Disabilities Resource List

Special Needs Resources List
Programs, medical care providers, education information and support for families.

ADHD

Children and Adults with Attention Deficit Disorder (CHADD)
www.chadd.org
Information and support groups for parents and teachers of children with ADD, and adults. Visit the
Website to find the CHADD support group closest to you.

Exceptional Family Resource Center (EFRC)
9245 Sky Park Court, Suite 130, San Diego, CA 92123
Toll-free: (800) 281-8252; (619) 594-7416

AUSTISM AND RELATED DISORDERS

Autism Society, San Diego Chapter
www.sd-autism.com
Meets the first Thursday of the month.
Information: (619) 298-1981

Autism Intervention Center (CAIC)
www.chsd.org/autism
Operated through Rady Children’s Hospital, San Diego
PH: (858) 966-7453

Fragile X Center of San Diego
www.fragilexsandiego.org
Children’s Hospital, 3020 Children’s Way Ste.407, San Diego

Fragile-X Syndrome Research Foundation
www.fraxa.org
This site lists the symptoms of fragile X syndrome as well as the causes of the syndrome.

Kaiser Autism Support Group
Contact: Jill Erikson, LCSW. PH: (858) 573-5216
Meets the second Tuesday of the month from 5-7 p.m. at Kaiser Vandevere (must be Kaiser member).

San Diego Armed Services YMCA
Paul Steffens, Executive Director, (SA)
3293 Santo Road, San Diego, CA 92124
PH:(858) 751-5755; Fax: (858) 751-5769
Email: info@asymcasd.org
Support program for military families of children with Autism or PDD. Sibling support groups offered.

Supporting Parents of Autistic Young Adults (SPAYA)
Meets at the San Diego Regional Center, Room 101, 4355 Ruffin Road in San Diego. Call for dates and
times.
PH:(858) 560-0555
Email: SPAYA@san.rr.com

Surf Camp
www.sd-autism.org/resourcedirectory/therapy.htm
The San Diego Autism Society, in partnership with Aqua Pros Swim School of San Diego, offers Surf
Camp for Persons with Autism. Supervised by trained surf, swim and autism instructors, camp includes
lessons in surfing and boogie boarding. In addition, there are beach themed games and crafts. Each camper
is assigned a one-on-one aide.

Understanding Autism Together
Camp Pendleton Armed Services YMCA
George Brown, Executive Director, (SA)
Box 555028, Building 16144, Camp Pendleton, CA 92055-5028
PH:(760) 385-4921; Fax: (760) 385-0785
Email: gbrown@camppendletonasymca.org

CEREBRAL PALSY

National Institute for Neurological Disorders and Stroke
www.ninds.nih.gov
Information about CP. www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/cerebral_palsy/cerebral_palsy.htm

United Cerebral Palsy Associations
www.ucp.org
A leading source of information on cerebral palsy, and advocacy for the rights of persons with any
disability.

United Cerebral Palsy Foundation
NIH Neurological Institute
P.O. Box 5801, Bethesda, MD 20824
Voice: (800) 352-9424 or (301) 496-5751
TTY (for people using adaptive equipment): (301) 468-5981
Spasticity Information www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/spasticity/spasticity.htm
CP Facts and Figures
www.ucp.org/ucp_channeldoc.cfm/1/11/10427/10427-10427/447

WebMD CP overview
http://children.webmd.com/tc/Cerebral-Palsy-Topic-Overview

DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES

The California Department of Developmental Services
www.dds.cahwnet.gov
The State of California San Diego Regional Center serves people with developmental disabilities in San
Diego and Imperial Counties.

National Center on Physical Activity and Disability (NCPAD)
www.ncpad.org/programs/
Provides search of programs by geographic location. Enter zip code and mile-radius to search for
programs in your area.

San Diego Regional Center
http://sdrc.org/c_res_recreation_sports.php
Comprehensive information on resources and activities for people with developmental disabilities and
their families.

