Council for Exceptional Children (CEC): https://www.cec.sped.org/
CEC works to improve public policy affecting children and youth with disabilities and gifts and talents, their parents and the professionals who work with them, at all levels of government.
Office of Dispute Resolution: https://odr-pa.org/
The Office for Dispute Resolution (ODR) provides the resources for parents and educational agencies to resolve educational disputes for children served by the early intervention system, students who are gifted (or thought to be gifted), and students with disabilities (or thought to have disabilities). Pennsylvania has been named an Exemplary Dispute Resolution System in Special Education by the Center for Appropriate Dispute Resolution in Special Education(CADRE).
Office of Vocational Rehabilitation: https://www.dli.pa.gov/Individuals/Disability-Services/ovr/Pages/default.aspx
The Pennsylvania Office of Vocational Rehabilitation, or OVR, provides vocational rehabilitation services to help persons with disabilities prepare for, obtain, or maintain employment. OVR provides services to eligible individuals with disabilities, both directly and through a network of approved vendors. Services are provided on an individualized basis.
Parent Guide to Special Education
Parents know their child better than anyone else and have valuable information to contribute about the kinds of programs and services that are needed for their child’s success in school. To ensure the rights of children with a disability, additional laws have been enacted. In this guide we use the terms “rules” and “regulations.”
Chester County Community Resource Directory: http://referweb.net/chesco/
Search for resources available in Chester County according to location, agency, keyword, or need.
PATTAN: http://www.pattan.net/
The mission of the Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network is to support the efforts and initiatives of the Bureau of Special Education, and to build the capacity of local educational agencies to serve students who receive special education services.
Pennsylvania Parent Guide to Special Education for School-Age Children (click to view/download)