Sharing Resources

Sharing Resources for our families of special needs children

When we went to our educational services fair for the local air force base in September, I networked with several groups during this visit. I wanted to take the time to share what they can offer our Down syndrome community and other special needs community members here locally.

Georgia Department of Education

The Georgia Department of Education website is a good learning base to learn about education in the state of Georgia and how it affects your child. The website is http://gadoe.org/ci_exceptional.aspx. There are many related links to such sites as Babies Can’t Wait, The Georgia Advocacy Office and The State Education Rules. You will find federal links such as IDEA and No Child Left Behind. You can find a drop down box in the middle of the page. See below.

Parent to Parent of Georgia

Parent to Parent of Georgia provides a database for special needs parents related to services available for your child. You can visit their website at www.p2pga.org or call 1-800-229-2038 to receive personalized help. Parent to Parent can match you with another parent who has similar experiences as your own. Parents can be matched based on health needs, diagnosis, and educational needs. If you are willing to be a parent for others to talk to, please call to place your name in the database. All services are free of charge. Services they provide include:

• Support Services
• Information Support
• Educational Opportunities
• Leadership Involvement

Easter Seals of Southern Georgia

The Easter Seals provide services for people with disabilities of all ages. Their services include Vocational Services, Community Living Support, Adult Day Programs, Residential Services, and Respite Care/Family Support. They have a program called Champions for Children which is funded by a grant. They provide services for families not eligible for Katie Beckett, age 21 and under who live at home with a physical, cognitive, developmental or medial disability. They can help with respite care, medical supplies and equipment, medical services and therapy, dental and optical services, travel reimbursements for medical appointments, and recreational or therapeutic activities. You can find them at http://southerngeorgia.easterseals.com. Phone number is 229-439-7061 for the southern region office. Local office number is 229-247-5912.

Babies Can’t Wait

Babies Can’t Wait is a program in Georgia providing children from birth to age 3 who provide evaluations and assessments to determine services needed for children who have disabilities or developmental delays. If services are determined to be needed, these are provided in places where the children live and learn. Services they provide include:

• assistive technology
• audiology
• family training and counseling
• health services
• medical diagnostic services
• certain nursing services
• nutrition services
• occupational therapy
• physical therapy
• speech therapy
• social work
• psychological services
• vision services
• transportation to services
• special instructions

To contact the local office, call 229-245-6565.

I will share other opportunities for our children with special needs in a future post. If you are unsure of where to start, please contact us for further information. If we are unable to provide you with the answers, we will direct you to the appropriate contact. If you know of a service that would be a benefit to our members or other special needs groups, please contact us with the information so that we can share with others.