Local Organizations | Resources in Connecticut | Around the Country
Specific Disabilities | Specialized Shopping & Services | Issues of Interest

About the Center

The Special Needs Center at the Ferguson Library meets the access and information needs of Stamford's parents of children with disabilities and their families.

We have WRITTEN RESOURCES

Ø Books, most written for parents, on many important subjects:

Ø Specialized magazines and newsletters, like Exceptional Parent Magazine.

Ø Articles and fact sheets that you can copy or take home.

Ø Product catalogs you can use to order books, adaptive equipment and other items.

Ø Notices of upcoming events on our bulletin board.

And, to better serve our community, some of these materials are in Spanish.

The Library also has large print books for both children and adults, and a sampling of Braille books for children.

We have VISUAL and AUDITORY RESOURCES

Ø Check out a special educational video (some in Spanish) from the Center.

Ø Get closed-captioned videos and DVDs from the library’s Audiovisual Department and Youth Services area.

Ø Elsewhere in the library, look for book and tape combinations for children and for adults; some with slow speed tapes, others with large print books.

We have COMPUTER RESOURCES

Ø This web page has useful links and information about the resources and services of the Center.

Ø Our adapted workstation for older children, located in the Main Library, has specialized software including: Zoom Text Magnifier/Screen Reader, Word Q Word Prediction software, Write: Out Loud talking word processor; Cast E-Reader software, as well as games to teach kids how to manage asthma or diabetes.

Ø Our workstation for younger children, also located at the Main Library, has great educational and fun software including: Living Books, Thinkin' Things Collection I, Bailey's Book House and more.

We have ADAPTIVE EQUIPMENT

Ø Two height-adjustable and wheelchair-accessible (ADA compliant) computer workstations are located in the Youth Services Department at the Main Library; both equipped with oversized monitors. The lower level computer has a Big Keys keyboard and a special trackball. The 1st floor computer has a Touchscreen and a special kid's mouse.

Ø A Kurzweil machine is available on request from Information Services at the Main Library.

Ø Optelec Readers (magnifier for low vision users) are available at the Main Library Reference Area and at the Harry Bennett Branch.
 

Life Skills Kits

These kits have been funded through an LSTA grant and contain materials suitable for use by children with special needs.

Topics:
Dressing & Grooming
Social Skills / Friendship

The creation of the Special Needs Center has been generously funded by a grant from the First County Bank. An LSTA grant has funded the purchase of adaptive equipment, computer resources and other materials. Special thanks also to CACLD (Connecticut Association for Children and Adults with Learning Disabilities) for their generous contribution of books for the Center.

Local Organizations

ARC Greenwich
Through the Youth Division, ARC offers many services to Stamford children with disabilities, including a camp placement program, birth to three services and the Greenwich Autism Program (GAP).

ARI
ARI is a Stamford-based community agency which provides vocational, recreational and residential services to people with disabilities.

Child Guidance Center of Southern Connecticut, Inc.
The Child Guidance Center provides mental health services to children and teens from Stamford, Darien, New Canaan and Greenwich.

Stamford Coalition of Parents of Exceptional Students, Inc. (SCOPES)
SCOPES is a parent-to-parent support and advocacy network that meets monthly at the Stamford Government Center.

Stamford Public Schools Special Education Services
This site describes special education services available in Stamford schools, and links to useful documents including the family guide to assistive technology.

Star Inc.
Star is a nonprofit membership organization which serves people with developmental disabilities and their families. Read about their programs and don't miss the extensive Family Support Resource Directory.

Resources in Connecticut

Birth to Three
Find out what services are available to help infants and toddlers with developmental delays or disabilities.

Child's Play
This site from the Child's Play clinic in Westport provides information on occupational therapy (OT) and sensory processing disorder.

Connecticut Parent Advocacy Center (CPAC)
As Connecticut's PTI (Parent Training and Information Center) funded by the U.S. Department of Education, CPAC provides a wide range of services to parents of children with disabilities, including telephone consultation, workshops and trainings, a newsletter, and a lending library of books and videos (materials can be ordered by phone and received by mail).

The Connecticut Association for Children and Adults with Learning Disabilities (CACLD)
Located in Norwalk, CADLD offers information and consultation to parents, and access to many resources through a library and bookstore.

Connecticut State Department of Education - Special Education and Pupil Services
Look here for full text special education publications, available in Spanish and English, and for information on IEP's and due process.

Connecticut State Library - Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped 
State residents who cannot read conventional print, may be eligible for free mail loans of Braille and recorded books and magazines, and the equipment to play them.

