Websites and Local Resources Master List
The Autism Society of North Carolina
|
http://www.autismsociety-nc.org
Local office
239 S French Broad Ave, Asheville, NC 28801
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Family Support Network
Web based
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http://www.fsnnc.org/
FSN of Western NC
11 Vanderbilt Park Drive
Asheville, NC 28803
Phone: (828) 213-0033
Tollfree: (888) 810-2800 ext. 2
Fax: (828) 213-0039
Roxann.colwell@msj.org
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Let’s Talk
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http://www.letstalksls.com/
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National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities
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www.nichey.org
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Exceptional Children’s Assistance Center
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http://www.ecac-parentcenter.org/Mission.aspx?sid=11&pid=2&red=yes
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TEACCH Autism Program
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31 College Place, Building D, Suite 306
Asheville, NC 28801
Phone: 828-251-6319 Fax:828-251-6358
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The ARC of North Carolina
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http://arcnc.org/
(828) 253-1255
50 S French Broad Ave, #257, Asheville, NC 28801
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FIRST of WNC
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http://www.firstwnc.org
PO Box 802, Asheville, NC 28802 828-277-1315
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Children and Adults with AD/HD
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http://www.chadd.org/
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Understanding Special Education
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http://www.understandingspecialeducation.com/contact.html
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EBLEN Charities
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50 Westgate Parkway Asheville, NC 28806
Phone: (828) 255-3066 Fax: (828) 255-3775
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North Carolina Public Schools
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http://www.ncpublicschools.org/
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Autism Speaks
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http://www.autismspeaks.org/
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My Child without limits
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http://www.mychildwithoutlimits.org/?page=home
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Eliada
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www.eliada.org
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Disability.gov
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https://www.disability.gov/
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LD ONLINE
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http://www.ldonline.org/
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Kids Can Dream
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http://kidscandream.webs.com/main.htm
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Education World
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http://www.educationworld.com/special_ed/
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North Carolina Assistive Technology Program
|
Local office
Bonnie Lane, Sylva NC
Contact-Mary Kay Dulin 828-631-9461
http://www.ncatp.org/index.htm
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List of Parent and Student Resources
Autism Society of North Carolina
Local office
239 S French Broad Ave, Asheville, NC 28801
http://www.autismsociety-nc.org
(828) 236-1547
The
Autism Society is a national organization with many State and local
office across the U.S. They provide many services for parents and
individuals who are affected by Autism. The Autism Society is the only
Autism specific advocacy organization in North Carolina. They can help
with finding resources, school issues; provide training and workshops
and much more. One of the most important services is that they provide
direct care to individuals with Autism. The service provides care for
individuals with Autism in a variety of settings and activities like
residential, vocational and community based services. The website which
is listed above provides additional support like information on local
support groups, research studies, strategies and services.
Family Support Network
http://www.fsnnc.org/
FSN of Western NC
11 Vanderbilt Park Drive
Asheville, NC 28803
Phone: (828) 213-0033
Tollfree: (888) 810-2800 ext. 2
Fax: (828) 213-0039
Roxann.colwell@msj.org
Family
Support Network is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting,
educating, and informing families of children with various disabilities
and special needs. Some of the many services they provide are one-to-one
matching of parents with trained support parents, support groups,
social gatherings, educational courses and workshops. The website is
like a one-stop shop for information about national, state, and local
resources.
Let’s Talk Home service
1611 Jones Franklin Road
Suite 109
Raleigh, NC 27606 Phone: (919)852-0702 Fax: (919)852-0742
http://www.letstalksls.com/
At
Let’s Talk all of their therapists are certified Speech/Language
Pathologists (SLP), Occupational Therapists (OTR/L) and Behavior
Analysts (BCBA) with a passion for one or more specific disorders. They
are based in Raleigh, North Carolina but they are expanding across the
state. They provide many different types of service including Autism
Diagnostics, Speech Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Behavioral
Intervention and Psychology Services. They have a great website with
lots of information, rates and resources. Their therapy focus is on a
play model which can lead to more interacts and build communication
skills. Each person is a specialist in their given area.
www.Nichcy.org National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities
nichcy@fhi360.com or phone 800.695.0285
For
years this has been one of my favorite websites and a one stop website
for basically any type of information you might need nationally or by
state. The NICHEY website has listing by state for really any service
you might be looking and includes all areas of disabilities. NICHCY
offers easy-to-read information on IDEA, the law authorizing early
intervention services and special education. The website is loaded with
articles, research, one on one help and is developed for all including a
section that is done in Spanish only. If you need an idea where to
start this website should be a starting point. They have a section label
Topics A to Z that will address many of the questions that a parent or a
educator might have.
http://ecac-parentcenter.org/
Exceptional Children’s Assistance Center
Parent Info Line: 1-800-962-6817
The
Exceptional Children’s Assistance Center is a non-profit organization
that is operated by parents of children with disabilities and special
health care needs. They provide many services like workshops,
information on healthcare laws, online classes and so much more. Two of
the many services they provide are the lending library and IEP Parents.
