"A Guide to Best Practice in Special Education, Health and Social Care" explores and explains the changes in governmental policies across the education, health and social care services, and what they mean for young individuals, parents and professionals. In a period of significant change, many practitioners need to understand the…

How can families of children with disabilities plan for lasting financial security at every stage of life? Find clear answers in "The Special Needs Planning Guide," a step-by-step companion for parents as they progress through the complexities of planning for the future of their family and their child. Written by two financial planning…

The DEC Recommended Practices provide guidance to families and professionals about the most effective ways to improve learning outcomes and promote development of young children, birth through age 5, who have, or are at-risk for, developmental delays or disabilities. "Teaming and Collaboration: Building and Sustaining Partnerships" is…

This toolkit was created to make transition planning easier and offers easy-to-understand information about the purpose of transition planning, the goal and importance of age-appropriate assessments, and the required rules that are used by schools. It also includes information on the community partners that can provide youth with supports as…

"Straight A's: Public Education Policy and Progress" is a biweekly newsletter that focuses on education news and events both in Washington, DC and around the country. The following articles are included in this issue: (1) State of the Union Preview: In Email to Supporters, Obama Highlights Economy and Jobs, Education, Deficit Reduction, and…

This publication was created for middle-income parents of children under the age of 18 who have disabilities. It is a simple, straightforward resource to help them manage their money, and plan for them and their children's financial future and overall well-being. The financial management techniques presented here can help parents, not just in…

Meeting the educational demands of the future will be expensive; however, in most states, public schools from kindergarten through the university level already experience budgetary challenges. Policymakers face the challenge of motivating taxpayers to provide the funds needed to meet mounting education needs. In this volume, Carroll and Erkut…

This document, a resource tool on child sexual abuse for parents, was prepared by the state of Oregon. An introductory section defines child sexual abuse and discusses methods of prevention of such abuse. The prevention practices described include the following: (1) teaching children that they have the right to control who touches their bodies;…

This book provides an accessible introduction to laws that affect children and families, and the dominant public debates that surround and drive these laws. Using real-world examples, the book exposes the tension between reliance on the private, autonomous family and the public's desire to secure child wellbeing. A look at some public systems,…

Intended for parents as well as people working in the early childhood education field, this annotated bibliography contains 73 publications of primarily New Zealand and Australian origin on parent support. The first section lists materials especially for persons working with parents in the community. The second section lists 12 articles by Douglas…

Intended for South Carolina families with a child having mental retardation, this guide encourages families to participate in all aspects of programs and services and offers guidelines for working with professionals. Five to 30 suggestions or tips are listed for each of the following aspects: (1) learning that your child has special needs (e.g.,…

This handbook was produced to help Maine families of children with disabilities to deal positively with their situations and children. It provides insights into services that have been developed, problems that may arise, and resources available. The handbook discusses types of developmental disabilities; the role of parents as advocates;…

This fact sheet summarizes information about the education-related services provided by federal/state-funded Vocational Rehabilitation Services and describes how to gain access to them. In a question/answer format, the guide discusses how to find the local vocational rehabilitation office, how to contact the office, procedures involved in…

This report provides an account of the discussions and issues from a symposium held by the International League of Societies for Persons with Mental Handicap in November, 1984. It describes: (1) the role of voluntary organizations in the future; (2) the need for strong advocacy of the organization's goals; (3) the issue of whether voluntary…

Designed to inspire parents throughout the United States to develop parent support programs, this book describes one such program which successfully operates in a community of 150,000 people. The Postpartum Education for Parents (PEP) program is designed to offer free assistance to families following the arrival of a baby. Specifically, the…