Parent and Educator Resources
General Information about Learning Disabilities
The MABIDA website offers current events and resources in the Massachusetts area. Membership to MABIDA includes a free consultation with a qualified clinician to discuss assessment results, as well as access to a variety of fact sheets, publications, community events, and referral services.
A comprehensive guide for parents that includes information about special education laws, student evaluations, creating and reviewing IEPs, and family rights.
The Center for the Developing Child at Harvard University offers free resources relevant to policy and practice related to topics including learning and health in vulnerable children.
This colorful site is easy to navigate and offers great basic information on learning disabilities, plus active updates of an events calendar. The site includes sections for teachers, children, and parents, and a lengthy book list for children and adults.
Provides information for parents, educators, adults, and professionals about all types of learning disabilities. This site also includes an extensive list of resources related to public policy and advocacy.
Find general information about different types of learning disabilities, as well as a wealth of resources and games for kids to practice individual reading and math skills.
This site offers personalized recommendations and resources for families with children who have learning and attention issues. Visit their “Parent Toolkit” section to receive free resources personalized to your child’s individual learning profile.
1. Dyslexia and Reading Disability
Decoding Dyslexia is a network of parent-led grassroots movements across the US that focus on improving access to educational interventions for dyslexia. Their site is a great resource for parents looking to join a local support group, learn about policy and advocacy opportunities, or find more information about support for dyslexic students.
The Dyslexia Foundation offers excellent videos from conferences, provides free information, and overall resources for parents and educators.
The IDA website offers resources for parents and educators about reading and dyslexia, including fact sheets, webinars, and publications. Find your local branch of the IDA for more detailed information about resource centers and policy decisions by state.
Learning Ally is a national nonprofit dedicated to helping students with print disabilities (including dyslexia). Their website has a wealth of resources for parents, educators, and students including insights on effective reading programs, information about advocacy and policy, professional development opportunities for educators, and an online support community for dyslexic students.
This site provides videos, blogs, and books that provide more information about reading development and teaching strategies that help struggling readers.
This website has a wealth of resources for dyslexic adults, parents, and children about dyslexia, including articles, reading lists, and policy/advocacy resources for parents and educators. Read through personal stories from students and adults and visit the “Successful Dyslexics” page that highlights ways has dyslexia shaped talented professionals across a variety of career paths.
2. Dyscalculia and Math Disability
Great Schools offers an overview of what learning disabilities in math are, and what skills are relevant and affected. Visit the rest of the Great Schools site to find more resources for parents about academics, homework support, and other learning disabilities.
This website provides information about the math learning disability dyscalculia and the signs, symptoms, causes and treatments for this disability.
3. ADD and ADHD
The website of this nonprofit organization offers information on a collection of topics from ADD career challenges to creative work by people with ADD and everything in between. The site includes special sections for kids and teens.
CHADD is one of the leading national organizations that works to improve the lives of children and adults with ADHD. Their website is a hotspot of resources for parents and adults with ADHD, offering educational materials, training and events, and information about employment, advocacy, and support groups.
Policy and Advocacy
This is a national organization under the civil rights act that was made to protect people with disabilities from facing discrimination in public places. This website provides statistics and further resources.
The CPIR site features a comprehensive Resource Library that provides resources for parents covering several topics including laws, early intervention, self-advocacy, and vocational rehabilitation services.
Sponsored by a nonprofit disabilities rights group in Chicago, this website informs the public on the rights and advocacy for people with disabilities. The site includes an FAQ section about different laws regarding employment and benefits, and a section on special education for parents.
The Council for Exceptional Children offers information to parents and special education teachers related to policy and advocacy opportunities. They also have an extensive list of publications and resources for educators and parents, including webinars, workshops, and articles published by the CEC.
This website offers a wide span of resources for parents and educators interested in learning more about the policy/advocacy side of special education legislation, including a report published every 2 years about the state of learning disabilities in the U.S.
