The resources section will always be a work in progress!
If you would like to submit new resources or corrections to the resources listed email Info@flaf.team.
The information and links are being provided as a convenience and for informational purposes only; they do not constitute an endorsement or approval by the Full Life Ahead Foundation of any of the products, services, or opinions of the corporation, organization, or individual. The Full Life Ahead Foundation bears no responsibility for the accuracy, legality, or content of the external site or for that subsequent links. Contact the external site for answers to questions regarding its content.
Education Resource Name | Education Resource Mission | Education Resource Contact | ||
Alabama Parent Education Center (APEC) | Is a non-profit 501c3 organization that was created in 2002 by Alabama parents, educators, and professionals serving families. APEC provides services and supports to assist families, particularly those underserved including minorities, low-income, and those with children with disabilities | http://alabamaparentcenter.com/ (334)567-2252 (866)532-7660 10520 US Highway 231 Wetumpka, AL 36092 | ||
Birmingham Learning Camp | For over 35 years, Lindamood-Bell has been improving the lives of students. Our evidence-0based programs develop the skills necessary for reading and comprehension. They believe that all students can learn to their potential including those who have been diagnosed with dyslexia, ADHD, or autism spectrum disorder. | https://lindamoodbell.com/location/birmingham-alabama-learning-center | ||
Center for the Study and Advancement of Disability Policy (CSADP) | The Center for the Study and Advancement of Disability Policy (CSADP) provides public education, leadership development and training, technical assistance, and information dissemination, and conducts action-research and analysis of public policy issues affecting individuals with disabilities and their families. | http://www.disabilitypolicycenter.org/ 1875 Eye Street NW Twelfth Floor Washington, DC 20006 | ||
Council for Exceptional Children | The largest international professional an organization dedicated to improving educational outcomes for individuals with exceptionalities, students with disabilities, and/or the gifted. | (888)232-7733 3100 Clarendon Blvd, Suite 600 Arlington, VA 22201 | ||
PACER Center | Enhances the quality of life and expands opportunities for children, youth, and young adults with all disabilities and their families so each person can reach his or her highest potential. PACER operates on the principles of parents helping parents, supporting families, promoting a safe environment for all children, and working in collaboration with others. | (952)838-9000 Pacer Center Inc. 8161 Normandale Blvd Bloomington, MN 55437 | ||
Family Education Network | A host of articles, tips, and expert advice on every aspect of parenting including parenting and educating children with special needs. | http://www.familyeducation.com/home/ | ||
Federal Resources for Educational Excellence | Hundreds of education resources supported by agencies across the US Federal government. | https://teachinghistory.org/history-content/national-resources/19198 | ||
Gentle Teaching | Non-violent approach to teaching children and adults with special needs. | http://www.gentleteaching.nl/ | ||
Individual with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEA 2024) | The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEA 2004) aligns IDEA with the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), helping to ensure equity, accountability, and excellence in education for children with disabilities. The Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) has developed 19 topic briefs related to high-interest areas of IDEA 2004, including all relevant statutory language, citations, and cross-references to other related briefs. | |||
Intelligent College Planning Guide for Students with Learning Disabilities | We’re helping students in their pre-college journey by ranking colleges and programs across the country using aggregated publicly available data. And, we’re doing it without any advertising or affiliate relationships with schools. This ensures zero bias in our results. We’re building guides to help students succeed in the classroom by bringing together the latest research with tips and techniques championed by today’s leading experts. | https://www.intelligent.com/college-planning-guide-for-students-with-learning-disabilities/ | ||
Internet Resources for Special Children (IRSC) | Web site provides information to parents, family members, caregivers, friends, educators, and medical professionals and access to online communities, recent news articles, information, resources, etc. | https://www.inclusivechildcare.org/resource-library/website/internet-resource-special-children-irsc. | ||
Learning Opportunities for Your Child Through Alternate Assessments | This booklet, published by the US Department of Education, includes a section on accessing grade-level content for students with disabilities. | |||
