special education terms and acronyms, links to advocacy services and a brochure about IDEA’s ChildFind program (which offers evaluation services and public awareness events).

College View School in the Glendale Unified School District provides special education services to students with learning and physical disabilities. Speech therapy, adaptive equipment, swimming therapy and canine therapy are among the services offered in this school.

Tobinworld is another special education school located in Glendale.  The school utilizes a behavior management system to help developmentally disabled students build social, communication and other skills.

Other Special Education Resources for Glendale Students and Parents

Special Education in Glendale

Image courtesy of Shutterstock.com

Several nonprofit organizations in Glendale focus mainly on autism. Services include support for both parents and students. These organizations include:

  • Foothill Autism Assurance: holds monthly resource meetings with guest speakers for parents of autistic children. The organization also provides workshops and social functions. Links to relevant organizations and blogs are found on the website.
  • The Armenian Autism Outreach Project (AAOP): based in Glendale, this organization focuses on raising awareness about autism in the Greater Los Angeles area. The nonprofit organizations hold IEP resource meetings, guest speaker events, panel discussions and parent seminars.
  • Autism International Foundation: also based in Glendale, the foundation provides advocacy services to parents of children with autism. The foundation also assists in getting children assessed.
  • Actors for Autism:  offers acting, dancing, film making, animation and music programs for special education students. Social skills classes are available at the organization’s Sherman Oaks location, approximately 12 miles from Glendale.

Offering its services throughout California, Pasadena-based California Special Needs Law Group (CSNLG) provides legal support to special education students and their parents. Among the firm’s primary services are IEP development assistance and conflict mediation between schools and special needs parents.

/by

Spotlight on Special Education in Malibu: Resources for Students, Teachers, and Parents

From conferences to support groups, special education teachers and parents in the beach city of Malibu, California, located in Los Angeles County, can find professional development and personal assistance for raising and educating special needs children.

Special Education Malibu

Image courtesy of Shutterstock.com

Special needs students, too, can find various resources in Malibu. These resources include therapeutic programs, recreational activities and social skills development.

Educational Resources for Malibu Special Needs Parents, Students and Educators

Many of the educational resources for special education in Malibu come through the public school system.

The Los Angeles County Office of Education provides speech therapy, counseling services, occupational therapy, mobility instruction and adapted physical education classes. An Early Start program is designed for infants and toddlers who might have a development disability.

The Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District has a Special Education District Advisory Committee (SEDAC) that provides monthly meetings open to the public as well as parent meetings to provide IEP development assistance and to make parents aware of the resources and services available to them by SEDAC. A transition handbook for post-high school special needs students and their parents is provided online by the school district.

The McKinna Learning Center in Malibu offers a day school called the Learning Lab for children with learning disabilities. They also provide educational therapy services, tutoring and a summer skills program.

The Malibu Learning Center provides tutoring services for young children, teens and adults with learning disabilities. The center’s website also provides a link to helpful articles about learning and learning disabilities.

Other Resources for Special Education Professionals, Parents and Children in Malibu

Malibu Special Education Foundation provides support for special needs parents, students and educators:

  • Students can develop social skills, participate in therapeutic activities, go on field trips and perform community service; programs include a “Best Buddies” weekly lunch program and weekly yoga classes
  • Parents can join a monthly support group, designed to help them understand the special education system and provide support in raising their special needs child; attend speaker programs
  • Special education teachers and administrators can attend continuing education seminars and conferences

Paradigm Malibu Adolescent Treatment Center provides various treatment programs for teens with various personality and other disorders. The center’s website provides a link (Introduction and Overview to ADD/ADHD) that directs readers to PsychCentral. There, they will find articles about ADHD symptoms, treatment options, coping tips, book reviews and more.

Offering its services throughout California, Pasadena-based California Special Needs Law Group (CSNLG) provides legal support to special education students and their parents. Among the firm’s primary services are IEP development assistance and conflict mediation between schools and special needs parents.

/by

Special Education Spotlight Santa Monica: Resources for Students, Teachers, and Parents

Located west of Los Angeles, the beachfront city of Santa Monica, California, provides on-site and online resources for parents and teachers of special education students.  Support and information can be found through workshops, group meetings and online articles.

Special Education Santa Monica, Special Education Resources, Special Needs

Image Courtesy of Shutterstock.com

Special needs children can find several recreational and developmental resources throughout the city. These resources are offered mainly through occupational therapy programs and nonprofit organizations.

