National and International Resources

The University of Maine and Maine Department of Education do not endorse any of the resources on this site. They are posted for your convenience only.

Families

Our-Kids-Adults: Support for Parents and Caregivers of Teens and Adults with Disabilities
Information and resources on assistive technology and equipment advocacy, art, conferences and events, disability links, health and medical resources, leisure and recreation, financial and legal issues, and transition to adulthood.

PACER Center
The PACER Center is a coalition of parent groups that provide information on education and advocacy for children with disabilities.

Understood
Articles, “deep dives,”, decision guides, slide shows, tips, and toolkits developed for parents of children with disabilities and other unique learning profiles. Understood is in partnership with 15 nonprofit organizations.

Early Childhood

Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center
ECTA Center is a program of the FPG Child Development Institute of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.  ECTA Center provides a variety of TA to support states through a variety of activities.

Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning
The Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning (CSEFEL) focuses on promoting the social emotional development and school readiness of young children birth to age 5. CSEFEL disseminates research and evidence-based practices to early childhood programs across the country.

Education (inclusive education, UDL and teaching strategies, Social Justice and Education)

Beach Center on Disability
The Beach Center on Disability is a multidisciplinary research and training center committed to making a significant and sustainable positive difference in the quality of life of individuals with disabilities, their families.

 IDEA (US Dept of Education)
The U.S. Department of Education’s Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) website brings together IDEA information and resources from the Department and its grantees.

Institute on Inclusion and Communication
The Institute on Communication and Inclusion (ICI) offers research, training and public dissemination focused on school and community inclusion, narratives of disability and ability, and disability rights. The ICI’s work is particularly relevant to people with expressive communication disorders, including those with ASD, and their families.

Inclusive Schools Network
The Inclusive Schools Network (ISN) is a web-based educational resource for families, schools and communities that promotes inclusive educational practices.

Inclusive Solutions
‘Inclusive Solutions’ are a team of psychologists and associates who specialise in mainstream inclusion for children and adults with challenging behaviors. Located in the UK, they make available cutting edge practical strategies and ideas for developing effective inclusion in local mainstream schools and communities.

Intervention Central
Response to Intervention (RTI) resources, including academic and behavior interventions, videos, products, workshops, downloads, and a blog.

Paula Kluth’s Differentiation Daily
This site is a collection of nearly 800 ideas to help educators add interest, relevance, fun, and novelty to classroom instruction. This resource is designed to support teachers in diverse classrooms who want to meet the needs of students with a wide range of characteristics, including learners with disabilities and unique learning profiles.

Teaching Channel
Educator community with collection of Back to School Starter Packs, videos, and help from practicing educators. Membership is free, and members can create their own video banks for use in teaching.

Toward Inclusive Classrooms and Communities: Paula Kluth
Dr. Paula Kluth is a consultant, author, advocate, and a former special educator and inclusion facilitator. Her website is dedicated to promoting inclusive schooling and exploring positive ways of supporting students with autism and other disabilities

Social Justice, Anti-Bias

Teaching Tolerance
Teaching Tolerance provides free social justice and anti-bias resources to educators, administrators, counselors and other practitioners who work with children from kindergarten through high school. Resources are designed to supplement the curriculum, to inform practices, and to create civil and inclusive school communities where children are respected, valued and welcome participants.

Rethinking Schools  
Rethinking Schools is a resource firmly committed to equity and to the vision that public education is central to the creation of a humane, caring, multiracial democracy. While writing for a broad audience, Rethinking Schools emphasizes problems facing urban schools, particularly issues of race.

Universal Design for Learning

CAST (Center for Applied Special Technology) 
CAST is a nonprofit education research and development organization that works to expand learning opportunities for all individuals through Universal Design for Learning.

DO-IT (Center for Universal Design in Learning)
The Center for Universal Design in Education (CUDE) develops and collects resources to help educators apply universal design (UD)  to make all aspects of the educational experience welcoming to, usable by, and inclusive of everyone, including people with disabilities:

Transition

National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability
The National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth (NCWD/Youth) assists state and local workforce development systems with a range of technical assistance services to state and local workforce investment boards, youth councils and other workforce development system youth programs.

Disability Advisor
Disability Advisor provides clear, accessible and unbiased information on a variety of key topics, including Social Security Disability (SSD), Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Veterans Benefits, Workers’ Compensation, Financial Literacy & Money Management, and Dealing with Injuries & Illnesses. DisabilityAdvisor.com is fully accredited and rated A+ by the Better Business Bureau.

TransCen
TransCen.org develops projects in school to work transition, education systems change, and employment for people with disabilities.

Technology

AbleLink Technologies  
AbleLink Smart Living Technologies offers information about research-based cognitive support technologies for individuals with cognitive disabilities and those experiencing cognitive decline.

Closing the Gap
Closing the Gap is a resource about assistive technology. The site includes an online magazine, archived webinars from experts in the AT field, a resource directory, and information about Closing the Gap’s annual conference.

Employment

National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability
The National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth (NCWD/Youth) assists state and local workforce development systems to better serve all youth, including youth with disabilities and other disconnected youth. NCWD/Youth offers a range of technical assistance services to state and local workforce investment boards, youth councils and other workforce development system youth programs.

Enable America
Enable America is a nonprofit organization that helps people with disabilities find employment and live independently. Enable America seeks to reduce unemployment among people with disabilities, and offers information about a variety of resources.

Advocacy and Self Advocacy

National Disability Rights Network
The National Disability Rights Network (NDRN) is the nonprofit membership organization for the federally mandated Protection and Advocacy (P&A) Systems and the Client Assistance Programs (CAP) for individuals with disabilities. NDRN-affiliated organizations offer legally based advocacy services to people with disabilities in the United States. Disability Rights Maine is Maine’s P & A organization.

Wrightslaw
Wrightslaw offers parents, educators, advocates, attorneys, and individuals with disabilities  accurate, reliable information about special education law, education law, and advocacy for children with disabilities. This site includes a Special Education Newsletter and Self Advocacy resources.

ADAPT
ADAPT is a national grass-roots community that organizes disability rights activists to engage in nonviolent direct action, including civil disobedience, to assure the civil and human rights of people with disabilities to live in freedom.

Self Advocates Becoming Empowered
SABE is a national self-advocacy organization with representatives in every region of the US. SABE monitors and issues policy statements on disability-related state and federal legislation and policy. They engage in a variety of advocacy projects on the state and national level.

Disability Rights International
Disability Rights International trains and supports advocates seeking legal and service system reform and assists governments in developing laws and policies to promote community integration and human rights enforcement for people with disabilities.

Mobility International USA
Mobility International USA (MIUSA) is a global, disability-led non-profit organization advancing disability rights and leadership. MIUSA is a cross-disability organization serving people with a broad range of disabilities.

Professional Membership Organizations

Council for Exceptional Children (CEC)
The Council for Exceptional Children is a professional association of educators dedicated to advancing the success of children with exceptionalities. We accomplish our mission through advocacy, standards, and professional development.

TASH
TASH advocates for human rights and inclusion for people with significant disabilities and support needs. TASH works to advance inclusive communities through advocacy, research, professional development, policy, and information and resources for parents, families and self-advocates.

American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD)
AAIDD is an organization of professionals in ID/DD careers. It supports research, advocates for policy, and publishes three quarterly journals- American Journal on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AJIDD), Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, and Inclusion.