TASP has created and gathered important articles, websites, curricula, tools and videos to help parents with cognitive limitations and the people that support them.
Click on each heading to expand the section.
Oregon, December 2019: Office for Civil Rights (OCR) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced that it has entered into a voluntary resolution agreement (VRA) with the Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS) concerning the rights of parents with disabilities in ODHS Child Welfare Programs (CWP).
- HHS OCR Secures Voluntary Resolution and Ensures Child Welfare Programs in the Oregon Department of Human Services Protect Parents with Disabilities from Discrimination: Read the letter HERE
- Rewire article on the case, agreement, and discrimination against parents with disabilities HERE
Sara Gordon Case, Massachusetts, January 2015
- HHS/DOJ letter: https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/mass_lof.pdf
- Disability Scoop article about the case and decision: https://www.disabilityscoop.com/2015/02/10/child-removed-mom-feds/20047/
- Fact Sheet: Parents with Intellectual Disability
This article uses a question and answer format to provide basic information about parents with intellectual disabilities and their need for support
https://www.thearc.org/what-we-do/resources/fact-sheets/parents-with-idd
- Enhancing Social Connectedness of Mothers with ID
This article describes how to engage mothers with intellectual disabilities in a shared social group that feels safe and provides opportunities for learning. A study by David McConnell, PhD; Maurice Feldman, PhD; Marjorie Aunos, PhD and Laura Pacheco, MSW
https://achancetoparent.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Social-Connectedness-of-Mothers-with-ID.pdf
- The Intersection of Child Welfare and Disability – Focus on Children
This newsletter provides a comprehensive set of articles that explore challenges and solutions for supporting parents with intellectual disabilities.
http://cascw.umn.edu/portfolio-items/fall-2013-cw360/
- New Ways of Thinking About Parents with Intellectual Disabilities
This article describes how attitudes and approaches to supporting parents with intellectual disabilities have changed. The author makes several recommendations for best practice.
https://achancetoparent.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/ImpactICI-IrwinSexuality.pdf
- Success Stories in Parenting with Intellectual Disability
These case studies are based on actual cases. Participating families have given consent for their stories to be shared.
http://www.idrs.org.au/support-parents/cnp-stories.php
- Research Summary and Seminal Peer-Reviewed Research-based Journal Articles on Parents with ID and Their Children. A list by Dr. Maurice Feldman.
Provided by Dr. Maurice Feldman, this includes a research summary and list of seminal peer-reviewed journal articles on parents with learning difficulties and their children. He notes the list of 32 articles is by no means exhaustive, and does not include influential books and book chapters. Nonetheless, looking at the list of articles, several key themes emerge, as well as areas where more research is needed.
- Proud Parents: a website full of plain-language resources for parents with disabilities, with a whole section on parenting. Created by a group of parents in Connecticut.
https://www.proudparents.info/
- Green Mountain Self-Advocates: Vermonters with developmental disabilities speaking up for themselves and others and providing a wide range of resources
- Map of Current State Legislation Supporting Parents with Disabilities
http://heller.brandeis.edu/parents-with-disabilities/map/index.html
- Elevatus Training: evidence and trauma informed curriculum, online training, in-services and workshops to help professionals, educators, self-advocates and parents skillfully and confidently navigate the topic of sexuality.
- Easy to read “How To” booklets
Find easy-to-read “how-to” booklets for parents with intellectual disabilities.
- Parenting in Pictures
Access photos that show how to parent in pictures – a visual support for parents with Intellectual Disabilities. http://raisingchildren.net.au/parenting_in_pictures/pip_landing_page.html
- Simple Home Fixes
Find strategies for organizing a home to make parenting easier for parents with disabilities.
https://www.redfin.com/blog/simple-home-fixes-to-ease-parenting-with-disabilities
- Supporting Families When Parents Have Intellectual Disability
This curricula can be used to build your agency’s capacity to support parents with intellectual disabilities. Although the material is dated (2002) many people in the field still find it useful.
http://www.srcp.org/pdf_versions/supportingfamilies.pdf
- Supporting Parents with Disabilities: Resource Binder
This binder contains a comprehensive binder of practical resources and articles that may be helpful in supporting parents with disabilities.
https://soonersuccess.ouhsc.edu/Portals/1024/assets/Electronic%20Resource%20Binder%20Nov%202017.pdf
- Communicating with Parents with an Intellectual Disability
The communication strategies described on this site can help ensure that information is presented in a way that parents can understand, and that they are given the opportunity to express their views.
http://idrs.org.au/makingsense/workers/communicating-with-parents-with-an-intellectual-disability/
- What do all those acronyms mean, anyways?