Educational Services and Resources for Special Education Teachers and Students

The Los Angeles County Office of Education provides several services to special education students, including speech therapy, counseling, occupational therapy, mobility instruction and adapted physical education classes. It also offers an Early Start program for infants and toddlers who might have a development disability.

The Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District has a Special Education District Advisory Committee (SEDAC) that provides monthly meetings and online resources such as a post-high school transition handbook for special needs students in grades 8-12 and their parents. The committee also oversees outreach activities designed to help parents with IEP development as well as making them aware of the services and resources provided by SEDAC.

With a location in nearby West Los Angeles, Pride Learning Center offers reading, spelling, math and writing tutoring programs for children with learning disabilities.

Resources for Special Needs Students and Their Families

The Special Needs Resource Group in Santa Monica offers support services for special education students. Parents can consult with behavior therapists, communication specialists or other professionals at their location or at the students’ home. An art therapy program is also offered, as is a classroom intervention program.

Family Service of Santa Monica, part of Vista Del Mar Child and Family Services, provides an early intervention program for special needs students. It also offers workshops for parents, addressing such topics as stress management and anger management.  While not specifically designed for parents of special needs children, these workshops could prove useful for this group.

F.A.C.T. (Family, Adult and Child Therapies) offers parent and child support services through in-home behavior training, social skills groups, parent education and support groups, and sibling support programs for autistic children and their families.

We Rock the Spectrum Santa Monica is a nonprofit organization providing online information for parents of special education students. The organization’s website has definitions of autism, learning disability, speech impairment and other special education terms, as well as information about IEPs, IDEA and parents’ rights. The site also has links to online articles about autism and advocacy services and IEP meeting tips.

Big Fun Gymnastics, which has locations in Torrance, Huntington Beach and Simi Valley, among others, offers its therapeutic swimming program for special needs children at the Santa Monica Swim Center.

Based in Pasadena and offering its services throughout California, the California Special Needs Law Group (CSNLG) provides legal advice and support to special education students and their parents. Among the firm’s services are IEP development assistance and conflict mediation.

/by

Special Education Spotlight Stockton: Resources for Students, Teachers, and Parents

Located about 50 miles south of Sacramento, the city of Stockton, California, provides several resources for special education teachers and parents. Many of these resources, offered through educational institutions and nonprofit organizations, are in the form of workshops, support groups or seminars.

Special Education Spotlight Stockton

Image Courtesy of Shutterstock.com

Special education students, too, will find some recreational and educational programs throughout and near the city that are designed to help them build their social and communication skills.

Educational Resources for Special Education Students, Teachers and Parents

The Special Education Department of the Stockton Unified School District works with parents and other professionals to form an IEP for special needs students. The department also offers services in occupational and speech and language therapy. A Parent Information link on the website provides information about parents’ rights and details about the Community Advisory Committee, while teachers can find links to assessment and educational tools under Teacher Resources.

The San Joaquin County Office of Education oversees the Special Education Local Plan Area (SELPA), which includes the Stockton Unified School District. The office supplies early intervention, occupational therapy, speech and language, hearing and behavioral consultation services. The website also provides a link to available resources through a lending library, which offers books, manuals, videos, DVDs and CDs covering a wide variety of special needs topics for both parents and teachers.

Recreational, Legal and Other Resources for Special Education Students and Parents

Stockton is home to few organizations that provide services to special needs children and their families. But while most of these organizations might not be located directly in Stockton they do serve the city, or are within commutable distance.

Family Resource Network offers support to parents of special education students through support groups, outreach programs, advocacy services, and workshops and seminars. There is also an online newsletter published four times a year that reports on events and includes helpful articles for parents of special needs children.

A similar organization is found in Salida, which is approximately 25 miles south of Stockton. B.E.S.T. (Behavioral & Educational Strategies & Training) also provides behavior analysis services. These services range from comprehensive analysis and management to mock preschool and school programs. Parent training workshops are also available. The programs are designed for children with autism as well as other learning and behavioral disorders.

Special Education Spotlight Stockton

Image Courtesy of Shutterstock.com

Based in Modesto and serving Stockton, among a few other cities, the Central Valley Autism Project provides behavioral analysis services for children ranging from infants to teens. This includes an assessment and treatment program designed mainly to help children form strong social skills.

Though based about 60 miles west of Stockton, CHADD (Children and Adults with AD/HD) of Northern California holds occasional parent support group meetings in nearby Manteca throughout the year. CHADD’s website also provides links to various special needs organizations, articles and consulting services.