Lindamood-Bell Learning Processes | is an organization dedicated to helping children and adults learn to their potential. Our research-validated instructional programs strengthen reading, comprehension, and math skills by developing the sensory-cognitive functions that form the foundation of learning | http://lindamoodbell.com | ||
Math and Reading Help for Kids | Is a directory of hundreds of original articles, tips, and resources centered on the topic of children’s learning. Although the articles on this site are primarily written to help parents make informed decisions about their child’s education, there is also a comprehensive Just for Kids section containing dozens of articles written for a younger audience. | http://math-and-reading-help-for-kids.org | ||
National Association of Parents with Children in Special Education (NAPCSE) | A national association that is dedicated to ensuring that all children and adolescents with special needs receive the best education possible. NAPCSE serves the interest of parents with children in special education by giving them numerous resources within the field of special education. By having an association that they can call their own, parents with children in special education now have an association completely devoted to their needs. NAPCSE advances and strengthens its community through networking, research, publications, and membership benefits. | http://www.napcse.org | ||
National Association of School Psychologists Reports | Journal articles, etc. related to IDEA and other educational issues, as well as advocacy information | http://www.nasponline.org/ | ||
National Institute for Urban School Improvement | Extensive library of resources, research, publications, and online sites related to inclusive education. | |||
Office of Special Education Programs Information | Related to IDEA and its interpretation and implementation. The site offers policy information, research, and statistics | http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/osers/osep/index.html?src=mr | ||
PACER Center | Enhances the quality of life and expands opportunities for children, youth, and young adults with all disabilities and their families so each person can reach his or her highest potential. PACER operates on the principles of parents helping parents, supporting families, promoting a safe environment for all children, and working in collaboration with others. | (952)838-9000 Pacer Center Inc. 8161 Normandale Blvd Bloomington, MN 55437 | ||
Parent Technical Assistance Center | Helps families obtain appropriate educational services for their children, provides training and information on a variety of topics, and connect children with disabilities with community resources. | https://www.parentcenterhub.org/rptacs/ | ||
Schwab Learning | Free information, resources, publications, and support to children who struggle with learning and their parents. Funded by the Charles and Helen Schwab Foundation. | https://www.schwabfoundation.org/programs | ||
Sensory Integration Resource Center | Current information resources and resources related to sensory integration issues. | http://www.sinetwork.org/ | ||
Special Education News | Round-up of recent articles related to special education. Organized by interest | |||
Special Resources on the Internet | A collection of Internet-accessible information resources of interest to those involved in the fields related to special education | http://seriweb.com/ | ||
Special Education Guide | com provides helpful information to both parents of children with disabilities and teachers about the early intervention process, how to establish a parent-teacher partnership, and collaborating on an IEP | http://specialeducationguide.com | ||
TASH Resources About Inclusive Education | Eight common myths about inclusive education and how to dispel them and FAQs about inclusive education are available at the TASH website | |||
State Department of Education | Helping the families of Alabama have the resources that they need to succeed in terms of education. | https://www.alabamaachieves.org/ Crystal Richardson, Coordinator of Special Education Services (800)392-8020 (334)242-8114 P.O. Box 302101 Montgomery, AL 36130 | ||
U.S. Department of Education | Access to comprehensive information on education and educational policy in the United States, including special education | http://www.ed.gov | ||
We Connect Now | Is dedicated to uniting people interested in rights and issues affecting people with disabilities, with particular emphasis on college students and access to higher education and employment issues | |||
Wrightslaw | Parents, educators, advocates, and attorneys come to Wrightslaw for accurate, reliable information about special education law, education law, and advocacy for children with disabilities |
College Resource Name | College Resource Mission | College Resource Contact |
Affordable Colleges | Has a list of scholarships for individuals with disabilities on its website | http://www.affordablecolleges.com/resources/scholarships-students-with-disabilities/ |