The lending library is available to parents and educator and they have
hundreds of items that can be borrowed. The IEP Partner program is a
great assistance program. If you need help with an IEP or just someone
to go with the ECAC will send a trained person to the meeting with you
to help insure you child gets what they deserve. Another great piece of
information is that you can change the language of the website to over a
hundred different languages that will assist nearly every parent no
matter what language they speak.
TEACCH Autism Program
31 College Place, Building D, Suite 306
Asheville, NC 28801
Phone: 828-251-6319 Fax: 828-251-6358
CENTER CONTACTS
Assistant Clinical Director:
Ann McGuire anne_mcguire@med.unc.edu
Office Manager:
Margaret Catalano margaret_catalano@med.unc.edu
The
TEACCH Asheville Center serves individuals with Autism Spectrum
Disorders in the western region of North Carolina. Services include
diagnostic evaluations, treatment planning and implementation,
education, consultation, supported employment assistance, training
opportunities and research. The
TEACCH Autism Program provides services that are community-based and
can include employment assistance and training. The TEACCH program
provides training around the world and parents move to areas that have a
center because of the high level of expertise in the field of Autism.
The ARC of North Carolina
http://arcnc.org/
(828) 253-1255
50 S French Broad Ave, #257, Asheville, NC 28801
The
Arc of North Carolina has a local office located in downtown Asheville.
They also have a great website with all the information you might need
in regard to services. The ARC helps people with disabilities realize
where and how they learn and live. Some of the many services they
provide include guardianship, home and community support, and help with
long-term planning. They provide a lot of different type of resources as
well including educating parents on legal rights, budgeting and
information on national and local resources and supports. One of the
main ideas behind The ARC is self-advocacy and self-determination for
all people with a disability.
FIRST of WNC http://www.firstwnc.org
PO Box 802, Asheville, NC 28802 828-277-1315
Outreach staff contact
tamiko.murray@firstwnc.org
FIRST
of WNC is a great local resource that provides persons with
disabilities and their families with programs and advocacy to support
and foster healthy, inclusive and self-determined lives. FIRST provides
many different programs including summer camps, education and IEP
training, advocacy training, community connections and a lending
library. Two projects they offer are the P.L.A.Y. project and the
SUNSHINE project. The P.L.A.Y is an in home program designed to bring
parents and children with Autism closer together building those must
needed relationships. The SUNSHINE Project provides in home support and
training for parents and children challenging social/emotional
behaviors.
Children and Adults with AD/HD http://www.chadd.org/
Local Coordinators: Loretta Buckner
PO Box 690753
Charlotte, NC 28227-7013
Phone: 704.551.9120
This
resource is designed to provide information on Attention Deficit/Hyper
for parents, young adults and adults. The website gives a professional
understanding of the causes, symptoms, evaluation and treatment of
AD/HD. There are several offices in North Carolina including an office
in Charlotte. One of the benefits of the website is that they offer a
Virtual chapter. The virtual chapter provides live presentations on many
topics and live support groups. The presentations are archived for
later viewing. CHADD provides conferences around the United States that
can benefit teachers and parents. If you are looking for a resource on
the topic of AD/HD I would start here.
Understanding Special Education
http://www.understandingspecialeducation.com/
This
is a parent built website that provides information on parent rights,
IEP process, 504 plan and a special education term definition page. The
wording during meetings and other activities can be very difficult for a
parent to understand. Special Education terms are meant to protect the
student but in the process those term can leave a parent in the dark.
This website has a great section on the terms and how they are defined
in the IEP process. Other great sections include success in school,
parent comfort wall and a nice 504 handbook for parents that be printed
out. If you would like to understand the special education process you
should start here.
Eblen Charities -- http://www.eblencharities.org/
50 Westgate Parkway
Asheville, NC 28806
Phone: (828) 255-3066
Fax: (828) 255-3775
Email: eblenfound [at] aol.com
ELBEN
Charities is a local organization that helps thousands of families each
year. They provide many services which include providing medication,
medical supplies, physician and dental visits, eye glasses, various
health care needs, heating assistance, emergency assistance and tons of
other services to help our local communities. If you have a particular
need you can contact them directly and they will try their best to help.
ELBEN does a lot in our schools like providing meals, coats and
thousands of school supplies each year. ELBEN has a long standing
relationship in our community of helping with the needs of students with
disabilities. They can help with wheel chair, assistive technology or
really any need you might have.
North Carolina Public Schools
http://www.ncpublicschools.org/
This
is the link to the North Carolina Public schools website. This resource
can keep you up to date on various school issues across the state. The
website has links to all of the new Common Core standards and how they
are being implemented in the classroom. This site provides school report
cards, testing information and students with disabilities rules and
regulations. The website will also let you know what is being taught to
your child and how the new standards will affect every student. This is a
one stop website for everything to do with North Carolina schools.
