Resources for Young People with Disabilities

General Resources

The Easter Seals provides services to ensure that children and adults with disabilities have equal opportunities to live, learn, work and play.
- Specifically, they provide help with Assistive Technology , autism services, youth leadership programs, communication training and more.
- An Online Developmental Milestones Screening tool allows parents and caregivers to monitor their child's development through age 5. This tool: Ages & Stages Questionnaires®, Third Edition, Your ASQ-3™ is not a diagnosis.

Family Ties of Massachusetts supplies parent-to-parent support, information and referral services, and workshops to ensure that parents feel confident in caring for your children with special needs. They have created an excellent resource directory which is downloadable. Be patient - it is a very large document.

The Federation for Children with Special Needs is a center for parents and parent organizations to work together on behalf of children with special needs and their families. Organized in 1975 as a coalition of parent groups representing children with a variety of disabilities, the Federation offers workshops and training, advocacy and resources to parents of children with special needs and the professionals who serve them.

Partners for Youth with Disabilities empowers young people with disabilities to reach their personal, educational and career goals by providing high quality one-to-one and group mentoring programs.

Parent / Professional Advocacy League (PPAL) is a Massachusetts organization that promotes a strong voice for families of children and adolescents with mental health needs. PPAL advocates for supports, treatment and policies that enable families to live in their communities in an environment of stability and respect.

Disability Resource for Pediatrics was developed by former staff of the Family Health Supporters in Pediatrics at UMass Children’s Medical Center. The intention of this Library Guide is to be a resource to help healthcare professionals and caregivers better understand and advocate; be aware of support systems, and be informed of Individual Education Plans (IEPs) and school issues.

The Parents’ How-to Guide to Children’s Mental Health Services in Massachusetts was developed by the Boston Bar Association with support from Children's Hospital. The third edition is designed to help parents in Massachusetts find the child mental health services and resources their children need.

The MA Department of Education - Special Education web page provides policy, guidelines and resources for administrators, teachers and parents. Drill down to their Special Education Advocacy page for links to a variety of advocacy and disability rights organizations.

The Regional Resource Center Program provides a directory of Massachusetts state agencies, parent organizations and other resources. The national Office of Special Education Programs funds the regional centers to assist state education agencies in the systemic improvement of education programs, practices, and policies that affect children and youth with disabilities.

The National Center on Accessible Instructional Materials has all kinds of information and links on who might benefit from different materials, and what is available. Also visit the MA DOE page for more information on using accessible instructional materials.

Disability.gov has compiled many resources for people of all ages with disabilities who want to go to college. The resources range from checklists for elementary students to information about Americorps and how to help pay for an education by giving a year of service.

The Disability Law Center has developed a manual called Planning for Life After Special Education in Massachusetts which can be downloaded. " This Manual is written for parents and students who are advocating for better transition services, including social, vocational and independent living skills. ... contains “Endnotes” and an Appendix at the end of the Manual with legal information for attorneys and experienced advocates."

The Wisconsin AT Initiative has created two pdf guides for managing student information into portolios. The Teacher Resource Guide on Transition starts the process for students at age 14. The Student Resource Guide is maintained by the student.

The Healthy and Ready To Work (HRTW) National Resource Center has an extensive list of Transition Planning Manuals and Brochures from a variety of sources.

Autism Speaks! developed a downloadable Transition Tool Kit as a guide to assist families on the journey from adolescence to adulthood.

The Quality Indicators for Assistive Technology defines the steps needed for a successful Assistive Technology Transition . The "Common Errors" at the bottom could be helpful in avoiding missteps.

LD Online (website about learning disabilities and adhd) provides a List of Questions about AT Resources to ask colleges before making a final decision on where to attend.

The University of Washington has a comprehensive list of resources, from videos to websites to assessment tools, to Prepare Students for College . The resources include deciding what to study, where and how to apply, and how to fund an education, among many other helpful topics.

We Connect Now is dedicated to uniting people interested in rights and issues affecting people with disabilities, with particular emphasis on college students and access to higher education and employment issues.

Think College has lots of information on college options for people with intellectual disabilities.

The Office for Civil Rights within the U.S. Department of Education has produced a pamphlet entitled Students with Disabilities Preparing for Postsecondary Education: Know Your Rights and Responsibilities which includes details about the obligations of a postsecondary school to provide academic adjustments, including auxiliary aids and services, to ensure the school does not discriminate on the basis of disability.

The Massachusetts Department of Developmental Services and the Institute for Community Inclusion at the University of Massachusetts Boston has published School Days to Pay Days - An Employment Planning Guide for Families of Young Adults with Intellectual Disabilities .

Job and internship information is on our Life, Work and Leisure page.

Participants need to sign up online to read the discussions.

The Massachusetts Family Voices Listserv was created to provide an opportunity for families of children with special needs to build partnerships with professionals in the health care service system.

Common Bonds is a networking and support group for parents of children with autism and PDD.