Links and Resources…..

Please take the time to browse through these resources, you may find some vital support or information that will benefit both you and your child. 

Each line is a clickable link – Click the Title to open the web site!

Worcester Public Schools

Worcester School Committee – files and agenda for the school committee and sub-committee meetings can be located at the WPS School site

Staff Directory – Special Education Department WPS

Worcester City Wide Parent Advisory Council (CPPAC)

2010 Worcester Public Schools MCAS results

ARICA – Facts and information sheet

CBHI – Children’s Behavioral Health Initiative

CHINS – Child in Need of Services – Quick Reference Guide

Discipline Guide – Quick Reference Guide

Parent Guide to Special Education – created by FCSN.org

The Federation for Children with Special needs - The Federation is a center for parents and parent organizations to work together on behalf of children with special needs and their families.   Phone: (617) 236-7210

List of State Legislators by City & Town

Massachusetts Association of Parent Advisory Councils

Massachusetts Association of School Committees

Laws and Regulations

Massachusetts Education Laws & Regulations

IEP; Individualized Education Program, Team Meetings, and Changes to the IEP – Ed.gov IDEA 2004

IDEA 2004 – Building the Legacy Web Site http://idea.ed.gov/

General Laws of Massachusetts – Chapter 71 B Children with Special Needs

Identification of Specific Learning Disabilities – Ed.gov IDEA 2004

Rates the state sets for evaluations and other evaluation information

Mass DOE Advisories

Mass Trial Court Law Library on Special Education

MCAS Alternate Assessment information

MCAS Raising Achievement: Alternate Assessments for children with Disabilities

Allergies – Life Threatening food allergy information from MASS DESE

Observation Law – Chapter 363 of the acts of 2008

OCR - Office for Civil Rights Complaint Process

OCR - Office For Civil Rights “OCR”

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act  (What is a 504?) Civil Rights

Section 504 Regulations Civil Rights

Autism - Chapter 57 Addressing Spec Ed Needs of Children w/Autism Spectrum Disorder

Bullying Prevention and Intervention in Public/Private Schools

Highly Qualified Teachers – Ed.gov IDEA 2004

List of Schools that may or be required to offer school choice

Managing Life Threatening Food Allergies in Schools – Bulletin

CEHD Annual Performance Report - State Assessment Data 2007-2008

A Survey of State Disability Policy – Council of State Governments

Administrative & Technical Advisories

Mass DESE Administrative & Technical Advisories

Age of Majority

Autism Spectrum Disorder

IEP Process Guide

Mileage Reimbursement for Parents

Observation of Education Programs by Parents and Their Designees for Evaluation Purposes

Requirements for the Participation of Students with Disabilities in MCAS

Services for Young Children with Disabilities – Ages 5. 6 & PreK

Transition Planning to Begin at Age 14

Advocacy Information

Advocacy – Parents Become an Advocate

Advocacy – Guide to Selecting a Special Education Advocate in Massachusetts

Advocacy – How to select an Advocate

Advocates for Autism of Massachusetts

Children’s Law Center of Massachusetts & publications

Collective Bargaining Agreements – DESE Massachusetts

Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates

Disciplining Children with Special Needs - Children’s Law Center

Disability Law Center of Massachusetts

Hearings – So you will be going to hearing without a Lawyer

Mass Advocates for Children

Mass Advocates for Children Autism Project

Mass Legal Services

PAL Parent/Professional Advocacy League

Special Needs Advocacy Network, Inc SPAN - information & resources to advocates, parents, and other professionals

Mass DESE - Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Information

Mass DESE – Special Education Mediation / Appeals

Mass DESE Assessment and Accountability

Mass DESE BSEA – Bureau of Special Education Appeals

Mass DESE Decisions and Rulings

Mass DESE Due Process Hearings

Mass DESE Dropout Rate by District/Year

Mass DESE Enrollment Data Special Education

Mass DESE Graduation Rates Statewide Cohort 2008

Mass DESE Highly Qualified Teacher & Paraprofessional Requirements FAQs

Mass DESE IEPs – Individual Education Plans

Mass DESE Special Education Web Site
Mass DESE Student Records – FAQs about Student Record Regulations

Mass DESE Translated IEP Forms

SpedWatch.org – Special Education answers and activism (Ellen Chambers)

Wrightslaw - Parents, educators, advocates, and attorneys come to Wrightslaw for accurate, reliable information about special education law, education law, and advocacy for children with disabilities.  

   *Abuse & Restraints in School (Also referred to as Restraint & Seclusion by some)

   *Assessment, Evaluation, Tests

   *Assistive Technology

   *Behavior & Discipline

   *Discrimination – Section 504 of the ADA

   *Early Intervention

   *Eligibility

   *ESY – Extended School Year

   *Evaluations, Assessments & Tools

   *IEPs – Individual Education Plans

   *Juvenile Justice

   *Letter Writing, Paper Trails & Documentation

   *LRE – Least Restrictive Environment & Mainstreaming

   *Manifestation Determination (if child is being suspended out of school for close to 10 days).

   *Mediation

   *Privacy, Confidentiality & Education Records

   *Reading

   *Retaliation

   *Teachers, Principals, Para-Professionals

   *Transition Planning – From School to Adulthood

   *Twice Exceptional Children-gifted children; above average abilities also w/special ed needs

Tip & Teaching Sites

Global List of IEP Goals

18 Tips on Filing Complaints

NICHCY  - The National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities – this group offers a wealth of information on a variety of disability subjects.

