Rockford Resources
Inclusion Brochure from the Illinois State Board of Education
The Illinois State Board of Education’s Inclusion Brochure provides an overview of early childhood inclusion, the benefits of high-quality inclusive programs, teaching models that support inclusion, and more. It can also help families and professionals to better explain least restrictive environment (LRE) and inclusion.
The brochure is also available in these languages: Arabic Inclusion Brochure, Cantonese Inclusion Brochure, French Inclusion Brochure, Japanese Inclusion Brochure, Mandarin Inclusion Brochure, Polish Inclusion Brochure and Spanish Inclusion Brochure.
Illinois Dyslexia Guide: A Handbook for Parents, Educators, and Students and Dyslexia Toolkit
The Illinois State Board of Education’s (ISBE) Dyslexia Guide: A Handbook for Parents, Educators, and Students provides information and guidance about dyslexia and related disorders for educational professionals, school leaders, families, guardians, and students. The handbook seeks to empower stakeholder groups to better understand dyslexia and strengthen programs to meet the educational and social-emotional needs of children and adolescents who struggle to learn to read.
You can use the handbook alone or with the Dyslexia Toolkit. The toolkit’s ever-evolving collection of additional resources includes laws, websites, videos, and podcasts for families and educators.
Visit the Specific Learning Disability Support Project (SLD Supports) website for these resources and more.
Miracle Flights provides free commercial airline tickets to pediatric patients ages 17 and under in need of life-changing medical care far from home. Families must meet certain requirements and apply online using the online application for requesting each flight.
The organization also provides flights for service dog retrieval and/or training. Miracle Flights’ service dog program is open to all individuals who need help retrieving/training their service dog.
The Sunshine Foundation helps make dreams come true for children ages 3 to 18 who have severe or profound illnesses or conditions. Referrals can come from anywhere in the United States for children with severe or profound physical/developmental/intellectual challenges or trauma from physical/sexual abuse and whose families have limited income.
Dream requests can include:
- Staying at the Sunshine Foundation Dream Village and visiting area theme parks and attractions
- Funding towards a special gift or item of interest
- Funding towards medical or adaptive equipment that insurance may not cover
The Kids Wish Network provides programs to help inspire hope, create happy memories, share comfort and reach kids in life-altering situations. The organization grants wishes and provides programs across the country to children between the ages of 3 and 18 who are facing extraordinary challenges due to illness, hospitalization, homelessness, and abuse. Anyone can refer a child.
Kids Wish Network services include:
- Lifetime Wishes – grants customized wishes to children who are battling a life-threatening medical condition
- A Child Forever – comforts families devastated by the loss of a child by offering funeral assistance and ensuring a proper end-of-life ceremony
- Holiday of Hope – brings holiday happiness to children facing poverty, addiction, homelessness and life-altering situations
- Hero Wishes – helps brave kid-warriors who have survived tough and often tragic life circumstances
- Project Toy Drop – delivers gifts and laughter to at-risk youth and kids of American servicemen or women
Disability EmpowHer Network is a non-profit run by and for girls and women with disabilities that connects, motivates, and guides girls and women to learn and develop to their highest potential and have the confidence to lead. The group, based in Rochester, NY, focuses on building skills and community by connecting girls with disabilities with successful women with disabilities to serve as mentors and role models.
Resources and programs include:
- A stories blog
- EmpowHer Camp (a year-long program)
- Letter from a role model
- Get a Mentor
- EmpowHer Expressions, a public speaking and career coaching program
Find Treatment for Mental and Substance Use Disorders
FindTreatment.gov is a confidential and anonymous resource for people seeking treatment options anywhere in the United States. Information about paying for treatment and understanding addiction and mental health is also available. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality (CBHSQ) oversees the site.
FindTreatment.org also offers:
- The National Helpline at (800) 662-4357
- State substance use and mental health agency links and phone numbers
- Video tutorials for using the site
- Information about the Disaster Distress Helpline for counseling related to disasters
- Other treatment resources
Rebuilding Together is a nationwide nonprofit providing critical, high-impact home repair and renovation services at no cost to eligible homeowners in need. Organization affiliates focus on community projects aimed at improving safety, quality of life and independence for all people. Illinois affiliates are located in Aurora, Henry County, Metro Chicago, North Suburban Chicago, Peoria, Southwest Illinois, and Stephenson County.
Use the Rebuilding Together locator to get up-to-date information for each location. Rebuilding Together services may include:
- Ramps and home repair services targeting significant safety and health hazards
- Minor repairs and modifications such as installing grab bars and securing or installing interior and exterior railings
- Community projects based on input from residents and other stakeholders
Understood is a nonprofit dedicated to helping people with learning and thinking differences thrive in school, at work and throughout life. Understood raises awareness about dyslexia, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and neurodiversity by sharing personal stories and providing resources for understanding behaviors, supporting learning, building everyday skills and exploring careers.
Understood’s resources include:
- Fact sheets on myths, ADHD, bullying and more
- Toolkits
- Communication strategies for all stages of life
- Podcasts featuring personal stories and perspectives
“All About Me” Page Templates
It’s important for everyone involved in your child’s care to understand their needs and what makes them unique. The Division of Specialized Care for Children (DSCC) has created “All About Me” Pages that you can personalize to help anyone on your care team and beyond get to know your child. These free templates highlight what works best for your child, what they like and dislike and who they are as a person.
There are a variety of designs to choose from to help you capture your child’s personality. You can share them with doctors, nurses, schools, other caregivers and more. Templates are available in both English and Spanish.