Resources: Families (MD)

💵 ABLE ACCOUNTS (MARYLAND)

ABLE Accounts are a way to help individuals with disabilities save money and pay for qualified disability-related expenses (including living expenses, education, housing, transportation, assistive technology and much more), without jeopardizing state or federal means-tested benefits such as SSI or Medicaid.

Learn more about MarylandABLE in English

Learn more about MarylandABLE in other languages

🖥️ AT FINANCIAL LOAN PROGRAM

The Assistive Technology Financial Loan Program helps Maryland residents with disabilities and their families qualify for low-interest loans to buy assistive technology equipment that will help them live, work, and learn more independently. AT can include hearing aids, laptops, braille notetakers, adapted gaming systems, home modifications, and much more! For more information, contact the Maryland Department of Disabilities, AT Financial Loan Program at 1-800-832-4827 or email mdtap.atlp@maryland.gov. You can also find more information at https://mdod.maryland.gov/mdtap/Pages/AT-Financial-Loan-Program.aspx.

 👧🏾 AUTISM SOCIETY OF MARYLAND

Special education resources for all students with IEPs, IFSPs, and 504 Plans. 1:1 special education consultation for any disability. 

Online resources in Spanish, Korean, and Chinese. For information, visit https://autismsocietymd.org/special-ed-resources/

Visit the event calendar at https://autismsocietymd.org/events/

For information, visit https://autismsocietymd.org/ or 410-290-3466. Services are free.

⚽️ CP SOCCER LEAGUE

This program is for students aged 7-18 who have ambulatory CP, a traumatic brain injury or stroke diagnosis. CP Soccer was started by a father and son who loved soccer, but the son had difficulty competing with his peers due to his cerebral palsy. The movement has grown into local teams around the US, and now it’s an international league! The Mid-Atlantic team currently has athletes from MD, DC & VA and practices in Howard County. Practice focuses on improving soccer skills, building self-esteem and connecting with other kids and families with CP. The Fall season runs now through November 3. Students of any ability are welcome to join. 

For more information or to register please contact Kohji and Kate Scott at thescotts@me.com. 

For more information about CP Soccer, visit web site.

📋 THE COORDINATING CENTER

Using person-centered philosophy and approach, we work with individuals and their families to achieve their aspirations for independence, health, and a meaningful life. We help navigate complex systems and connect individuals with the necessary supports and services to thrive at home and in their communities. Services include:

• Help coordinate and participate in medical appointments

• Ensure communication with and among the medical home team is clear, frequent, and timely

• Attend IEP meetings

• Anticipate, prepare, and plan for all transitions including early intervention to school, hospital to home, pediatric care to adult health care and other services for adults in the community

• Educate children, youth, and families on self-management skills

• Provide community resources

• Virtual Cup of Joe parent meetup monthly to share experiences and learn more about the Coordinating Center. 

Programs and services include Autism Waiver, Model Waiver Program, Rare and Expensive Case Management Program (REM) and DDA Services.

410-987-1048

www.coordinatingcenter.org

Services are free.

👨🏽‍🦼‍➡️DISABILITY RIGHTS OF MARYLAND 

Disability Rights Maryland (DRM), a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, is Maryland’s designated Protection & Advocacy agency. DRM is federally mandated to advance the civil rights of people with disabilities. We provide free legal services to Marylanders of any age with all types of disabilities (developmental, intellectual, psychiatric, physical, sensory, learning, traumatic brain injury).

https://disabilityrightsmd.org/

Services are free.

📋 DOWN SYNDROME ASSOCIATION OF MD

DSAmd offers a variety of online, on demand and in person events, including:

• Workshops for Parents and Caregivers

• Cooking Class

• Improviser Class

• Young Adult Hangout

• Dance Class

For more information about any of these events, or to register, please visit dsamd.org/events. For more information about DSAmd visit dsamd.org

Services are free

🫨 EPILEPSY FOUNDATION HOWARD COUNTY SUPPORT GROUP

Virtual meetings every other month.

https://epilepsymaryland.org

Services are free.

