Education Resources
Suburban Access, Inc. is an independent service coordination and advocacy agency that links children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities to life-enhancing services, programs, experiences and personal supports to empower them to live life without limits. Suburban Access offers a variety of programs to help people with intellectual disabilities overcome barriers and advance their independence, learning and community connections.
Suburban Access has locations in Homewood and Hillside. It serves south and west suburban Cook County. For more information, call (708) 799-9190.
SUPE: Substance Use Prevention Education
SUPE: Substance Use Prevention Education provides free resources to help individuals of all ages and backgrounds learn about the dangers of drugs and how to help those who may be affected by substance use. Educational materials are available in English and Spanish and include engaging videos targeting kids, teens, parents, teachers, employers and more.
SUPE offers up-to-date, easy-to-understand information on topics such as:
- Edibles and vaping education and prevention for kids
- Tips for talking to grandchildren about substance use
- The link between bullying and substance use
- Do’s and don’ts for teachers speaking to students about drugs
Supporting Children With Limited Verbal Skills Tip Sheet
This Supporting Children With Limited Verbal Skills tip sheet from the Illinois Early Learning Project provides strategies that are helpful to all children but are particularly helpful for those with limited verbal skills.
IEL offers a wide variety of one-page, easy-to-read tip sheets covering a wide range of topics for parents and teachers of young children.
All tipsheets are available in Spanish and English. Selected tipsheets are available in Polish, Korean, Chinese, Arabic, Russian and French.
Swann Special Care Center is a non-profit organization located in Champaign that offers residential and educational programs for people with severe and profound intellectual disabilities. Its programs serve residents from throughout Illinois and include residential nursing care, adult day training and an accredited year-round school. Swann Special Care Center also offers:
- Restorative and long-term habilitation
- Palliative and end-of-life care
- Evaluation on an individual and ongoing basis
- Physical, occupational and speech therapies
For questions, please visit Swann Center’s Contact Us page online, or call (217) 356-5164.
Take N.O.T.E. of Learning Differences
Take N.O.T.E. is an initiative developed by Understood in partnership with the American Academy of Pediatrics. It aims to help parents identify the signs of learning or thinking differences in their children.
The Arc of Illinois Family-to-Family Health Information Center
The Arc of Illinois Family-to-Family Health Information Center works with families and professionals to address questions and concerns about the health of children and youth with special healthcare needs and disabilities under the age of 22. The center uses its team’s extensive parental and professional experience to help other families access resources, communicate with medical providers and raise children at home in their communities.
The center offers individual assistance for questions about Medicaid, Supplemental Security Income, insurance, Medicaid waivers, disability programs, special education and more. The center also helps families connect with local, regional, statewide and national partners for support, information sharing and skill building.
For more information, call (815) 464-1832 ext. 1017, or (866) 931-1110. For information in Spanish, call (800) 588-7002
The Arc@School Special Education Initiative
The Arc@School‘s online advocacy curriculum provides the basic information that parents, educators and other advocates need to support students and families in navigating the special education system, including understanding the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Early Intervention services, Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), Section 504 and more.
The program offers information on the supports, services and rights for students with disabilities.
The Autism Program of Illinois (TAP)
The Autism Program of Illinois (TAP) Service Network is a collaboration of five universities and 10 organizations that together operate 20 centers across the state to provide services to children, families, educators, childcare providers, and medical professionals.
Illinois residents can participate in TAP’s Advocating for Supports to Improve Service Transitions (ASSIST) Training Program. The training features twelve modules focused on helping families advocate for adult services on behalf of their child or young adult on the autism spectrum. Each module features an expert-led presentation and time for discussion.
Topics include:
- Guardianship and alternatives to guardianship
- Medicaid waiver services
- Social Security benefits
- Health insurance
- Special needs trusts
- Post-secondary education and employment
The Center for Enriched Living
The Center for Enriched Living (CEL) provides a wide range of services to enrich the lives of teens, adults and seniors with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). CEL programs include social, recreational and employment programs, events, adult day programs, and mental health and wellness support to people with IDD, their families and caregivers.
CEL is independently funded and partners with the community for donations, regular volunteers, advocacy and collaborations that support people with IDD.
For questions, please contact (847) 948-7001 or info@CenterForEnrichedLiving.org.
The Decibels Foundation supports children with hearing loss from birth through the time that they enter a mainstream educational environment and beyond. Using a family-centered approach to hearing loss programs, the Decibels Foundation helps the children by first helping their parents learn how to raise a child with a hearing loss, then helping school systems understand what it takes to educate a child with hearing loss.
The Decibels Foundation’s Resources page offers key information on:
- Associations and programs
- Articles and books
- Simulated demonstrations of listening with hearing loss and devices
- Cochlear implant resources
- Education and accessibility
- Speech and language support
- Social and emotional support
- Apps and more
For questions, contact the Decibels Foundation at (978) 637-2622 or info@decibelsfoundation.org.