Special Education Resources

Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education - The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education is the state agency that oversees education. They have several resources available for parents. 

Federation for Parents with Special Needs - FCSN is our parent organization and states their mission  is to "Provide information, support, and assistance to parents of children with disabilities, their professional partners, and their communities. We are committed to listening to and learning from families, and encouraging full participation in community life by all people, especially those with disabilities."  FCSN provides a wealth of resources including training programs for parents and professionals and a information center parents reach out to directly with questions on special education in general or the specifics of their circumstances.

Center for Parent Information and Resources - CPIR is the central hub for state parent centers nationally and is funded by the US Department of Education. The Federation for Children with Special Needs (see above) is the specific parent center for Massachusetts. As the national hub, CPIR has a great number of informational resources available for parents.

Massachusetts Advocates for Children: A non-profit organization who states their mission is "to remove barriers to educational and life opportunities for children and youth. We do so by advocating for and partnering with students and families; transforming school cultures to be inclusive, safe and supportive; and creating systemic change so all children and youth can learn, reach their potential, and thrive. We focus our advocacy on children and youth who face significant barriers, inequities, and/or discrimination because of their economic status, disability, race, ethnicity/culture, immigration status, English Learner status, and/or traumatic life experiences." They provide a general helpline and will offer suggestions, referrals and in certain circumstances provide advocates or legal resources at no cost. 

Pacer Center - Per there website, PACER Center "is a parent training and information center for families of children and youth with all disabilities from birth to young adults.."  They provide a variety of materials on special education and are notable in particular for their national bullying prevention center, which provides an extensive collections of resources on bullying.

Center for Appropriate Dispute Resolution in Special Education (CADRE) - From their website " Initially funded in 1998, CADRE serves as the National Center on Appropriate Dispute Resolution in Special Education on behalf of the Office of Special Education Programs at the U.S. Department of Education. CADRE's major emphasis is on encouraging the use of mediation, facilitation, and other collaborative processes as strategies for resolving disagreements between families and schools about children's educational programs and support services." They offer a number of resources aimed at schools and families around managing disagreements and dispute resolution.     

Wrightslaw - Pam and Peter Wright initially created this web sight to accompany the publication of their book and it contains a variety of articles, frequently asked questions etc. largely focused on special education law and advocacy, but with some potentially helpful arcticles providing suggestions on how best to navigate the special education process. Per the site, "parents, advocates, teachers, and attorneys come to Wrightslaw for reliable, up-to-date information about special education law and advocacy for children with disabilities." 

Understood - Understood is a nonprofit organization "dedicated to shaping the world for difference. We provide resources and support so people who learn and think differently can thrive — in school, at work, and throughout life." They provide a wealth of informational resources related to special education and specific disabilities.

National Center for Learning Disabilities:  Per their website "For more than 40 years, NCLD has worked to create a society in which every individual possesses the academic, social, and emotional skills needed to succeed in school, at work, and in life." The National Center for Learning Disabilities provides policy advocacy, scholarships and research related to special education.

The Children's Law Center of Massachusetts states that their mission is is to "promote and secure equal justice and to maximize opportunity for low-income children and youth by providing quality, culturally sensitive advocacy and legal services." They primarily offer legal services focused on economic disadvantaged children with special needs, but include some thorough write-ups on special education that are worth calling out.

The Disability Law Center is a private, non-profit organization who states their mission is "to provide legal advocacy on disability issues that promote the fundamental rights of all people with disabilities to participate fully and equally in the social and economic life of Massachusetts." They provide information, referral, technical assistance and representation regarding legal rights and services for people with disabilities, including but not exclusive to educational services. 

We include them here for some thorough write-ups on special education laws that are worth calling out.

Early Childhood Education Degrees is primarily focused on on educators but includes some useful resources in particular on bullying that may be helpful for parents.