GymStars is a Stockton-based gym that provides a program called StarBound for special needs children. These gymnastics and cheer programs are designed to help children develop coordination and motor skills as well as build self-confidence and social skills.

The California Special Needs Law Group (CSNLG) of Pasadena provides legal advice and services to special education parents throughout the state. IEP development assistance and conflict mediation are among the firm’s services.

/by

Special Education Spotlight Palo Alto: Resources for Students, Teachers, and Parents

Located in the San Francisco Bay Area, Palo Alto is a city that provides various resources and services for special education students and parents. These services and resources are provided mainly by community and nonprofit organizations.

Special Education Spotlight Palo Alto

Image Courtesy of Shutterstock.com

Special education teachers, too, can benefit from many of these resources, such as those offering training in assistive technology or providing links to articles and books about specific disorders.

Education-Based Resources for Palo Alto Special Education Teachers, Students and Parents

The Palo Alto Sub-Committee of SELPA (Special Education Local Plan Areas) 1 Community Advisory Committee offers advocacy services and parent support and education groups and events.  This includes sessions and classes addressing IEP training, parental stress management, coping strategies and inclusion practices.

Services provided by the Palo Alto Unified School District include speech and language specialists, occupational therapy, behavior analysis and a pre-school intervention program. A FUTURES program is designed to help special needs students build the social and vocational skills needed beyond elementary and middle school.

The Santa Clara County Office of Education offers a program designed to help parents and teachers implement assistive technology and alternative communication in the classroom. It also operates the Autism Project, which helps autistic children develop stronger communication skills.

Hope Technology School is an option for special needs students in Palo Alto. In an inclusive environment, special needs students use assistive technology and alternative communication in the classroom. The school also provides on-site speech and physical therapy, sensory integration and occupational therapy.

Resources Targeting Special Education Students and Parents in Palo Alto

Parents Place has a family resource center in Palo Alto. Here, parents will find workshops and consultative services, learning assessment  services, parent support groups, speech and language therapy, school advocacy services and social skills workshops for special needs children.

Special Education Spotlight Palo Alto

Image Courtesy of Shutterstock.com

Abilities United has early intervention and preschool services, an after-school socialization program for special education students and an aquatics therapy program. Behavior consultations, mental health counseling, therapeutic evaluations, and speech, physical and occupational therapy services.

Children’s Health Council (CHC) provides online links to behavior specialists, educational specialists, speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists and care managers in and around the Palo Alto area. CHC offers parent education classes, tutoring services and evaluations for autism, speech-langugae disorders and fine motor skills problems. The organization’s site also has downloadable presentations in its Parent Resource Library.

Achieve Kids, with a location in Palo Alto, is an agency with various services for special education students and their families. These services include an on-site behavioral specialist, speech-language therapy, community integration and assistive technology. The organization’s website also includes links to various national agencies, such as Autism Speaks and National Center for Learning Disabilities.

The California Special Needs Law Group (CSNLG), based in Pasadena, provides legal advice and services to special education parents. Serving areas throughout the state, the firm can assist with IEP development, mediate conflict between parents and schools, or assist parents during the assessment process.

/by

Special Education Spotlight San Jose: Resources for Students, Teachers, and Parents

San Jose residents who are special education professionals or parents of a special needs child have the benefit of various resources located in or near their city.

Special Education Spotlight San Jose

Image Courtesy of Shutterstock.com

Special education students will also find community, educational and recreational programs and activities designed to help them grow and strengthen social, communication and academic skills.

Educational Resources in San Jose for Special Education Students, Teachers and Parents

The website of the San Jose Unified School District offers parents an online Parent Guide and information about its Community Advisory Committee. The school district’s site also provides definitions and examples of various disorders, including autism, speech impairments and emotional disturbances.

The Santa Clara County Office of Education provides an Early Start intervention program for preschool children, an intensive autism program called The Autism Project that focuses on the development of communication skills and independence, and an assistive technology program to aid families and teachers in the use of special education technologies through labs and training programs.

The South East Special Education Local Plan Area (SELPA) is a consortium consisting of eleven school districts and the Santa Clara County Office of Education. In addition to a Community Advisory Committee and parent support and education programs, SELPA also provides staff training opportunities. These workshops and sessions are directed toward teachers, administrators, teacher assistants and specialists.