Auburn Montgomery Bridge Program | Even if you do not fully meet all the requirements for admission to AUM, you still may find a home here through our Bridge Program. This program is designed for students who meet specific academic criteria to enroll them in courses structured to prepare them for full admission. If you qualify, our Bridge Program will provide you with extra academic support for one semester prior to gaining full admission to AUM. During the Bridge semester, you will be enrolled in courses designed specifically for “bridging the gap” to a continued and successful college career. Bridge courses consist of a University Success course, as well as a Math and/or English course. Throughout the semester, faculty and staff on our Bridge team will assist you by teaching you skills needed for success in college. The Bridge Program connects you with campus resources so that you can thrive at AUM. | http://www.aum.edu/admissions/admissions-programs/bridge-program (334)244-3473 admissions@aum.edu |
Auburn University at Montgomery Center for Disability Services | Provides academic support services to students with disabilities & facilitates accommodations for students when working with AUM faculty. | https://www.aum.edu/center-for-disability-services/ (334)244-3631 7400 East Drive Montgomery, AL 36117 |
Crossings Points | Is a two-tier postsecondary transition program on the campus of The University of Alabama. Crossing Points is funded in part by a 5-year grant by the Office of Postsecondary Programs of the US Department of Education and supported primarily the University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa City Schools, Tuscaloosa County School System, and the Community of Tuscaloosa. Crossing Points Tier 1 is a collaboration between The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa City Schools, and the Tuscaloosa County School System. Tier 1 serves students with significant disabilities ages 18-21 years who are still receiving IDEA services. Tier 1 follows the Tuscaloosa City Schools and Tuscaloosa County school systems’ Academic year calendar. Crossing Points Tier 2, also known as the Summer Bridge Program, is a postsecondary pipeline program for college-age students with intellectual disabilities ages 19+ years from anywhere in the State of Alabama and beyond. | https://crossingpoints.ua.edu/ (205) 348-3180 Tom Barnes Education Center, Room 1060 260 Kilgore Lane Tuscaloosa AL 35487
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Disability Support Services, UAB | The University of Alabama at Birmingham’s mission is to enrich the academic experience for each student through education, research, and service. The University believes disability is an essential component of diversity on our campus and values the unique experiences of each student. Our philosophy promotes self-awareness, self-determination, and self-advocacy by providing education to students with disabilities about their rights and responsibilities so they can make informed choices to meet or exceed the standards of all students at UAB | https://www.uab.edu/students/disability/ dss@uab.edu (205) 934-4205 (205) 934-4248 Hill Student Center, Suite 109, 1400 University Blvd Birmingham, AL 35294 |
InformED | Is an Open Colleges blog, an international resource, that covers a variety of education topics, including teaching approaches that are specific to students with Down Syndrome but also can have application in the general education classroom | http://www.opencolleges.edu.au/informed/teacher-resources/teaching-individuals-with-down-syndrome |
PASSAGE USA | is a post-secondary educational (PSE) experience for students with ID that helps each student achieve his/her goals. This two-year certificate program is based on individualized Adult Education Plans developed through person-centered planning | http://www.southalabama.edu/colleges/ceps/passage/ (251)460-7558
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The Horizon School | The Horizons School is a non-degree, transition program that prepares young adults (ages 18 to 26) with specific learning disabilities for an independent life. The two-year core program teaches personal, social, and career independence and offers community-based extracurricular learning activities. Following the two-year program, students have the option to attend our Community Transition Program where each student lives in the Birmingham, Al, area and works while retaining program support | Phone: 205.322.6606 or 800.822.6242 FAX: 205.322.6605 The Horizons School 2018 15th Avenue South Birmingham, AL 35205 |
Think College | Is a national organization dedicated to developing, expanding, and improving inclusive higher education options for people with intellectual disability. With a commitment to equity and excellence, Think College supports evidence-based and student-centered research and practice by generating and sharing knowledge, guiding institutional change, informing public policy, and engaging with students, professionals, and families | |
Transition University | Is a project designed to cultivate relationships between high school students with intellectual and severe disabilities and JSU Special Education Collaborative Teacher Candidates. Transition University meets on the JSU Campus during Fall and Spring semesters. You may see the Transition University faculty, teacher candidates, and high school students riding on the Gamecock Express, taking a nature walk on campus, or eating in the Jack Hopper Dining Hall. Typical Transition University activities include Pairing SPE Teacher Candidates with high school students with intellectual and severe disabilities Instructional opportunities that focus on social skills, navigating campus transportation, social time in the Jack Hopper Dining Hall, tours of JSU departments, and trips to local businesses | https://www.jsu.edu/education/ci/transition/index.html |
