Early Childhoon

• Sharing A Vision Conference Resources and Registration Information.
• Resource List for Early Childhood FPG is one of the nation's oldest multidisciplinary institutes for the study of young children and their families.
• National Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center The Center supports the implementation of the early childhood provisions of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
• Bright Futures Bright Futures is a national health promotion initiative.
• Developmental Milestones The nation’s leading resource on the first years of life.
• Creative Curriculum A parent’s and teacher’s guide to the first 5 years.
• Family Voices Speaking on behalf of children and youth with special health needs.
• CSEFEL. What Works Briefs
• itinerant roles ECSE Toledo EC Itinerent resources and models of Professional Development Project DIRECT, inclusion through consultation; a new way of looking at Itinerant Service delivery in the State of Ohio.
• Preschool Inclusion Connection The purpose of this website is to showcase early childhood programs that are incorporating the "Best Practices" as proposed by National Association Education for Young Children (AEYC) and National Division for Early Childhood (DEC).
• Get it Got It Go Provide tools for you to measure (Get it) and monitor (Got it) the progress of the children you are assessing. In addition, this site includes informational materials about the background of the assessment model and assessment types.
• Drjean.org Dr. Jean has many Early Childhood activities, songs and strategies to support all young children

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Assistive Technology

• State of Virginia Training and Technical Assistance Project Articles from the College of William and Mary
• Infinitec Infinitec brings assistive technology to people with disabilities of all types, in the Illinois counties of Cook, DuPage, Lake and Kane.

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Recent Memo from Illinois State Board of Education

• ISBE Continuous Improvement Plan
• Special Education Plan

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Advocacy Organizations

• ARC Program for Advocacy The statewide information and advocacy coordination system for people with developmental disabilities.
• American Disabled for Attendant Programs Today (ADAPT)
• The Arc - The nation's largest voluntary organization, the ARC is committed to the welfare of all children and adults with mental retardation and their families. (Formerly Association for Retarded Citizens of the United States)
• The Center on Human Policy - An organization based at Syracuse University dedicated to policy, research, and advocacy to insure the rights of people with disabilities.
• Empowerment Zone - A collection of electronic resources on the subject of political action.
• National Association of Protection and Advocacy Systems (NAPAS) - An association which represents federally mandated programs that protect the rights of persons with disabilities.
• Parent Advocacy Coalition for Educational Rights (PACER) - Provides technical assistance and training to the federally-funded parent training and information centers in each state.
• Trace Research and Development Center - Trace Center’s mission is: "To advance the ability of people with disabilities to achieve their life objectives through the use of communication, computer and information technologies."
• Wrightslaw - Special Education Law & Advocacy
• http://www.partnersinpolicymaking.com/ makingyourcase - Interactive, self-paced learning program available 24 hours per day, seven days a week. Learn effective advocacy methods at the local, state and federal levels.

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Disability Information & Referral

