Saturday, August 23, 2008

Special Needs Network Back to School Inclusion Event

The Special Needs Network, Inc. is hosting its 3rd Annual Back to School Inclusion Event from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Sunday, August 24, 2008, at the Ability First/Harry Mier Center, which is located at 8090 Crenshaw Boulevard in Inglewood, California. The purpose of the inclusion event is to give children who have disabilities an opportunity to interact with their typically developing peers in a social setting.

The event will feature activities for the entire family, including free dental and vision screenings, games, therapeutic music, dance and yoga, singing, sport circles, arts and crafts, sensory activities and a resource fair. There will also be giveaways of school supplies, backpacks and prizes. For more information, email events@specialneedsnetwork.net or call (323) 295-8358.

Friday, August 22, 2008

Elsie S. Bellows Fund Assistive Technology Grants

The Elsie S. Bellows Fund provides funding for United Cerebral Palsy (UCP) affiliates to purchase assistive technology devices for people who have disabilities. United Cerebral Palsy affiliates submit Bellows Fund applications to the UCP national office on behalf of disabled individuals. Bellows Fund grants can be used to purchase a variety of assistive technology products, including augmentative communication devices, environmental controls and computer equipment.

For information on how to apply for assistance from the Bellows Fund, contact your local UCP affiliate or Jack Schillinger.

Thursday, August 21, 2008

Carolina Children’s Charity Grants for Children with Special Needs

Carolina Children’s Charity awards grants to children residing in the Lowcountry area of South Carolina who have a disability that is the result of a birth defect or disease. The grants can be used to pay for special equipment, medication, medical evaluation or testing, specialized summer camps and other similar expenses. Applications for Carolina Children’s Charity grants are accepted and reviewed throughout the year.

Click on the link to make a donation to Carolina Children’s Charity.

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

CafeMom is a Great Resource for Moms of Children Who Have Autism and Other Special Needs

Meet other moms with similar challenges and interests. Check out CafeMom today! CafeMom is a wonderful resource for moms of children who have autism and other disabilities. CafeMom is a community that offers moms of children with and without special needs an opportunity to meet, connect and share with other moms who have similar experiences and challenges. I am especially impressed by CafeMom's many vibrant, active and supportive groups for moms of children who have autism, as well as other disabilities and special needs.

Sunday, August 17, 2008

The Children with Special Needs (CSN) Fund Helps Michigan Families

The Children with Special Needs (CSN) Fund helps Michigan families provide for their children’s special health care needs when no other funding sources are available. The CSN Fund provides funding for expenses such as wheelchair ramps, van lifts and tie downs, air conditioners and electrical service upgrades to support specialized equipment. Click on the link to print an application and instructions.

Saturday, August 16, 2008

Avery-Fuller-Welch Children’s Foundation

The Avery-Fuller-Welch Children’s Foundation provides grants to children who live in the following California counties: Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco and San Mateo. The grants can be used to pay for remedial education, special schooling, psychotherapy, physical therapy, occupational therapy and adaptive equipment. For more information, call (415) 561-6540 ext. 206.

Friday, August 15, 2008

Cloud County Community Trust Helps Kids with Special Needs

The Cloud County Community Trust helps the families that reside in Cloud County, Kansas, who have children under age 12 that have special needs with expenses that are not covered by insurance or other programs. For more information, call (785) 243-3211.

Thursday, August 14, 2008

South Dakota Statewide Family Support Program Helps Families of Children with Developmental Disabilities

The South Dakota Department of Human Services Statewide Family Support Program provides South Dakota families of children who have developmental disabilities with services and supports to help them meet their unique and varied needs. The Statewide Family Support Program assigns a family support coordinator to help each family identify and access services to meet their needs.

The program also provides a flexible pool of funding to assist families with extraordinary expenses, including but not limited to diapers, medications, special foods, recreational opportunities, special clothing, adaptive equipment, home modifications, vehicle modifications, respite care, family counseling, parent/sibling education and medical travel expenses. Clink on the link to obtain an application.