DOWNS SYNDROME

Downs Syndrome Association
www.downs-syndrome.org.uk
UK-based organization’s Website offers information and answers for new parents.

National Downs Syndrome Society
www.ndss.org
Toll-free: 800-221-4602
Education, research and advocacy for those with Downs Syndrome and their families.

Downs Syndrome Association of San Diego
www.dsasdonline.org
DSAS has a comprehensive list of recreational camps for children with developmental and physical
disabilities offered by the San Diego Parks & Recreation Department/Therapeutic Recreation Services.
The offerings are generally available all year long. This excellent resource integrates children with
disabilities into local neighborhoods.

EPILEPSY

Epilepsy Foundation of San Diego County
www.epilepsysandiego.org
2055 El Cajon Boulevard, San Diego, CA 92104
PH:(619) 296-0161; Fax: (619) 296-0802
A nonprofit health agency dedicated to the prevention and control of epilepsy
and its consequences, and to helping families overcome the problems associated with this condition.

LEARNING DISABILITIES

International Dyslexia Association
www.dyslexiasd.org
P.O. Box 87448, San Diego, CA 92138-7448
PH: (619) 295-3722

Learning Developmental Services
www.learningdevelopmentalservices.com
3754 Clairemont Drive, San Diego, CA 92117
Barbara Cureton, Ph.D., M.F.T. and
Sylvia Mende, Psy.D., Clinical Psychologist
PH: (619) 276-6912; (858) 581-5050

Learning Disabilities Association of California
www.ldasandiego.org
Monthly workshop regarding school problems.
PH: (858) 467-9158

San Diego County Learning Disabilities Association (LDA)
www.ldasandiego.org
P.O. Box 421111, San Diego, CA 92142-1111
(858) 467-9158

Trafford Center on Technology & Learning Disabilities
www.frostig.org/research/technology_center.html
971 N. Altadena, Pasadena, CA 91107
PH: (626) 791-1255

The following websites provide more information about learning disabilities and mainstreaming special
needs students with the regular education population:

• Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC)—www.eric.ed.gov (type “Learning Disabilities” in the search terms window)
• Family Village—www.familyvillage.wisc.edu
• Learning Disabilities Association of America—www.ldanatl.org
• Learning Disabilities Resources—www.ldresources.com
• National Center for Learning Disabilities—www.ld.org
• National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities—www.nichcy.org
• The Council for Exceptional Children—www.cec.sped.org
• Wrightslaw—www.wrightslaw.com

PARENTING (Classes, Education and Support)

Alpha of San Diego, Inc.
Provides counseling, anger management classes, parenting classes, licensed psychologists (Medi-Cal accepted).
4069 30th St., North Park, CA 92104
PH: (619) 285-9999

California Parent Center
http://parent.sdsu.edu/
6310 Alvarado Court
San Diego CA. 92120-4909
PH: (877) 9-PARENT; (619) 594-4756

Easter Seals
www.easterseals.com
Easter Seals provides exceptional services to ensure that people living with autism and other disabilities
have equal opportunities to live, learn, work and play.
Raising a Special Child (article)
www.easterseals.com/site/PageServer?pagename=ntl_raising_child_special

Episcopal Community Counseling
www.ecscalifornia.org/programs
Provides parent classes in addition to individual and family counseling.
Mailing Address:
PO Box 33168, San Diego, California 92163
PH: (619) 422-1642

Grandparents Raising Grandchildren
Offers support services to grandparents and relatives who are raising grandchildren.
Contact: Mignon Scherer (619) 223-0344

Hannah Fenichel Center for Child Development
Offers parent education
336-340 N. Acacia Ave., Solana Beach, CA
PH: (858) 755-0860

Harmonium, Inc.
Monday evening parenting class for parents of children ages 2-12.
10717 Camino Ruiz, Suite 104
San Diego, CA 92126
PH: (858) 566-5740

Kaiser Permanente
Healthcare service provider offers a variety of groups and classes.
PH: (619) 641-4194; (619) 221-6114

