Special Education
Virginia Department of Education: Special Education
Location(s): Statewide
Services: A Parents Guide to Special Education. Special education training and resources.
Fairfax County Public Schools Parent Resource Center
Location(s): Provides support to Fairfax County Public School parents and staff concerning special education questions. Provides information, consultation and referral services by phone, email or in person.
Eligibility: Resident of Fairfax County
Cost: None
Arlington Public Schools Special Education Parent Resource
Location(s): Arlington County
Services: Provides support to families of children with special needs
Eligibility: Child attends Arlington County Public Schools
Cost: No fee except for small meals/supplies fee for Super Sibs club session.
Frederick County Public Schools Parent Resource Center
Location(s): Frederick County
Services: Provides support to parents of children, age 2–22 years, who attend Frederick County Public Schools and have an IEP.
Eligibility: Child attend Frederick County Public Schools
Cost: No fee charged, with the exception of a small meals/supplies fee for Super Sibs club session
Virginia Parent Resource Centers (Virginia Department of Education)
Special Needs - Family Support
Inova Care Connection for Children
Location(s): Northern Virginia
Services: Professional case managers help families connect with medical and community resources. Family support. Special education information. Information line for anyone looking for resources for children with special health care needs. Committed to help children reach their optimal health and quality of life.
Eligibility: Residents of Virginia under 21 with a long-term physical disability or condition. Live in the counties and cities of Fairfax, Loudoun, Prince William, Spotsylvania or Stafford.
Cost: Free
Contact: 703-698-2450
CareConnectionforChildrenNoVa@inova.org
The Arc of Loudoun
Locations: Leesburg
Services: Provides support to individuals of all ages with a developmental and/or cognitive disability. Also provides support to the family members/caregivers.
Cost: Fees for direct advocacy services (i.e. attending IEP meeting with a family)
Access Ministry
Location(s): Fairfax, Loudoun, Prince William and Montgomery counties; Washington, DC.
Services: Provides support to individuals (2 years through adulthood) who have a disability and their families. Respite. Teen/adult Friendship Club. Adults with Disabilities Day.
Cost: Some fees, but scholarships are available.
The Arc of Northern Virginia
Location(s): Falls Church
Services: Provides support to individuals of all ages with developmental and intellectual disabilities and their families in Northern Virginia.
Cost: Not specified
The Arc of Prince William
Locations: Prince William County, Manassas, and Manassas Park
Services: Provides support to children and adults (ages birth and up) with intellectual and developmental disabilities and related conditions and their families.
Cost: Vary according to program
Infant and Toddler Connection of Fairfax-Falls Church
Location(s): Fairfax
Services: Provides evaluations and early intervention services for infants and toddlers (up to age three) who have a developmental delay or a diagnosis that may lead to developmental delays.
Eligibility: To be eligible for services infants/toddlers must have one or more of the following: a 25% or greater delay in at least one developmental area; have a condition that has a high probability of resulting in a developmental delay; and/or have demonstrated atypical development.
Cost: Insurance; Sliding Scale
KEEN Greater DC
Location(s): Northern Virginia
Services: Provides social and recreational events for children and young adults with developmental and physical disabilities ages 5-25. Programs run from September through June.
Cost: Free
Parent Educational Advocacy Training Center (PEATC)
Location(s): Springfield
Services: Provides support to families and professionals of children ages 0-26 with special needs. Work with families, schools and communities to improve opportunities for excellence in education and success in school and community life.
Cost: No fee charged
Allergy and Asthma Network Mothers of Asthmatics
Location(s): National
Services: Provides nationwide support to individuals of all ages and their families living with asthma, allergies, food allergies and related conditions.Also provides support to medical care providers serving these individuals and their families.
Cost: Services and access to online resources are free. $35 membership fee includes the newsletter, quarterly magazine and email alerts.
Parent to Parent Virginia
Location(s):Statewide
Services: 1:1 support to parents of children with disabilities. Unbiased information on health and education options. Help accessing resources. The staff of Parent to Parent of Virginia have family members with disabilities. They understand the day-to-day struggles for parents and grandparents.
Eligibility: A child between the ages of 0-22 with a disability.
Cost: None
Down Syndrome Association of Northern Virginia
Location(s): Northern Virginia
Services: Provides support to individuals with Down syndrome and their families. Support is offered to individuals of any age including pre-born. The mission of this organization is to ensure that all individuals with Down syndrome and their families receive the support necessary to participate in, contribute to, and achieve fulfillment of life in their community.
Eligibility: A child with Down Syndrome
Cost: No membership fees but some educational workshops have nominal fees involved. All other services and support are free of charge.
Celebrate Calm!
