Resources

Resources

American Sign Language Resources

180 signed stories (Elementary School)
Bar codes you scan for signed children’s stories (with instructions)

ASL storytelling from Mommy Gone Tropical (Elementary School)
Signed children’s stories on Facebook

Aunt Alice’s ASL TV (Preschool)
300+ signed stories on YouTube for preschoolers

Described and Captioned Media Program (Children and Adults)
Described and captioned educational videos for children who are visually impaired, Deaf, or hard of hearing (you have to sign up for a free membership)

Did You Know That? (Elementary School)
Signed YouTube videos that teach children about interesting facts

ECE’s ASL Corpus (Preschool, Elementary School)
ASL vocabulary videos on YouTube

Family Signs (Children and Adults)
Online sign language instruction program

Assistive Technology

AAC for Caregivers Manual (Elementary)
Resource guide for using augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), including handouts

Accessibility features of Chromebooks and Google Classroom (Children and Adults)
List of accessibility features you can use on Chromebooks and in Google Classroom

Accessibility settings on IOS and Android devices (Children and Adults)
Article about tools to make personal electronic devices accessible

All4mychild social learning apps (Elementary)
Apps for iPhone and iPad that work on social development skills

Assistive Technology Supports (NYC Dept of Educ.) (All school ages)
Links to instructions for using various assistive technology devices

Chrome Extensions for Struggling Students and Special Needs (Children and Adults)
Links to assistive tools that you can put on your computer, such as tools that read a website’s text out loud

Google tools to make presentations accessible (All school ages)
Instructions for using tools like captioning and braille displays in Google Slides

NaturalReader (All school ages)
Online tool that reads text out loud

Parent Training/Resources (Elementary)
Training videos and handouts on strategies for using augmentative and alternative communication (AAC)

Seeing AI (Children and Adults)
Free app that narrates text, pictures, and scenes on iPhones and iPads

Tap Tap See (Children and Adults)
App for people with visual impairments that lets you take a picture and then tells you what it is (for Android and iPhone)

Autism

10 Fun Activities for Children with Autism (Preschool, Elementary)
Craft activities you can do at home

10 Hobbies and Activities to Enjoy With Your Autistic Child (Elementary, Middle & High School)
Recreation activities you can do at home or outside

21 Sensory Activities for Kids with Autism (Preschool, Elementary)
Parent training course in applied behavior analysis (ABA) techniques

Activities for Autistic Adults (Adults)
Activity ideas for adults with autism

Alternative learning tools (Elementary)
Tools for making a home schedule and choosing at-home activities

The Autism Page (Preschool, Elementary)
Activities for young children with autism

The Autism Play Guide (Preschool, Early Elementary)
Ideas for encouraging autistic children’s play skills

Calming routine (Children and Adults)
Visual aid for calming down

Coping with Change (Preschool, Elementary)
Online games for helping children with moderate to severe autism (some games require Adobe Flash Player)

Do2Learn: online songs and games (Preschool, Elementary)
Songs and games you can play on the computer (some games require Adobe Flash Player)

Fabulous and Free Autism Resources for Parents (Preschool, Elementary)
Activities you print and do at home

How to Create a Sensory Room for Your Autistic Child (Children and Adults)
Instructions for making a sensory room in your home

Kids Activities (the Autism Page blog) (Preschool)
Activities you can do at home with kids

Parent Training: Everyday ABA (Boston Med Ctr) (Children and Adults)
Parent training course in applied behavior analysis (ABA) techniques

Parent Working at Home visual (Children and Adults)
Signs you can print and put on a door that tells your child you are working (one for mom, one for dad)

Tools and Techniques for Students on the Autism Spectrum (Texas Autism Circuit) (Children and Adults)
Visual tools you can print out for teaching students with autism, with instructions (you can also enroll for free to watch training webinars)

Children with Special Needs (not for a specific disability)

Birdhouse for Teachers (All school ages)
Organization tool for teaching children with special needs (basic tool is free, and you can pay for premium options)

Brain Breaks: What You Need to Know (All school ages)
Ideas for how to give your kids a break from schoolwork

Eye to Eye Empower app (Middle, High School)
App that helps students make an education advocacy plan (for iPhones and iPads)

