Free Legal Help if Your Child is Suspended or Expelled From School
"Zero Tolerance" and other school system disciplinary practices can place your child's education in jeopardy if you are not aware of your rights. Your first meeting with the principal on such matters can actually serve as a trial for your child's future. The School House Legal Services of Baltimore, Maryland provides free attorneys and paralegals to represent Maryland families in these matters. Maryland has an income limit for representation that is about $30,000 for a family of four, but information about the process is free. If you don't live in Maryland, contact your local Legal Services Office or your State Department of Education listed in the blue pages of your phone book for more information and help. School House Legal Services can be reached at Maryland Disability Law Center, 1800 N. Charles St., Suite 202, Baltimore, MD 21201; 410-727-6352.

Internet Special Education Resources
A Nationwide Directory of Special Education and Learning Disabilities Professionals

The Maryland Association of Nonpublic Special Education Facilities (MANSEF)
Phone: (410) 938-4413
MANSEF is a non-profit organization of Maryland State Department of Education approved Special Education Facilities.

Maryland Coalition for Inclusive Education
Phone:(410) 859-5400
mcie@mcie.org
MCIE provides Maryland schools and families training and supports to develop meaningful inclusive education services, with adequate supports, for students with disabilities. MCIE provides advocacy to parents wishing to have their son or daughter in an inclusive setting, and information about best practices in education for ALL students. Call for information about MCIE's resource lending library.

Maryland County Partners for Success Local Offices
Phone: (800) 535-0182
The Partners for Success central contact is located in Maryland Infant and Toddlers Program. Resource Centers provide families, schools and professionals with training and support.

Anne Arundel County: (410) 590-5945
Baltimore City: (410) 396-8995
Baltimore County: (410) 887-5443
Calvert County: (410) 535-7240
Carroll County: (410) 751-3955
Cecil County: (410) 996-5637
Charles County: (301) 934-3884
Fredrick County: (301) 620-2491
Harford County: (410) 638-3858
Howard County: (410) 313-7161
Kent County: (410) 778-7167
Queen Anne's County: (410) 758-3693
St. Mary's County: (301) 475-0238
Talbot County: (410) 822-8469
Md. School for the Blind: (410) 444-5000
Md. School for the Deaf: (410) 480-4540 Voice/TTY

The Maryland Disability Law Center (MDLC)
Phone: (410) 234-2791
MDLC, an independent, nonprofit public interest law firm, is the designated protection and advocacy agency for Maryland. MDLC's mission is to protect and advocate for the legal rights of adults and children with disabilities. MDLC engages in individual casework and systemic advocacy before administrative agencies and courts, and represent lots of children and families in special education cases and provides training to families and professionals regarding many issues affecting people with disabilities.

Maryland Infants and Toddlers Program
Phone: (800) 535-0182
The Maryland Infants and Toddlers Program is a statewide early intervention interagency system for children ages birth through three, through the Maryland State Department of Education, Division of Special Education. The program provides services for infants and toddlers who have developmental delays or are at risk for delays.

Maryland State Department of Education
Phone: (410) 767-0100
Special Education Information Line: (410) 767-0244
Maryland State Department of Education offers all types of information regarding education in the state of Maryland including: school performance reports, new information, news releases, an overview of Maryland Special Education and various links for families and professionals.

Maryland State Department of Education, Division of Rehabilitation Services (DORS)
Phone: (888) 554-0334
Students with disabilities who are in secondary schools in Maryland are most often referred to DORS by school staff during the Spring of the year prior to the last year of school. Students and their families may also refer themselves. If eligible for services a rehabilitation counselor will work with a student to develop a plan for employment.

No Child Left Behind? The Status of Maryland Children with Disabilities
Maryland is one of the most segregated states in the nation for its education of students with disabilities. Compared to the all other states and the District of Columbia, Maryland ranks 11th worst for its placement of students with disabilities in segregated public schools and 4th worst for its placement of students with disabilities in segregated private schools. (OSEP, 2001) Click here for more information and statistics.

