RESOURCES

Find online resources for online programs; fitness, nutrition, and mental health support; educating from home; and more with our cultivated list found here.

LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS

Some local school districts, including Austin ISD and Round Rock ISD, usually offer annual Transition Fairs that include a number of exhibitors for adult services/programs. It’s useful to go and get a good sense of what’s out there, you’ll just need to check the districts’ special ed pages on their websites to see when they’re offered. Georgetown ISD has a particularly good special ed parent page on the website, and Eanes ISD has some good resources listed as well, some of which relate to adults.

General Resources (All Ages)

2-1-1 Texas, a program of the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, is committed to helping Texas citizens connect with the services they need. No matter where you live in Texas, you can dial 2-1-1 or (877) 541-7905 and find more information about resources in your local community.

Local churches: Some local churches have groups for adults with disabilities; you might want to check with your church.  There’s a very good social program called “Capernaum” in Central Austin that meets weekly for 90 minutes during the school year.  To learn more about "Capernum" contact centralaustincapernaum@gmail.com.

Therapy and support

Easter Seals of Central Texas creates solutions and changes lives of children and adults with disabilities and those who care for them.

The Rosedale School for AISD Families and Children with Disabilities has helpful resources for information on funding and services, including waiting lists for special services.

Texas Parent to Parent (TxP2P) Provides support and information to families of children with disabilities, chronic illness and other special healthcare needs. Texas Parent to Parent has a Transition Listserv and an Austin-area Listserv that are definitely worth checking out as both will keep you updated on all kinds of local opportunities. To get on to the parent mailing list and/or request a parent match for resources, information and/or emotional support, click here and complete the TxP2P registration form.

The Nickerson Law group runs a number of workshops for parents of individuals with intellectual disabilities. Click here to view the list of upcoming events.

Texas Project First is a natural extension of Family to Family’s mission, which is to help families of children with disabilities by providing information, training, referral and support. 

Texas Education Agency: Special Education in Texas provides interested stakeholders (parents, school personnel, advocates, etc.) with timely guidance on the provision of special education services in Texas. Guidance may take the form of links to State Resources or short responses to commonly asked questions. See the web site for more information.

Partners Resource Network (PRN) is a non-profit agency that operates the statewide network of federally funded Parent Training and Information Centers (PTIs) in Texas. The PTI Projects are: PATH, PEN, and TEAM. The programs and services of PRN are based on the concept of parents helping parents. Our mission is to empower parents of children and youth with disabilities in their roles as parents, decision makers, and advocates for their children and to promote partnerships among parents and professionals. 

Region XIII Education Service Center (For Educators) is one of twenty service centers that serve the Texas educational needs. We are a non-regulatory agency; our relationship with school districts is collaborative and supportive. Our purpose is to aid teachers and administrators in their role as educators of our children. We serve as a liaison between the Texas Education Agency and the local schools districts and the schools they serve by disseminating information, conducting training and consultation for both federal and state programs.

The Disability is Natural web site is brought to you by BraveHeart Press, the family-owned business of Kathie Snow. The mission of this site is to encourage new ways of thinking about disability and to help create a society in which all people are valued and included. 

“Helping to Empower People with Disabilities”- Community Options is committed to helping employers realize the true value of employing people with disabilities.

DS-Connect: In September 2013, the National Institutes of Health announced the launch of DS-Connect, a new national Down syndrome patient registry. DS-Connect allow people with Down syndrome and their family members, researchers, and parent and support groups to share information and health history in a safe, confidential, online database. DS-Connect will also provide access to general information about Down syndrome, as well as de-identified statistical data.

VELA empowers families of children with special needs through hands-on courses, support and community building. Vela offers programs in the areas of autism, special education, and caregiver/parent self-care, as well as family fun days and support groups. Vela's Fall 2018 programming flyer is available here.

Austin Travis County Integral Care (ATCIC) improves the lives of adults and children living with mental illness, substance use disorders, and intellectual and developmental disabilities in Travis County. ATCIC is the Travis County authority for two Texas Medicaid waiver programs: Texas Home Living (TxHmL) and Home and Community Services (HCS).

Bluebonnet Trails Community Services is the authority for two Texas Medicaid waiver programs in six counties in Central Texas (Bastrop, Burnet, Caldwell, Fayette, Lee, and Williamson Counties): Texas Home Living (TxHmL) and Home and Community Services (HCS). The organization also offers behavioral health care, employment services, and a variety of supports for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Hill Country MHDD Centers is the local authority for two Texas Medicaid waiver programs (Texas Home Living and Home and Community Services) in the Hill Country area of Central Texas (Bandera, Bandera, Blanco, Comal, Edwards, Gillespie, Hays, Kendall, Kerr, Kinney, Llano, Mason, Medina, Menard, Real, Schleicher, Sutton, Uvalde, and Val Verde Counties). The organization provides mental health, intellectual and developmental disabilities, and substance use services and supports in these counties.

Resources for Siblings

DSACT does not necessarily endorse all or part of the web sites, publications, books, or videos listed on this resource page. This page is listed for your information and further research.