Special Kids in Birmingham

SPECIAL KIDS IN BIRMINGHAM Your One-Stop Source for Birmingham’s Kids with Special Needs:

A Highlight of Resources

There are a variety of services offered by organizations throughout the state for parents with children with disabilities, from inclusive school care programs to sports teams and music classes. The following is an abbreviated list of local resources and services for Alabama children with special needs. We have highlighted some great organizations here, but there are many others.

You can find a more complete, inclusive list at https://birminghamparent.com/directory/special_needs_resources/.

Alabama Department of Rehabilitative Services 334-293-7500 www.rehab.alabama.gov The Alabama Department of Rehabilitative Services (ADRS) is a state agency created to serve children and adults with disabilities. With its “continuum of care” approach, ADRS offers services for individuals of any age through four main programs among all 67 counties in the state. Early Intervention serves children with developmental delays from birth to the age of three through a variety of coordinating services. Children’s Rehabilitation is for children with special healthcare needs from birth to 21. Its largest program, Vocational Rehabilitation, focuses on teens and adults to provide education- and employment-related services and training. Independent Living seeks to help individuals with the most significant disabilities with help in education, assistive technology, training, and home-based services to help them gain more independence.

Alabama Family Trust 205-313-3915 www.alabamafamilytrust.com Alabama Family Trust is a nonprofit organization that assists in establishing trusts for children and adults with disabilities and special needs. The organization focuses specifically on three types of trust: disability trusts, elderly trusts, and trusts for children. In addition to helping establish the trust, the organization helps with disbursement of the funds in a way that complements government programs such as SSI and Medicaid. The trust also offers other significant advantages, including protection from abuse and mismanagement of assets and the potential for lower administrative fees. Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind 205-761-3530 www.aidb.org The Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind (AIDB) is the world’s most comprehensive education, rehabilitation and service program specifically serving individuals of all ages who are deaf, blind, deaf-blind and multi-disabled. Founded in 1858, the AIDB serves more than 30,000 infants, toddlers, children, adults and seniors throughout Alabama each year with six campuses and eight regional centers.

Autism Society of Alabama 1-877-428-8476 www.autism-alabama.org One of every 54 families are living with autism spectrum disorder, and the Autism Society of Alabama exists to help those families and improve the services available to them. The nonprofit advocacy group does so through autism safety initiatives, providing resources and education, and even hosting an annual camp.

Behavioral One 205-991-2584 www.behavioralone.com Comprehensive behavioral support and service for children, teens, and their families can be found at Behavioral One. The organization’s team works alongside families every step of the process, from the initial concern to the assessment process and treatment plan development to the provision of services and therapy.

The Bell Center for Early Intervention Programs 205-879-3417 www.thebellcenter.org The Bell Center for Early Intervention Programs has been providing early intervention services to children at risk of developmental delay since 1984. Located in Birmingham, the center offers a variety of services for children from infant to toddler dealing with a variety of special needs and diagnoses ranging from cerebral palsy and Down syndrome to autism and rare genetic disorders. The services are provided by transdisciplinary teams that include a physical therapist, an occupational therapist, a speech-language pathologist, and an early childhood special education teacher.

Boost Kids 205-767-9207 www.boostbirmingham.com A therapist-run company, Boost Kids seeks to help kids achieve independence through improved skills, learned strategies, environmental modifications, and caregiver education. The team utilizes evidence-based research to put together the best, most comprehensive treatment plans for each child, all of which are carried out in the company’s downtown Birmingham space. Children’s Aid Society of Alabama-APAC Program 205-933-3004 www.childrensaid.org The APAC Program is a collaborative effort between Children’s Aid Society and the Alabama Department of Human Resources. The statewide program exists to provide education and support to Alabama families waiting to adopt, as well as empower adoptive families and help build strong bonds within adoptive families. In addition to helping families prepare for adoption, the program also offers services such as support groups, family counseling, and even an annual four-day camp for adopted children and their siblings to spend time together and with others in similar circumstances.

Children’s of Alabama 205-638-9100 www.childrensal.org Children’s of Alabama ranks as one of the best pediatric medical centers in the country. The hospital has provided specialized medical care for children in Alabama and around the country since 1911. Children’s serves patients from not only every county in Alabama, but also nearly every state in the country. It’s one of the largest pediatric medical facilities in the United States.

Dance Without Limits 251-610-4969 www.dancewithoutlimitsfoundation.org Dance Without Limits is focused on providing professional dance instruction to individuals with special needs. During classes, dancers receive a helper to assist or at the least lots of encouragement. The class helpers range in specialty, whether it be students in occupational or physical therapy schools, Camp Smile volunteers, special education teachers, and sometimes even mothers.

Down Syndrome Alabama 205-988-0810 www.downsyndromealabama.org Down Syndrome Alabama serves individuals living with Down syndrome and their families by increasing awareness, promoting acceptance, and advancing advocacy. The organization also focuses heavily on providing all sorts of needed resources to help Down syndrome families care for their loved one. Their goal is for people with Down syndrome living meaningful lives as productive members of their communities through all stages of life.