Kinship Support Services Program (KSSP)
Provides help to grandparents and relatives caring for children whose parents are unable or unavailable to them.
PH: (619) 409-9622

Navy Family Service Center
Provides individual, couples, and family counseling and parenting classes.
3005 Corbina Alley Suite 1, San Diego, CA 92136-5190
PH: (619) 556-7404

PARD (The Project for Attention Related Disorders)
Provides in-service for school personnel and parents.
Ann Sutherland, RN: (858) 627-7594
Positive Discipline Parenting Workshops.
Private sessions available.
PH: 1-866-767-3472

San Diego Community College Continuing Education Center
www.sdce.edu
Offers free parenting classes.
5348 University Ave., San Diego, CA
For information and classes: (619) 388-4831

SPS Child Care Resource & Referral Office
Camp Pendleton
Information: (760) 725-6104

RECREATION PROGRAMS

City of San Diego, Park and Recreation, Therapeutic Recreation Services
www.sandiego.gov/park-and-recreation/activities/trs/index.shtml
619-525-8247 TDD 619-692-3866
3325 Zoo Drive, San Diego, CA 92101
Therapeutic Recreation Services provides monthly recreation and leisure activities for ages 3 to adult with any disability. Call for monthly calendar.

Easter Seals Camp Respite
San Diego County - 760-737-3990 ext 7
www.SouthernCal.EasterSeals.com
Nature walks, archery, swimming and hiking in the mountains are all part of the traditional camp experience. Unfortunately for children and teens living with disabilities, camp and the memorable experiences that go along with it may not be an option – until now!
Easter Seals Southern California offers Camp Respite – one weekend a month where San Diego County-area children, teens and adults with disabilities are offered the same excitement and activities available at traditional overnight camps. The difference is Easter Seals campers experience the joy and challenges of camp in a fully-accessible setting designed for people with disabilities.
Every year Camp Respite serves 150 campers, 50 to 60 on a monthly basis. Campers range in ages from six-years old up. By offering an enhanced one-to-one ratio, which means one camper to every one counselor or staff member, campers with more significant challenges are able to participate in camp.
Camp Respite rotates between four locations – Camp Cuyamaca in the East County, Camp Fox and Camp Palomar in the North County and Camp Surf located at Imperial Beach.To learn more or schedule a weekend, please call Camp Director Amanda Myers or visit our Website.

Family Camp for Hearing Impaired
www.dhhfamilycamp.org.
Family Camp (at Camp Raintree in Julian) provides an opportunity for children who are deaf or hard-of-
hearing and their families to come together in a positive environment. Parents participate in interactive
discussions that provide strategies for raising a child with hearing loss. Children participate in arts and
crafts, cooperative games, and outdoor experiences.

Helen Woodward Animal Center
www.animalcenter.com
This center offers therapeutic horseback riding which has been helpful to children with autism and other
developmental disabilities. Children learn how tocare for the animals as well as develop riding skills. The
mission of the Animal Center is “to provide a variety of unique learning opportunities which support the
bond between humans and animals by nurturing knowledge, compassion, and respect toward all living
things.”

San Diego Hippotherapy
www.sandiegohippotherapy.org
San Diego Hippotherapy provides occupational and physical therapy to children and adults with
neuromusculoskeletal dysfunctions, using the movement of horses as a treatment tool.

Together We Grow
www.togetherwegrow.net
Together We Grow is a pediatric health daycare for medically fragile, as well as typical, children. It is has a full nurses staff who attend to each and every child.They also have overnight services for medically fragile children to stay on the weekend, when parents need a break or require additional childcare.

Xcite Steps
www.excitesteps.com
Xcite Steps is an innovative after-school and summer mentorship club dedicated to assisting children, teens
and adults with developmental disabilities. It’s structured programs meet the needs of youth with autism,
cerebral palsy, Down Syndrome, developmental disabilities, cognitive disabilities, fragile X or any other
challenges. It offers personalized attention tailored to individual goals and abilities.

