At the special needs resource fair in Oakland, hosted by the Burbank Preschool Center, an OUSD facility for Pre-K students with special education needs, we became aware of a host of organizations who provide services to families with children who are disabled or differently-abled in all sorts of ways. Here are some of the resources parents should know about:
Free Special Education Trainings: These 90-minute information sessions are presented the second Monday of every month (except for August) at the Ed Roberts Campus (near Ashby BART). The focus is “Understanding the Special Education Process: IEP Basics & Beyond”. Education advocates will go over laws that protect students with disabilities and walk through the special education process. The Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund, who presents these trainings, serves all of Alameda County. Call 510.644.2555 x5227 for more info or to sign up.
Loaner iPads and iPods: The Center for Accessible Technology has created “The iPad Project” to get them into the hands of people who have speech disabilities. Learn more about using iPads as communication devices at a training session.
Swim and Gym and Play Pals: At the Downtown Berkeley YMCA, families with children with special needs are welcomed to participate in regular programming, but also catered to with tumbling and swimming classes for ages 2-6 and creative movement, games, and friendship building workshops for ages 4-12. Contact Rachel or Eden with questions about accomodations or these programs: 510.665.3280.
Parents, if you’ve discovered a great local resource for your child with special needs, please share here to let others know about it.
This article in The Atlantic features 29 compelling images of autistic children with a few notes about different tools their parents use. The image above is found there.