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Massachusetts Catastrophic Illness in Children Relief Fund Assists Families of Children with Disabilities and Special Health Care Needs

The Massachusetts Catastrophic Illness in Children Relief Fund (CICRF) reimburses Massachusetts families the cost of medical expenses that are not fully covered by insurance or other resources that exceed 10% of the family’s income (10% of the first $100,000 plus 15% of the additional income for families whose income exceeds $100,000).

CICRF reimburses families for a wide variety of eligible expenses ranging from payments to healthcare providers to travel expenses for out of state treatment. Click on the link to apply for assistance.

New Jersey Department of Human Services Catastrophic Illness in Children Relief Fund Helps with Medical Expenses

The New Jersey Department of Human Services Catastrophic Illness in Children Relief Fund will assist New Jersey families with the cost of medical expenses that are not fully covered by insurance or other resources that exceed 10% of the family’s income (10% of the first $100,000 plus 15% of the additional income for families whose income exceeds $100,000).

The Catastrophic Illness in Children Relief Fund helps families with a wide variety of medical expenses ranging from experimental medical treatment to medically related home modifications. To apply for assistance, click here or call 1-800-335-FUND.

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Kid One Transports Children to Better Health

Kid One Transport provides transportation to medical, dental and mental health care services to children and expectant mothers who live in communities across Alabama. Click on the link to apply for transportation services.

Click on the link if you would like to support the work of Kid One Transport.

Monday, August 11, 2008

Home Options Program Helps Families Affected by Disabilities Become Homeowners

The Home Options Program provides first-time home buyers with up to $12,000 in purchase price assistance to buy a condominium, town house or single family home in Chicago. Families that have a household income of up to 80% of the median for area and that have a family member who has a developmental disability or a mobility impairment are eligible to apply to the program.

The program is administered by Community Service Options, Inc. For more information, contact Dennis Howard or call him at (773) 838-4616

Saturday, August 9, 2008

Child Wellness Fair Helps Families of Kids with Special Needs

Child Wellness Fair helps families of kids with special needs who live in the Cincinnati area obtain vehicles, medical equipment, services and other necessities through its “If I Only Had a…” program. Child Wellness Fair also helps children with special needs acquire used medical equipment through its Second Home program. Click on the link to nominate a child or family in need.

Achievable Helps Families Affected by Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities

Achievable offers a variety of programs to support the health, well-being, mobility and communication needs of low income people who have autism and developmental disabilities that live in the Greater Los Angeles area.

Achievable helps people with developmental disabilities gain mobility by providing vans, van adaptations, specialized wheelchairs and wheelchair adaptations.
Achievable helps people with developmental disabilities enhance their ability to communicate by providing adaptive equipment such as specialized computers and software, hearing aids and sensory integration tools.

Achievable helps people with developmental disabilities obtain modifications and supports to help them move more freely and independently within their homes such as ramps, enlarged entry ways, accessible bathrooms, ceiling lifts, stair lifts, specialized beds, special strollers and specialized wheelchair equipment.

Achievable also provides life necessities and emergency assistance of all types—including food, furniture, supplies, clothing, emergency medical attention and help with burial expenses—to children and adults with developmental disabilities.

To find out more about its programs, call (310) 258-4256 or send an email to info@achievable.org. Click on the link to make a donation to Achievable.

Friday, August 8, 2008

Asperger’s Association of New England Grant Programs

The Asperger’s Association of New England (AANE) administers three grant programs for families of children who have autism spectrum disorders.

The Edwin Phillips Foundation Family Grants Program is open to families that reside in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, who have a child has been diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome or a closely related condition on the autism spectrum. Grants range from $50-$1,000.

The Doug Flute Jr. Foundation Family Grants Program is open to families that live anywhere in New England except Plymouth County, Massachusetts, who have a child who has been diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome or a closely related condition on the autism spectrum and who meet the criteria for financial need. Grants range from $50-$500.

The AANE Family Grants Program is open to families that live in New England, have a child who has been diagnosed with Asperger’sSyndrome and meet the criteria for financial need. Grants range from $50-$500.

All of the grants may be used for anything that directly improves the life of a child on the autism spectrum.

Click on the link to learn how you can support AANE.