Location(s): National with a focus on Virginia, Maryland and Washington, DC
Services: Provides support to parents and educators of children ages 2-22 affected by ADD, ADHD, Asperger's, Sensory Integration Disorder, and Anxiety Disorder. Children do not have to be diagnosed, but usually suffer from symptoms of inattention, lack of focus, misbehavior, oppositional behavior, anxiety, or difficulty with social skills. Workshops, newsletters and other resources take a positive, proactive approach to finding solutions that meet the internal needs of the child.
Cost: Parent workshops hosted by schools, PTAs and area churches are free and open to the community, with no need to register.
National Alliance on Mental Illness-Northern Virginia
Location(s): Counties of Fairfax, Arlington, Loudoun; cities of Fairfax, Alexandria and Falls Church
Services: Provides support, information and resources to individuals with mental health needs and their families. Serves adults with mental health needs, parents of youth of all ages with mental health needs and young with mental health needs ages 12-18.
Cost: No fee
Parents of Autistic Children of Northern Virginia
https://poac-nova.org
Location(s): Northern Virginia
Services: Provides support to families of children with autism and professionals working with children with autism in Northern Virginia.
Cost: $5 membership. Families of children with autism are voting members. Service providers of children with autism are associate members.
Rebuild Families
https://braininjurysvcs.org
Location(s): Northern Virginia
Services: Provides support to parents of children with acquired brain injury. This is the support group of Brain Injury Services. Support group meets quarterly at Inova Fairfax Hospital.
Cost: There is no cost to attend the Rebuild Families support group.
Tourette Syndrome Association of Greater Washington
https://tourette.org/chapter/mid-atl/
Location(s): DMV
Services: Serves the needs of families and individuals of all ages living with Tourette Syndrome and the professionals who serve them.
Cost: Annual membership contribution of $50 requested, but will accept any amount or waive entirely.
Virginia Association for Children with Visual Impairments (VAAPVI)
http://www.vaapvi.org
Location(s): Statewide
Services: Provides support to families, caregivers and professionals caring for or working with children, birth through age 21, that are blind or visually impaired or suspected of having a visual impairment. We are the Virginia affiliate of NAPVI.
Virginia Smiles
http://www.virginia-smiles.org
Location(s): Statewide
Services: Provides support to families of children born with a cleft in Virginia, with a large concentration of families in Northern Virginia.
Eligibility: Resident of Virginia
Cost: None
National Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome-Virginia
https://www.nofas.org/state-resources-for-virginia/
Location(s): Virginia
Services: Provides support to families and individuals (adults and teens) living with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. NOFAS-VA is a non-profit organization and an affiliate of the National Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. Members have access to NOFAS materials and all the support services they offer. NOFAS-VA looks forward to reaching out to help families in need, and to aid in the prevention of this 100% preventable spectrum of disorders.
Cost: None
Spina Bifida Association
https://www.spinabifidaassociation.org/chapter/spina-bifida-association-of-the-midatlantic-region/about/
Location(s):DMV
Services: Provides support to adults and children with Spina Bifida (and related disorders) and their families, ages birth and up.
Cost: There is a fee for the national organization which is waived if families cannot afford it. Voluntary donations are welcome.
Fort Belvoir Exceptional Family Member Program
https://www.fbch.capmed.mil/patients/efmp.aspx
Location(s): Fort Belvoir and surrounding areas
Services: Provides support to military or DOD ID card holding military families who have a family member with a special education or medical need at Fort Belvoir and the surrounding area
Eligibility: Family must have a military or DOD ID cardholder.
Brain Injury Association of Virginia
https://www.biav.net
Location(s): Richmond, VA
Services: The Brain Injury Association of Virginia is the primary source of information and personal support for thousands of individuals, families, and professionals living in Virginia whose lives have been touched by a life-altering, often devastating brain injury.
Virginia Korean American Disabled Peoples Association
http://vakadpa.org
Services: KADPA especially seeks to serve Korean families with disabled children by helping these families to overcome language and informational barriers.
SCAN of Northern Virginia
https://www.scanva.org
Location(s): Alexandria
Services: Parenting education. Family programs. Parent resource center. Child advocacy. Vision is a community where every child has the opportunity to grow up in a safe, stable, nurturing family, with the support needed to thrive.
Kids Health Diseases and Conditions
https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/medical
Location(s):Online
Services: Information about a plethora of diseases and conditions in children for parents.
Eligibility: Open to anyone online
Cost: None
NICU Family and Patient Education Products
http://nann.org/education/educational-products/family-patient-education-products
Location(s): Online
ServicesL Resource database for NICU parents and families
Eligibility:Open to anyone online
Cost: None
Kids with Diabetes Resources
https://www.thediabetescouncil.com/kids-with-diabetes-resources/
Location(s): Online
Services: Resource database for parents and families who have a child with diabetes
Eligibility: Open to anyone online
Cost: None
Cancer Care Children’s Resources
https://www.cancercare.org/tagged/children
Location(s): Online
Services: Resource database for parents and families who have a child with cancer.
