Author: Texas Council for Developmental Disabilities

Resource available at http://www.txddc.state.tx.us/resources/publications/collegehtml.asp

This guide provides an extensive listing of resources related to higher education for people with disabilities. This includes resources related to college planning and preparation, accommodations, technology, employment and career choice, college costs and financial aid, and a range of other topics. In addition, the guide lists specific colleges in Texas and nationwide that offer a supportive and accommodating environment for students with disabilities.

Published By: Texas Council for Developmental Disabilities

Resource available at http://www.mhahouston.org/cmsFiles/Files/Resource Guide - A Parent's Road Map.pdf

This resource guide was written by parents who are also members of the Children's Mental Health Action Network of Houston, a coalition of leaders who represent mental health support organizations. The guide includes sections on: finding the right mental health professional, understanding your child, what can be done to help your child, forming a support team, helping your child at school, self-management and more.

Published By: Children's Mental Health Action Network of Houston

Author: National Transition Network

Resource available at http://ici.umn.edu/ntn/pub/perspectives/summer97.html, ncset@umn.edu, (612) 626-8649

School-to-Work Perspectives is a quarterly fact sheet produced for the National Transition Alliance by the National Transition Network to promote the inclusion of youth with disabilities in school-to-work systems. This issue shares lessons that have been learned from states that implemented Transition Systems Change Projects in the 1990s and includes ideas about how to apply these effective practices, strategies, and resources to assist with improving school-to-work systems.

Published By: National Transition Alliance

Author: J. Brennan

Resource available at http://www.txddc.state.tx.us/resources/publications/selfadvhighered.asp

This website addresses legal issues related to higher education for students with disabilities. The topics that are covered include: overview of the major disability laws applicable to higher education (e.g., Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, Americans with Disabilities Act); definition of and examples of reasonable accommodations; and filing grievances, complaints, and lawsuits.

Published By: Texas Council for Developmental Disabilities

Author: Texas Project FIRST

Resource available at http://www.texasprojectfirst.org/SpecialEd101.html

The Special Education 101 section of the Texas Project FIRST website offers tools for families and schools to establish successful relationships and effectively communicate. Information covered includes The Special Education Project Step-by-Step, the ARD Agenda, Student Introduction Portfolios, and a glossary of special education terms and acronyms.

Published By: Texas Project FIRST

Special Kids Inc (SKI) helps parents develop Individualized Education Plan (IEP) and Admission, Review and Dismissal (ARD) meeting strategies, communicate with teachers and administrators, and navigate the HISD system. SKI also provides training for educators and surrogate parents to help them better assess children's needs and set goals. SKI offers child advocacy training events.

Author: Region 1 Education Service Center, Texas Education Agency

Resource available at http://www.esc1.net/, (956) 984-7643

The Statewide Multicultural and Diverse Learners Network is committed to assisting schools statewide close the achievement gap between student populations via data driven results based action plans, so that no student is left behind. The Network has a series of training modules that have been specifically developed to address issues related to multicultural and diverse learners including Second Language Acquisition/Variations of Language, Systems of Support, Designing Instruction for Diverse Learners, and Family-School Partnerships: Keys to the Success of Culturally Linguistic Diverse Student.

Published By: Region 1 Education Service Center, Texas Education Agency

TEAM's mission is to empower parents of children and youth with disabilities in their roles as parents, decision makers, and advocates for their children. Services offered include training, information, and technical assistance at no cost to parents throughout the state of Texas. TEAM is a grant project of Partners Resource Network, Inc, one of three federally funded Parents Training and Information Centers serving Texas parents of children and youth with disabilities ages 0 to 26.

Texas Association of Centers for Independent Living (TACIL) is a membership organization committed to promoting dignity, equality, inclusion and independence for all Texans with disabilities. TACIL is made up of member Centers. Each Center is represented by their respective Executive Director. TACIL has a set of Guiding Principles to guide systems advocacy and service development related to long term care services, employment, civil rights, housing, assistive technology, health care, and transportation.

