Learning Disabilities and Differences

The Arc of Greater Boston (The ArcGB) is a non-profit organization serving children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Our goal is to help persons with disabilities ensure that they receive the individualized services necessary to achieve their full potential. We strive to assist individuals in becoming productive members of their communities, while at the same time educating communities on the many positive qualities and attributes of persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Parent Support Group
Greater Lowell Psychiatric Associates, LLC
1st Saturday, 10am-12pm
9 Acton Road, Suite 17, Chelmsford, MA 01824
April Farley: (978) 256-6579 x21 or afarley@glpaonline.org

Project Link is designed to prepare GED and ESL students to enter degree and certificate programs at BCC at no cost to students. Participants attend courses in basic writing, reading and mathematics, as well as seminars on such topics as student skills, employment prospects and applying for financial aid.
Students receive one-on-one advising and assistance throughout the program to ensure It fulfills their individual educational needs.

CHADD (Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) is the nation's leading non-profit organization serving individuals with AD/HD and their families. CHADD provides information on ADHD through its website and the bi-monthly Attention! magazine, and also sponsors an annual conference. The organization has over 16,000 members in 200 local chapters, which offer support for individuals, parents, teachers, professionals, and others. CHADD's National Resource Center on AD/HD (see separate profile) is a clearinghouse for evidence-based information about AD/HD.

The College Internship Program at the Berkshire Center provides individualized, post-secondary academic, internship and independent living experiences for young adults with Asperger's Syndrome, ADHD and other Learning Differences.

Learning Differently. Teaching Differently. Succeeding.
Established in 1988, the Stratford Foundation Inc is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization supporting the Commonwealth Learning Center, Professional Training Institute, and Commonwealth Learning Online Institute. Our mission is to be a valuable educational resource for the community through one-to-one instruction and multisensory professional development.

The Disabilities Resource Network (DRN) is an information and referral service for people with disabilities throughout Greater Boston. The goal of the DRN is to help people with disabilities find programs and services within the community that are accessible and offer opportunities for the fullest level of participation possible. An experienced professional works with callers to find services and programs related to religious life, education, social/recreational, housing, legal/advocacy, vocational, or any aspect of life in the community. This service is non-sectarian and free of charge.

Family TIES of Massachusetts is a program for families of children with special needs and chronic illness, and the professionals who support them. Family TIES offers parent-to-parent support, information and referral services, and workshops to ensure that parents feel confident in caring for their children's special needs. The website offers information about services and supports, as well as personal experiences from early intervention through transition to adulthood. In addition, Family TIES offers regional coordinators who help parents of children with special needs get connected to support groups in their area.

Gateways: Access to Jewish Education enables students with a broad range of special educational challenges in the Greater Boston area to access Jewish education in the setting their parents wish for them. Gateways' goal is to help these children succeed academically, socially, and spiritually so that they may become participants in the Jewish community. Gateways works with students, teachers and staff to help generalize developmental, academic, and social skills and strategies. The program assists teachers in Jewish day schools with curriculum modifications and provides teachers with professional development. Gateways also offers Jewish education programs and special education consultation services to Jewish organizations in the community.

The Trauma and Learning Policy Initiative's (TLPI) mission is to ensure that children traumatized by exposure to family violence and other adverse childhood experiences succeed in school. To accomplish this mission, TLPI engages in a host of advocacy strategies including: legislative advocacy, administrative advocacy, coalition building, outreach and education, research and report writing, and limited individual case representation in special education where a child's traumatic experiences are interfacing with his or her disabilities.

Information clearinghouse for people with disabilities. Includes database of disability programs and services in MA; fact sheet library on disabilities; recent local and national news about disabilities; and info on multicultural competency. You can also submit a request online or call the phone numbers above for specific resources in your area.

Parent/Professional Advocacy League (PAL) is an organization that promotes a strong voice for families of children and adolescents with mental health needs. PAL advocates for supports, treatment and policies that enable families to live in their communities in an environment of stability and respect.

The College Internship Program at the Berkshire Center provides individualized, post-secondary academic, internship and independent living experiences for young adults with Asperger's Syndrome and other Learning Differences. With our support and direction, students learn to develop and realize their potential.

The Lurie Center (formerly LADDERS) is a highly successful program designed to evaluate and treat children and adults having a wide variety of developmental and handicapping conditions. Our mission is to provide the highest quality clinical, social and support services to those diagnosed with autism, pervasive developmental disorders and other developmental disabilities.
LADDERS, a program of Mass. General Hospital, is unique because of the population it serves and because it uses a multidisciplinary approach which begins with comprehensive medical evaluations and extends to supporting the well-being of patients and families. Nurses, social workers, speech pathologists, occupational therapists, physical therapists, neuro-psychologists, special education professionals and family members are involved in the treatment processes in addition to the physicians. Each has a depth of expertise in their respective field.

The Paul Center is dedicated to assisting individuals with disabilities in developing their maximum potential and independence. We accomplish this goal by providing services to the individual as well as to the family. The Board of Directors and staff of The Paul Center believe that through consistent quality programming we can and do provide an optimal educational and recreational experience needed by our students.We stress with our staff the importance of establishing and maintaining a "spirit of extended family" with our students. This spirit transcends all aspects of our programs and continues to be a significant factor in our success with our students.