• American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAID)
• American Therapeutic Recreation Association (ATRA)
• Assistive Technology Center - Lists software in various formats for a variety of applications.
• RESNA - Assurance of Quality in Assistive Technology Delivery
• UCP - Provides up-to-date information on the latest laws, regulations, and policy developments related to funding assistive technology.
• The California State University Center on Disabilities - The Center on Disabilities is an integral part of the university mission of teaching, scholarship and active learning, furthering the vision of an inclusive society which supports the attainment of academic, professional and personal goals for persons of all abilities. The Center fulfills this mission through programs of student service, education, and research.
• Chicago Parent Written Guide to Special Education A guidebook by Betsy E.Borgacz
• CEC Journals/Publications This module of the CEC web site displays all the articles in the current issue of Exceptional Children and TEACHING Exceptional Children.
• Disabilityworld e-zine home page
• Epilepsy Foundation of America
• FRAXA Research Foundation - Supporting research aimed at treatment of Fragile X Syndrome.
• IDEA 2004 - The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Amendments of 1997.
• Illinois Assistive Technology Project (IATP) - Directed by and for people with disabilities and their families.
• Illinois Autism Project The Illinois Autism/PDD Training and Technical Assistance Project is an Illinois State Board of Education initiative which provides training and technical assistance focused on educating students with autism and other pervasive developmental disorders (PDD).
• The Instant Access Treasure Chest - Foreign language teachers' guide to learning disabilities; compiled by Virginia Commonwealth University.
• Institute for Disabilities Research and Training, Inc.
• Institute on Community Integration
• The National Association of School Psychologists
• National Center to Improve the Tools of Educators
• The National Information Center for Children and Youth with Disabilities (NICHCY)
• The National Rehabilitation Information Center (NARIC) - offers free access to REHABDATA, its database of literature on rehabilitation, disability and assistive technology.
• The Positive Behavior Intervention and Support Network The Illinois State Board of Education’s partnership to assist educational systems in developing collaborative, community-based supports for students with emotional and behavioral disabilities.
• NCES - Special Education and Research Statistics
• TASH - An international association of people with disabilities, their families, other advocates, and professionals fighting for a society in which inclusion of all people in all aspects of society is the norm.
• The University of Kansas, Special Education Department - A Web site with information about KU's professional opportunities for students committed to the improvement of lifestyles for people with disabilities.
• Resources for the Sensory Processing Disorder community.
• US Department of Education Publications - The US Department of Education publishes a wealth of information for teachers, administrators, policymakers, researchers, parents, students, and others with a stake in education. Many of these publications can be found on this Web site.
• RISE - Rise supports people who have disabilities and other barriers to employment in attaining their personal measure of safe and affordable housing, vocational achievement, self-sufficiency, and belonging in their communities.
• Family Village: A Global Community of Disability Related Resources

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Inclusive Education

• CSIE - The Centre for Studies on Inclusive Education, an independent British educational charity, is a national organization funded mainly by donations from trusts and foundations.
• Frequently Asked Questions About Inclusion
  This document was prepared to address the frequently asked questions that have been generated following the release of the report entitled, "Establishing an Inclusive Educational System in the San Francisco Unified School District."
• Inclusion - Produced by the Renaissance Group - “Children who learn together, learn to live together”
• Inclusive Child Care The Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP), a national, nonprofit organization, conducts research, policy analysis, technical assistance, and advocacy on issues related to economic security for low-income families with children. CLASP is a leader in the national effort to establish equal justice for all.
• Inclusion: School as a Caring Community - Are you seeking success with inclusion? Here you'll find help and inspiration-- an entire book composed for Cyberspace with links in each chapter for elementary and secondary levels. This is an Industry Canada initiative, in partnership with SchoolNet.
• Including Your Child - Information offered by the US Department of Education, Office of Educational Research and Improvement.
• Inclusion Press - This independent press produces readable, accessible books and resources about full inclusion in school, work, and community.
• The National Center to Improve Practice (NCIP) - Promotes the effective use of technology for students with sensory, cognitive and social/emotional disabilities.
• Project Participate - Inclusion is more than physical presence in the classroom. Students learn when they actively participate in the academic lessons and interact with others. Here are some tips to create a meaningful and inclusive learning environment.
• Rise - Restructuring for Inclusive School Environments Project. An independent inclusionary support project whose goal is to improve the quality of education for students with disabilities.
• Rural Inclusion Project - An overview of four courses (nine hours of graduate coursework) that are designed to help students formalize personal and shared beliefs about education and gain and practice skills as part of a collaborative general and special education team. These courses are taught completely through the WWW with coursework being jointly offered by University of Kansas, Dept.of Special Education.
• Special Education Research Dedicated to building the capacity of TA systems, States, districts, and schools, to help students with disabilities learn from the general education curriculum.
• Together We Can - The Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Education created this guide for communities interested in creating a pro-family integrated system of education and human services for children and families.
• BC Teacher Federation - B.C. teachers believe in inclusion and have adopted a policy that every student is entitled to an appropriate education. Students with special needs have a right to access an inclusionary public education system which prepares them for full citizenship in a democratic society.