The Christian Fund for the Disabled Helps Meet the Spiritual and Practical Needs of People with Disabilities

The Christian Fund for the Disabled provides grants to help people who have disabilities pay for services, equipment and treatments that are not covered by private insurance or other funding sources. The Christian Fund for the Disabled also provides scholarships to attend Christian colleges or seminaries, funding to attend seminars or conferences with a disability focus, and financial assistance for disabled individuals to obtain education or training to equip them to earn a living. The maximum grants available are $2,500 for U.S. residents and $1,000 for international applicants. Click on the link for an application.

In addition to providing financial assistance to people who have disabilities, the Christian Fund for the Disabled connects disabled people with churches, works to raise disability awareness in churches and communities and trains Christians in disability ministry. The Christian Fund for the Disabled is a program of the Joni and Friends International Disability Center.

Click here if you would like to make a donation to support Joni and Friends.

Helping Hand Foundation Grants for Kansas and Missouri Residents

The Helping Hand Foundation provides one-time grants to residents of the fifteen counties that comprise the Greater Kansas City Metropolitan Area who are facing financial difficulties and do not qualify for other forms of financial assistance. Click on the links to learn about their funding criteria or to request assistance.

Click here to make a donation to the Helping Hand Foundation.

Thursday, August 7, 2008

The Challenged America Foundation Offers Grants to Children with Physical Challenges

The Challenged America Foundation will award grants of up to $500 to purchase products or services to enhance the lives of children who have physical disabilities. Children under age 18 who have physical challenges are eligible to apply for the grants.

Click here if you are interested in volunteering or making a donation to The Challenged America Foundation.

Wednesday, August 6, 2008

NTI Connects Disabled Americans with Work-at-Home Jobs

The National Telecommuting Institute, Inc. (NTI) is a nonprofit organization that specializes in connecting individuals with disabilities who need or prefer to work from home with home-based employment opportunities. NTI either hires people with disabilities to work on contracts it holds with government and private-sector employers, or matches them with employers who hire teleworkers directly. Click on the link to learn how to apply.

Sunshine Foundation Grants Wishes to Children with Autism

The Sunshine Foundation grants wishes to children who have severe to profound autism whose family income is below $75,000. Click on the links to refer a child for a wish or to help the Sunshine Foundation make a child’s dream come true.

Tuesday, August 5, 2008

Chhavi Therapy Reimbursement Program

The Chhavi Therapy Reimbursement Program is a project of Jeena, a nonprofit organization that helps families of children who have autism and other developmental disorders in Silicon Valley, California and in India.

The purpose of the Chhavi Therapy Reimbursement Program is to help families explore, continue or increase the intensity of treatments, therapies and other services that are not funded by insurance companies, school districts or other organizations. The program will pay the cost of therapeutic services for developmentally disabled children whose parents are facing financial hardship for up to one year. For more information about the program, contact Beejal Gajjar.

Upromise is a Promising Resource for College Savings

Ideally, saving for their children's college education should be a top priority for all parents. In reality, most parents whose children have autism or other disabilities have extraordinary expenses for diagnostic evaluations, physician visits, therapies, supplements, special diets and adaptive equipment that can easily overwhelm a family budget and make saving for college seem all but impossible. That's where upromise.com comes in!

Upromise is a free service that allows parents to earn money for their child's college education by doing things they already do: making purchases at your favorite grocery and drugstores; shopping in stores and online; eating out at restaurants; booking travel, hotel reservations and car rentals; and buying and selling homes. Whenever you make a purchase from a participating store or service, you get up to 25% of the amount of your purchase credited to your Upromise account. Grandparents, other family members and friends can join and contribute their Upromise savings to your child. You can even sweep your Upromise savings into a participating 529 plan and let your child's college savings grow tax-free.

To begin earning money to help send a child you love to college, just follow these three simple steps:
1. Sign up for a free account a Upromise.
2. Register your grocery and drugstore loyalty cards, as well as the credit or debit cards you use to make purchases, to your Upromise account.
3. Continue to shop as you normally do.

You will be amazed how quickly your child's college savings can grow through Upromise.

Monday, August 4, 2008

Scholarships for College Students Who Have Autism

The following organizations offer scholarships to college students who have autism and other disabilities:

AHEADD offers book scholarships in the amount of $500 to qualified students who have autism or Asperger Syndrome. Click here for details on how to apply. The deadline for applications is August 15, 2008.

