Chicago Resources
DSCC’s Health Care Transition Readiness Assessment for Parents/Caregivers
The Division of Specialized Care for Children’s (DSCC) Health Care Transition Readiness Assessment for Parents/Caregivers is a tool to help parents and their children prepare for the transition to adulthood and taking care of their healthcare needs. You can fill out this form to see what you already know about your child’s health and the areas you think they want to learn more about.
Health Care Transition Readiness Assessment for Parents/Caregivers in English
Health Care Transition Readiness Assessment for Parents/Caregivers in Spanish
DCCC’s Self-Care Skills Assessment for Young Adults
The Division of Specialized Care for Children’s (DSCC) assessment form will help young adults see what they already know about their health, how to use health care and the areas they want to learn more about as they transition to adulthood.
Guaranteed Rate Foundation provides financial support to those working to overcome extraordinary hardships.
Knowing that it can be difficult to ask for help in times of need, the foundation strives to make the request for assistance process as simple as possible and encourages applicants to contact them with any questions.
Children in Therapy and You (C.I.T.Y.) of Support is an online and in-person community that supports all families navigating the needs of their child in therapy, regardless of diagnosis, age, therapeutic needs or overall situation. Information, resources and events are available online, free of charge.
C.I.T.Y. of Support includes members from all across Chicagoland. Local leaders help coordinate on-site events and opportunities within specific geographic regions.
C.I.T.Y. of Support also sponsored the creation of the Accessibility Support Collection at the Arlington Heights Memorial Library. Children in therapy and their caregivers may borrow therapeutic toys/tools/print materials from the library to explore at home.
Foundation for Hearing and Speech Resources
The Foundation for Hearing and Speech Resources (FHSR) is a private, non-profit, grassroots organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for all children affected by hearing and communication disorders.
Parent resources and programming include:
Physical Restraint, Time Out and Isolated Time Out (RTO) Bill of Rights
The Illinois State Board of Education’s (ISBE) RTO Parent Bill of Rights is a resource for parents and guardians to help understand their rights, the rights of students, how to file a complaint and other important information related to physical restraint, time out and isolated time out in schools.
More details and helpful documents about restraint, time out and isolated time out, including multiple translations of the RTO Parent Bill of Rights, are on ISBE’s website.
AMC Theatres has partnered with the Autism Society to offer sensory-friendly movie showings on the second and fourth Saturday (family-friendly) and Wednesday evenings (mature audiences) of every month.
Participating theaters are located throughout Illinois in areas including Chicago, Edwardsville, Peoria, Quincy, Mount Vernon, and Springfield.
The Sensory Friendly Film program allows families to see a movie with lights on, lower sound and the freedom to get up, dance, walk, shout or sing. Please check your local theatre listings for specific showtimes.
Illinois Money Wellness
Illinois Money Wellness is a text campaign to encourage good money habits for people with disabilities and the people who support them. Illinois Money Wellness provides one text per week with information on financial wellness resources and advice from the National Disability Institute in collaboration with the Illinois Council on Developmental Disabilities.
You will receive one text per week and your personal information will not be shared with anyone when you sign up for Illinois Money Wellness. You may use this form to sign up or text MONEY to (833) 313-0298.
A portable medical summary is helpful for summarizing your medical information in one to two pages. You can use this summary across healthcare systems, including:
- With the emergency department
- In the transition to adult providers
- With your college campus health services and more
The summary can help provide quick and concise communication with all providers involved in your care as you transition to adulthood.
Family Connections with Pediatrics
“Family Connections with Pediatrics” is a series of family-written blogs summarizing research articles in Pediatrics Journal. Each blog explains the “scientific literature” findings and what they may mean for families, including:
- Examples of how the findings apply to real-life situations
- Suggestions for ways that families and healthcare professionals can work together for the health and well-being of children and families