American Council on Rural Special Education (ACRES): provides services and information for individuals with disabilities living in rural areas. http://acres-sped.org
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA): professional organization for specialists in the speech, language, and hearing fields; provides resources for the public on understanding communication and communication disorders. http://www.asha.org
The Arc: national, community-based organization that provides programs and advocates for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (previously known as National Association for Retarded Citizens; Association for Retarded Citizens of the United States). http://www.thearc.org
Autism Society: grassroots organization formed to increase public awareness about individuals with autism, advocate for better services, and share the latest research on treatments and educational approaches. http://www.autism-society.org
Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA): advocacy group that provides information on brain injuries, including research on prevention and treatment. http://www.biausa.org
Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning (CSEFEL): promotes the social and emotional development and school readiness of children birth to age 5; offers information for families, teachers, and trainers. http://csefel.vanderbilt.edu
Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD): provides the most current research and information about advocacy and best practices in educating individuals with ADHD. http://www.chadd.org
Council for Exceptional Children (CEC): professional organization for educators of students with disabilities. http://www.cec.sped.org
Disability Resource Community (DRC): a nonprofit organization that offers resources to help people with disabilities and their families become advocates and active members of the community. http://www.disabilityresource.org
Division for Early Childhood (DEC) of the Council for Exceptional Children: professional membership organization for early childhood special education teachers and families of young children with disabilities that promotes the use of evidence-based practices. http://www.dec-sped.org
Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center (ECTA Center): provides information related to the early childhood provisions of IDEA to increase the implementation of effective practices and enhance outcomes for young children. http://ectacenter.org
Exceptional Parent (eParent): website and magazine with practical advice for parents and families of children and adults with disabilities. http://www.eparent.com
International Dyslexia Association (IDA): professional organization that provides information and resources for those with dyslexia and for teachers and parents. https://dyslexiaida.org
Military Families Early Intervention Team: part of the Military Families Learning Network’s (MFLN) Family Development team, seeks to enhance the capacity of professionals working with military families who have a young child with a developmental delay or disability. https://militaryfamilies.extension.org/2015/03/18/welcome-to-the-ei-concentration-area-blog
National Association of the Deaf (NAD): provides information about best practices for teaching children with hearing loss. http://www.nad.org
National Association of Special Education Teachers (NASET): membership organization for special education teachers that provides support and best practices to help teachers be successful. http://www.naset.org
National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD): provides information to parents and teachers about learning disabilities to improve awareness and transform schools so every child with a learning disability can be successful. http://www.ncld.org
National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS): advocacy group for individuals with Down syndrome that provides information and best practices. http://www.ndss.org
National Federation of the Blind (NFB): advocacy group that provides the most recent research, technology, and best practices in encouraging independence and self-confidence in individuals who are blind or visually impaired. https://nfb.org
National Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health (NFFCMH): a national organization that focuses on the issues of children with emotional, behavioral, or mental health disorders. http://www.ffcmh.org
National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS): network of cooperating libraries that provides books and other materials in braille and other formats that can be read by individuals who are blind or visually impaired. http://www.loc.gov/nls
National Organization on Disability (NOD): advocacy organization that promotes the full participation of people with disabilities in all aspects of society. http://www.nod.org
Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS): provides information about IDEA. https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/osers/osep/osep-idea.html
TASH: promotes the full inclusion and participation of children and adults with significant disabilities in all aspects of society (previously known as The American Association for the Education of the Severely and Profoundly Handicapped; The Association for the Severely Handicapped; and The Association for Persons with Severe Handicaps). http://tash.org
Technical Assistance Center on Social Emotional Intervention for Young Children (TACSEI): offers research and practical information about improving social and emotional outcomes for young children with, or at risk for, delays or disabilities. http://challengingbehavior.fmhi.usf.edu
What Works Clearinghouse (WWC): reviews the latest research on evidence-based educational programs, products, practices, and policies; managed by the Institute of Education Sciences (IES). http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc
Wrightslaw: provides information on special education, special education law, and advocacy. http://www.wrightslaw.com
Campbell, P.H., A.A. Kennedy, & S.A. Milbourne. 2012. Cara’s Kit for Toddlers: Creating Adaptations for Routines and Activities. Baltimore: Brookes Publishing. Available from NAEYC.
Division for Early Childhood. 2014. DEC Recommended Practices. Division for Early Childhood, Council for Exceptional Children. http://www.dec-sped.org/dec-recommended-practices.
Milbourne, S.A., & P.H. Campbell. 2007. Cara’s Kit: Creating Adaptations for Routines and Activities. Reston, VA: Division for Early Childhood, Council for Exceptional Children. Available from NAEYC.
US Department of Health and Human Services. 2014. “Birth to 5: Watch Me Thrive! An Early Care and Education Provider’s Guide for Developmental and Behavioral Screening.” https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/ecd/ece_providers_guide_march2014.pdf.
US Department of Health and Human Services. 2014. “Birth to 5: Watch Me Thrive! An Early Intervention and Early Childhood Special Education Provider’s Guide to Support Developmental and Behavioral Screening Initiatives.” https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/ecd/early_intervention_guide_march2014.pdf.
Each state has one or more Parent Training and Information Centers, known as PTI, that offer families resources and information on services and parent rights. Find a listing by state at http://www.parentcenterhub.org/find-your-center.