The Parents Place of Maryland
Phone/TDD: 410-766-4300/4400
The Parents Place of Maryland offers parent education classes, resource help, organizational referrals, and parent educators to support and assist families concerning issues in special education. The Parents Place also maintains a library, a database of support groups, and a quarterly newsletter.

Special Needs Library
Phone: (301) 897-2212
TTY: (301) 897-2217
The Special needs library serves individuals with disabilities as well as family members, students, service providers and homebound individuals. The library provides signing skills, talking book services for Montgomery county residence, and a variety of assistive devices.

Local Departments of Education and Special Education
The following is a list of local phone numbers and websites for Maryland County Departments of Education and Special Education.

Central Region
Anne Arundel County (410) 222-5410
Baltimore City (410) 396-8907
Baltimore County (410) 887-4909
Harford County (410) 588-5246
Howard County (410) 313-6742

Eastern Shore Region
Caroline County
Cecil County (410) 996-5637
Dorchester County (410) 228-4747
Kent County
Queen Anne's County (410) 758-2403
Somerset County (410) 651-1616
Talbot County
Wicomoco County (410) 677-4400
Worcester County (410) 632-2582

Southern Region
Calvert County (410) 535-7421 or (410) 535-7420
Charles County (301) 932-6610 or (301) 870-3814
Montgomery County (301) 279-3135
Prince George's County (301) 952-6336
St. Mary's County (301) 475-4230

Western Region
Allegany County Department of Special Education (301) 759-2064
Carroll County (410) 751-3033
Fredrick County
Garrett County (301) 334-8900
Washington County (301) 766-8221

Barrier-Free Education. This site contains resources for the inclusion of students with disabilities into math and science education.

Center for Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS)
The Center is supported by a grant from the Office of Special Education Programs, with additional funding provided by the U.S. Department of Education's Safe and Drug Free Schools Program. Categories on the Web site include What is PBIS?, PBIS & the Law, Functional Assessment, Classroom Support

Circle of Inclusion
This website is for early childhood service providers and families of young children offering demonstrations of and information about the effective practices of inclusive education for children birth through age eight.

Council for Exceptional Children
Phone: (888) 232-7733 or (703) 620-3660
CEC is a professional organization dedicated to improving educational outcomes for individuals with exceptionalities. CEC has 17 divisions including the Division of Early Childhood, Division on Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities, and Division for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Exceptional Learners.

Disability Resources
This nonprofit organization was established to promote and improve awareness, availability and accessibility of information that can help people with disabilities live, learn, love and play independently. Disseminates information about books, pamphlets, magazines, newsletters, videos and more as well as reports on worthwhile materials in the Disabilities Resources Monthly newsletter.

Disability Rights and Education and Defense Fund
Founded in 1979 by people with disabilities and parents of children with disabilities, the Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund, Inc. (DREDF) is a national law and policy center dedicated to protecting and advancing the civil rights of people with disabilities through legislation, litigation, advocacy, technical assistance, and education and training of attorneys, advocates, persons with disabilities, and parents of children with disabilities.

Educational Resource Information Center (ERIC)
Voice/TTY: (800) 328-0282
ERIC Clearinghouse on Disabilities and Gifted Education is a project of The Council for Exceptional Children (CEC), which provides a variety of information on the education of individuals with disabilities as well as those who are gifted.

Family & Advocates Partnership for Education
Aims to inform and educate families and advocates about the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1997 and promising practices.

The Family Education Network
The Family Education Network provides general education information for parents.

The Federal Interagency Coordinating Council
Phone: (202) 205-8828
The Federal Interagency Coordinating Council facilitates services and supports and the Federal, State and local level for children at risk for disabilities ages zero to eight.

IDEA (Department of Education)
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Amendments of 1997.

IDEA News
Useful and timely information and resources to help professionals and families understand and implement the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA '97) and achieve better educational opportunities for students with disabilities.

IDEA Practices
An extensive web site providing information and resources to help professionals and families understand and implement IDEA '97. Monthly email newsletter, IDEAnews, provides up-to-date news about special education policies and practices. Sponsored by the ASPIIRE and ILIAD IDEA Partnership Projects.

