Resources
As a parent of a child with special needs, you will be researching the best practices of education for your child. Here is a list of helpful resources to help you begin your work.
Books
Zemelman, Steven, Harvey Daniels, and Arthur Hyde. Best Practice: New Standards for Teaching and Learning in America's Schools. New Hampshire: Heinemann, 1998.
This book gives you basic information about what teachers have learned about good instruction. If I did not have a degree in teaching, I would start by reading this book as a foundation for understanding what teachers already know.
Websites
The Arc
http://www.thearc.org
The Arc of the United States advocates for the rights and full participation of all children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Together with our network of members and affiliated chapters, we improve systems of supports and services; connect families; inspire communities; and influence public policy.
Lekotek
http://www.lekotek.org
Lekotek uses interactive play experiences, and the learning that results, to promote the inclusion of children with special needs into family and community life.
Autism Society of America
http://www.autism-society.org
ASA, the nation's leading grassroots autism organization, exists to improve the lives of all affected by autism. We do this by increasing public awareness about the day-to-day issues faced by people on the spectrum, advocating for appropriate services for individuals across the lifespan, and providing the latest information regarding treatment, education, research, and advocacy.
Autism Research Institute
http://www.autism.com
The Autism Research Institute (ARI), a non-profit organization, was established in 1967. For more than forty years, ARI has devoted its work to conducting research, and to disseminating the results of research, on the triggers of autism and on methods of diagnosing and treating autism. We provide research-based information to parents and professionals around the world.
Defeat Autism Now!
http://www.autism.com/dan/danusdis.htm
This section of the website contains a list of doctors associated with DAN (Defeat Autism Now).
TASH
http://www.tash.org
TASH is an international membership association leading the way to inclusive communities through research, education, and advocacy.
University of Northern Iowa
http://www.uni.edu/coe/inclusion/philosophy
This section of UNI's website explains the philosophy of inclusive education and the benefits of the inclusive classroom for all students.
Dance of Partnership
http://www.danceofpartnership.com
Janice Fialka, MSW, ACSW, is a national trainer, presenter, and advocate on issues related to disability. She is the author of three books, numerous articles, poems, and the newly produced CD of three of her poems accompanied by original piano music and stunning visuals.
Grand Valley State University START Program
http://www.gvsu.edu/autismcenter/
The Statewide Autism Resources and Training (START) project is a state-funded project designed to provide training and technical assistance to educators in Michigan that serve students with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). The START project has been in place for seven years through the support of the Michigan Department of Education, Office of Special Education, and Early Intervention Services.
Michigan Department of Education
http://www.ccsso.org/content/PDFs/Bauer.ppt
This link takes you to a PowerPoint presentation that was presented in March 2006 about universal education.
Response To Information (RTI) Action Network
This section of the RTI Action Network website discusses response to intervention and the disproportionate representation of culturally and linguistically diverse students in special education.
United States Department of Education
http://www.ed.gov
This is the United States Department of Education's website and includes national curriculum objectives, laws, and other valuable educational resources.
Michigan Department of Education
http://www.michigan.gov/mde
This is the State of Michigan's Department of Education's website and includes information such as state curriculum objectives, laws, and other valuable educational resources. You are encouraged to Google your own state's educational website.
Hearts to Home
http://www.hearts-at-home.org
This website contains helpful information for mothers.
About.com: Feng Shui
http://fengshui.about.com
Feng Shui is an ancient art and science developed over three thousand years ago in China. It is a complex body of knowledge that reveals how to balance the energies of any given space to assure the health and good fortune for people inhabiting it.
The Clean Team
http://www.thecleanteam.com
This website contains helpful information for speed cleaning, clutter control, and overall maintenance of your home.
HGTV
http://www.hgtv.com
This website contains useful information about home organization.
Suze Orman
http://www.suzeorman.com
This website contains useful information about finances.