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Parent Information & Support

• Promoting Positive Behavior Intervention Central offers free tolls and resources to help school staff and parents promote positive classroom behaviors and foster effective learning for all children and youth.
• Books on Tape - Talking Tapes is a national, not-for-profit, special education library. We provide textbooks, novels, and other materials on cassette tapes to those who have difficulty reading due to physical, cognitive, visual or learning disabilities.
• Online Advocacy Course - A self study course designed to help people with developmental disabilities and their families create positive change through advocacy.
• ADCO Learning Products - Information about Hypersign software, a program which displays a video of the sign for over 2,000 words or phrases.
• Parent Pals - A parent's guide to special education developed by Ameri-Corp Speech and Hearing.
• Children and Adults with Attention Deficit Disorders (CHADD)
• Circle of Inclusion - This web site offers demonstrations of and information about the effective practices of inclusive educational programs for children from birth through age eight.
• Family Education Network - Dedicated to helping parents take an active role in the education of their children.
• Family Village - Integrates information, resources, and opportunities on the Internet for persons with mental retardation and other disabilities, their families, and those that provide them services and supports.
• Kids Together - The Goals of Kids Together, Inc. include a desire to remove barriers that exclude people with disabilities.
• National Easter Seals Society (NESS) - Easter Seals provides exceptional services to ensure that people living with autism and other disabilities have equal opportunities to live, learn, work and play.
• The National Information Center for Children and Youth with Disabilities (NICHCY)
• Parents Helping Parents web site
• Through the Looking Glass - An international leader on disability and family issues, is sponsoring an international conference on parents with disabilities and their families.
• The Schwab Foundation for Learning - Free publications and Information desk to help parents, educators and caregivers understand how they can help children with learning disabilities improve their performance.
• Disability Beat Radio - Disability Beat is a public affairs program dedicated to improving the quality of life for people with disabilities. It’s about social justice, community supports, accessibility, integration, inclusion, opportunities, freedom and choice.

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Websites for Teachers

• Splashes from the River Offers a free Spelling Course
• Resources for purchase The Lightspan Network with Plato Learning. A source for standards-based, online curriculum and resources for K-8 classrooms. Free 30 day trial.
• Promoting Positive Behavior Intervention Central offers free tolls and resources to help school staff and parents promote positive classroom behaviors and foster effective learning for all children and youth.
• Region 15 Graphic Organizers. Graphic Organizers in PDF and Word format, also in Spanish, and sorted by topic areas.
• Education Place. Graphic organizers in PDF from Houghton Mifflin; over 30 choices.
• The Write Site. 12 free PDF graphic organizers for writing.
• Teaching Resources.A teachers’ file cabinet of graphic organizers, center activities, literature circles, math activities, cooperative group information and tools. Printable PDF files.
• Enchanted Learning. Picture dictionary graphics and definitions
• Do to Learn. Free pictures cards, graph paper, math helpers. Additional materials available for purchase.
• Idea Box. Early childhood ideas for crafts, activities, games, etc.
• Teach-nology. A website that has many resources. Paid membership required.
• Get Worksheets. Some sample worksheets, graphic organizers for free; additional ones for purchase
• Make Worksheets. A few samples. For a fee it allows you to use the templates and personalize them for your class without purchasing specialized software.
• Ed Helper. This site has some free things that are always changing: printable maps, learning pages and lessons. There is a subscriber only section available for a fee.
• Discovery School. School related clip art. Links to other sites.
• Puzzlemaker. Make puzzles and mazes for free.
• Weekly Reader. Teacher resources, links. Sign up for writing pals program.
• Scholastic. Online games for students, teacher resources, lesson plans, strategies.
• PBS. Online games, links to educational sites of interest.
• Fun Brain. Online games for students. Free trial period for teachers to use online gradebook.
• ReadPlease. Free read aloud program. You can change speed of reading and voice. Each word is highlighted as it is read.
• Lesson Plans Page. Lesson plans sorted by subject and grade level.
• Page by Page Books. Classic books online. No fees. You can read on the screen, or you can copy and paste into another program like word or readplease.
• Benetech Bookshare. Downloads of textbooks and novels for students. Must register each student using. To be eligible the student has to have a disability related to using print. Schools can have accounts. Nominal fee.
• Boxcars & Oneeyed Jacks. Math and spelling game ideas. There are supplies available for purchase.
• Mrs. Levin’s Pre-K Pages. Ideas for classrooms from word walls to centers
• Pink Monkey. Summaries of novels, with character descriptions and chapter notes.
• Confusing Words. Lists of words that are often confused and explanations of when to use each word.
• Special Connections Connecting Teachers to strategies that help students with special needs access the general education curriculum
• Powerof2.org Collaboration and co-teaching focus. Articles, online training and resources
• Marilyn Friend Co-Teaching Connection website that features Marilyn Friend and her resources.
• Iris Project Inclusion online training- Iris Project
• Authentic Assessment Toolbox Authentic Assessment Toolbox, a how-to text on creating authentic tasks, rubrics and standards for measuring and improving student learning.
• Down-syndrome.org Research on Down syndrome and Inclusion
• Educationalpress.org Flashcard maker- including foreign Languages
• k8accesscenter.org Improving outcomes for all students K-8

