1. Exceptional Lives
  2. Massachusetts Guides
  3. Special Education Services
  4. References and Quick Survey

Resources to learn more

If you want to learn more, print out this booklet, or click on the button below for a list of other resources.

Or you can download it at the bottom of the page.

 

Click on the box below for more resources:

These are helpful resources to help you learn more about special education.

Click on the titles or web address, and they'll open in a new tab or window. Remember you can print this out and look at them later! (That's why we wrote out the web addresses.)

 

Forms

 

Booklets and Fact Sheets

The Basic Special Education Process Under IDEA

  • 3-page description of the steps in the process

  • http://www.doe.mass.edu/sped/iep/process.pdf  

A Parents' Guide to Special Education

  • This 37-page booklet is written for parents and describes the process in detail.

  • By the Federation for Children with Special Needs and the Mass. Dept. of Education

  • Also available in Spanish and Portuguese.

Parent's Notice of Procedural Safeguards

  • Official rules and processes, 15 pages

  • http://www.doe.mass.edu/sped/prb/ (Also in other languages!)

Individualized Education Plans

  • A 20-page easy-to read guide about IEPs, with lots of pictures

  • From Massachusetts Advocates for Children (MAC)

  • http://massadvocates.org/wp-content/uploads/The-IEP-final-12-15-15.pdf

A Family Guide to Transition Service in Massachusetts

  • A 44-page family-friendly guide about the process of transitioning to adulthood

  • http://fcsn.org/transition_guide/english.pdf  

IDEA Dispute Resolution Parent Guides 

  • Five 8-page booklets about different parts of the process

  • From The Center for Appropriate Dispute Resolution In Special Education (CADRE)

  • http://www.cadreworks.org/resources/cadre-materials/idea-dispute-resolution-parent-guides

Dispute Resolution Process Comparison Chart

  • Also from CADRE (See above)

  • http://www.cadreworks.org/sites/default/files/resources/Dispute%20Resolution%20Process%20Comparison%20Chart.pdf

 

Websites

The Parent Page from the Massachusetts Department of Education Website

  • This will lead you to many other resources

  • http://www.doe.mass.edu/sped/parents.html  

Center for Parent Information and Resources

  • This website is for parents and has all kinds of helpful information. This link goes to the IEP page, but you can click on Resources at the top and find other topics.

  • http://www.parentcenterhub.org/repository/pa12/ 

The Federation for Children with Special Needs

  • Offers support, training and help for families and providers of children with special needs

  • http://fcsn.org/ 

 

Organizations in Massachusetts

Massachusetts Family TIES

  • Offers all kinds of support for parents of children with special needs: parent groups, workshops, personal support and more. Call them to ask any question! 1-800-905-TIES (8437)

  • https://www.massfamilyties.org/ 

The Arc of Massachusetts

  • Advocacy, education and support for people with intellectual or developmental disabilities; see the list of local chapters

  • http://thearcofmass.org/ 

 

See our Resource Directory for more organizations!