Illinois ABLE (Achieving a Better Life Experience) accounts make it possible for people with disabilities and their families to save and invest for expenses related to living with a disability without losing, or losing access to, federal means-tested benefits such as SSI, SSDI and Medicaid. Earnings and withdrawals are tax-free if they are spent on a broad range of qualified disability expenses including housing, health and wellness, education and training, therapy, basic living expenses and more.

This publication helps youth prepare for the transition from school to adult life. It provides information about SSI work incentives that primarily affect youth, as well as information about common programs and services that parents, guardians and youth may find helpful. Specific programs covered include the Student Earned Income Exclusion, SSI Continued Payments (Section 301), vocational rehabilitation and the Department of Education’s Parent Centers. Information on Medicaid, the importance of keeping health insurance and having a primary care provider are also included.

Since 2011, Internet Essentials from Comcast has connected more than 8 million low‑income Americans to low‑cost, high‑speed Internet at home. Families may qualify if they are eligible for public assistance programs including the National School Lunch Program, Housing Assistance, Medicaid, SNAP, SSI and others.

The Parent Advocacy app is a free application for families of children who are deaf or hard of hearing attending Individualized Education Program meetings, 504 Plan meetings and more.

The app aims to help you understand your child’s rights and prepare to work with the school in the best interest of your child.

Illinois STAR NET provides Support and Technical Assistance Regionally. It provides a variety of opportunities for personal and professional growth for those who touch the lives of young children, ages birth through 8, with an emphasis on children with special needs. STAR NET supports family-centered, researched and effective practices in early childhood education and care.

STAR NET Region IV is administered by the St. Clair County Regional Office of Education in Belleville. , IL 62220. STAR NET Region IV serves 38 counties in the southernmost region of Illinois.

STAR NET Region VI is part of the Illinois STAR NET system and is supported through a grant from the Illinois State Board of Education in cooperation with Southwest Cooperative. STAR NET provides training, consultation and resources to the early childhood community.

The STAR NET system assists the State Board of Education in meeting local needs by providing services to professionals and parents of young children with special needs throughout Illinois.

STAR NET Region VI serves South Cook, Kane, Kendall, Kankakee, LaSalle, Will and  Grundy counties.

STAR NET Region VI
6020 W. 151st Street
Oak Forest, Il  60452
Phone:  (708) 342-5370
Fax: (708) 687-2247
email: starnet6vi@gmail.com

PACER’s National Parent Center on Transition and Employment provides these tips for young people with disabilities and their families on effective strategies for building the first resume.

The National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS ) is a free braille and talking book library service for people with temporary or permanent low vision, blindness, or a physical or perceptual disability that prevents them from reading or holding the printed page. Through a national network of cooperating libraries, NLS offers books the way you want them: in braille or audio, mailed to your door for free or instantly downloadable.

NLS works to ensure that all may read by providing eligible individuals access to reading material regardless of age, economic circumstances or technical expertise.

INEP are part of University of Illinois Extension and provide nutrition education to individuals and families in communities around the state of Illinois. Through nutrition and cooking classes, interactive displays, and online resources, the program provides knowledge and teaches the skills necessary to help clients make healthier meals, spend their food budgets effectively and make healthy living a natural part of their day. You can visit their website to find out if a program is offered in your county.

The National Center on Health, Physical Activity and Disability (NCHPAD) compiled links to a multitude of resources related to children with disabilities and their inclusion in physical activities in this guide.