ModMath (Grades 2-12)
App that helps kids write out math problems (for iPhones and iPads)

Skill Champ (Preschool, K-3)
Learning app for iPad and iPhone

Special Olympics School of Strength (High School, Adults)
Fitness videos

Teach Me To Talk (Preschool, Elementary)
YouTube videos about working on speech with children

Tools to Grow (Preschool, Elementary)
Activities and resources you can print to work on motor, sensory, and handwriting skills (you have to sign up for a free membership)

UDL Book Builder (Children and Adults)
Online tool for creating and publishing digital books

Occupational Therapy

Occupational Therapy Home Activities (Preschool, Elementary)
Occupational therapy activities to do at home

Occupational Therapy Supports (NYC Dept of Educ.) (All ages)
Occupational therapy activities to do at home (includes an activity packet you can read on the computer or print)

School-based occupational therapy at home (NESCA) (Preschool, Elementary)
Occupational therapy activities to do at home

Physical Therapy

Physical Therapy Supports (NYC Dept of Educ.) (All school ages)
Physical therapy activities to do at home

Reading and Literacy

Alphabetic Principle & Phonics (Preschool, elementary)
Online tools for learning about phonics

BeeLine Reader (Grades 4-12)
App and browser extension that helps with reading

Bookshare (Middle, High School, Adults)
Online library of books for people with print disabilities, such as blindness or dyslexia (you need proof of disability to get a free membership)

Into the Book (Elementary)
Interactive reading activities and video programs

Make Beliefs Comix (Elementary, Middle School)
Website for making comic strips to work on reading, writing, and storytelling

Room Recess (Elementary)
Online reading games

Starfall (Preschool, Elementary)
Online reading materials

Supporting Students with Reading Needs (Elementary)
Online tools for working on reading skills

Speech-Language Therapy

Activities and quizzes by Tracy Boyd, SLP (Preschool, Elementary)
Language and word games you can play online

Adapted story books (Speech Therapy of the Rocky Mountains) (Preschool, Elementary)
Story books with pictures you can cut out and make sentences with (includes a link to a webinar about how to use this kind of book)

Speech and Language Activities for Home (Preschool, Grades K-2)
Speech therapy activities to do at home (you have to sign up for a free account)

Speech and Language Kids (Preschool, Elementary)
Activities and guides for working on speech and language

Speech Buddies (Preschool, Elementary)
Activities and resources about speech therapy (not all resources on the page are free)

Speech therapy book list (Preschool, Elementary)
List of books for working on speech and language goals

Speech Therapy Supports (NYC Dept of Educ.) (All school ages)
Speech therapy activities to do at home

Speech Time Fun (Elementary)
Speech therapy activities (you have to join an email mailing list)

Twenty 5-Minute Speech Therapy Activities You Can Do at Home (Children and Adults)
Speech therapy activities to do at home

Coronavirus Resources

Articles, Advice, and Additional Resources

Autism

• Autism Focused Intervention Resources and Modules (All School Ages)

• Autism Society Facebook page (Children and Adults)

• Autism Society of Greater New Orleans COVID-19 programs (Children and Adults)

• The Benefits of Video-Mediated Instruction (All school ages)

• Coping with the uncertainty of Coronavirus (Children and Adults)

• Coronavirus: Response & Resources (Children and Adults)

• He’s Extraordinary: Tools for Raising an Extraordinary Person (parenting blog) (Preschool, Elementary)

• How to Handle School Closures and Services for your Child with Autism (All school ages)

• Quarantine And Chill: 10 Fun Activities When You Are Asked To Stay At Home (High School, Adult)

• Supporting children through the coronavirus pandemic – lessons from the autistic community (Elementary)

• Supporting Individuals with Autism through Uncertain Times (Children and Adults)

• Talking to your child about tragedy: Six tips for the autism community (Children and Adults)

• What to Do When Your Child on the Autism Spectrum’s Routine Is Disrupted by the Coronavirus (Children and Adults)

Sign Language Resources

• #COVID-19 ASL (Children and Adults)

• COVID in International Sign (Children and Adults)

Resources that are not for a specific disability

• Coronavirus plain language glossary (Middle, High School, Adults)

• Enilda Clinic Resource Library (All School Ages)
  Learning videos about psychology and child development (includes some videos about ADHD, autism, and home-schooling)

