St. Clair Resources
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
Advice on Returning to School in “New Normal” Times
The Child Neurology Foundation and the American Academy of Pediatrics have joined forces with medical and educational experts to create a Back-to-School Educational Series.
The series covers issues including:
- When a child should return to school
- Medications in school
- Holding an Individualized Education Program (IEP) in the “new normal” COVID-19 era
- Additional resources to inform decision-making for families of children with special needs
Caritas Family Solutions is a non-profit social services agency that works to meet the physical, social and emotional needs of people in southern Illinois.
Services include adoption support, foster care, community integrated living arrangements, counseling, parenting classes, pregnancy care and more.
Comprehensive Community Based Youth Services (CCBYS)
Comprehensive Community Based Youth Services (CCBYS) serves youth ages 11 to 17 who are involved in the legal system or at risk of crisis (homelessness, etc.). CCBY provides programs to help stabilize families and prevent or minimize involvement in the child welfare and/or juvenile justice systems. Anyone can request services for an eligible youth, including the youth.
CCBY services include:
- Assessments
- Statewide 24/7 crisis intervention services
- Juvenile justice system intervention services
- Placement services for crisis youth – shelter, foster care, etc.
You can contact the toll-free CCBYS Information Line at (877) 870-2663.
Illinois Cares for Kids provides parents, caregivers, teachers and childcare providers a place to find information on statewide programs related to early learning and development, child care and family well-being in English and Spanish. The website includes information about:
- Child development and education for kids of all ages
- Healthcare coverage and emotional well-being
- Home visiting programs
- Child care subsidy programs
- Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
- Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF)
- Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
- “Ready for K” (Ready4K), a statewide text messaging platform offering fun facts and tips on children’s learning and development in multiple languages