Eligibility: Open to anyone online.
Cost: None
CDC Info on Diseases and Conditions for children
https://www.cdc.gov/parents/children/diseases_conditions.html
Location(s): Online
Services: Variety of info on a variety of diseases and conditions from things like lice and the flu, to ADHD and autism, to things like cancer and diabetes. Eligibility: Open to anyone online, specifically aimed at children between the ages of 4-11.
Cost: None
Healthy Children
https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/Pages/default.aspx
Location(s): Online
Services: Health information, articles, and resources for parents. Broken into categories ranging from prenatal to young adult.
Eligibility: Open to anyone online.
Cost: None
Cove Point Foundation Congenital Heart Disease Information Page
http://www.pted.org/?id=list
Location(s): Online
Services: Information on heart anatomy and anolomiles, test and procedures, catheterization interventions, treatment and surgical procedures, nutrition and health issues, and adult congenital heart disease.
Eligibility: Open to anyone online
Cost: None
Joslin Diabetes Center
https://www.joslin.org/patient-care/pediatric-care
Location(s): Online
Services: Information on diabetes in Children, Adolescents, and Young Adults
Eligibility: Open to anyone online.
Cost: None
Rare Kids Network
www.rarekidsnetwork.org
Location(s):Northern Virginia
Services: Support Services. Funding for unexpected and urgent services. Educational Support. Connect with resources.
Eligbility: Up to 22 years old with a rare illness listed in the OMIM database. Family income limited. Case worker or MD Referral preferred.
Cost: None
Other Resources
Transportation / Transporte
Transportation Resources – English
Recursos de Transporte – Español (Spanish)
Get Help / Reciba Ayuda
Phone numbers and websites offering help with legal, violence and domestic disputes, transportation, mental health, substance use, suicide crisis, finances, housing and food.
Download or print: Get Help / Reciba Ayuda - Community Referral Resources
Northern Virginia Family Services SERVE campus
https://www.nvfs.org/our-services/homelessness-housing/serve-campus/
Locations: Manassas
Services: Early childhood education, health access, food assistance, shelter and housing assistance.
Eligibility: Must be able to provide proof of residency in Prince William County, City of Manassas or City of Manassas Park.
Healthy Families
https://www.nvfs.org/our-services/early-childhood-development/healthy-families/
Location(s): Alexandria, Arlington County, Fairfax County, and Prince William County
Services: NVFS Healthy Families, affiliated with Healthy Families America, provides the tools, guidance and support that families need to build a healthy, successful life. The program provides free services in Arlington, Fairfax and Prince William counties and the city of Alexandria to promote healthy child development, and to prevent child abuse and neglect, for families with children pre-birth to age 3 or 4 (depending on jurisdiction).
Northern Virginia Area Health Education Center
Location(s): Fairfax
Services: The mission of NVAHEC at Mason is to improve health care access and quality across Northern Virginia. The Center’s primary priorities are to: (1) increase diversity among health professions and (2) support multi-disciplinary/multi-professional training for practicing professionals and students in health career preparation academic programs. The Center is a resource to assist individuals interested in health careers and the preparation for admission and program completion.
Healthy Futures, Bright Futures Videos
https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/brightfutures/default.html
Location(s): Online
Services: Can be viewed by age and life stage, theme, or health visit and cover all major Bright Future topics. For example, families can find videos on early childhood toilet training, sleep routines, and promoting good mental health in adolescence. The Healthy Futures, Bright Futures videos were produced in partnership by Bright Futures and the Virginia Department of Health.
Eligibility: Open to anyone online
Cost: None
Health Finder Health Topics A to Z
https://health.gov/myhealthfinder
Location(s): Online
Services: Helpful information on different topics
Virginia Chapter of American Academy of Pediatrics
http://www.virginiapediatrics.org/immigrationuninsured/
Location(s): Online
Services: Information on medical homes for uninsured children
Beginning Steps
https://www.inova.org/our-services/womens-services/maternity-services/locations/inova-womens-hospital/resources/steps
Location(s): Online
Services: First time parents who need assistance with parenting skills, child development and community resources (WIC, mental health, immunizations, childcare, housing, insuranc, ESL)
Eligibility: First time parents giving birth at Inova Women's Hospital Brithing Center. If eligible are visited in the hospital by program representative.
Cost: Free
Contact: Inova Women's Hospital Case Management Department. Partners with several community-based organizations.
DC Health Matters Connects
https://dchealthmattersconnect.auntbertha.com
Location(s): DMV, Online
Services: Creates a list of nearby online resources based on your zip code. Food, housing, transportation, health, work, education, legal services.
Eligibility: Based on geographical location.
Cost: Free
Advocacy
Ashoka United States: Emerging Insights 2019