Resources

Library

Thanks to a generous donation, QPAC was able to assist the Thomas Crane Public Library with purchasing materials for the Parent Resource Collection, located in the Children's Room of the main branch. Many of these books are already available, and more will be filling the shelves soon! Make sure to stop by the library and check a few out!

Purchased Library Materials

Favorite Resources

Do you have resources that you find yourself referring back to time and again? We certainly do! We have included below (in no particular order) some of our favorite, most-referred-to resources, with the hope that you will find them as useful as we do!

Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
DESE, the state education agency for Massachusetts, provides information, resources, and technical assistance to school districts and the public. Some DESE offerings:

Special Education Parent Information
Special Education Technical Assistance and Administrative Advisories
Massachusetts Special Education Regulations
Program Quality Assurance (handles special education complaints)
The Bureau of Special Education Appeals (handles mediation and due process hearings)

The National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities
NICHCY serves as a central source of information on disabilities in children and research-based information on effective educational practices. A few NICHCY offerings:

Educate Children (3 - 22) (information on the special education process)
Building the Legacy IDEA Training Curriculum
Research (research-based information on special education and disabilities)
NICHCY Publications

Attainment Company
Attainment Company produces assistive technology, software, manipulatives, and curriculum resources for use with individuals with cognitive impairments and developmental delays. Under its IEP Resources brand, it publishes books and other materials on several special education topics. A few favorite IEP Resources books:

The Federation for Children with Special Needs
The FCSN provides information, support, and assistance to parents of children with disabilities, their professional partners, and their communities. Some FCSN projects:

Massachusetts Parent Training and Information Center (information on special education)
Family TIES of Massachusetts (parent-to-parent support, information and referral services)
Massachusetts Family Voices (family-to-family health information center)
MassPAC (organization of special education Parent Advisory Councils)
Massachusetts Parent Information and Resource Center (information on NCLB and Title I)

TA&D Network
The TA&D (Technical Assistance and Dissemination) Network is a United States Department of Education- funded collaborative of technical assistance projects and centers. TA&D Network centers provide information and technical assistance to states, school districts, educational professionals, and families, on special education and disabilities. A few TA&D Network centers:

Wrightslaw
Wrightslaw is a leading website providing information about special education law, education law, and advocacy for children with disabilities. On Wrightslaw you can: