Websites for Parents and Caregivers of Children

Learn the Signs, Act Early!

Behavior Strategies for your child with Special Needs

Special Child Website Website for parents and caregivers of children with special needs 

http://www.firstsigns.org/  First Signs is dedicated to educating the community about autism and related disorders.

Zero to Three Website  Zero to Three, birth thru three years parent tips and information

Find a doctor  Finding an area Pediatrician.

Guide to Childhood Nutrition

Parenting Solutions Fast answers to Common Parenting Problems by Elizabeth Pantley

CEED Questions About Kids on the topics of Social and Emotional Growth, Challenging Behaviors, and Mental Health

Kids Health offers articles on many parenting issues, health, behaviors, growth and development, and much more.

MN Parents KNOW: Information for families of young children

Learn the Signs, Act Early!  Center for Disease Control (CDC) project on Autism.  Learn the Signs and Act Early.  Information and links to other related websites.  

Yellow Pages for Kids with Disabilities-Minnesota

Parenting Counts Talaris Research Institute works to improve the social, emotional and cognitive development of children from the prenatal period thru age 5 by providing parents with tools to raise their children effectively.  Video Clips and information.

Born Learning:  Born Learning is a public engagement campaign that helps parents, grandparents and caregivers explore ways to turn everyday moments into fun learning.

Healthy Child.org  American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) provides general information and research on children's physical health and topics related to children's health. 

Children's Sleep Guide  This guide aims to help parents with children ages newborn to 12 years old learn more about how children and babies sleep and best practices. Plus, we’ll help answer these questions:

• What sleep patterns should I expect for my child or children?
• How much sleep does a baby need? Or my child?
• How can I know my child is getting the right amount of sleep?

This guide also includes:

• The Ultimate Children’s Sleep Chart, which outlines recommended sleep for children
• Tips on creating a sleep routine
• Information on how to make your child’s room a sleep-healthy place
• Facts and resources on common sleep problems for children
• Ideas on how to teach your child the importance of sleep
• Many more resources for parents to explore

Preschool Express has great activity ideas for toddlers and preschoolers.  Free downloadables and more.  Designed by a retired educator wanting to "give back".

Safety Video Series for Your child with Special Needs

About.com:  Living with your child with special needs

Down Syndrome of MN

MN Child Care Aware can get you a list of childcare providers in your area as well as helpful hints on how to find the right child care for your children.

The ASD Video Glossary, an innovative web-based tool designed to help parents and professionals learn more about the early red flags and diagnostic features of autism spectrum disorders (ASD). This glossary contains over a hundred video clips and is available to you free of charge. Whether you are a parent, family member, friend, physician, clinician, childcare provider, or educator, it can help you see the subtle differences between typical and delayed development in young children and spot the early red flags for ASD. All of the children featured in the ASD Video Glossary as having red flags for ASD are, in fact, diagnosed with ASD.

PACER’s Family-to-Family Health Information Center (F2F HIC)  provides a central source for families of children and young adults with special health care needs and disabilities to obtain support, advocacy, and information about the health care system. Children and youth with special health care needs (CYSHCN) are those who have or are at risk for chronic physical, developmental, behavioral, or emotional conditions that require health and related services of a type or amount beyond that required by children generally. PACER promotes family-centered care and family and professional collaboration at all levels of health care. 

The Center provides information to help families about:

• Working effectively with doctors and other health care professionals and providers
• Developing a family-centered care plan 
• Acquiring advocacy skills to use within the health care system 
• Developing health care summaries and plans for emergencies, home, and school
• Health insurance—both public and private
• Medical Assistance, TEFRA, parental fees, Waivers, Consumer Directed Community Supports (CDCS), and grants
• Supplemental Security Income (SSI) through Social Security
• Appeals process for insurance and government assistance programs 

Information about child development

Amazing Me!  Information about child development

Early Signs of Autism Video

Cerebral Palsy Guide: This organization shares educational materials to families and individuals affected by cerebral palsy, including information about different therapies, treatment options, and financial resources.  http://www.cerebralpalsyguide.com

https://cerebralpalsygroup.com/  Cerebral Palsy Group is an online resource for anyone who has been affected by cerebral palsy, brain injuries, or birth injuries

Cerebral Palsy Guidance  http://www.cerebralpalsyguidance.com/ also shares information and guidance for students that have Cerebral Palsy.

Boys Town Parenting Guides to Discipline