Resource Directory /

Rockford Resources

  • DSCC and Illinois LEND’s Transition Resources for Hispanic Teens in the Chicago Area

    The transition to adulthood can be a challenging time for both adolescents and their parents. These challenges can be more difficult when the adolescent has a disability.

    Illinois LEND (Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and related Disabilities) and the Division of Specialized Care for Children (DSCC) partnered to provide helpful information about the unique challenges Hispanic families can face during the transition to adulthood. This resource list is aimed at transition-age teenagers and their families in the Chicago area:

    Transition Resources for Hispanic Teens (English)

    Transition Resources for Hispanic Teens (Spanish)

  • Ollie Hinkle Heart Foundation – Ollie’s Branch

    The Ollie Hinkle Heart Foundation (OHHF) offers a variety of information, resources and mental health support for families caring for children with pediatric heart conditions and heart disease. OHHF resources include:

    • Free mental health services through Ollie’s Branch. All sessions are completely free regardless of insurance status.
    • Financial support for families whose heart warrior is currently inpatient or has been admitted within three months of the request. OHHF Community Outreach requests are considered on a case-by-case basis and can help with housing, utilities, transportation, medical bills, and more.

    OHHF’s mental health access program is open to heart-warrior families anywhere in Illinois. Financial support requests may come from anywhere in the United States.

  • Accessible Chef

    Accessible Chef is a collection of free visual recipes and other resources to help teach cooking skills to individuals with disabilities at home or in a special education classroom.

  • Epilepsy and Seizures 24/7 Helpline

    The Epilepsy Foundation’s Epilepsy and Seizures 24/7 Helpline has trained information specialists to help answer your questions about epilepsy and seizures and provide you with help, hope, support, guidance and access to national and local resources. You can access the helpline in several ways:

    • Online Help Form
    • Phone (English): (800) 332-1000
    • Phone (en español): (866) 748-8008

    The helpline serves people living with epilepsy, caregivers and friends of someone with epilepsy and anyone who wants to learn more about epilepsy. It can provide information about current epilepsy treatment and alternative therapies, medication questions, support groups, seizure first aid, emotional support and more.

  • Fathering a Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing Child: An Onboarding Checklist for Dads

    The Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) Parent to Parent Committee developed a checklist written by fathers of children who are deaf or hard of hearing(D/HH) for dads or any person who feels that they fulfill this role in a child’s life.

    “Fathering a Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing Child: An Onboarding Checklist for Dads” provides information and action steps to support and encourage fathers to take an active role in every aspect of their child’s life from the start. The guide shares information from a dad’s perspective on topics including:

    • The ” new dad” learning curve
    • Language and communication
    • School and legal rights
    • Well-being