Vetted Information Online
There’s no shortage of information available online. Much of it is wrong; these are some reliable links that can get you started in the right direction.
A good professional, like and educational therapist, psychologist, or psychiatrist, should be able to help you get the information you need.
There’s an enormous amount of misinformation available, particularly on ADHD.
CHADD is the national nonprofit concerned with this particular condition, and on its board are the leading experts on ADHD. I recommend going to them first to find accurate information.
CHADD has a website with an incredible amount of vetted information available on ADHD which is worth spending some time on.
CHADD also has an online store, where they sell books and other products that have been vetted by experts.
www.chadd.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Store
International Dyslexia Association: Exists to pursue and provide the most comprehensive range of information and services that address the full scope of dyslexia and related difficulties in learning to read and write.
LD Online is another information source for information relating to learning disabilities. There’s a great deal of good information in their online database.
Schwab Learning
Now owned by greatschools.net, this site is another good source for vetted information.
www.greatschools.org/special-education.topic?content=1541
Bay Area Nonprofits:
CHADD NorCal
CHADD offers the following forms of support around the Bay Area:
- Support groups for parents and caregivers
- Support groups for adults with AD/HD
- For members, referrals to local professionals who work with the AD/HD population
Parent’s Education Network: Brings in local and national experts to speak on topics relating to learning disabilities throughout the school year.
www.parentseducationnetwork.org/EdRev
SAFE voices: a group for LD teens, with volunteer assistance from local educational and psychological professionals, run by PEN.
www.parentseducationnetwork.org/safevoices
Support for Families
Is a parent-run San Francisco-based nonprofit organization founded in 1982. We support families of children with any kind of disability or special health care need as they face challenges.
Parents Helping Parents
PHP’s mission is to help children and adults with special needs receive the support and services they need to reach their full potential by providing information, training, and resources to build strong families and improve systems of care.
Local Professionals:
There are many highly qualified individuals in the bay area who specialize in working with the LD population. There are also many who market themselves as such who don’t have the proper training, or are guided by misinformation.
Before you hire someone, I recommend finding out about their approach. What methods are they using? What is their guiding philosophy? Do they use a model grounded in resilience, or are they strictly results-driven? A good treatment model should be research based, holistic in nature, and take into account temperament and process, as well as end result.
For an academic intervention to be successful, children and teens with AD/HD, dyslexia, aspergers , NLD, anxiety, or other challenges require someone who has specialized training beyond that of a tutor; the Association of Educational Therapists can refer you to a qualified professional. A therapist likewise needs specialized training to work with certain disorders. It’s worth doing the research to find out who would be the best fit for your child.
If you’re looking for someone who has a skillset other than my own, CHADD and IDA both keep rosters of individuals who work with various populations, and I have a network of allied professionals whose work I trust.
Finding a qualified psychologist or therapist may be tricky; I recommend speaking with my colleagues at the Institute for the Advancement of Psychotherapy (www.sfiap.com)