Autism Speaks
http://www.autismspeaks.org/
Autism
Speaks is the world’s largest organization dedicated to science,
research and advocacy. They are dedicated to funding research into the
causes, prevention, treatments and a cure for autism and to also
increasing awareness of autism spectrum disorders; and advocating for
the needs of individuals with autism and their families. There site
offers anything you would ever need in the field of Autism. The family
resources are endless and the networking between families can the key to
helping each other get through a difficult time. One of the best
features is the hundreds of tool kits that are available to families.
For example there are tool kits to help with toilet training, going to
the dentist and thousands of other issues a family my encounter. You can
also do a screening on your child with a professional format so you can
have an understanding of what is going on and why. If you want
information on Autism this is the site you need to visit.
My Child without limits
http://www.mychildwithoutlimits.org/?page=home
My
Child without Limits was created in 2009 through a collaboration of
parents, medical professionals and service providers with a common goal
of providing important information to parents and caregivers. Several
committees were created in the process where individuals gave their time
and expertise to provide the information important to you. The website
provides information on any type of disability and how to plan for the
future starting with early interventions and ending with life planning.
The site provides a great glossary of terms that is easy to use and easy
to understand. There is a great section on assistive technology and how
to get it your child’s hands. The site also provides links to thousands
of resources.
http://www.enablemart.com/
This
is a site filled with thousands of assistive technology products to fit
any student’s needs. You can find daily living devices, keyboards,
mouse, devices for low vision and communication. Along with education
products that can be used in the home or at school. They offer products
that are designed to improve the quality of life for any person with a
disability. One of the best sections is the environmental controls
section. These products allow people with severe disabilities controls
things like lights and TV’s in their home.
ELIADA Homes
Eliada Homes, Inc.
2 Compton Dr.
P.O. Box 16708
Asheville, NC 28816 (828) 254-5356
www.eliada.org
Eliada’s
services include Residential and Day Treatment for high risk children
and adolescents; Child Development Center services, including Day Care,
Summer Camp and School Age care; Foster Care and Therapeutic Foster
Care. Eliada specializes in students with emotional and behavior issues
that need more than just a school environment to improve on their
overall quality of life. They provide after school care for students
with various needs and maintain a 5 STAR license by the State of NC
Department of Health and Human Resources Division of Child Development
and they have an experienced staff that is qualified to take care of a
child with needs. They also provide different summer camps and day
events during the summer.
Disability.gov
https://www.disability.gov/
Disability.gov
is the federal government website for comprehensive information on
disability programs and services in communities across the nation.
According to the site it can link to more than 14,000 resources from
federal, state and local government agencies; academic institutions; and
nonprofit organizations. You can find answers to questions about
everything you could ever image. The education link is a very useful
tool for parents who have a child with a disability. You can learn about
developing a IEP, teaching methods, local and state agencies and many
more resources. This site can help you apply for various benefits that
you are your child are entitled to and get you in contact with a local
organization that can help you with the paperwork.
LD ONLINE
http://www.ldonline.org/
The
website calls itself the world’s leading website on learning
disabilities and ADHD and it just might be. You can start with the
basics on ADHD and LD complete with a glossary and a questions and
answers section. From that point on the website is endless when it comes
to information both for parent and professionals. You can find advice
and also get expert advice. You can find tons of resources that can be
used in the classroom and in the home. The site features helpful
articles, multimedia, monthly columns by well know experts and a very
active forums section. The multimedia section is very nice because you
can view videos and hear audio of various events so it makes it more
user friendly.
Autism Social Stories
http://kidscandream.webs.com/main.htm
This
is a great website for social stories. Social stories have been proven
to help students with autism understand the social rules that they are
unaware of. This website has lots of social stories ready to be used.
This is a very simple and easy to use website designed by a sister who
has two brothers with autism. It’s an easy sight to use with links to
games, free social stories, information, and links to printable
materials. Overall just a friendly no thrills easy to use website.
Education World
http://www.educationworld.com/special_ed/
Education
World is a huge website that covers everything in the entire field of
education. It has lesson plans, tips on technology, professional
development, tools, templates, work sheets and just about anything you
could image and to top it off they have a great section just for special
education. In the special education section you will find information
and tools, from Education World and other valuable sources, chosen
specifically for the special education community. The website archives
everything so that you can go back and read hundreds of articles. The
site also has about ever forum you could every image.
North Carolina Assistive Technology Program
Local office
Bonnie Lane, Sylva NC
Contact-Mary Kay Dulin 828-631-9461
http://www.ncatp.org/index.htm
The
best resource in the mountains of North Carolina for assistive
technology needs. The local office is located in Sylva North Carolina
and offers hundreds of different items that can be checked out by
families or professionals. The center offers training for groups or
individuals on various types of assistive technology. These is a nice
place to go and try out an item before you spend tons of money on it and
then find out it did not work as planned. These items can be checked
out to classrooms so that teachers can match the equipment with the
child then get something permanent in place. Most of the services are
free like device loans, demos and training but they do offer other fee
based services that would include different types of assessments.