Frequently asked questions on effective communication for students with hearing, vision, or speech disabilities in public elementary and secondary schools.
Homework Helpers
Question and answer site specifically for math topics. Offers the opportunity to submit your own question for individualized help with math topics.
This website has compiled online resources for help with many different subjects, including math, science, English, and social studies. The site covers resources for students, teachers, and parents in each subject area.
When you deserve a break, try playing one of these games that really get you thinking. The games include math games, word games, science games and many more. The site also includes digital access to favorite books and reading resources for elementary students K-8.
Listing of many reference sites for a variety of topics for all grade levels. Resources include encyclopedias, newspapers, dictionaries, and links to library resource centers.
A fantastic resource for parents with advice, articles, and subject-specific resources to help parents of children in grades K-8.
Apps and Technology
Assistive and educational technology tools and resources to support learning for students with disabilities and their classmates.
Use Understood.org’s “Tech Finder” to find apps, assistive software, or technology specifically suited to your child’s needs. Their search engine allows you to search by subject area, grade level, and technology type to individualize your search.
Resources for Adult Learners
This website helps guide adults in receiving basic and proper education necessary to be proficient and engaging them in various activities to improve their education and literacy. This organization provides funding for those that fit the criteria.
This site provides resources from the National Center for College Students with Disabilities (NCCSD) and Disability Rights, Education Activism, and Mentoring (DREAM) for students and parents.
This website allows access to additional resources and information and about people with learning disabilities in school and pertaining to work and career building. It is also provides many tips on parenting children with learning disabilities.
Resources for Teachers
The International Dyslexia Association (IDA)’s Center for Effective Reading Instruction offers accredited programs and teacher training opportunities for teachers looking for research based professional development in literacy and writing instruction.
The FCRR distributes information about research-based practices related to literacy instruction and assessment for students K-12. The Resources page on their site provides reports that describe specific reading programs and their use, as well as information regarding the consistency of the programs with scientifically based research in reading.
Evaluating Programs and Interventions
This website, created by the Johns Hopkins University School of Education’s Center for Data-Driven Reform in Education (CDDRE), provides information on the strength of the evidence supporting a variety of programs available for students in grades K-12.
The Cochrane Collaboration provides reviews of the evidence for and against the effectiveness of a variety of interventions and treatments in the fields of medicine and education.
This is a free resource published by the American Institutes for Research that compiles intervention program efficacy into a chart that includes technical rigor, study results, and program implementation.
This checklist offers a resource for educators/clinicians to use in evaluating treatments for dyslexia and other learning disabilities. It highlights key words to look for when evaluating treatment and intervention programs and ways to differentiate research-based practices from pseudoscientific strategies and methods.
SharpBrains provides independent analysis and guidance to navigate the market for brain health products and interventions. Their website includes a useful checklist for brain fitness software and training games, as well as other resources relevant for brain-based products.
This article offers clarification of the term ‘brain-based’ as it relates to products, programs, and ideas. The article offers a framework for educators and consumers to use when evaluating educational products labeled as ‘brain-based.’
The What Works Clearinghouse, an initiative of the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences (IES), compiles empirical research on educational products and provides reviews based on its evaluation of the available empirical research.
Research and Academic Contributions
Many of the AAP policy statements provide overviews of research related to educational products, interventions, and theories. The site also features a search engine that is useful in guiding users to appropriate articles.
ASHA journals provide articles reviewing the theoretical basis and empirical evidence associated with a variety of speech and language intervention programs.
ASHA also publishes a resource they call “Evidence Maps,” which summarize and group current research initiatives by topic.
ASHA’s guide to evaluating procedures, products, and educational programs.
The Campbell Collaboration provides reviews and research articles on various interventions from a social science, behavioral science, and educational perspective.
A report published by the RAND Corporation that looks at the effectiveness of new approaches to personalized learning in the classroom. This research is a part of an initiative by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to explore new approaches to school design and effective teaching practices.