I created this blog post with the intention of compiling a list of online resources for parents of children in my classroom who may or may not have special needs. It is intended to provide an expansive array of materials that may help you support your child, family, and self as you enter the world of education that specializes in disability. The resources are organized into four categories:
- Special Education Services
- Support for Families
- Family Resources
- Recent Improvements and Initiatives of Early Childhood and Learning
The bolded orange text listed below these categories are hyperlinks to an assortment of resources: articles, databases, studies, and videos that I thought would be helpful to look at.
If you would like to know more about a topic, let me know and I will do more research to get you the answers you need. I am also more than willing to print out paper copies of any of the articles and resources listed below, don't hesitate to ask.
Please feel free to comment with feedback, suggestions, or if you have something to add. Let me know if you need anything else, I am here for support.
Best wishes,
Ms. B
Resources for Preschool Families with Children with Special Needs
Special Education Services
- "Special education is instruction specifically designed to meet the educational and developmental needs of children with disabilities, or those who are experiencing developmental delays.
- Services for preschool children (ages 3 through 5) are provided free of charge through the public school system. These services are available through IDEA."
Special education is full of terms that people constantly use in writing and in conversation, and it’s important to know what those terms mean.
PACER center information sheet on an IEP
Eight minute video worth watching!
Support for Families
- Great article defining the stages of grief parents and family go through when dealing with disability.
Family Resources
- "An interactive four-part training kit intended for families with children receiving early intervention/early childhood special education."
- The topics of the modules include: Disability is Natural, Person-centered Planning, Telling Your Story: Introduction to Advocacy, and Transitioning from ECSE to Kindergarten
- *Modules offered en español as well!
- Team of Advocates for Special Kids videos for families... "were produced for families who are accessing special education for the first time, as well as those parents who may still have unanswered questions. Our goal is to answer some of the most frequently asked questions that have come to our attention from the families we serve."
Birth to 5: Watch Me Thrive! Screening Passport
- two different links to the screening passport that Birth to 5: Watch me Thrive! has developed for parents or health care professionals to fill out whenever a child has a developmental screening done. Intended to be brought along and shared with child care provider, teacher, home visitor, or anyone who provides services for your child.
- Screening Passport - Format 1 - vertical
- Screening Passport - Format 2 - horizontal
- Allows parent to do home developmental screening of child based on typical milestones of children at ages: 2 mo, 4 mo, 6 mo, 9 mo, 1 yr, 18 mo, 2 yr, 3 yr, 4 yr, and 5 yr.
- Also has links for If You're Concerned (after looking at milestones) and Free Materials for helping child with development.
Recent Improvements and Initiatives of Early Childhood and Learning
- "This 80-slide presentation by Kathy Hebbeler of the Early Childhood Outcomes Center was given in November 2013. It’s packed with statistics on how young children with disabilities are performing and the value of early childhood education. The presentation also includes many links to other sources of information and assistance"
- an eight minute video about "the three child outcomes adopted by the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) and reported on by all state early intervention (Part C) and preschool special education (Part B/619) programs as part of their Annual Performance Report (APR)"
- "Birth to 5: Watch Me Thrive! is a coordinated federal effort to encourage healthy child development, universal developmental and behavioral screening for children, and support for the families and providers who care for them."
- "CELL has developed specific materials to assist parents in guiding their child’s early literacy development through the use of fun and exciting literacy learning experiences. Practitioners working with parents will also find these resources helpful."
- Choose between "infants, toddlers, and preschoolers" and explore a wealth of resources you can use to help children learn at home!
