USAAA is dedicated to… Providing immediate solutions through expert guidance and compassionate support. Consolidating the overwhelming amount of information and resources to simplify the lives of all associated with autism. Individualizing education on treatments and services for the diverse population of those affected. Providing networking opportunities for parents, professionals, students, educators, and individuals.

By recognizing the highly individual and diverse nature of treatment and services, USAAA offers information and education that reflects a variety of views and practices regarding treatment and services to allow maximum choice and benefit for the ASD community.

Click for website

The Sibling Support Project is a national effort dedicated to the life-long concerns of brothers and sisters of people who have special health, developmental, or mental health concerns.

We believe that disabilities, illness, and mental health issues affect the lives of all family members. Consequently, we want to increase the peer support and information opportunities for brothers and sisters of people with special needs and to increase parents’ and providers’ understanding of sibling issues.

The Sibling Support Project’s Family of Facebook Groups and Yahogroups

Since 1996, the Sibling Support Project’s groups have connected tens of thousands of sisters and brothers from around the globe with their peers, providing members with validation, information, and advice.

SibNet–SibNet is a warm and thoughtful community and the Internet’s first and largest group for adult siblings of people with special needs. The Sibling Leadership Network now cohosts SibNet with the Sibling Support Project. SibNet is available as both a Facebook group and a Yahoogroup. http://www.siblingsupport.org/connect/the-sibnet-listserv

SibTeen–For quite a while, we have wanted to create a place on the Internet just for teenage brothers and sisters. We’re happy to announce that SibTeen is now available as a Yahoogroup and a Facebook group. What a great group of kids!
http://www.siblingsupport.org/connect/sibteen-facebook-group-and-yahoogroup

SibKids is a Yahoogroup just for young sibs where they can discuss life with their brothers and sisters—and maybe music, movies, school and their lives. SibKids has volunteer adult sib and parent “camp counselors” who help make SibKids a safe place to hang out. http://www.siblingsupport.org/connect/index_html

SibParent is a Yahoogroup where parents of kids with special needs can talk about their “other” kids. As many SibParent participants are also parents of kids who attend Sibshops, SibParent is also forum for parents who want to support the Sibshop movement.
http://www.siblingsupport.org/connect/sibparent-a-listserv-just-for-parents

SibGroup–SibGroup is a Yahoogroup and Facebook group just for those who are running Sibshops. On SibGroup members share bright ideas, activities, challenges, funding opportunities and lots more with colleagues from around the world. And, as SibGroup is our primary means of communicating with all Sibshops, at least one staff member from each registered Sibshop must belong to SibGroup.
http://www.siblingsupport.org/sibshops/sibshops-listserv

GKSN—Grandparents of Kids with Special Needs is our newest initiative—both a Facebook group and a Yahoogroup. As our members tell us, “If you have a grandchild with special needs, no one will understand your joys and concerns better than another grandparent.” Visit GKSN for more details and help us spread the word! http://gksn.org/

The Sibling Support Project E-Newsletter–Subscribe to this list to get occasional updates about the work of the Sibling Support Project. Unlike the above groups, members only receive information. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SiblingSupportProject/join

Click for website

Parents Helping Parents is a parent-directed non-profit resource center offering educational programs, health related services, and support networks for children and adults with special needs.
PHP empowers families to become effective advocates and helps both children and adults with special needs reach their full potential and find their valuable place in society.

Established in 1976 as a nonprofit agency, Parents Helping Parents, meets the needs of one of our community’s most vulnerable populations – children with any special need and their families. This includes children of all ages and all backgrounds who have a need for special services due to any special need, including but not limited to illness, cancer, accidents, birth defects, neurological conditions, premature birth, learning or physical disabilities, mental health issues, and attention deficit (hyperactivity) disorder, to name a few.

Click for website

MyAutismTeam is the social network for parents of children with autism. You can share daily experiences & questions, and find recommendations of local autism specialists (from doctors and OTs, to barbers and dentists). MyAutismTeam helps you build up your team of autism providers who provide a range of services to help your child thrive.

Parents use MyAutismTeam to exchange tips and advice about their favorite autism providers with other parents by recommending their team of providers, writing reviews of providers and even adding autism-friendly businesses to the autism database

Sponsored by MyHealthTeams, the “mission is to make it easy for parents to find the most highly recommended autism providers and autism friendly businesses near them. Our belief is that the best source of such information comes from the experience of other parents who have walked in your shoes.”

Click for website

The National Federation of Families is a national family-run organization linking more than 120 chapters and state organizations focused on the issues of children and youth with emotional, behavioral, or mental health needs and substance use challenges and their families.

Click for website

Families that have special needs children are typically overwhelmed with school, medical and therapy reports that need to be easily accessible when when requested for Independent Education Planning sessions, progress evaluations and for filing insurance claims. Giving your family a Care Notebook, may be the best gift they will receive for years to come. It helps them to organize the huge amount of paperwork they have and relieves a lot of stress. It is easy to find the components at any office supply store and should cost approximately $25. Here’s how you can make one:

Care Notebook Contents

• A plain 3-ring binder with 2 inch rings. To personalize the binder, select one with a clear pocket on the front where you can insert a picture of your grandchild.
• A notebook 3-hole punch, a small stapler, colored small “post it” note pads, a highlighter pen and paper clips
• A 3-hole vinyl business card holder
• A vinyl pen/supply pocket holder with zipper
• Notebook index dividers with 10 sections

Suggested Categories for Index Tabs

• Emergency Information
• Medical Records
• Education Reports
• Therapies
• Insurance Claims
• Local Service Agencies
• Autism Resources
• Activities
• Child Care/Respite Help, If applicable
• Extra Blank Tabs can be filled in by Parents

Assembling the Notebook

Place the 3 ring hole punch at the front of the notebook and add the additional vinyl pockets for supplies and business cards. Put the stapler, “post it” notes, pens, clips, etc. in the supply pocket.

Label the dividers with the appropriate categories and place them behind the vinyl pockets in the notebook.

Offer to Help Organize and File the Records

If possible, offer to help sort and file the paperwork in the notebook with the most recent reports on the top. Set aside, but do not discard duplicates, or any of the paperwork. Label them so that your children can decide what to do with the extra copies.
You may want to purchase additional binders. Some families have a binder for every year, but the current academic year is typically the main focus for schools, physicians and therapists to review. If you are mailing the Care Notebook, consider using a USPS flat rate box.

The mission of Autism Support Network is conveyed in our tagline: connect, guide and unite.
Our goal is to short-cut the uphill battle individuals and families undertake when faced with autism – whether that means the initial diagnosis, the day-to-day living and coping needed, relationship and therapeutic strategies and the latest information.

Our support community, which is free for anyone to join, is intended to further reduce the need to “reinvent the wheel” and collectively pool global knowledge and support from all those touched by ASD wherever they might live.

We all experience frustration and can feel isolation in our journeys with ASD. The Autism Support Network is designed as a place by those living with ASD for those with ASD and those seeking social connection, peer guidance and a feeling of community with those that understand.

Can be accessed in many languages.

Click for website

Autism Speaks’ provides a state by state guide to resources for families with links to support services which are listed by categories. You can also provide information about a service or service provider you feel may be helpful to individuals with autism and their families on this site.

Click for website