2: Welcome to HollandTown

The second night of training is about how The Arc can help you effectively navigate the disability world and advocate for your child. In many ways, parenting a child with special needs is like parenting a typical child -- you figure it out as you go. On the other hand, there are also many ways that things are different, where you as the parent have to determine how disability impacts different facets of life. Welcome to HollandTown is an overview of key parts of life designed to alleviate fear of the unknown and help parents understand how these areas work. 

The Arc's Presentation Materials

Related Resources

The following list includes both items included in the training presentation and additional resources that may be helpful. Please take your time reading and exploring. This list is reviewed and updated twice a year. If you discover any broken links, please email us at info@arcjc.org.

Community Access

• The Arc (National)
• Disability Law Colorado
• Facebook Groups
  • Mobilized & Connected
  • Denver Special Needs Parent Community
• Jefferson County Public Library
• Rocky Mountain ADA Center
• Why We’ll Never Stop Going Out in Public

Disability Groups

• The Arc – Jefferson, Clear Creek & Gilpin Counties
• The Arc of Colorado
• The Arc of the United States
• Assistive Technology Partners
• Colorado Cross Disability Coalition
• Disability Law Colorado (formerly The Legal Center)
• Early Intervention Colorado
• Easter Seals Colorado
• El Grupo Vida
• Empower Colorado
• Family Voices
• Friendship Circle
• Guardianship Alliance of Colorado
• JFK Partners
• National Organization for Rare Disorders
• Parent to Parent Colorado

Diagnosis Specific Disability Groups

• Ability Connection Colorado (formerly Cerebral Palsy of Colorado)
• American Council of the Blind of Colorado
• Anchor Center for Blind Children
• Autism Society of America
• Autism Society of Colorado
• Brain Injury Association of America
• Brain Injury Association of Colorado
• CHADD (Children & Adults w/ Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder)
• Child and Adolescent Bipolar Foundation
• Chromosome Disorder Outreach
• Colorado Families for Hands and Voices
• Colorado School for the Deaf and Blind
• Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance
• Empower Colorado
• Epilepsy Foundation
• Epilepsy Foundation of Colorado
• Graham’s Foundation: Parents of Premature Babies
• Infantile Scoliosis Outreach Program (ISOP)
• International Dyslexia Association
• Learning Disabilities Online
• Learning Disability Association
• Mental Health America of Colorado
• Muscular Dystrophy Parent Project
• National Alliance for the Mentally Ill
• National Center for Learning Disabilities
• National Down Syndrome Congress
• National Federation of the Blind of Colorado
• National Fragile X Foundation
• National Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
• National Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome -  Colorado
• Rocky Mountain Branch of International Dyslexia Association
• Rocky Mountain Down Syndrome Association
• Spina Bifida Association of Colorado
• Star Institute for Sensory Processing Disorder
• The XXYY Project
• Tourette Syndrome Association
• United Cerebral Palsy

Government Disability Groups

• Community Centered Boards
  • HCPF Community Centered Board Finder
  • Developmental Disabilities Resource Center
  • Rocky Mountain Human Services
  • Developmental Pathways

Education

General Education

• Behavior
  • Colorado Department of Education Behavior Information
  • Can an IEP Address Behavior Issues?
  • What is Functional Behavioral Assessment (FBA)?
• Conferences
  • Parent-Teacher Conferences: A Tip Sheet for Parents
• Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
  • Colorado Department of Education FERPA Information
  • FERPA Compliance Checklist (CDE) 
  • Parent’s Guide to FERPA (Brochure)
  • Parent’s Guide to FERPA (US Department of Education)
• Multi-Tiered System of Supports
  • Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS)

Special Education

• NEW! An Introduction to Special Education (Video Series)
• Understanding the Special Education Process
• What is Special Education (Slides)
• Requesting an Initial Evaluation for Special Education Services
• Special Education Family Information & Resources (CDE)
• Alliance ACTion Sheets from Pacer.org
• Parents Encouraging Parents (PEP)
• Peak Parent Center
• Thrive Center
• Local District Special Education Sites
  • Denver Public Schools’ Student Equity & Opportunity Department
  • Jeffco Public Schools’ Special Education Department
• Eligibility
  • Guidance on Special Education Eligibility (CDE)
  • Updated! IDEA Disability Categories
• IEP Preparation
  • IEP Forms (CDE)
  • IEP Meeting Checklist
  • IEP Preparation Tips (The Arc JCC&GC)
  • Planning Your Child’s IEP: Some Suggestions to Consider
  • NEW! Endrew F. IEP Advocacy Toolkit
• IEP Teams
  • Effective IEP Teams
  • The Art of IEP Diplomacy
  • Communication Tips - Using Questions to Find Answers
  • Seven Habits of Highly Effective IEP Teams
• Dispute Resolution
  • Dispute Resolution (CDE)
  • Resolving Special Education Disputes
  • Updated! Jeffco Schools Chain of Command
• Least Restrictive Environment
  • Understanding Least Restrictive Environment
  • Key Requirements of Least Restrictive Environment
• Present Level of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance (PLAAFP)
  • Understanding PLAAFP
• Special Education Websites
  • Understood.org
  • WrightsLaw.com
  • Special Education Guide

