10 Resources for Students With Special Needs
Homeschooling & Special Needs
Students with special needs are homeschooling too, and I often get questions from parents about what is out there to help them, so I made a list of some great resources I found. Some of the tools I found are free apps or apps that you can download and purchase for your handheld devices, phones or iPad.
Because parents who bring their students home are many times, taking on the full expenses of educating their students themselves, I think it is great that when I looked around the websites, many of them had free trials so that you can see if the product is helping your student prior to purchasing.
Also, the tools are for students with different types of needs and some of them are useful for more than one purpose, so I am just using the term Special Needs generally to describe what you will find when you visit the links on the list.
I hope you will check the links out and let me know if you find any of them helpful. Please leave a comment to share resources that you like (or didn’t) so that other parents can benefit from your experiences.
SPECIAL NEEDS RESOURCES
Resources for exceptional students
- ABC of NC Child Development Center-
Services for children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) and their families
- Asperger Experts-
Advice, support, tutorials and meet-up groups
- Autism Support - Christian Group from NCHE
- Bindrim Testing & Educational Services-
1063 Carriage Trail, Rocky Mount, NC 27804, 252 -451-0118 or follow the link to see all the educational resources they offer- tutoring, specializing in special needs students.
- CDC - Resources & Links for Autism-
This page from the CDC has links for Autism resources.
- Central Piedmont Area - Aspie & ADHD Homeschool Co-op-
Network of parents in the Piedmont area of NC who homeschool children with special needs, including Autism, Asperger’s and/or ADHD, along with varying other needs.
- Charlotte Area - Special Needs Homeschool Teens-
This group is for Charlotte area homeschooling teens with invisible disorders such as Aspergers, ADHD, Tourettes etc. to get to know each other and get together.
- Covenant Education Services-
Annual Tests: PIAT-R, WJIII, and WRAT are tests which are administered in a one-on-one setting. Individualized results in less time. Tutoring & Consultation available. Assessments for learning disabilities including:
- Parent interview
- Child Symptom Inventory
- Language Based Learning Differences Diagnostic Inventory (LDDI)
- Beery-Buktenica Development Test of Visual-Motor Integration, 5th Edition
- Slosson IQ
- Peabody Individualized Achievement Test - Revised (PIAT-R)
- Phonemic Awareness Diagnostic Inventory
- Jordan Dyslexia Assessment
- Test of Memory and Learning (TOMAL2)
Discounts and Service Information are at their website - apply for an appointment online. Located in Wilson, NC, but testing at other locations as well. Call 252-281-4788 for questions.
- Disabilities Grant Program Information-
Homeschooling parents with special needs children can receive reimbursement for qualifying expenses.
- Down Syndrome Support - Christian Group NCHE
- Dragon Naturally Speaking Software-
Dictate, transcribe and format by voice
- Dyslexie Font - Free-
Free Font scientifically proven to help students with Dyslexia - free download at their website.
- Etap - Online Curriculum-
Includes teaching assistance for students with special needs.
- Exceptional Children's Assistance Center-
Free parent information line: 1-800-962-6817 or email them to ask a question: ecac@ecacmail.org
- Family Support NC-
Resource coordinators to help direct you and help you find local family support.
- Foundations Educational Services-
2101 Piney Grove Wilbon Rd., Holly Springs, NC 27540 Specializing in the Woodcock-Johnson Achievement Battery. Remedial intervention in spelling, reading, penmanship, and math for students in grades 1-8, support and accountability in implementing and continuing Brain Integration Therapy throughout your school year. Call 919-758-0811, or EMAIL Dawn if you have questions about testing, tutoring and homeschool consultation services.
- GHF - Gifted Resources-
Resources for homeschooling the gifted child - forum.
- Gifted Home Scholars-
Inclusive for parents educating gifted children at home in NC, or have an interest in home education in our state. This group is open to all types of homeschoolers.
- GIFTSNC Online Support-
Online support for homeschoolers with special needs children.
- Guide for Online Colleges & Disabilities-
For high school students: this site educates students with disabilities on their right to reasonable accommodations and helps you find online colleges.
- Hoagies Gifted Education-
Website full of resources, articles, books and links to help and support parents, teachers, and gifted children alike.
- Homeschooling Asperger's - ASD-
Online support for homeschooling students on the Autism Spectrum- Christian group, but inclusive.
- Homeschooling Special Needs Conference-
Online Conference from HECOA - this is an annual conference online and free - usually in December.
- How to Help with Sensory Overload-
Information & resources on how to help a loved one deal with sensory overload - and help you to help them.
- Learning Ally --
Learning Ally is dedicated to empowering blind, visually impaired, or dyslexic students achieve their goals.
- Learning Differences - Christian Group NCHE
- Livescribe Smart Pens-
Save hand written notes digitally, record audio, share, send and print.
