Find Special Needs Related Community Resources and Support
Raising a child with special needs can be both rewarding and challenging, and parents often find their greatest support through sharing and learning from each other. We encourage you to explore the sites below to find information, support and services for your child, and to connect with other parents in a similar situation. Take the look at the calendar of events to find information about special events, workshops and seminars that may be of interest.
General Special Needs Support Groups and Blogs
- Our Kids
- Support for Special Needs
- The Wrightslaw Way to special education law and advocacy. Blog and community helpline.
- Reality 101 - CEC (Council for Exceptional Children) blog for new teachers
- LearningAbledKids - Help for Homeschooling Children with Learning Disabilities
- Abilities Network
Autism
- ABCs Autism Development Group, LLC. Providing training workshops, socialization groups, customized strategies for Autism therapy and more.
- Autism Speaks
- Partnership for Extraordinary Minds. Improving the educational experiences and outcomes of diploma-bound students on the autism spectrum in grades K–12.
- The Center for AAC & Autism - building the awareness of augmentative and alternative communication to change the lives of children with autism and other developmental disabilities.
- Mountain Creek Farms - providing employment and independent living opportunities for adults with autism in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley of Virginia.
- Pathfinders for Autism
AD/HD
- SOAR (Success Oriented Achievement Realized). Adventure program for youth with AD/HD and LD.
- Children and Adults with AD/HD (CHADD) - non-profit organization providing education, support and advocacy.
Anxiety Disorders
Down Syndrome
Dyslexia
Mental Illness
Sensory Processing Disorder
- The Out-of-Sync Child - recognizing and coping with sensory processing disorder
- Sensory Processing Disorder Foundation
Other disabilities
- Trichotillomania Learning Center
- The Focus Foundation, helping children with X & Y Variations, Dyslexia, and/or Developmental Dyspraxia.
Local organizations in Washington DC/Virginia/Maryland
- Parent Education Advocacy and Training Center (VA)
- AutMont Autism information, events and community serving Montgomery County, MD
- DC Autism Parents
- Fitness for Health, a pediatric therapeutic center providing individual and group programs for all children including those with sensory integration, learning disabilities, developmental disorders and/or multiple disabilities.
- Motion Education at Dynamite Gymnastics Center offers occupation therapy-based development through gymnastics activities. Group and individual lessons are uniquely designed to break through the boundaries of perceived limits and help children of all ages reach their developmental goals.
- Sports Plus Group offers year-round, uniquely structured, co-ed sports and swimming programs for verbal children able to follow multi-step directions between the ages of 5 and 14 with mild to moderate autistic spectrum disorders, ADD/ADHD and other developmental disabilities.
- Advocates for Justice and Education, Inc. The parent training and information center for the District of Columbia.
- Maryland Coalition for Inclusive Education works with schools, families and organizations to include students with disabilities in their neighborhood schools.
- Maryland Developmental Disabilities Council - public policy organization that advocates for the inclusion of people with developmental disabilities in all facets of community life
- DC Quality Trust. Advocacy, Family Empowerment Center, collaboration and outreach for individuals with disabilities in the District of Columbia.
- EMOCO - for parents of special needs children in Montgomery County, MD
ABCs for Life Success provides these listings for informational purposes only. If there is any information that you are looking for and have not found on this list, please contact us and we will be more than happy to help you find it.