Non-English/Multilingual Resources Resources
Tips for Families: Receiving Early Intervention Services Through the Phone, Tablet, or Computer
The Early Childhood Personnel Center and UConn Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities provide a checklist to help families prepare for virtual Early Intervention services.
Tips for Teens on Talking With Your Parents or Guardians About Vaccines
Talking with family members about vaccines and healthcare choices can be stressful and scary, especially for teens. The Illinois Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics (ICAAP) has created a “Tips for Teens – Talking with Your Parents or Guardians About Vaccines” handout in English and Spanish to help teens navigate those tricky conversations.
Toilet Training Children with Special Needs – HealthyChildren.org
The American Academy of Pediatrics’ website HealthyChildren.org provides parents of children with disabilities information for determining when to start and how to begin the toilet-training process.
The information includes:
An overview of physical and developmental challenges and how they can impact toilet training
Tips on when and how to begin toilet training
The importance of having a parent support network and focusing on celebrating your child’s overall growth, not the mistakeThis information is also available in Spanish.
Travel Guide for Children with Medical Complexity
Traveling with a child with medical complexity can be challenging. With extra planning, a family vacation can be a memorable and enjoyable experience. This travel guide from the Courageous Parents Network offers practical advice on choosing a location, what and how to pack the medical supplies your child needs, tips for traveling by car and airplane, and what precautions to take should your child have a medical emergency while on vacation.
The guide is available in English and Spanish.
UCP – Center for Disability Services
UCP – Center for Disability Services (UCP-CDS) in Joliet serves individuals with severe, multiple disabilities including autism, epilepsy, traumatic brain injury, orthopedic impairment and other developmental disabilities. UCP-CDS provides its services in a five-county area including Will, Kankakee, Grundy, Kendall and Iroquois.
UCP-CDS also provides in-home respite for families of individuals with developmental disabilities. Participants enrolled in the In-Home Respite Program may receive up to 360 hours per year. The participant cannot be enrolled in a state waiver program. The family must find their own respite provider and be located in Will or Grundy counties. For more information, contact Kassandra Farley at (815) 744-3500, extension 202.
UIC’s Resource Center for Autism and Developmental Delays
UIC’s Resource Center for Autism and Developmental Delays (RCADD) provides support for those who care for, teach and serve children with an autism spectrum disorder or other developmental delays. RCADD serves families currently enrolled in an Early Head Start or Head Start program as well as others throughout the Chicagoland area.
Anyone can also visit RCADD’s website for:
- Free autism trainings/webinars in English and Spanish
- Printable visuals
- Activity ideas
For questions, please contact RCADD at (312) 413-4441 or rcadd@uic.edu.
Understanding Inclusion Online Series for Parents of Young Children With Disabilities
Early CHOICES offers a free, online series for parents of young children with disabilities, practitioners, educators and administrators in Early Intervention or early childhood programs. The Understanding Inclusion series covers everything from defining inclusion to dreaming big for your child and includes:
- Short videos
- Activities to promote inclusion
- Topic guides to support you in reflection and resource gathering
Flyers outlining the series’ details are available in English and Spanish.
Universidad Popular (UP) is a nonprofit organization that promotes community empowerment through participatory learning. UP provides language courses, a wide range of youth and family support, job readiness training, independent living skills, a digital literacy program, health and nutrition seminars, and more. Its programs include:
- Youth Mentoring Initiative for young men
- UP to Youth featuring fun activities promoting mental and physical health, coding and community engagement
- Families Learning to Teach
- Learning to Succeed
- Overcoming Barriers to Success for people with disabilities
- Digital Literacy Program
- Health and Literacy Initiative
Universidad Popular is located at 2801 S. Hamlin Ave. in Chicago with sites in Little Village and West Lawn.
For more information, please call UP at (773) 733-5055 or visit the Contact Us Page to complete the online form.
West40 Community Resources in West Cook County
West40 serves 38 school districts and three co-ops in West Cook County. West40 provides a wide range of in-school advocacy, student-centered programs and links to community resources to help students and the people surrounding them succeed.
West40 offers:
- A community resource page with links to help with food, mental health needs, special education and more
- The Heart 2 Heart Program for students in grades K-12 in the Alternative Learning Opportunities Program (ALOP)
- Family engagement, immigration and other networking and support resources
Call (708) 449-4284 or use the West40 Contact Us form for more information.
Western Avenue Community Center in Bloomington
Western Avenue Community Center (WACC) offers programs for youth and seniors, interpretation and translation services, and a food program. WACC programs are open to anyone in the community. Its programs include:
- Interpretation and translation services in French and Spanish for medical, legal, educational and other general documents
- Mentoring and after-school programs
- Adult education and GED classes
- The Mamás Hogareñas Group to educate and support all moms in the community
- Food program for the Bloomington-Normal community
- Fitness programs
WACC is open Monday-Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
If you have questions, call (309) 829-4807. Para servicio en español, llame (309) 834-9205.