• Helping Children Cope with Changes Resulting from COVID-19 (All school ages)

• Helping Children Cope with Emergencies (All school ages)

• How to Talk About Coronavirus With Kids (All school ages)

• It’s ok to be scared: Talking about COVID-19 with your kids (All school ages)

• Keep AAC germ free during the Coronavirus (Children and Adults)

• Kim Rankin blog (All school ages)
  Advice and encouragement for parents whose kids are at home because school is canceled

• Let’s Fight COVID-19 Together with Superhero Me (Children and Adults)

• A Self-Advocate’s Guide to COVID-19 (Middle and High School, Adults)

• Sesame Street: Let’s Get Ready Emergency Preparation (Preschool, Elementary)

• Telehealth for Kids (All school ages)

• Video: Watching TV to Improve Social Skills (Middle, High School)

  Article and YouTube video about how to work on social skills with children when you watch TV with them

• We Got This!! – Help for Special Needs Individuals (Children and Adults)

Education and Home School

Accessibyte online teaching tools for children who are blind, Deaf, visually impaired, or have reading difficulties (All school ages)
Free for 45 days

Adapt to Home School (Stages Learning Materials) (Elementary)

Apps for Students With Special Needs (All School Ages)

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Closed My Child’s School: Is the School Reqired to Make Up Missed Services? (All School Ages)

Deaf Education Library (all school ages)

Distance Learning: 8 Tips to Get Your Child Ready to Learn at Home (All school ages)

Down Syndrome Resource Foundation: Learn at Home (All school ages)

E-Learning for Deaf Kids (All school ages)
Educational videos for Deaf and Hard of Hearing students

Family Guide to At-Home Learning (All school ages)

How to Help Your Special Needs Child Get the Most Out of Home School During Coronavirus Isolation (All school ages)

Learning at Home: Sample Schedule & Resources for Elementary School Students with ADHD (Elementary)

Legal FAQs on Coronavirus, School Closings, and Special Education (All school ages)

National Center for Systemic Improvement (All school ages)
Articles and resources for educating children at home

New DESE Guidance on Special Education Requirements and Remote Learning (All school ages)

Sample Letter to Document a Problem or Request an IEP Meeting (All school ages)

(MA)New Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Guidance on Special Education Requirements and Remote Learning (All school ages)

Special Education Rights and Coronavirus (COVID-19) (All school ages)

Supporting Learning During the COVID-19 Pandemic (All school ages)

Tips for Families in Supporting Their Children with Disabilities in Virtual Formats (All school ages)

Virtual Activities for Teachers and Families COVID-19 (All school ages)

Virtual IEP meeting tip sheets (All school ages)
Ideas and strategies for planning and participating in IEP meetings over video

Social Stories

Changes in visits and school schedule (residential schools) (All school ages)

The Coronavirus (Children and Adults)

COVID-19 Information By and For People with Disabilities (Children and Adults)

Don’t Share Your Germs! A Social Story About Staying Healthy (Elementary)

Everyone Gets Sick Sometimes (Elementary)

Masks are Germ-blockers! (and Masks Feel Funny) (Elementary)

Social Story for George Floyd (Children and Adults)

We Are Heroes: A Plain Language Guide about Covid-19 (Children and Adults)

What is the Coronavirus? (Preschool, Elementary)

Support for Parents

Behavior webinar for parents
Webinar for parents about children’s challenging behavior in the home

Communication webinar for parents
Webinar for parents about improving communication with your child

Mindfulness sessions
Online guided meditation sessions

Online and phone support from the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)

Online chat groups for parents of children and teens (Asperger/Autism Network)

Parent Leadership in Autism Network (PLAN)

Understood Community

Resources for Adults with Disabilities

Employability Skills: All Eight Skills (Adults)
Video for practicing basic job skills while at home

Healthcare worksheet about needs and communication strategies (Adults)
Worksheet you can fill out before visiting your doctor

How a Dismissive Wave Impacted a Woman who is Deaf (Adults)

Learning about the healthcare and communication needs of adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (Adults)

Plain Language Information on COVID-19 (in 11 languages) (Adults)
Article and YouTube video about how to work on social skills with children when you watch TV with them