Whole Schooling Consortium | Is an international network of schools, teachers, parents, administrators, university faculty, and community members whose purpose is to promote excellence and equity in schools throughout the world to build inclusive and democratic societies. | http://www.wholeschooling.net |
Work Program Name | Work Program Information | Work Program Contact Contact |
Construction Education Foundation of Alabama (CEFA) | Is supported by local contractors who believe that having trained workers on their job sites is vital to the success of their companies. All students who SUCCESSFULLY complete training will be referred to any available employment opportunities with our commercial contractor contacts. | https://www.cefatradetraining.org/ info@cefalabama.org 205-956-0146 Fax: 205-956-0149 6700 Oporto Madrid Blvd Birmingham, AL 35206 |
Made in Alabama: The Alabama Workforce Investment Area (AWIA) | Offers innovative programs to assist out-of-school youth and other youth with significant barriers to employment between the ages of 16-24 by providing a broad array of activities designed for educational and occupational skills training in the 65-county area not including Jefferson and Mobile counties. There are currently 18 youth programs throughout the AWIA that focus on educational attainment, work-based training opportunities and training linked to careers aligned with the skills needs of industries throughout the state. The goal of these programs is to help youth attain the education and employability skills that are necessary to get a job, keep their job, and advance in their chosen career pathway. | https://www.madeinalabama.com/why-alabama/workforce-training/workforce-initiatives/training-programs/youth-programs/ |
The Pathways Program | Offers clear paths to Federal internships for students from high school through post-graduate school; career opportunities for recent graduates; and meaningful training and career development opportunities for individuals who are at the beginning of their federal service. Types of Programs: The Pathways Programs at HHS, including the following three programs: The Internship Program, The HHS Recent Graduates Program, and the Presidential Management Fellows (PMF) Program. | https://www.hhs.gov/about/careers/ pathways/index.html |
The Youth Pathways to Postsecondary Education and Employment | Site brings together five different National Youth-Focused Training and Technical Assistance Centers, funded by the US Department of Education’s Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) and Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), as well as the US Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP). These five centers are working together to provide technical assistance and training to state/local agencies and programs to build successful pathways to postsecondary and employment opportunities for youth and students with disabilities. The purpose of this website is to serve as a cross-boundary Community of Practice for professionals who share a passion and a vision for building pathways for students and youth with disabilities to postsecondary education and employment. | https://www.urban.org/policy-centers/cross-center-initiatives/building-americas-workforce/about/youth-pathways-postsecondary-success-and-careers |
Financial Resource Name | Financial Resource Mission | Financial Resource Contact |
Affordable Colleges Online Resource | Resource entitled "Scholarships and Financial Aid for Students with Disabilities" contains valuable resources for students with disabilities including a curated list of more than 85 disability-specific scholarships, strategies for utilizing state and local financial aid resources, and an overview of loan forgiveness and reduction options. | http://www.affordablecolleges.com/resources/scholarships-students-with-disabilities/ |
Best Colleges Online Resource | Offers an overview of college resources for students with disAbilities. | www.bestcolleges.com/resources/disabled-students |
FASTWEB | Is the leading online resource for finding scholarships to help you pay for school. | www.fastweb.com |
Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) | Is a form that can be prepared annually by current and prospective college students (undergraduate and graduate) in the United States to determine their eligibility for student financial aid. | https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa |
The Office of Federal Student Aid | Provides grants, loans, and work-study funds for college or career school. We offer more than $150 billion each year to help millions of students pay for higher education. | https://studentaid.gov/ |
Project 10 Transition Education Network | Is an online resource on post-secondary education for individuals with disAbilities that includes scholarship information as well as independent living skills. | http://project10.info/StudentEngagement.php#NS2 |