Special Needs Infant Adoption - This blog is a resource for adoption agencies, birthparents or other organizations who have a special needs baby (under the age of 3) to find families that would be delighted to adopt a baby with unique gifts. A free Service to Adoptive Families, Birth Families and Adoption Agencies!

The National Adoption Center , founded in 1972, is a non-profit organization whose mission is to expand adoption opportunities throughout the United States for children with special needs and those from minority cultures. The Center works with social workers and other adoption professionals to bring children and families together.

The NAC Online Adoption Preparation Course is the first online course. If your agency agrees, you can substitute this for the class requirement in the home-study process. For more information, just click to http://www.adoptnet.org/course/ or http://www.adopt.org/datacenter/bin/AN_coursefaq.htm

NPIN - National Parent Information Network - Resources for Parents: Newsletters, Books, Full Text Materials

Adopt: Assistance Information Support - Before You Adopt -  An extensive site covering the areas of Infertility, Assistance To Adoption, FAQ about Adoption, Waiting Parents, Waiting Children, Surrogacy, Support, Books for Adults, The Adoptee, Birth Parent, Reading Room and more.

Special thanks to my dear friend, Kara for her research of several hundred adoption sites and scores of children's books on adoption. Her viewpoint and insight as an adopted child was my best resource.

"Legacy Of An Adopted Child"

ADOPTION BOOKS

FOSTER PARENTING - Extensive resource for those interested in becoming a Foster Parent. Subjects include: Becoming a Foster Parent, Child and Youth Issues, Foster Parenting Organizations/Support, Fostering Resources, Preparing to Welcome Your Child, Therapeutic Foster Care & Group Homes, publications and articles.

Recommended Book for Ages 10 and Up
JOEY PIGZA SWALLOWED THE KEY

National Center for Learning Disabilities, Inc.
The National Center for Learning Disabilities is a national, non-profit organization that supports children and adults with learning disabilities, as well as parents and educators dealing with LD. NCLD’s website, www.ld.org, provides extensive information and resources on learning disabilities including a glossary of basic LD terminology, comprehensive resources listed by state, and a section specifically for adults and teens actively dealing with learning disabilities.

ADD Resources: A new national nonprofit organization for ADD. Their website features over 50 free articles by national ADHD authorities as well as adults with ADD, a free monthly eNews, and the National ADHD Directory with over 550 service providers listed. Membership is available for $45 for the first year and includes the 138 page ADDult ADD Reader, our 8 page quarterly newsletter, ADDult ADDvice, and free use of our lending library with over 450 titles in books, audiotapes and videos on ADD in adults, adolescents and children.

NLDline (Nonverbal Learning Disorder) has been developed specifically for the purpose of increasing the awareness among parents and professionals concerning Nonverbal Learning Disorder. Because many individuals with NLD, and related neurocognitive learning disorders, develop secondary psychological problems, it is understandable that early intervention yields the best prognosis and treatment. Certainly, it is imperative to know about this syndrome in order to intervene at an early age. Educating the caregivers and associates of individuals with NLD is the prime goal of NLDline; equally important is the intention to network those interested in NLD. With these goals comes the opportunity to gain recognition, understanding and accommodations for this often misunderstood learning disability.

Born To Explore! The Other Side of ADD -
Site devoted entirely to exploring positive and alternative views of attention deficit disorder (ADD/ADHD)

ADD LINKS at ABOUT.com has hundred of links to online ADD resources across the Net. The Guide himself has ADD, and has written a lot of original material about living with Attention Deficit. The site includes Chat and a very active Bulletin Board.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder - Understanding Help Hope - Excellent

Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD)– the national non-profit organization  representing children and adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD).

Autism Speaks was founded in February 2005 by Bob and Suzanne Wright, grandparents of a child with autism. Since then, Autism Speaks has grown into the nation's largest autism science and advocacy organization, dedicated to funding research into the causes, prevention, treatments and a cure for autism; increasing awareness of autism spectrum disorders; and advocating for the needs of individuals with autism and their families. We are proud of what we've been able to accomplish and look forward to continued successes in the years ahead.

AVKO Educational Research Foundation - To find out what poor readers (particularly those with dyslexia) need to be taught and what techniques and materials will help teachers and parents do a better job of teaching.

ABUSE - There is only one link for this category. "What Words Cannot Say" is "devoted to battered and abused women and children, the survivors of abuse, and all others that are in an environment of domestic violence. This page is about love, hate, anger, fear, illness, frustration, pain, and freedom."

DIVORCE

My Parents Are Divorced, My Elbows Have Nicknames, and Other Facts About Me by Bill Cochran (2009) for kids ages 5 to 8. - Ted's parents are divorced, but that's just one fact about him. The fact that he has named his elbows Clyde and Carl? Or that Ted walks around with soap in his hair and likes to squawk like a chicken on the phone? Now, that's definitely weird. As shown in this lighthearted yet heartfelt account, life with divorced parents isn't always easy, but above all Ted knows he's loved—and there's nothing weird about that at all. Good idea for parents to read this. Also recommend for use in educational setting and counseling.

GROWW - Grief Recovery Online (founded by) Widows & Widowers. This is a lovely site dedicated to Grief Recovery for ALL Bereaved, including the loss of a child. This is a wealth of resources on one site, which includes a newsletter, chat room on site and online posting.

There are also several books on this site in the "Special Book Collection", in particular, THE NEXT PLACE, by Warren Hanson, which is highly recommend and MENDING PETER'S HEART by Maureen Wittbold. In addition, a book you may find helpful, STORYBOOKS FOR TOUGH TIMES, a collection of recommended storybooks for children grades K-6 broken into chapters dealing with different issues.

More Recommended books for grief:
TEAR SOUP - An illustrated children's book for adults about how we individually grieve loss in our lives.
GHOST WINGS - While celebrating the Days of the Dead, a young Mexican girl remembers her wonderful grandmother who sang songs, made tortillas, chased monsters away, and loved butterflies. Ages 5-8
Chester Raccoon and the Acorn Full of Memories by Audrey Penn - Mrs. Raccoon helps Chester and his friends deal with the death of their friend by teaching them to make memories together. Many children must face the loss of someone close and the accompanying funeral, and this book will help them prepare for that experience and understand the positive aspects of memorializing loved ones.

SPINA BIFIDA ASSOCIATION Spina Bifida is the most frequently occurring permanently disabling birth defect in the U.S. Find out how you, your loved ones, and friends can reduce your risk of spina bifida.