NYS Department of Special Education

The Special Education Office provides assistance to parents, advocacy NYS Department of Special Education

• The Special Education Office provides assistance to parents, advocacy groups, and schools related to services and programs for students with disabilities. Staff work together across various units to provide the most up to date policy and guidance, technical assistance, professional development, and monitoring to attain equal opportunities and positive results for students with disabilities across New York State.

IDEA - Individuals with Disabilities Education Act

• The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 was signed into law by President George W. Bush on December 3, 2004. As the nation's special education law, IDEA serves approximately 6.8 million children and youth with disabilities.

Council for Exceptional Children

• The Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) is the largest international professional organization dedicated to improving the educational success of individuals with disabilities and/or gifts and talents. CEC advocates for appropriate governmental policies, sets professional standards, provides professional development, advocates for individuals with exceptionalities, and helps professionals obtain conditions and resources necessary for effective professional practice.

Office of People with Developmental Disabilities

• Mission, Visions, Values and Guiding Principles The Mission Statement We help people with developmental disabilities live richer lives.
  The Vision Statement People with developmental disabilities enjoy meaningful relationships with friends, family and others in their lives, experience personal health and growth and live in the home of their choice and fully participate in their communities.
• Values Describe how we as employees of OPWDD interact with the individuals we serve, families, staff, the community and each other:

National Autism Association

• The mission of the National Autism Association is to educate and empower families affected by autism and other neurological disorders, while advocating on behalf of those who cannot fight for their own rights. We will educate society that autism is not a lifelong incurable genetic disorder but one that is biomedically definable and treatable. We will raise public and professional awareness of environmental toxins as causative factors in neurological damage that often results in an autism or related diagnosis. We will encourage those in the autism community to never give up in their search to help their loved ones reach their full potential, funding efforts toward this end through appropriate research for finding a cure for the neurological damage from which so many affected by autism suffer.

The International Dyslexia Association

• The International Dyslexia Association(IDA) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, scientific, and educational organization dedicated to the study and treatment of the learning disability, dyslexia as well as related language-based learning differences.

CHADD

• "CHADD improves the lives of people affected by AD/HD." In working towards our mission, the behavior of the CHADD staff and volunteer leadership is determined by the following core values: Integrity; Respectful, open communication; Quality of our work product and productivity in our work effort to assure sustained customer satisfaction; Flexibility; teamwork; a demonstrated commitment to diversity in all its forms and dedicated to fulfilling CHADD's mission with passion and enthusiasm

International Reading Association

• Since 1956, IRA has been a nonprofit, global network of individuals and institutions committed to worldwide literacy. More than 70,000 members strong, the Association supports literacy professionals through a wide range of resources, advocacy efforts, volunteerism, and professional development activities.

LD Online

• LD OnLine.org is the world's leading web site on learning disabilities and ADHD, serving more than 200,000 parents, teachers, and other professionals each month. LD OnLine seeks to help children and adults reach their full potential by providing accurate and up-to-date information and advice about learning disabilities and ADHD. The site features hundreds of helpful articles, multimedia, monthly columns by noted experts, first person essays, children's writing and artwork, a comprehensive resource guide, very active forums, and a Yellow Pages referral directory of professionals, schools, and products.

Autism Speaks

• Autism Speaks was founded in February 2005 by Bob and Suzanne Wright, grandparents of a child with autism. Since then, Autism Speaks has grown into the nation's largest autism science and advocacy organization, dedicated to funding research into the causes, prevention, treatments and a cure for autism; increasing awareness of autism spectrum disorders; and advocating for the needs of individuals with autism and their families. We are proud of what we've been able to accomplish and look forward to continued successes in the years ahead. Council for Children with Behavior Disorders (ccbd.org) The Council for Children with Behavioral Disorders (CCBD) is dedicated to supporting the professional development and enhancing the expertise of those who work on behalf of children with challenging behavior and their families. It is a division of the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC)

SPECIAL PAL Program of the Suffolk County Police Athletic League

• The SPECIAL PAL Program of the Suffolk County Police Athletic League offers programs to children and young adults with varying disabilities. They offer sports, recreation and socialization for children who would otherwise sit at home and not fit in to other programs. Their goal is to offer programs to develop physical, mental and social skills in our children and give them opportunities to build confidence and self esteem so that they may reach their maximum potential. Participants are kept in small groups so they may effectively learn instructional and safety skills. This program is new to the area of Suffolk County and is expanding all the time. Currently they have bowling and horseback riding groups plus special upcoming one-day only events open to join. Keep checking back often to this website as they are updating and making additions often.

Family Residences and Essential Enterprises, Inc.

• Family Residences and Essential Enterprises, Inc. (FREE) was founded in April 1977 by a group of parents and consumer advocates in response to the need for community residential alternatives to the institutionalization of individuals with mental challenges and developmental disabilities. Since that time, Family Residences has established a broad spectrum of services for over 3,000 persons with disabilities residing across Nassau and Suffolk Counties in New York.