National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities

Upon the advice of my friend Kim, I decided to check out the website for the National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities (http://nichcy.org/). Right away I noticed that the site is very user-friendly and there is a tab that you can click to read the information in Spanish (perfect for Spanish-speaking ELL families)! First, let me tell you a little bit about NICHCY...

The NICHCY is an organization that is dedicated to providing information about disabilities in infants, toddlers, children, and youth. It provides easy-to-understand information about IDEA as well as State Resource Sheets to help connect families with local disability agencies and organizations.

In my investigation of the website, I found that it provided fact sheets about all the different types of disabilities recognized under IDEA. I clicked on the "learning disabilities" link and found a wealth of information about LDs, including the different types, the signs, the prevalence (they're very common - 1 in 5 people have an LD), the evaluation process, and tips/resources for teachers and parents of a child with an LD.

As a classroom teacher of a child with a learning disability (or any disability for that matter), I would definitely share this resource with families. I liked that it provided a list of tips for parents of children with learning disabilities, as well as additional online resources (below):

Tips for Parents:

• Learn about LD. The more you know, the more you can help yourself and your child. Take advantage of the excellent resources out there for parents (see the next section, below).

• Praise your child when he or she does well. Children with LD are often very good at a variety of things. Find out what your child really enjoys doing, such as dancing, playing soccer, or working with computers. Give your child plenty of opportunities to pursue his or her strengths and talents.

• Find out the ways your child learns best. Does he or she learn by hands-on practice, looking, or listening? Help your child learn through his or her areas of strength.

• Let your son or daughter help with household chores. These can build self-confidence and concrete skills. Keep instructions simple, break down tasks into smaller steps, and reward your child’s efforts with praise.

• Make homework a priority. Read more about how to help your child be a success at homework in the resources listed below.

• Pay attention to your child’s mental health (and your own!). Be open to counseling, which can help your child deal with frustration, feel better about himself or herself, and learn more about social skills.

• Talk to other parents whose children have LD. Parents can share practical advice and emotional support. You can identify parent groups in your area via NICHCY’s State Resource Sheets. Go to the section entitled “Disability-Specific Agencies” and scroll down until you reach “learning disabilities.”

• Meet with school personnel and help develop an IEP to address your child’s needs. Plan what accommodations your child needs, and don’t forget to talk about AIM or assistive technology!

• Establish a positive working relationship with your child’s teacher. Through regular communication, exchange information about your child’s progress at home and at school.

Resources Especially for Parents

LD Online | For Parents
http://www.ldonline.org/parents

LD Online | Parenting and Family
http://www.ldonline.org/indepth/parenting

National Center for Learning Disabilities | In the Home
http://www.ncld.org/in-the-home

Learning Disabilities Association of America | For Parents
http://www.ldanatl.org/aboutld/parents/index.asp

Reading Rockets | For Parents 
http://www.readingrockets.org/audience/parents

(http://nichcy.org/disability/specific/ld)

I think this website is a valuable resource to share with parents, and the fact that they provide the information in Spanish as well opens it up to Spanish-speaking ELL families. I would like to see them expand the number of languages in which they translate their information to make it more accessible to other ELL families though. I really like that it provides specific information about local agencies and resources that families have access to. Great resource for families and educators of children with disabilities of any type!


As I perused the website, I