Links and Resources: Special Needs

Cumberland County

North Carolina

• Smart Start
• Family Support Network of NC (FSN-NC)
  An agency serving parents, families and professionals statewide.
• Central Directory of Resources (CDR)
  A computerized database available through FSN-NC. The CDR provides information about services for families, including information about:
• Diseases, disabilities and chronic illnesses
• Community agencies
• Parent to parent support programs
• Locations of various support programs for parents throughout the state and nation
• Community contact persons for:
• Early Intervention services
• Exceptional Children's Programs through the Public Schools
• Local Interagency Coordinating Councils
• Governors’ Advocacy Counsel for Person’s with Disabilities (GACPD)
  Part of a nationwide system of protection and advocacy agencies. The GACPD is a civil rights protection agency committed to serving citizens with disabilities in North Carolina.
• Exceptional Children’s Director for Public School District
  Assures that students with disabilities, and those who are academically or intellectually gifted, develop mentally, physically, emotionally and vocationally through the provision of an appropriate individualized education in the least restrictive environment.
• North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services: Helping People with Disabilities
  Helps children and youth with disabilities to live up to their potential. They serve the needs of people with disabilities by
• Serving children and youth with disabilities
• Promoting independent living
• Providing residential services for the disabled around the state
• Children's Developmental Services Agencies (CDSA)
  Consists of a statewide network of 18 regional centers. These centers, referred to as CDSAs, are located across the State at sites that are convenient to families and service providers. Each center employs teams of professionals with pediatric specialties in medicine, social work, psychology, speech and language, physical therapy, occupational therapy, special education, nursing, and nutrition. Services provided are comprehensive in nature and tailored to meet the unique needs of each child and family.

 

National

• The National Information Center for Children and Youth with Disabilities (NICHCY)
  NICHCY is the national information and referral center that provides information on disabilities and disability-related issues for families, educators, and other professionals. The Center's focus is children and youth (birth to age 22).