Department of Developmental Services (DDS)
Formerly DMR, Connecticut DDS serves people with mental retardation and offers a pilot program for adults with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Stamford is in the DDS West region.

Parents Available to Help (PATH)
PATH is a network of parents of premature babies, children with special needs, who have lost a young child or who have experienced a high-risk pregnancy. They help other parents in Connecticut and nearby states with peer counseling and a library of useful materials.

Special Education Resource Center (SERC)
SERC is a centralized resource for Connecticut on special education and early intervention. Look at the Library Resources page for bibliographies and information about SERC's large library collections for parents.

State of Connecticut Office of Protection and Advocacy for Persons with Disabilities
The Office of Protection and Advocacy is federally and state funded. They offer a range of services and publications (mostly free) aimed at protecting the rights of people with disabilities and advocating for them.

Around the Country

Beach Center on Disability
Located at the University of Kansas, the Beach Center conducts research, offers trainings and provides information on family issues to families with a child with a disability. Look at the Publications section for excellent free articles of interest to parents.

Exceptional Parent Magazine
The website from Exceptional Parent Magazine includes articles on topics such as adaptive toys and life planning, and a place to buy a wide range of books and other resources through the EP Library.

Family Village
Family Village calls itself a "global community of disability-related resources" for people with special needs, their parents and the professionals who work with them.

Internet Resources for Special Children
IRSC aims to be a central starting point on the web for information and communication about children and disabilities. The site indexes and annotates many links on numerous important topics.

National Dissemination Center for Children With Disabilities (NICHCY)
NICHCY can connect parents with resources in their state, and it offers a large assortment of free and inexpensive publications (many in Spanish) on issues of interest to parents of children with special needs.

PACER Center
This Parent Training and Information Center in Minnesota offers useful information and exciting publications for children with disabilities and their families.

PEAK Parent Center
Colorado's Parent Training and Information Center has lots of information and publications for parents of children with special needs.

Specific Disabilities

Child and Adolescent Bipolar Foundation
Look here for information and resources to help children with bipolar disorder and their families.

Clerc Center
Located at Gallaudet University, the Clerc Center is a nationally recognized source of information and resources for deaf and hard of hearing children.

Autism Speaks
This organization has merged with Cure Autism Now (CAN) and the National Alliance for Autism Research (NAAR) to form a large nationwide autism advocacy organization.

Down Syndrome on the Internet
This site indexes and links to many web sites on Down Syndrome.

LD Online
A comprehensive site on learning disabilities, including information specifically for parents and for teachers.

Online Asperger Syndrome Information and Support (OASIS)
This site, maintained by parents of children with Asperger Syndrome, contains the latest information.

Schwab Learning
A site for parents of children with learning differences. Download publications and articles, connect with other parents or sign up for an email newsletter. This site is also available in Spanish.

Specialized Shopping and Services

Beyond Play
A website devoted to early intervention toys and other products for young children with special needs.

Family Village
Links to companies that sell everything from modified clothing to special playground equipment.

Giving Greetings
Sells cards, notepads, jewelry and other products, illustrated with Mayer-Johnson Picture Communication Symbols (PCS).  A good place to find gifts for teachers and therapists.

Independent Living Aids
This site sells a large variety of products for the blind and visually impaired.

Pegasus
Thanks to the physical therapists, instructors and volunteers at Pegasus, children with disabilities have fun while receiving therapy on horseback

Seedlings Braille Books for Children
A great source for low-cost children's books in braille.

Sensory Comfort
A great source for products for children who have sensory processing differences.

Toy Guide for Differently-Abled Kids
This online catalog from Toys 'R' Us features playthings evaluated by the National Lekotek Center for their effective use with children with special needs.  The skills developed are identified for each toy in the catalog.

Issues of Interest

ARCH - National Respite Network
This is a good source for information about respite care and respite resources around the country.

Circle of Inclusion
Look here for information about inclusive school programs for children from birth through age eight. This site is also available in Spanish.

The New England Assistive Technology Marketplace (NEAT)
NEAT helps people access information about assistive technology. Follow their links to Abledata (a national database of assistive technology products) and other helpful sites.

Avoiding Unfortunate Situations
Expert Dennis Debbault’s tips can help your family member with autism avoid negative encounters with the police and other first responders.

Wrightslaw
This site is maintained by a special education lawyer who has disabilities, and by his wife. In addition to information about their work, the site contains useful articles about the law and advocacy.