- Mecklenburg - Homeschooling Special Needs: The Homeschool Gossip-
Homeschooling Special Needs Students Support. This group was created for homeschool families homeschooling students with special needs to get connected, share resources, arrange meet ups and support one another. All members are encouraged and welcome to organize and plan events, post resources and start discussions. We are all here for the love and education of our children, together we can build a village!
- Modifications for Your Home-
Tips for Creating a Home Where Your Child Can Thrive with a Disability: Modifications for Kids in Wheelchairs, for Kids with Visual Impairments, Modifications for Kids with Sensory Concerns, for Autistic Children, How to Adapt a Home to Medical Equipment, How to Modify a Home While Staying in Budget, Where to Get Financial Help & more.
- National Autism Center-
Research information, resources and free guides you can download as needed.
- NC Ed Choice - Special Education Scholarship Grants-
Check for eligibility for grants for homeschooling children with special needs. Funds for North Carolina’s Personal Education Savings Account program will be awarded beginning in the 2018–19 school year to children with special needs who attended a district or charter school during the previous semester or who are entering kindergarten or first grade. In addition, students with special needs are also eligible if they are in foster care or were officially adopted in the past year, are children of an active-duty military member or are enrolled part-time in a public school and part-time in a nonpublic school that exclusively provides services for students with special needs. Eligible special needs categories include intellectual disability, hearing impairment, speech or language impairment, visual impairment, serious emotional disturbance, orthopedic impairment, autism, traumatic brain injury, other health impairments, specific learning disability or disability as may be required to be included under IDEA. Eligible students can receive up to $9,000 per year via quarterly disbursements from the state directly into their ESAs, which they can access via a prepaid debit card. Parents must submit an expense report listing eligible expenses in each quarter before their next disbursement.
- Operation Autism - For Military Families-
Operation Autism directly supports U.S. military families touched by autism and autism spectrum disorders. It serves as an introduction to autism, a guide for the life journey with autism, and a ready reference for available resources, services, and support.
- Physical Disabilities - Christian Group NCHE
- Piedmont Triad - Gifts at Play-
Special needs homeschool support.
- Salem Educational Assessment Services-
(Link will open to SEAS email) Salem Educational Assessment Services offers professional educational support to homeschooling families and co-ops. Services provided include administration of the Woodcock-Johnson III Tests of Achievement, educational therapy, and group educational therapy for students with learning challenges. Leslieann Gourley is an ACSI certified WJIII administrator and NILD Level 2 educational therapist intern, as well as a homeschool veteran of twenty years. Call her at 251-8887 or email her at the link above.
- Scholarships for Differently-Abled Students-
Award for college seniors and graduate students who are blind or visually impaired: Mary P. Oenslager Scholastic Achievement Awards (SAA) and award for high school seniors who are learning disabled: Marion Huber Learning Through Listening (LTL) Awards
- Sesame Street Resources for Parents-
Autism resources from Sesame Street - videos & resources that help kids better understand how to be a good friend to someone with autism.
- Special Needs Homeschooling website
- Special Needs Homeschooling website
- Special Needs Scholarships-
This is a foundation for educational choice with information about North Carolina's Special Education Scholarship Grants for Children with Disabilities. Vouchers may be used to pay for homeschool services for those who are eligible. Vouchers are worth up to $4,000 per semester ($8,000 per school year) and may be used for private school tuition and special education services, including services provided to homeschooled students. A total of $4.2 million is available for vouchers for each fiscal year, and any leftover funds will carry over to the next fiscal year.
- Teaching Tips for Children & Adults With Autism-
Great tips for teaching to the strengths of students with autism!
- Testing & Educational Services-
Year end testing for homeschoolers for groups and individuals. BASI and Woodcock Johnson, Diagnostic Testing and Tutoring Services:
- individualized tutoring
- specialized reading instruction for those with delays or dyslexia
- achievement testing that shows grade equivalency
- diagnostic reading tests to assess gaps and determine interventions
- dyslexia, dysgraphia, and dyscalculia screening
- consultations to provide understanding or training for parents
- The Struggling Reader-
Reading curriculum for students struggling with reading.
- Tips for Estate Planning-
Tips & resources for things to expect when estate planning, when you have a child on the spectrum.
- Tips for Moving with a Child who has Special Needs
- Tuck - Sleep Resources & Information-
There is a great deal of what looks to be helpful information here including resource guides for sleep disorders, how to help those who are dealing with Down Syndrome, the Autism Spectrum and ADHD get better sleep.
- Understood - For Learning & Attention Issues-
Resources and information for parents who have students with ADHD & dyslexia - information on dealing with school, friendships, family and other common challenges.
Can we add resources to the list that are not exclusive to NC?
Yes, if they are helpful to parents in NC than I would be glad to include them here- I won’t include expensive vacation trips packages or announcements about rentals though.