A Comparison of ADA, IDEA, and Section 504

This fact sheet offers a comparison of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.

Arc Fact Sheets

The Arc has compiled a series of brief, two-page fact sheets for family members, advocates, professionals, media, researchers, policymakers and others that provide an overview of a specific topic related to intellectual disability. A wide variety of topics are covered, from the causes of intellectual disability to various types of syndromes to criminal justice/victimization issues.

Assistive Technology Basics / Finding an Assistive Technology

This web page provides comprehensive information on assistive technologies for children with learning and attention issues. The resources on this page include:

• Who Pays for Assistive Technology? Parents or Schools?
• Checklist: What to Consider When Looking at Assistive Technology
• Assistive Technology that's Built into Mobile Devices
• Checklist: What to ask the School before Choosing a Tool or Device
• 10 New Apps for Grade-Schools with Learning and Attention Issues

Child Mind Institute

The Child Mind Institute contains a wide variety of useful information resources for families and educators. The site explores concerns and challenges faced by parents, family members and educators. Learn how to effectively respond to emotional, behavioral and learning challenges. This website also contains many personal story videos.

Th Child Mind Institute is available online or in person (in New York City), offering evaluations, treatment and neuropsychological testing for children, teens and young adults.

College-level Reading - Tips and Tools to Help with Comprehension and Fluency

This is a guide for parents and students and provides a quick overview of tools and strategies to aid comprehension and fluency while reading college level text.

College: You Can Do It! Tip Sheet

This tip sheet provides helpful information to help students with disabilities prepare for college.

The document covers three phases: 

• Preparing for college while in high school.
• Staying in college, which requires numerous self-management skills.
• Preparing to move beyond college and into a career.

Disability Provider Directory

The NYS Office For People With Developmental Disabilities and its associated voluntary agencies offer many services to individuals and their families. This interactive directory lists services by service type and location.

Disability Rights NY Hotlines & Resources

All requests for assistance are processed by DRNY's Intake Office. The vast majority of requests for assistance are received and processed by telephone or TTY. The intake office is available to conduct telephone or in-person intake interviews Monday through Friday between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m, and includes Spanish speaking staff.

Dual Diagnosis - A Guide for Caregivers

This guidebook gives caregivers the tools they need to understand how mental illness might look in a person with a developmental disability, and information on what to do and where to go for help. It was written in order to help caregivers to partner with health care providers. This guidebook was originally written in 2011 and was revised in 2015. It was created for the New York State Institute for Health Transition Training with grant support from the New York State Developmental Disabilities Planning Council.

Early Childhood Transition Process

This guide provides information to help families of children with special needs prepare for smooth and effective transitions. It includes general information on the rights and responsibilities of families as well as eligibility under IDEA and Settings for Preschool, School Registration Requirements, Program Options for 4-year-olds and Areas of Development.