Resources for Supporting Young Children with Disabilities
STAR NET Region II and VI Resource List
Our Resource List is organized into categories and cross-categorized to serve both families and professionals.
Categories include:
A program of The Arc of Illinois, ILS is a free information and referral service for people with disabilities in Illinois to locate services, supports, legislative advocacy information, and links local, state and national organizations that provide helpful information.
This parent-driven, non-profit organization supports families with children who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing to learn about the variety of resources and options available to them and how to access them. Their Guide By Your Side (GBYS) program provides unbiased information, one on one support and resources, and trained Parent Guides to meet with families. Information is also available in Spanish.
This project of the Illinois State Board of education and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign offer many resources for parents and professionals. The Illinois Early Learning and Development Standards for Preschool and the Illinois’ Birth to Three Learning Guidelines are also available on the IELP website. IELP Tips Sheets are easy-to-read, one-page tip sheets of activities, and strategies to support the development of young children in all areas, available in several languages.
EITP sponsors numerous training events each year that support the mission and vision of the Illinois Early Intervention System. Our “Non-EITP Events” calendar also includes events from other sponsoring entities that have been reviewed by EITP for Early Intervention credit. These events are shared as training resources to the field. These reviewed events are posted to our training calendar as a courtesy not as an endorsement. Please check the calendar for the amount of credit for each event. Training events may be face-to-face or online.
This website for early intervention families and professionals provides a wealth of information on early intervention services in Illinois, tip sheets, a newsletter, Illinois EI program guide, lending library, blog and many other resources. The website is viewable in Spanish.
Illinois Subdivision of the Division for Early Childhood of the Council for Exceptional Children, a nonprofit organization advocating for individuals who work with or on behalf of children with special needs, birth through age eight, and their families.
A linked listing of Illinois public library websites, catalogs and phone numbers.
IDHS’ Division of Developmental Disabilities provides services and supports for individuals with developmental disabilities and their families. The PUNS (Prioritization for Urgency of Need for Services) statewide database records information about individuals with developmental disabilities who are potentially in need of services. In Illinois, enrolling in PUNS is the first step to the individual receiving state funded disability services outside the educational setting. See Understanding PUNS (DHS 4313): A Guide to PUNS. Enter PUNS in the search box for a related list of documents in English and Spanish.
The commission website provides state government services, information and referral services, communication cards, American Sign Language videos, education consultation and training, legislation and ADA information and more.
Assistive technology is equipment used by individuals with disabilities to promote independence. As technology changes and improves, so does equipment. The Deaf, Hard of Hearing and DeafBlind can benefit from a variety of equipment- from assistive listening to alerting devices. This webpage provides a list of state agencies and/or nonprofit organizations that can assist with exploring different options.
Looking for Pre-Recorded Videos?
STAR NET Region II and VI recorded webinar library.
Both Parents and Professionals will find videos on useful topics, such as Inclusion, Transitioning from EI to ECSE and more!
PLEASE NOTE: STAR NET Region II and VI is unable to award CEs for watching these recordings.