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Other Resources

• Illinois State Board of Education
• Child Welfare Information Gateway (CWIG) - Child Welfare Information Gateway provides access to information and resources to help protect children and strengthen families.
• Telematics Applications Supporting Cognition - A new software that can assist persons with cognitive disabilities to achieve increased independence.
• Project TechLink
• AbilityHub - Assistive Technology for computers and disability
• Children's Bureau
• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
• ASPIRE - Access to Student Assistance Programs In Reach of Everyone
• Illinois ASPIRE - Alliance for School-based Problem-solving and Intervention Resources in Education establishes and implements a coordinated, regionalized system of personnel development that increases the capacity of school systems to provide early intervening services, aligned with the general education curriculum, to at-risk students and students with disabilities.

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Websites for Para-educators

• The Paraprofessional Connection - Newsletters and tools for Para-educators and teachers
• The University of Vermont - University of Vermont training articles and Project EVOLVE
• National Resource Center for Paraprofessionals - Links and resources
• Illinois ASPIRE - The mission of The PAR²A Center is to promote optimum learning for all students through research and training on the roles, responsibilities, career development, preparation, supervision, and employment of paraprofessionals in all aspects of public education

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Transition to Adulthood

• The Transition Coalition - The Transition Coalition provides online information, support, and professional development on topics focusing on the transition from school to adult life for youth.
• National Center on Secondary Education and Transition - The National Center on Secondary Education and Transition (NCSET) coordinates national resources, offers technical assistance, and disseminates information related to secondary education and transition for youth with disabilities in order to create opportunities for youth to achieve successful futures.
• Thinkcollege.net - Youth with intellectual disabilities have not had many chances to go to college. This is changing as individuals across the country begin to create opportunities for these youth to reap the benefits of postsecondary education. This website will provide information and links to anyone interested in finding out more about the possibilities.
• The HEATH Resource Center - The HEATH Resource Center is an online clearinghouse on postsecondary education for individuals with disabilities. The HEATH Resource Center Clearinghouse has information for students with disabilities on educational disability support services, policies, procedures, adaptations, accessing college or university campuses, career-technical schools, and other postsecondary training entities. We have information on financial assistance, scholarships, and materials that help students with disabilities transition into college, university, career-technical schools, or other postsecondary programs.
• Education.umd.edu - This needs assessment provides you with a tool that can be used to evaluate the educational services received by students 17-21 with significant disabilities to determine if changes are needed. The purpose of this online training module is to provide guidance on developing an Individual Support Model (ISM) to increase access to inclusive college experiences and to improve chances for the success of students with intellectual disabilities.
• Far Northern Regional Center - Self advocacy website

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