Resource available at http://www.tsbvi.edu/deaf-blind-project/322-about-our-project

The Texas Deafblind Project is funded by a federal grant to provide information and training about deafblindness to families and the professionals who work with children through the age of 21 who are deafblind. Activities include: assistance with transition planning, leadership skills training, and training and support for regional Deafblind Specialists located at the Education Service Centers.

Published By: Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired

The mission of the Texas Early Childhood Education Coalition (TECEC) is to build a system of quality early care and education that prepares children in Texas for success in their education and life. TECEC brings together researchers, universities, foundations, providers, business, and parents to advocate on behalf of young Texans ages birth to five. Activities of the organization include research, public awareness, and community organizing. The website also includes legislative reports and toolkits.

Deaf Services manages the operation of the Texas Education Agency's Regional Day School Program for the Deaf, performs all activities required to maintain a statewide program for students who are deaf or hard of hearing, and provides leadership to local regional day school for the deaf in the planning, implementation and operation of comprehensive education programs for students who are deaf or hard of hearing.

The Texas Latino Council of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (TLCDHH) promotes and maintains Latino culture and awareness within Deaf and Hard of Hearing communities across Texas. Areas of concern to TLCDHH include legal rights, consumer rights, communication access, education and employment, social relationships, technology, and mental health/Medicaid. TLCDHH also holds a conference every two years.

Author: Texas Project First

Resource available at http://www.texasprojectfirst.org/

Texas Project First contains a section entitled, "Special Education 101," that contains helpful tools for families to establish effective communication and partnerships with schools. Additionally, the site includes a listing of information about "Laws, Rules, & Regulations," as well as numerous other types of resources and information, categorized by the age of the child. This website is created by parents, for parents, and is a project of the Texas Education Agency, in conjunction with the Family to Family Network.

Published By: Family to Family Network

Author: Pen Project & Partners Resource Network

Resource available at http://www.partnerstx.org/TX_EPI/index.htm, (877) 762-1435

The Texas Resource Center for Early Parent Intervention is a project of Partners Resource Network, housed at the PEN Project of Partners Resource Network, in Lubbock, TX. The website has information for parents as they look to assist their children in the transition from early childhood intervention to school. Topics of information include: - Preparing for preschool - Transition from ECI into preschool - Transition from preschool into Kindergarten - Writing your child's first IEP - Preparing and maintaining your child's records

Published By: Pen Project & Partners Resource Network

The Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired (TSBVI) serves as a special public school in the continuum of statewide placements for students who have a visual impairment. It is also a statewide resource to parents of these children and professionals who serve them. Students, ages 6 through 21, who are blind, deafblind, or visually impaired, including those with additional disabilities, are eligible for consideration for services at TSBVI.

Texas School for the Deaf educates students who are deaf and hard of hearing and serves as a resource center on deafness for students, parents, professionals and others throughout the state.

Author: Education Service Center Region XI

Resource available at http://www.transitionintexas.org/transitionintexas/site/default.asp

The Transition in Texas website provides viewers with a knowledge of the secondary transition process and links to other resources that can provide information needed to help facilitate students in the attainment of their postsecondary goals.

Published By: Education Services Center XI

The Texas Transition Resource Center is a website hosted by PATH, a grant project of the Partners Resource Network, Inc. PATH promotes partnerships through Texas among parents and professionals, parent organizations, school districts, and service agencies. PATH services include providing training, information, and technical assistance at no cost to parents throughout Texas. The website includes links and listings of many resources related to transition, employment, benefits, and post-secondary education.

The Hali Project was established in 1999 for the purpose of serving families of children with special needs in the Texas Panhandle. The Hali Project offers trainings for parents and service providers, day camps for children with special needs and their siblings, a college program for students with developmental delays, marriage retreats for parents of children with special needs.