SPECIAL EDUCATION

CAC Meetings (Community Advisory Committee) Support Group
(858) 627-7270 x3160

CCHAT Center San Diego
A non-profit auditory oral school for the deaf. Provides service for children ages 0-5.
760-471-5187
www.cchatsan.org

Exceptional Family Resource Center (EFRC)
9245 Sky Park Court, Suite 130, San Diego, CA 92123
Toll-free: (800) 281-8252
South County: (619) 409-3127
North Coastal: (760) 761-5553
Imperial County: (760) 355-0147

Fast ForWord
www.scilearn.com
Based on 30 years of neuroscience research, these CD-ROM products develop the fundamental language
and attention skills that are the building blocks for reading and social language success. Sometimes offered
by San Diego County schools in, it is most often available from clinics and private providers, and can be
completed as a home program through the providers. It requires 50-100 minutes a day for 4-12 weeks,
depending on the program selection and skills levels of the child.

The Institute for Effective Education
www.tiee.org
The Institute for Effective Education (TIEE) operates eight distinct educational programs distributed over four school sites within San Diego county. All TIEE schools are certified by the California State Department of Education as Non-Public Schools, permitting them to educate special needs students on contract with local school districts.
TIEE now serves over 400 students who represent nearly the full spectrum of learning ability and social competence, from intelligent, typically developing children to children with serious special needs. Visit the Website to locate a school in your area.

Interactive Metronome
www.interactivemetronome.com
Interactive Metronome (IM) is a cutting-edge neurological assessment and treatment tool that used to help
children with learning and developmental disorders, such as: Sensory Integration Disorder, Autism
Spectrum Disorder, Cerebral Palsy, Non-verbal Learning Disorder, ADD/ADHD. It is sometimes offered
as part of occupational, physical, or educational therapy, but can also be done as a separate program. A list
of trained providers is available on the website.

Interdisciplinary Council on Developmental and Learning Disorders
www.icdl.com/forparentsbyparents
Founded by Stanley Greenspan and Serena Wieder, the ICDLD pioneered the identification, prevention,
and treatment of developmental and learning disorders. Through its research, training and publications,
ICDL has created a cadre of world-class professionals across multiple areas of expertise. The website has
listed an incredible number of resources and treatment options. Search under “sensory processing” for a
comprehensive list.

Mt. Helix Academy
http://mthelixacademy.org/aimhigh/aimhigh.htm
5955 Severin Drive
La Mesa, CA 91942
PH: 619-466-1434
The AIM HIGH Learning Center is designed to provide the additional support that is sometimes necessary to insure that a Mt. Helix Academy student is academically and socially successful. The services are individually planned and provided under the guidance of teachers credentialed in special education and certified in a variety of critical teaching areas by The Institute for Effective Education’s rigorous program of certification

North Coastal Consortium for Special Education (NCCSE)
255 Pico Avenue, Ste. 101 San Marcos, CA 92069
PH: 760-761-5110; Fax 760-471-2008

POSSE (Parents of Students in Special Education)
Torrey Pines High School, Del Mar
Nancy Balmuth: (858) 481-4952
Diemut Heller: (760) 436-4904
Conette Delmonte: (760) 753-3790

Processing and Cognitive Enhancement (PACE)
www.processingskills.com
This program was developed to enhance skills in auditory and visual memory, processing speed, reasoning
skills, phonemic awareness, and attention. Generally offered by private providers, there is also a home-
based version called BrainSkills. It requires daily instruction for 12-18 weeks by the parent or provider, to
develop underlying skills necessary for efficiency and confidence in learning. There is also a
reading/spelling component called Master the Code, which develops reading and spelling fluency.

San Diego City Schools Special Education Local Plan Area (SELPA)
PH: (619) 725-7604
East County Special Education Local Plan Area (SELPA)
PH: (619) 590-3920
North Inland Special Education Local Plan Area (SELPA)
PH: (760) 788-4671
South County Special Education Local Plan Area (SELPA)
PH: (619) 498-8171
Email: specprnt@sdcoe.k12.ca

San Diego Regional Center (SDRC)
4355 Ruffin Rd., Suite 200, San Diego, CA, 92123
PH:(858) 576-2996; Fax: (858) 576-2873
Email: info@sdrc.org
Serves as a focal point in the community through which a people with developmental disabilities and their
families can obtain services and be linked to other community resources within San Diego and Imperial
counties.