A number of resources are available to assist with the various and many acronyms used in the field of supported parenting and the disability world.
- Center for Advanced Studies in Child Welfare presents Navigating the System: Addressing the Overrepresentation of Parents with Disabilities in CPS. A 1.5 hour FREE learning module
- Prevention – Supporting Parents with Developmental Disabilities
This interview with a parent with intellectual disabilities describes what is helpful in family support.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZx8dGG7Oys
- Sex, Love, and Life: Navigating Womanhood with a Disabilities
Women with disabilities experience womanhood in a variety of ways, but we rarely get to see these nuances in media. Newsy set out to explore the intersection of womanhood and disability, including: sex, love and dating; pregnancy; motherhood and adoption. For each of these areas, we get to know a woman as she experiences a big moment in her life — as well as take a deeper look into the larger issues concerning the disability community. Newsy partnered with Access Living to tell stories about how these modern, resourceful women highlight the vast and varied complexities of what it means to be a woman.
https://www.newsy.com/series/sex-love-and-life-navigating-womanhood-with-disabilities/
- Working with Parents Who Have Cognitive Limitations
This evidence-based curriculum provides guidance to teachers, nurses and social service providers in working with parents who have cognitive limitations.
https://www.irised.com/products/working-with-parents-who-have-cognitive-limitations
We have compiled a list of websites and resources that have meaningful and helpful information about COVID-19. Most of the sites have information specific to people with disabilities and/or chronic medical conditions, and many offer plain-language resources.
- TASP’s plain-language guide on Ways to Keep You and Your Family Safe Right Now:
- “Ways to Keep You and Your Family Safe Right Now” Larger font version (updated 4/7/20)
- “Ways to Keep You and Your Family Safe Right Now” (updated 4/7/20)
- Written Resources in plain language
- Green Mountain Self-Advocates have lots of great resources, including:
- Plain-language booklets on COVID-19 created for people with disabilities by people with disabilities. English Booklet HERE, Spanish Booklet HERE, and now available in 11 languages HERE
- Words to Know About the Cornoavirus in Plain Language HERE
- Emergency preparedness “kit,” intended as a resource for people with disabilities (PWD), and seniors in time of crisis: HERE
- Tips For Working With Support Staff During COVID-19. People with intellectual and developmental disabilities wrote these tips: HERE
- The Arc Maryland’s Coronavirus resource guide in plain language. Updates include information on emergency preparedness, staying safe outside, and grocery shopping tips. Check it out HERE
- Lurie Institute’s plain-language guide to the Coronavirus/COVID-19
- Assortment of resources related to coronavirus from National Health Law Program and their partners, including information on COVID-19 and Medicaid that may be helpful for anyone advocating for families who have MA: HERE
- Green Mountain Self-Advocates have lots of great resources, including:
- Video Resources
- Resources for you and your children:
- Pediatric Therapeutic Services plain language COVID-19 information: PTS-Coronavirus-Story-1
- Manuela Molena Cruz has written the CoviBook: a short, simple book to explain coronavirus, available in 21 languages: HERE
- From Zero to Three, page includes resources for families, including age-appropriate responses to common questions, a guide to self-care, and activities for young children experiencing social distancing HERE
- Websites with helpful information
- SARTAC resources on COVID-19 for self-advocates: HERE
- Administration for Community Living’s page on COVID-19 and “What do Older Adults and People with Disabilities Need to Know?” is updated regularly with current information, fact sheets, guidance, and additional links. Be sure to check out their state-by-state links to information and resources for each individual state.
- Centers for Disease Control has great information, resources, planning ideas and tool kits, with information specific to people with chronic medical conditions HERE.
- Technology and Accessibility:
- Supporting Virtual Meeting Accessibility Nicole LeBlanc, coordinator of the Person-Centered Advisory and Leadership Group for NCAPPS HERE