Internet Special Education Resources
Assists parents/caregivers in finding educational advocates, diagnosis and assessments and locating the best school placement for their child.

Kids' Quest
Maintained by The National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, a branch of the Center for Disease Control, this site is designed to teach children at the 4th, 5th, and 6th grade levels about issues faced by children with disabilities. Parents and teachers can modify the material on the website to meet different students' learning styles and levels. The site also includes links to additional sites to educate young people about disabilities

Medicaid KnowledgeBase
The Special Education and Medicaid KnowledgeBase provides guidelines and resources for understanding Medicaid and offers a helpful glossary, a quick and easy set of frequently asked questions, a guide to acronyms and links to other resources.

OurChildrenLeftBehind.com
A group of diverse parents working together on the IDEA reauthorization has created a website, www.ourchildrenleftbehind.com to support parent and family IDEA reauthorization activities. We invite you to visit the website and contribute your ideas and feedback. The IDEA reauthorization battle promises to be swift and hard-fought, but we still have time and opportunity to make a difference in the final product.

Parents Engaged in Education Reform (PEER), U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs
Parents Engaged in Education Reform is a national technical assistance project funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs. PEER's purpose is to increase the participation of parents of children with disabilities and their organizations in school reform efforts.

The National Coalition of Advocates for Students
Phone: (617) 357-8507
The National Coalition of Advocates for Students is a national educational advocacy organization for students who are risk for school failure. NCAS conducts national projects and provides publications that focus on critical education issues focusing on kindergarten through grade 12.

National Committee of Parents Organized to Protect IDEA
National Committee of Parents Organized to Protect IDEA -- The National Committee of Parents Organized to Protect IDEA has been created to marshal the support of parents from across the nation to ensure that the basic guarantees in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) are protected. To read the paper, and to sign on you may log on to: http://capwiz.com/ndss/issues/alert/

National Information Center for Children and Youth with Disabilities (NICHCY)
Phone:(202) 884-8200 or Voice/TTY: (800) 695-0285
NICHY provides an overview of IDEA as well as other educationally related documents and information that can be downloaded.

PACER Center
Phone: (952) 838-9000
The PACER Center is based on the concept of parents helping parents. The site provides assistance to individual families, workshops, and materials for parents and professionals, and leadership in securing a free and appropriate public education for all children.

Special Education News
202-320-0521
Special Education News provides in-depth, timely news related to educating students with disabilities. The Web site and newsletter are journalistic publications centered on the news of the special education field. The Web site is also designed to offer unique resources to special education professionals in one convenient place.

Special Education Resources on the Internet
A collection of Internet accessible information resources of interest to families, individuals and those involved in the fields related to special education.

The U.S. Department of Education
Phone: (800) USA-LEARN
The U.S. Department of Education's has a variety of special education, resources as well as a guide to using the Internet.

All Kids Count
All Kids Count offers parents, parent leaders, professionals, and other interested parties guidelines for participating in discussions about policies and practices related to inclusion of students with disabilities in large-scale assessments. The book includes a state-by-state report and executive summary of assessment policies and practices, and overview of policy issues, a glossary, a list of accommodations pulled from states' policies, a PEER Information Brief on assessment, and contact information for state Departments of Education and Parent Centers on Disability. (100 pages. 1998. $20.00)

Barrier-Free Education
This site contains resources for the inclusion of students with disabilities into math and science education.

Center for Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS)
The Center is supported by a grant from the Office of Special Education Programs, with additional funding provided by the U.S. Department of Education's Programs, with additional funding provided by the U.S. Department of Education's Safe and Drug Free Schools Program. Categories on the Web site include What is PBIS?, PBIS & the Law, Functional Assessment, Classroom Support.

Circle of Inclusion
This website is for early childhood service providers and families of young children offering demonstrations of and information about the effective practices of inclusive education for children birth through age eight.

Communicating Effectively With Your Child's School
An Information Sheet Developed by the National Down Syndrome Society

Complete Guide to Successfully Home Schooling the Child with Learning Differences
By Leonore Colacion Hayes
Prima Publishing
This book addresses the challenges and joys of home schooling children with special needs with disorders ranging from ADD to Autism as well as those with other learning disabilities. Includes an extensive list of both public and private resources.

