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:
CHS, a division of Anixter Center, provides communication access, hearing and assistive technologies, and support services for persons of all ages, who are Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing through a variety of programs including audiology services, interpreter services and captioning, and community outreach and advocacy.
CSEFEL served as a national resource center for disseminating research and evidence-based practices about children’s behavior and the development of healthy social and emotional skills to parents and professionals. The site is now linked to the Pyramid Model Consortium, however many useful resources for trainers/coaches, teachers/caregivers, and families remain housed here. Information in Spanish also.
Funded by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, CEELO works to strengthen the capacity of State Education Agencies (SEAs) to lead sustained improvements in early learning opportunities and outcomes. CEELO promotes innovation and accountability in partnership with SEAs, state and local early childhood leaders, and other federal and national technical assistance (TA) providers.
The Center for Disease Control provides useful information for families on Healthy Development, Effective Parenting Practices, Positive Parenting Tips, Developmental Milestones, Early Brain Development and much more. Information in Spanish, also.
Brightpoint (formerly Children’s Home and Aid) works to help families, children, and youth in Illinois by providing early education, mental health and wellness services, youth programs, parent support and child welfare.
Focusing on the person using the technology rather than the device itself, Bridging Apps provides access to educational and therapeutic tools that allow parents, teachers, and therapists to effectively use mobile devices and apps to target and improve individual skill development to help children and adults with disabilities reach their highest levels of physical and cognitive development.
The mission of Birth to Five Illinois is to to create a statewide regional infrastructure to build and sustain equitable access to inclusive, high-quality Early Childhood services for all children and families in the state of Illinois. The Birth to Five Illinois Regional Community System is built upon the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) Regional Offices of Education (ROE) statewide structure but operating independently. Each of the 39 Regions has its own Family Council and Action Council. Information gathered by the Birth to Five Illinois Councils is provided to the State in hopes of informing policy around birth-to-five programs and can serve as regional advocacy bodies to influence local policy, including funding opportunities.
Autism Speaks is dedicated to promoting solutions for the needs of individuals with autism and their families, offering a wealth of information for families about diagnosis, treatment, the family and autism, a child’s rights, and state and community resources. The websites resource guide allows narrowing a search with filters. Their Autism Response Team (ART) is an information line for the autism community, specially trained to provide personalized information and resources to people with autism and their families.
Autism Research Institute (ARI) works to support the health and well-being of people affected by autism through innovative, impactful research and education. Established in 1967 by psychologist and renowned father of modern autism research Dr. Bernard Rimland, ARI continues to pioneer in research, outreach, and cooperative efforts with other organizations worldwide. ARI advocates for the rights of people with ASD, and operates without funding from special-interest groups.
AANE helps Autistic and similarly Neurodivergent people build meaningful, connected lives by providing individuals, families, and professionals with education, community, and support in an inclusive atmosphere of validation and respect.
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.