Special Education Project and Mental Health Services Patient Advocacy Program
University of San Diego-School of Law
5998 Alcala Park, San Diego, CA 92110-2492
Education: (619) 260-7470
Inpatient Mental Health: (800) 479-2233

Starfall Reading Program
www.starfall.com
The Starfall learn-to-read website is offered free as a public service. They also provide writing journals and
books at a very low cost that can be used with the website or separately. Teachers often use Starfall
materials as an inexpensive way to make the classroom more fun and to inspire a love of reading and
writing. Primarily designed for first grade, Starfall.com is also useful for pre-kindergarten, kindergarten
and second grade. Starfall is perfect for home schoolers.

Teach Town Basics
www.teachtown.com
This comprehensive treatment program uses computer lessons and live, naturalistic activities and is
appropriate for children who are developmentally between the ages 2 to 7. . Progress is graphed
automatically and your entire team can share data and session notes over the TeachTown secure server. It
is self-adjusting, based on Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), speech therapy, and psychology. It covers
language, cognitive, and social skills, and is available for purchase by home users and clinical providers.

Team of Advocates for Special Kids (TASK) San Diego
4550 Kearny Villa Rd. #102, San Diego, CA92123
PH: (858) 874-2386
Team of Advocates for Special Kids (TASK) is a parent training and information center that parents and
professionals can turn to for assistance in seeking and obtaining needed early intervention, educational,
medical or therapeutic support service for children.

PROFESSIONAL ORGANZIATIONS (Advocacy and Information)

American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
www.aamr.org
AAIDD (formerly American Association on Mental Retardation) is an interdisciplinary organization of
professionals (and others) concerned about developmental and related disabilities.

American Association of People with Disabilities
www.aapd-dc.org
A nonprofit cross-disability organization whose goals are: unity, leadership & impact.

Americans with Disabilities Act Document Center
www.jan.wvu.edu/links/adalinks.htm
Visit the Website for health information, state and federal statutes and regulations.

The Arc of San Diego
www.arc-sd.com/Locations.htm
San Diego based organization that helps people with disabilities and their families by working in
partnership to create opportunities to achieve their individual goals within the community. Visit the
website for local services and contact information.

Association of Regional Center Agencies
www.arcanet.org
ARCA state website represents the 21 California regional centers that provide services to more than
142,000 people with developmental disabilities.

Disability Resources Monthly Directory
www.disabilityresources.org
An index of hundreds of audiovisual materials, on line services, and other information resources every
month. Serving developmentally disabled people.

President’s Committee on Intellectual Disabilities
www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/pcpid/
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Administration for Children and Families.

SUPPORT GROUPS

Birth and Beyond Years (military families)
www.asymcasd.org
Email: cbarnswell@nmcsd.med.navy.mil
Provides support for military families with young children with special needs and/or chronic illness.

Exceptional Family Resource Center
www.EFRConline.org
Email: efrc@projects.sdsu.edu
PH: 800-281-8252
Coffee and conversation for families of children from birth to five-years-old.
Meets the third Friday of the month 9:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m. Come meet other families and share experiences.
Gain information and resources.
Stop by our central office for coffee and conversation with parents of children with special needs during office hours.
Call or view Support Group listing at www.efrconline.org/efrc.cfm?pid=Support Groups

Parent Advocates Seeking Solutions (PASS)
Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church, 16275 Pomerado Road, Poway.
PH: (858) 748-2594
PASS, a parent support group for parents of adult children (15 years and up) with developmental
disabilities, is dedicated to providing parental guidance in order to cultivate, enhance and supervise the
inalienable rights of their optimum value and fulfillment of life will be accessible and maintained.