The Autism Society of America administers the CVS/All Kids Can Scholars Program. The program awards scholarships in the amount of $1,000 to qualified individuals with autism to pursue an accredited postsecondary educational or vocational program of study.

The Schwallie Family Scholarship Program provides scholarships in the amount of $3,000 for qualified students who have autism or Asperger Syndrome to attend college, a university or a trade, technical or vocational school. The application period for Fall 2009 will open on January 2, 2009.

The Special People in Need Foundation awards scholarships in varying amounts to college students who have disabilities. For more information, send a letter of inquiry to:

Special People in Need
Attn: Irene Peterson
500 West Madison Street
Suite 3700
Chicago, IL 60661-2511

Recommended Books About Preparing Students Who Have Autism for College

The following books provide information and insight about preparing students who have autism for college:





Preparing Students with Autism for a Successful College Experience

College is definitely a viable option for many people who have autism and related disorders. Success is certainly attainable for college students with autism who receive the support they need in order to thrive academically, functionally and socially.

A few postsecondary education institutions, such as Marshall University, have programs specifically designed to support students with autism spectrum disorders. Others are able to offer assistance through campus disability and student services offices. The Organization for Autism Research has even produced a video to help college professors understand the needs of students with autism. In addition, organizations such as Achieving in Higher Education with Autism/Developmental Disabilities (AHEADD) and College Living Experience (CLE) assist students who have autism and other disabilities hone their academic, social and independent living skills.

The transition to college life will likely be more challenging for students with autism than for their neurotypical counterparts. The key to making this process as smooth and seamless as possible is to begin preparing for college as soon as possible in your child’s academic career.

Here are some tips for preparing your child who has autism for a successful college experience:

1. Incorporate college planning into your child’s IEP process as soon as possible.
2. Make developing the academic, social and independent living skills necessary to succeed in college part of your child’s transition plan.
3. Discuss college and career options with your child early and often.
4. Play an active role in helping your child choose a college home.
5. Prepare thoroughly for visits to prospective colleges with your child. You will want to inform admissions counselors about your child’s unique individuals needs, arrange to sit in on classes and spend the night in a dorm, inquire about the availability of peer mentoring and determine what services and supports the institution is prepared to provide in order to meet your child’s needs.

A comprehensive assessment of your child’s needs, a holistic approach to college planning and thorough preparation for the college transition process will help make moving on to college a positive, productive and successful experience.

Sunday, August 3, 2008

Kaitlin Marie Bell Foundation Grants Help Children with Special Needs

The Kaitlin Marie Bell Foundation provides grants to support the needs of medically and physically challenged children and young people up to age 21. Kaitlin Marie Bell Foundation Grants can be used to procure equipment or services that improve the quality of life for children with disability. You can apply for assistance or make a donation to the Kaitlin Marie Bell Foundation online.

Saturday, August 2, 2008

1-800-CHARITY CARS Provides Free Cars for Families Who Need Transportation to Access Medical Care

1-800-CHARITY CARS provides free vehicles to people who need a vehicle for transportation but are otherwise unable to obtain one. Families that need a car in order to access medical treatment or healthcare services are eligible to apply.

Please contact 1-800-CHARITY CARS if you wish to make a tax-deductible donation to the organization.

The M.O.R.G.A.N. Project Provides Grants to Families of Children Who Have Special Needs

The M.O.R.G.A.N. Project provides grants to families of children who have physical special needs, regardless of what the underlying disease or disability is. The grants can be used to pay for products or services that help parents meet their children’s special needs and, thereby, enhance the quality of life for the entire family.

Click on the links to learn about the grant application process or to make a donation to The M.O.R.G.A.N. Project.

Friday, August 1, 2008

Brent Woodall Foundation Grants to Families of Children Who Have Autism and Other Special Needs

The Brent Woodall Foundation for Exceptional Children provides grants ranging from $500 to $5,000 to help families substantially improve their caregiving situation. The foundation also offers a variety of programs to support child who have special needs and their families.

Click on the links to learn about programs offered by the Brent Woodall Foundation or to support the foundation’s work.

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