Easterseals of the Birmingham Area/Easterseals of Alabama 205-942-6277 334-395-4489 www.eastersealsbham.org www.easterseals.com/alabama Easterseals has been supporting individuals with disabilities or special needs and their families for almost 100 years. The organization as a whole supports more than one million individuals with disabilities each year through services including pediatric rehabilitation, workforce development for

teens and adults, and camping and recreation, as well as advocacy for the disability community. Specifically for children, the organization offers a variety of programs, including speech-language therapy, pediatric feeding therapy, physical therapy, occupational therapy, a sensory room, and even a medical assistance grant, which helps families pay for medical equipment and necessary home modifications.

The Exceptional Foundation 205-870-0776 www.exceptionalfoundation.org The Exceptional Foundation strives to meet the social and recreational needs for children and adults living with special needs. By meeting these needs, the organization seeks to enrich their lives and their families’ lives, as well as promote healthy living, social relationships, and needed life skills, all while promoting community involvement.

Family Voices of Alabama 877-771-3862 www.familyvoicesal.org Achieving family-centered care for children and youth with disabilities or special needs is the goal of Family Voices of Alabama. The organization meets that goal by providing families with the right tools to make informed decisions, advocating for improved public and private policies, and building partnerships with families. Mitchell’s Place 205-957-0294 www.mitchells-place.com Established in 2005, Mitchell’s Place specializes in helping children with autism and other developmental abilities. The organization’s highly-skilled team utilizes diagnostic, educational, and therapeutic services to improve the lives of each child and their family. Caregivers create comprehensive, individualized treatment plans for every child as they seek to help with social, communicative, adaptive, and academic behaviors and issues.

Service Dogs Alabama 334-676-3733 www.servicedogsalabama.org Service Dogs Alabama trains medical and psychiatric assistance dogs for children, adults, and veterans with disabilities. The nonprofit focuses especially on training for diabetic and seizure alerts, mobility and wheelchair assistance, PTSD intervention, and autism intervention.

Special Siblings 205-568-7919 www.specialsiblingsbham.org Being a sibling of a special needs child can present challenges, and Special Siblings exists to support these siblings. Special Siblings is a support group for children with special needs siblings to help them understand and address the many unique challenges that comes with. United Ability 205-944-3900 www.unitedability.org United Ability is a nonprofit organization with a mission to empower those living with disabilities. They do this by providing innovative services that connect people with disabilities to their communities. They work with both children and adults. Hand In Hand Early Learning is for children from six weeks to four years of age and it provides a place for children to play, learn, and grow together. Hand In Hand Early Intervention helps infants and toddlers with delays in development or diagnosed disabilities with services and intervention to facilitate development. Ability Clinic offers comprehensive, coordinated care to help children with disabilities.

Unless U 205-460-1550 www.unlessu.org Founded in 2014 and inspired by the founder’s brother, Unless U seeks to change the way adults with developmental disabilities are viewed within the community. Hoping to promote independence for these individuals, the nonprofit organization works to serve these adults and their families through a variety of ways.

Compiled by Paige Townley

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Alabama Family Central

Providing Alabama families the help they need, when they need it

There are a variety of organizations throughout Alabama aimed at helping families in a variety of situations – but finding the help when it’s needed is not always easy. Making it as easy as possible for families to get the organizations they need when they need it is the goal of Alabama Family Central.

Alabama Family Central is a collaboration of state agencies and partners that exist to support parents, families, and caregivers in Alabama with a variety of resources and services to support the health and well-being of children. It does so through a comprehensive, easyto-use website that essentially serves as an all-in-one resource for the services Alabama families may need on everything in the categories of childcare, education, family services, and health services.

After the Department of Children’s Affairs was created in 2001, Alabama Family Central had since been a goal. The website was announced in September of last year by Gov. Kay Ivey.

“Alabama Family Central was created with Alabama families at the very heart,” says Malissa Valdes-Hubert, Alabama Department of Mental Health public information officer. “There was no centralized database to search critical community, regional, or state resources for the needs of a family. This free, comprehensive source is an open door to essential services. The Alabama Family Central website came online just as the pandemic began and what an opportune time! We were so thankful to share important resources during a time when individuals and families needed them most.”

The Alabama Family Central website features a comprehensive compilation of resources around the state in a directory-style format so that parents and families can easily find the particular support they may need. There are more than 350 services and programs listed, and the resources are broken down into the four categories – childcare, education, family services, and health services – and can easily be navigated directly from the site. And best of all, the website is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week so that parents and families can seek out help any time of day they may need it.

The website also houses the latest new information parents, families, and caregivers need to know in order to best protect their children – everything from COVID-19 updates and guidance and information about the how to get the flu vaccine to the state’s COVID-19 School K-12 dashboard and how to apply for childcare grants.

The Alabama Partnership for Children, a statewide public/private partnership that seeks to develop and strength systems, strategies, and public awareness for early childhood programs in the state, heads the Alabama Family Central Project, and there are a variety of state agencies included in the partnership. Those include Alabama Department of Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention, Alabama Department of Early Childhood Education, Alabama Department of Education, Alabama Department of Human Resources, Alabama Department of Mental Health, Alabama Department of Public. Health, Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services, Alabama Medicaid, A+ Education Partnership and the State of Alabama Office of Information Technology.

https://alabamafamilycentral.org