Do No Harm
Do No Harm focuses on the needs and rights of students with learning disabilities with regard to high-stakes standardized tests. Section II analyzes the nature of learning disabilities and how the design of many standardized tests discriminate against students with those disabilities.

El Manual de Padres
El Manual de Padres explica sobre los derechos de los padres y de los niños en educación especial garantizados por el Capítulo 766, la ley de educación especial de Massachusetts, y La Educación para Indivíduos con Impedimentos (IDEA), la ley federal de educación. El propósito del Manual es ayudar a las familias y abogados a obtener la mejor educación posible para los niños con necesidades especiales. (100 pages. 1996. $25.00)

El Nido de la Familia (The Family Nest) "Tip Sheet" from the National Parent Teach Association (PTA)
en Español | in English
A reproducible tip sheet listing 10 ways parents can be involved in their children's education.

Glossary of Special Education Terms
A glossary of terms often used in special education legislation, publications and conversations.

How to Advocate for Your Special Needs Child
Article from PTA Today offering overview on the education rights of special needs children. Special Note: In order to obtain a copy of "A Parent's Guide: The Educational Rights of Students with Disabilities" contact your local school, local school district, or your state education department. This booklet is free to parents.

Inclusion Press is a small independent press striving to produce readable, accessible, user-friendly books and resources about full inclusion in school, work, and community.

Inherently Equal: An Inclusion Action Guide for Families and Educators
Inherently Equal, the companion publication to Purposeful Integration, is designed to be a practical resource for people advocating for and working to support the successful inclusion of students with disabilities in general education. (31 pages. 1997. $15.00)

Least Restrictive Environment, An Advocacy Manual
This publication is a resource from MCIE and is designed to help parents and advocates enforce each student's right to an education in the Least Restrictive Environment. Call MCIE (410) 859-5400 for information on obtaining a copy.

Maryland State Department of Education Transition Guide

Maryland State Department of Education Guide to Transition-Large Print Version

The New Language of Toys: Teaching Communication Skills to Children With Special Needs
by Joan E. Heller Miller, Sue Schwartz, PhD
The New Language Of Toys is a how-to guide for parents, teachers, and care-givers about using everyday toys (both store-bought and home-made) to develop communication skills in children with disabilities and making playtime a fun, exciting and educational experience.

The Parent Manual
The Parent Manual outlines parents' and children's' rights in special education as guaranteed by Chapter 766, the Massachusetts special education law, and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the federal special education law. The Manual's purpose is to help parents and advocates obtain the best education possible for children with special needs. (75 pages. 1996. $25.00)

Purposeful Integration…Inherently Equal
Purposeful Integration covers integration, mainstreaming, and least restrictive environment. It gives an overview of the history of segregation and the passage of Public Law 94-142 - the Education for All Handicapped Children Act, now known as IDEA, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. This volume emphasizes how all children can benefit from integration and provides strategies for parents to facilitate integration. (55 pages. 1987. $8.00)

Quick Guides for Inclusion
Equally effective as an entry-level guidebook for those with little or no background in inclusion or as a concise summary of practices for seasoned professionals, Quick-Guides to Inclusion series offers user-friendly tools for every educational team member - from teachers and administrators to related services personnel and parents. Available from Brookes Publishing.

School Law in Maryland: Educational Rights of Children with Special Needs
This pamphlet is published as a public service by the Maryland State Bar Association. It explains who is eligible for special education services and the process used for determining whether a child is eligible, placement issues, the Individualized Education Plan, section 504, and suspension and expulsion of children with special education needs. Call 410-685-7878 or 800-492-1964 ext. 223 for more information.

Special Education Rights… And Wrongs
This handbook is a free publication distributed by the Maryland Disability Law Center (MDLC). Special Education Rights… And Wrongs is a handbook to help parents understand their rights under the law when schools are resisting or failing to provide an education setting in the least restrictive environment. The handbook is designed to give parents the tools they need to protect their rights. To obtain a copy call (410) 234-2791.