     *Supports and Modifications

     *LRE/Least Restrictive Environment Start Set of information

Accommodations Manual – Select, administer, evaluate use of accommodations

Autism – File Folder Games

Autism Games – this site is full of games

Autism – AngelfireTeaching information and links

Autism – Pg 1 School Handouts (logs & fill in sheets)

Autism – Pg 2 School handhouts (logs & fill in sheets)

The Childrens Society – entire site in picture format

Do 2 Learn – Free materials

DRA – Montly Goals and Reading Recovery Info

Education World – All types of resources for parents and educators

E-Learning - Visuals

Functional Behavior Analysis and Positive Interventions

Graphic Organizers

Language – Roles & Responsibilities of Speech-Language Pathologists in schools

Least Restrictive Environment – what does that mean?                                  

Lindamood Bell Learning Process – teach the underlying sensory-cognitive skills to read, spell, comprehend, and express language.

Math Worksheet Site

Measuring Progress - Tests and Measurements

Emotions to Advocacy - The Special Education Survival Guide

Slater – Free Teaching materials and other stuff

Speech – Roles & Responsibilities of Speech-Language Pathologists in schools

Spellingcity – Test me, Teach me, Play a Spelling Game – Great site for learning spelling words

TACSEI - Creating Teaching Tools for Young Children with Challenging Behavior

TechMatrix - matches technology tools with supporting literature on promising practices for the instruction

Transition Planning Parent Brief

Tumblebooks – animated, talking books that teach kids reading in a format they'll love. 

WatchKnow Video Learning Site- students to learn from (online learning)

Resource Links

ADD.org -- Attention Deficit Disorder Association

American Speech- Language-Hearing Association

Apraxia – Childhood Motor Speech Disorder

Asperger’s Association of New England

Assessments – LEAP program at Mass General Hospital (Mass Health accepted)

Association of Developmental Disabilities Providers

Auditory Processing Disorders in Children

Autism Consortium

Autism Resources - International Center for Autism Research and Development

Autism Resource Center (Central Mass)

Autism - Manitas Por Autismo

Autism – “Red Flags” or Signs a Child May be at Risk for Autism

Autism – TILL -- Toward Independent Living & Learning

Baby’s Breath Crisis Nursery - crisis intervention and physical shelter

Behavior Analyst Online

Best Buddies of Massachusetts

Boundless Playgrounds – accessible playgrounds across the U.S.

Catastrophic Illness in Children Relief Fund

Center for Applied Special Technology

Center for Living and Working

Cerebral Palsy A Guide to Disability Rights Laws

Cerebral Palsy Information & Web Links

Cerebral Palsy of Massachusetts

Cerebral Palsy of MetroBoston

Center for Public Representation

CHADD Children and Adults with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Child Care Circuit

Child Care Connection

Child Care Resource & Referral Network Massachusetts

Children’s Neurobiological Solutions Foundation

Commission for the Blind Massachusetts

Community Gateway

Dyshphagia – Swallowing & Eating disorders

Down Syndrome Congress - Massachusetts

Down Syndrome Resource Group of Western Mass
Dysarthria – Motor Speech Disorder

Early Childhood Community – excellent resource for information

Early Intervention Services **EI – Ed.gov IDEA 2004

Easter Seals - Easter Seals provides services to ensure that children and adults with disabilities have equal opportunities to live, learn, work and play.

Educational Options

Enchanted Learning Graphic Organizers

Epilepsy Foundation

Family Ties of Massachusetts

Hidden Disabilities - approximately six million children in special education programs in the United States, almost one-half, or 2.9 million, have learning disabilities.

LD Online  - Web site on learning disabilities and ADHD

LD Worldwide – Learning Disabilities Worldwide                                                           

MAB Community

MAPVI – Massachusetts Association for Parents of the Visually Impaired

March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation

Massachusetts Association for the Gifted

Massachusetts Commission for the Blind

Massachusetts Commission for the Deaf or Hard of Hearing

Mass Family Voices – Family to Family Health Information Center

Massachusetts Families Organizing for Change

MassPAC – Massachusetts Association of Special Education Parent Advisory Councils

MassResources.org - wide range of assistance programs

Mortgage & Refinance Info for people with Disabilities

National Alliance of Mental Illness Framingham

National Alliance of Mental Illness Massachusetts

National Down Syndrome Association

National Federation of the Blind

OSOP (Our Space Our Place) accessible and fun environment for elementary and high school students who are legally blind

Parents Place – Parent information and resource center

Perkins Behavioral Health Services/Evaluations in Lancaster, MA

Perkins School for the Blind

Premature Baby Premature Child

Rehabilitative Resources

Sensory Friendly Films in Framingham

Special Needs Mass – provides links to important resources

Special Olympics in Mass  or call 978-774-1501

Sped Child and Teen Web site – Events listings

Teens Against Bullying

Transition Coalition at the University of Kansas (14-22) & Training

Tourette’s Syndrome Association of Massachusetts

Vision/Eye Exams for Special Needs Children  – Vision Therapy in Worcester

Wrightslaw Yellow Pages for Kids

Position Papers and other Sped Resource Pages/Papers

Challenges in Evaluating Special Education Teachers & ELL Learner Specialists

Developing & Improving Modified Achievement Level Descriptors

Earning A High School Diploma through alternative routes

This is an informational page only.  The Sped PAC does not endorse or favor any resource for your family as we do not know your family's needs.   It is up to you to research and choose the best resources for your family.