Living in the Community > Schools > Advocacy Resources and Groups

Schools - Advocacy Resources and Groups

Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law - This site provides information for mental health services related to aging, children, the ADA, housing and health care.
http://www.bazelon.org/

Disability Rights Center of Maine - DRC provides information about rights and service systems, referrals, legal representation at meetings and hearings, training on rights and advocacy.
http://www.drcme.org/

EDLAW - The EDLAW Center provides assistance to those who represent parents of children with disabilities to enable all children with disabilities to obtain the free appropriate public education promised them by the law.
http://www.edlawcenter.org/

A Guide to Special Education in Maine - This is a guide to special education in Maine, it can help parents understand and navigate school-based services and includes eligibility info, time lines, checklists and sample letters.
http://www.somepa.org/services.htm

IDEA Practices - This site answers questions about the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. A great resource for providers and educators.
http://www.ideapractices.org

Mothers from Hell - Mothers from Hell provides tools (drafts of letters to school personnel, ways to adjust curricula, etc) parents can use in the IEP and PET processes for their children.
http://www.mothersfromhell2.org/

National Center on Low-Incidence Disabilities - IEP Information - This is a national site with quick answers to questions/barriers that may come up during an IEP meeting. It focuses on Deaf children, but the answers could be used with any disability.
http://www.unco.edu/ncssd/resources/poup.shtml

The Office of Special Education Programs - The Federal Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) focuses on free appropriate public education of children and youth with disabilities from birth through age 21.
http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/osers/osep/index.html?src=mr

Parents as Advocates: A Guide to Special Education in Maine - Parents as Advocates: A Guide to Special Education in Maine: Russ Stryker, a special education attorney, wrote this advocacy handbook to assist parents of children with disabilities.
http://www.empowermentzone.com/parents.txt

The Special Ed Advocate - The Special Ed Advocate is a free online newsletter and educational website about special education legal issues, cases, tactics and strategy, effective educational methods, and Internet links. Great resource for parents and providers.
http://www.wrightslaw.com/

Special Education News - This website includes Special Education news in grades K-12.
http://www.specialednews.com/

Rowell Family Empowerment of Northern California - Discussion boards and help on education and advocacy issues for parents and youth with disabilities.
http://www.rfenc.org/