Family

• Colorado Respite Coalition
• Disability Scoop
• Family Caregiver Alliance
• Facebook Groups
  • Mobilized & Connected
  • Denver Special Needs Parent Community 
• The Mighty
• Parent 2 Parent Online Support Groups
• Sibling Leadership Network (SLN)
• SiblingTree (Colorado chapter of SLN)
• Parent Support Group that meets at The Arc (click for email)

Finances & Legal

• Betty Proctor Fund at The Action Center
• Colorado ABLE Accounts (CollegeInvest)
• Colorado ABLE Accounts PPT Overview
• Colorado DD Planning Council
• Colorado Fund for People with Disabilities
• DDRC 25th Hour Fund
• DDRC training on planning for the future
• Family Support Services Program (FSSP) – Through CCB
• Jefferson County Power of Partnership
• Local estate planning list from DDRC
• The Arc of Colorado Calabrese Fund

Friends

• Friendship Circle Michigan
• Friendship Circle Colorado
• Denver Special Needs Parent Community (Facebook)

Healthcare

• Jeffco Public Schools – Medicaid and CHP+ enrollment
• Jeffco Public Schools – Health Services
• Family Voices
• Colorado Community Health Alliance
• Colorado Department of Health Care Policy & Financing (HCPF)
  • Children’s Programs
  • Children’s Waivers Chart (June 2018)
  • Children’s Waivers Process Flow Chart (June 2018)
  • Find-a-Doctor
  • HCP
  • Healthy Communities
  • Medicaid Benefits Overview
  • Medicaid Buy-In
• Colorado Disability Benefit Support Program
• Medicaid and Children with Special Health Care Needs
• Your insurance vendor’s site (ex. www.kp.org)

Home Life

• Childcare/Respite
  • Colorado Respite Coalition
  • Megan’s Place
  • Night Lights Respite (Site coming soon: 720.339.7740)
  • Red Rocks – Child Care Innovations (Qualistar)
  • United Way 211 for child care referrals
  • Google “Child Care Colorado” - doesn’t always have to be for disabilities
• Communication Concerns
  • American Speech Hearing Association
  • Assistive Technology Partners
• Home Modifications
  • Accessible Systems
  • Home Builders Foundation
  • Kids Mobility Network
• Local Medical Supply Stores
  • Google “Medical supply near me”
• Helping Others Understand Your Child
  • Getting to Know Me (The Center for Children with Special Needs)

Recreation

• Easter Seals Colorado
• Edge Soccer Club – TOPSoccer
• National Sports Center for the Disabled
• Rocky Mountain ADA Center
• Local Therapeutic Rec programs
  • Arvada Apex Parks & Rec Therapeutic Rec
  • Denver Adaptive Rec
  • Foothills Parks & Rec
  • Lakewood Recreation and Inclusion Services for Everyone (RISE)
  • Camp PAHA
  • Wheat Ridge Parks & Rec Therapeutic Rec

Safety

• AngelSense - GPS & Voice-Monitoring solution
• Big Red Safety Box
• CodeRED – Jefferson & Broomfield Counties
• Colorado Crisis Services
• Colorado LifeTrak (Lakewood)
• File of Life
• Jeffcom911 (Text 911)
• Safety resources compiled by The Arc JCC&GC
• Smart 911
• Your medical providers

Transportation

• Accessible Vehicles
  • Freedom Mobility
  • Mobility Resource Center
  • Performance Mobility
• Public Transportation
  • RTD/Access-A-Ride
  • Denver Regional Council of Governments (DRCOG)
  • Via Colorado
• Travel
  • Wings for Autism
  • Transportation Security Administration (TSA)
  • Society for Accessible Travel & Hospitality

Advocacy Tools (Emergency Kit)

• Skills for Effective Parent Advocacy
• 10 Ways to Be an Effective Advocate for Your Child at School
• Communication
  • Mindtools.com Communication Skills
  • Establishing Strong Family-School Communication
  • Ideas to Improve Parent to Professional Communication
• Conflict Resolution
  • Helpguide.com Conflict Resolution Skills
  • Parents’ Top Tips for Managing Interpersonal Conflict as You Advocate for Your Child
• Assertiveness
  • Assertiveness and Effective Parent Advocacy
• Researching
  • How to Effectively Use the Internet for Research
  • Evaluating Internet Content
  • Jefferson County Public Library
• Organizing
  • Organizing Your Child’s Information
• Resourcefulness
  • Developing Resourcefulness
  • The Road to Resilience