Special Education Resources for San Jose Parents and Special Needs Children

The Morgan Autism Center in San Jose provides free lectures and individualized education programs. The Center for Autism and Related Disorders, located approximately five miles outside of San Jose in nearby Santa Clara, provides behavior analysis services as well as individualized education programs.

CHADD (Children and Adults with AD/HD) of Northern California, though based approximately 40 miles away in San Leandro, holds monthly parent training sessions in surrounding areas including San Jose.

The City of San Jose’s Therapeutic Recreation Services program provides recreational opportunities to special education students. Through its All Access Sports and Recreation program, special needs children can attend camps and clinics for indoor and outdoor physical activities. The Grace Community Center hosts various programs for children with cognitive disorders, including fitness programs, pre- and afterschool programs and a therapeutic art program.

Special Education Spotlight San Jose

Image Courtesy of Shutterstock.com

Parents Helping Parents (PHP) is a nonprofit organization devoted to providing in-person and online help to parents of special needs students. Monthly meetings for support and discussion groups, early intervention programs, online articles and tools, workshops and a library of books, videos and DVDs are among the many resources provided by this organization. The website also provides links to professional support groups, counseling centers, foundations and community programs.

The San Jose Public Library hosts weekly inclusive story and play times for special needs children. The library’s website also provides links to books on parenting special needs children and on specific disorders, such as autism, ADHD/ADD, OCD and learning disabilities.

Parents of special education students who are seeking legal support or advice in San Jose can contact the California Special Needs Law Group (CSNLG). Serving areas throughout the state, the group can assist parents with settling disputes with school systems or developing IEPs, among other legalities.

/by

Special Education Spotlight Anaheim: Resources for Students, Teachers, and Parents

Anaheim residents raising or working with special needs students can find a few community and nonprofit organizations designed to provide them with support and various resources. These resources can range from professional development programs to parenting workshops.

Special Education Spotlight Anaheim

Image Courtesy of Shutterstock.com

Special education students themselves can also find organizations that offer educational and recreational programs and activities.

Anaheim Special Education Resources

The Greater Anaheim Special Education Local Plan Area (SELPA) is a six-school district collaboration designed to develop special education programs. Teachers can find professional development training and workshops through SELPA. The website also provides parents with links to a Community Advisory Committee, a handbook, workshop information and a glossary of special education terms and organizations.

Anaheim, California, is located within Orange County. The Orange County Department of Education provides training programs for special education teachers. These programs address behavioral intervention and analysis, classroom management and student success strategies. Resources are also available through the department’s website for such topics as assistive technology, autism and parent rights.

Special Education Resources for Anaheim Students and Parents

Within the Anaheim city limits, the Team of Advocates for Special Kids (TASK) provides resources for children, parents and teachers. Workshops are held for IEP strategies, student rights, early intervention services and assistive technology. Advocacy training is also available.

AbilityFirst, which provides services to special needs students and families, has one of eight community centers in Anaheim. AbilityFirst has an afterschool enrichment program and also offers therapeutic swimming lessons. The Anaheim location has accommodations for both indoor and outdoor activities.

Resources Near Anaheim for Special Education Students, Teachers and Parents

Special Education Spotlight Anaheim

Image Courtesy of Shutterstock.com

Anaheim has limited resources for special needs students and parents, but fortunately several organizations are housed in nearby cities, in most cases less than ten miles from Anaheim.

Located about eight miles to the south in Santa Ana, The Center for Autism and Developmental Disorders offers evaluations and family support groups. It also has an intervention program targeting parents and schools. IEP development support for both parents and professionals is also provided. Other resources include links on the organization’s website to articles and other sites addressing disability rights, news and details about autism, ADHD and other disorders.

Approximately three miles north of Anaheim, parents and teachers can find a wealth of knowledge offered at The Autism Center of California State University – Fullerton. In addition to assessment and screening services, the center also hosts fundraising events and teacher credentialing programs.

The Greater Orange County affiliate of Children and Adults with AD/HD (CHADD) is found about eight miles southeast of Anaheim in Orange, California. The organizations hosts support meetings in Orange and Santa Ana. The website provides links to assistance programs and contact information for consultants, therapists, advocates and other professionals.

Parents of special education students in Oakland who are seeking legal support or advice can contact the California Special Needs Law Group (CSNLG). Serving areas throughout the state, the group can assist parents with, among other legalities, settling disputes with school systems or developing IEPs.

/by