Think College is an initiative of the Institute for Community Inclusion (ICI) at the University of Massachusetts Boston. ICI has been a leader in the area of postsecondary education for people with intellectual and other developmental disabilities for over fifteen years. As interest in postsecondary education for people with intellectual or developmental disabilities has expands, so has the need for research and training in this area. ICI currently has three federal grants designed to conduct research and provide training and technical assistance for professionals, families, and students related to postsecondary education for individuals with intellectual and other developmental disabilities.

Understanding Our Differences, Inc. is a nonprofit organization working to increase information, understanding and acceptance of people with disabilities and individual differences. Since 1978, Understanding Our Differences has touched the lives of thousands of children and adults in Newton, Massachusetts through the delivery of a unique and creative disability awareness curriculum in collaboration with the Newton Public Schools. This award-winning program has been disseminated to more than 200 schools and organizations nationwide.

Yesodot's mission is to maximize the potential and build community foundations ("yesodot" is Hebrew for foundations) for children and young adults with disabilities in the metro Boston area. Yesodot welcomes Jewish and interfaith families. Yesodot is a family-centered and family-directed support program that provides a varied menu of services and programs to families whose loved ones have developmental, physical, learning or other disabilities. These services and programs include: parent and sibling support, family recreational outings, education workshops, programs for young people transitioning from high school, and information on assistive technology. Its accessible website includes listings of programs and upcoming events, online discussion groups to connect with other families, and a wide variety of information and resources on disabilities.

Do To Learn is an online collection of hands-on resources for children with autism, Asperger's Syndrome, and learning disabilities. Most of the materials on the website are free; they include games, puzzles, songs, and charts that help children learn social skills, emotion recognition, verbal communication, and other important skills. There are also extensive resources for teachers, such as classroom activities and organizational plans. In addition, the website offers information to parents on autism spectrum disorders and learning disabilities.

The International Dyslexia Association (IDA) is a non-profit scientific and educational organization dedicated to the study and treatment of dyslexia and related language-based learning differences. The IDA actively promotes effective teaching approaches and related clinical educational intervention strategies for people with dyslexia. It facilitates the interdisciplinary exploration of the causes and early identification of dyslexia, and is committed to the responsible and wide dissemination of research-based knowledge. The IDA's website includes information about dyslexia and its treatment, as well as a bibliography of research articles. The IDA can be emailed for a list of local treatment providers in your area.

The goal of Kids Together is to remove barriers that exclude people with disabilities. Kids Together supports the belief that children with disabilities, like all children, have the need to be welcomed, cherished and embraced in our communities. To this end, the organization provides information, resources, educational materials and trainings on inclusion and disabilities for parents, teachers, school administrators, service providers, businesses, therapists, recreational facilities and others. It also educates the public about inclusion and its benefits for everyone, and demonstrates inclusive practices through various community events. Kids Together offers an online networking community and free nationwide listserv.

A college for students with learning disabilities and/or AD/HD. Landmark College's mission is to transform the way students learn, educators teach and the public thinks about education. We provide highly accessible approaches to learning that empower individuals who learn differently to exceed their aspirations and to achieve their greatest potential. Through the Landmark College Institute for Research and Training, the College aims to extend its mission across the nation and throughout the world.

LD OnLine.org is the world's leading web site on learning disabilities and ADHD, serving more than 200,000 parents, teachers, and other professionals each month. The site features hundreds of helpful articles, multimedia, monthly columns by noted experts, first person essays, children's writing and artwork, a comprehensive resource guide, very active forums, and a Yellow Pages referral directory of professionals, schools, and products.

The Learning Disabilities Association of America (LDA) is a non-profit volunteer organization advocating for individuals with learning disabilities. Its mission is to create opportunities for success for all individuals affected by learning disabilities, and to reduce the incidence of learning disabilities in future generations. The LDA promotes research into prevention, identification, assessment, and intervention for learning disabilities, and advocates for the rights of people with learning disabilities. Its website includes information on learning disabilities for parents, teachers, and professionals, as well as for adults who have learning disabilities.

The National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD) works to ensure that the nation's 15 million children, adolescents, and adults with learning disabilities have every opportunity to succeed in school, work, and life. To that end, the NCLD provides essential information to parents, professionals, and individuals with learning disabilities, promotes research and programs to foster effective learning, and advocates for policies to protect and strengthen educational rights and opportunities. The NCLD website offers tools for supporting individuals with learning disabilities throughout the lifespan and in a variety of settings.

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. Our mission is accomplished by training local service providers on how to create community-based peer support programs for young siblings; hosting workshops, listservs, and websites for young and adult siblings; and increasing parents' and providers' awareness of siblings' unique, lifelong, and ever-changing concerns through workshops, websites, and written materials. Visit the website for local listings of "Sibshops", i.e. sibling support programs.

The College Support Program (CSP) is a satellite of the College Internship Program (CIP), a well-established program founded in 1984 which assists college age students with Learning Differences to achieve success.Opening August of 2010, the College Support Program (CSP) is located in Amherst, New York, a residential suburb near Buffalo, and is designed to support college students with Asperger's Syndrome, ADD and other learning differences as they attend college and pursue a degree.