Families with Children who have Disabilities Now have Access to an Online Resource Directory in Spanish
Exceptional Lives is excited to announce that its comprehensive Resource Directory designed to provide information on services available to children with disabilities has been translated into Spanish. This free, on-line directory provides a wealth of information on local services tailored to a child’s specific needs and can be easily accessed by parents and professionals who work with families such as doctors, therapists and psychologists.
“When parents learn that their child has a disability or a chronic illness, they begin a journey of difficult choices, financial hardships, interactions with many different professionals and specialists, and a constant need for information and assistance.” said Exceptional Lives Board Member Cynthia Strauss.“Our Resource Directory allows parents and providers to quickly locate relevant disability resources in their area, including family grants, free legal aid, and resources covered by MassHealth.”
Many programs and services for children with special needs, such as social skills groups, sports teams, and summer programs, are delivered outside of the school and healthcare systems. These programs not only enhance the life of a child with special needs, but also provide a needed break for the caregiver. Most of these programs are small, serving less than fifty children at one time, and have no marketing or advertising budgets to make families aware they exist. Thus, parents rely on word of mouth to learn about such programs, which means they often miss out on opportunities that could be valuable to their child.
Over 347,780 Massachusetts families and care providers have accessed our How-To Guides and Resource Directory since we launched the on-line platform in 2015. Now that a Spanish version of the Resource Directory is also available online and can be accessed for free 24/7, we anticipate an even greater number of families will be able to find the information they need to care for and support their child with disabilities. The Spanish Resource Directory was funded through a generous grant from the Butler Foundation.
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