Resources

There are nearly 100 Parent Training and Information Centers and Community Parent Resource Centers in the U.S. and territories.

These centers perform a variety of services for children and youth with disabilities as well as their families, professionals, and other organizations that support them. These services include:

• working with families of infants, toddlers, children, and youth with disabilities, from birth to age 26;
• helping parents participate in their child’s education and development; and
• partnering with professionals and policymakers to improve outcomes for all children with disabilities. Click here to find the center in your area: https://www.parentcenterhub.org/the-parent-center-network/

The National Parent Teacher Association® (PTA) includes millions of families, students, teachers, administrators, and business and community leaders devoted to the educational success of children and the promotion of family engagement in schools. Its website provides the Special Education Toolkit (https://www.pta.org/home/family-resources/Special-Education-Toolkit) to educate families of children newly diagnosed with special needs on how to get the best services and resources available.

The goal of Understood.org is to help the millions of parents whose children, ages 3 through 20, are struggling with learning. They have many resources for families of students with learning issues. https://www.understood.org/. This resource is available in English and Spanish.

The U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights website provides more information about federal civil rights laws. https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/know.html?src=ft. This resource is available in numerous languages, including Spanish, Korean, Arabic, Chinese, and Vietnamese.

U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights (OCR). (2015). Dear Colleague Letter: English Learner Students and Limited English Proficient Parents. Retrieved from https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/letters/colleague-el-201501.pdf. This Dear Colleague letter reminds states, school districts, and schools of their obligations under federal law to ensure that English learner students have equal access to a high-quality education and the opportunity to achieve their full academic potential. More information about OCR, including how to file a complaint can be found at https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/index.html. This resource is available in numerous languages, including Spanish, Korean, Arabic, Chinese, and Vietnamese.

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