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 The ARC of North Carolina The Arc of the United States and the Arc of North Carolina, work through education, research and advocacy to improve the quality of life for children and adults with intellectual disability and their families. They also work to prevent both the causes and the effects of intellectual disabilities. Click here for the NC Local Chapter Listing.
The Autism Society of North Carolina is committed to improving the lives of individuals and families affected by autism through the provision of advocacy, information and referral services and a wide variety of individualized, community based programs.
Autism Speaks’ Family Services department is dedicated to empowering individuals and families impacted by autism. We help families maximize their child’s developmental potential and improve their quality of life. We promote and advocate for best practices in treatment, education and all services—from early intervention to adult care.
Life can be challenging, especially for those who see the world in a different way. The doToLearn website provides free information and special learning tools for anyone having difficulty understanding, ordering and functioning in our world.
The Council for Exceptional Children The Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) is the largest international professional organization dedicated to improving educational outcomes for individuals with exceptionalities students with disabilities and/or the gifted.
First Signs First Signs, Inc. is a national non-profit organization dedicated to educating parents and professionals about the early warning signs of autism and related disorders.
First Words Project The FIRST WORDS® Project is a longitudinal research investigation in the Autism Institute in the College of Medicine at Florida State University. Our major goal is to identify early red flags of developmental language disorders, autism spectrum disorders, and other communication delays in children under 24 months of age.
Wrightslaw Special Education Law and Advocacy

 

Parents, educators, experts, and attorneys go to Wrightslaw for information about effective advocacy for children with disabilities. You’ll find hundreds of articles, cases, newsletters, and other information about special education law and advocacy in the
Wrightslaw Libraries.

NC State Agencies

The Children’s Developmental Service Agencies (CDSAs) (formerly known as Developmental Evaluation Centers [DECs] are the local lead agencies for the North Carolina Infant-Toddler Program, under Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The responsibilities of the local lead agency are to provide oversight of all the North Carolina Infant-Toddler Program services.
Family Support Network™ of North Carolina The mission of the Family Support Network of North Carolina (FSN-NC) is to enhance the lives of North Carolina’s children who have special needs or are at risk by providing support and information to families, by promoting family support, and by encouraging collaboration among families and service providers in the design and delivery of services.
NC Health and Human Services North Carolina Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Substance Abuse. Local Management Entities (LMEs) are agencies of local government-area authorities or county programs-who are responsible for managing, coordinating, facilitating and monitoring the provision of mental health, developmental disabilities and substance abuse services in the catchment area served. LME responsibilities include offering consumers 24/7/365 access to services, developing and overseeing providers, and handling consumer complaints and grievances.
North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (DPI) The State Board of Education/ DPI website provides links to information about DPI as well as, the State Board of Education, and the State Superintendent, Deputy State Superintendent, and N.C.’s Strategic Plan for Excellent Schools.
The Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Services provides counseling, training, education, transportation, job placement, assistive technology and other services. These services are provided to people with physical, psychiatric or intellectual disablilities to assist them with living independently and with finding a job and staying on the job.

Government Benefits

NC Health and Human Services Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services
Social Security administration Social Security Administration
Persons with Disabilities Discounts Guide