National Disability News Resource

Disability Scoop is the first and only nationally focused online news organization serving the developmental disability community including autism, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, fragile X and intellectual disability, among others.

Five days each week Disability Scoop sifts through the clutter to provide a central, reliable source of news, information and resources. Plus, Disability Scoop is the only place to find original content and series like “Scoop Essentials” that take an in-depth look at what lies beyond the day’s headlines.

High School Transition Resources

IDEA Website – This site was created to provide a “one-stop shop” for resources related to IDEA and its implementing regulations, released on August 3, 2006. It is a “living” website and will change and grow as resources and information become available. When fully implemented, the site will provide searchable versions of IDEA and the regulations, access to cross-referenced content from other laws (e.g., the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), etc.), video clips on selected topics, topic briefs on selected regulations, links to OSEP’s Technical Assistance and Dissemination (TA&D) Network and a Q&A Corner where you can submit questions, and a variety of other information sources.

Oregon Department of Education

ORPTI – Oregon Parent Training and Information Center
Oregon PTI’s mission is to educate and support parents, families and professionals in building partnerships that meet the needs of children and youth with the full range of disabilities ages birth through twenty six. Oregon PTI provides programs and services throughout the state.

Transition Toolbox Newsletter – The Oregon Department of Education and Transition Specialist Jackie Burr invites you to receive the monthly Transition Toolbox! This brief newsletter is designed to facilitate communication and connections statewide with transition specialists, parents and students interested in issues relative to the transition of students with disabilities to college, post secondary education and employment opportunities.

Sibling Support Project – The Sibling Support Project is a national effort dedicated to the life-long concerns of brothers and sisters of people who have special health, developmental, or mental health concerns.We believe that disabilities, illness, and mental health issues affect the lives of all family members.  Consequently, we want to increase the peer support and information opportunities for brothers and sisters of people with special needs and to increase parents’ and providers’ understanding of sibling issues.

Oregon Parental Information and Resource Center – The Oregon Parental Information and Resource Center (OR PIRC) provides resources, information, and skills to educators and parents throughout Oregon, with a focus on Hispanic and low-income families, to create meaningful school-family partnerships for youth success.

Technical Assistance Alliance for Parents Centers – Each state is home to at least one parent center. Parent centers serve families of children and young adults from birth to age 22 with all disabilities: physical, cognitive, emotional, and learning. They help families obtain appropriate education and services for their children with disabilities; work to improve education results for all children; train and inform parents and professionals on a variety of topics; resolve problems between families and schools or other agencies; and connect children with disabilities to community resources that address their needs.

Wrightslaw – Excellent resource for parents and individuals with disabilities still in school! Parents, educators, advocates, and attorneys come to Wrightslaw for accurate, reliable information about special education law, education law, and advocacy for children with disabilities. Begin your search for information in the Advocacy Libraries and Law Libraries. You will find thousands of articles, cases, and free resources about dozens of topics.

Guardianship Handbook from DRO

Disability Rights Oregon has published updates to its Guardianship Handbook. For a comprehensive look at the issue of guardianship, check out this helpful guide.

From the introduction:

The purpose of this Handbook is to provide general information to individuals regarding their rights and protections under the law regarding guardianship. A guardian may be appointed for an adult person only as is necessary to promote and protect the well-being of the protected person. A guardianship for an adult person must be designed to encourage the development of maximum self-reliance and independence of the protected person and may be ordered only to the extent necessitated by the person’s actual mental and physical limitations. ORS 125.300(1).

Under Oregon law, a judge can appoint an adult to make important decisions about the care and well-being of another person. This is called a protective proceeding. In a protective proceeding, a judge can appoint a guardian, a conservator or both. In an emergency, a judge can appoint a temporary guardian, a temporary conservator or both. A judge may order action be taken on behalf of an adult without appointment of a guardian or conservator. This is called a protective order.

Any adult can file a petition in court to have a guardian appointed for another person. Separate laws cover protective proceedings for adults and children. This Handbook is about adults only.