🧑‍🧑‍🧒‍🧒 FAMILY SUPPORT & RESOURCE CENTER 

Assists families in advocating for their child with a disability.

Services include:

• Workshops for parents and caregivers

• Guidance in the IEP/IFSP process

• Lending library including disability and special education related books and DVDs

• Facilitation of parent groups

• Weekly emails with upcoming events for you and your student

• Service, community and recreational resources to support the specific needs of your family

Contact FSRC@hcpss.org

Services are free.

👩🏾‍⚖️ FDA PATIENT LISTENING SESSIONS 

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Patient Affairs department will host several Patient Listening Sessions. These sessions are a resource for the medical product centers to engage with patients and their advocates. Patient Listening Sessions are one of many ways the patient and advocacy community can share their experiences and perspectives by talking directly with FDA staff. Visit information page. Sponsored by the Food and Drug Administration

Free.

🎭 GIGI’S PLAYHOUSE ANNAPOLIS

Part of the International Down Syndrome Achievement Center network, GiGi’s offers educational, therapeutic, and career development programs for individuals with Down syndrome and their families. Programs are available for all age groups, both virtual and in person. 

For more information, please visit https://gigisplayhouse.org/annapolis/. Services are free.

🎖️ GUIDE FOR FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN WITH AUTISM IN THE MILITARY

This guide (and the companion website) are resources for military families that have children with autism. The purpose is to give families the tools and access to information that they need on their unique journey through autism. 

Visit https://researchautism.org/resources/a-guide-for-military-families/. Created by the Organization for Autism Research.

📚 HOWARD COUNTY LIBRARIES "SENSORY FRIENDLY" STORY TIMES

(Free) The Howard County Library System offers sensory friendly story times throughout the year. For a listing of events please visit https://howardcounty.librarycalendar.com/; this connects you to the library classes and events calendar:

• scroll down to Keyword Search box

• type in the words “sensory friendly”

• click Apply

The calendar for the current month will be displayed, and you can click the next month to see upcoming events. Check often as new classes are added regularly. Although similar to the HCPSS sensory friendly events held at the library, these sessions do not include additional staff to support families.

🚨 HOWARD COUNTY POLICE VOLUNTARY "FLAGGING" PROGRAM (911)

This program allows families to "flag" their address in the county's 911 database if a person living in the home has a developmental, intellectual, or physical disability, mental health diagnosis, Alzheimer’s, or other behavior that may affect police response. All information submitted as part of the 911 flagging program remains confidential and will only be used by emergency dispatchers and responders. 

To register, please visit https://www.howardcountymd.gov/police/online-resources and scroll down to “911 Flagging Program." 

For more information, contact the Community Outreach Division at 410-313-2207 or HCPDOutreach@howardcountymd.gov.

🚌 HCPSS RESOURCES IN SPANISH

The Howard County Public School's Special Education Family Support & Resource Center supports families who have children that receive special education and related services (have an IFSP or IEP). They are starting an occasional newsletter for our Spanish speaking families that will include information on upcoming workshops and events that will be presented in Spanish. 

If you are interested in being added to the distribution list, please email valerie_braulio_segarra@hcpss.org.

✅ LOW INTENSITY SUPPORT SERVICES FUNDING

LISS is a statewide grant program for individuals with developmental disabilities. LISS can help individuals improve their quality of life, remain in their own homes, increase or maintain independence and participate in their communities. The program uses a “request form” to gather the necessary information about the person and the services they are seeking. The grants are not based on financial need, but on a random selection process that takes place several times throughout the year. 

Visit LISS information page.

Visit LISS application page. 

🧑‍🧑‍🧒‍🧒 MARYLAND COALITION OF FAMILIES

Help for parents of young children. Support for families of children with behavioral health needs. Help for children and adults with substance issues.

Services include:

• Workshops and events

• Support groups for families

• Community resources

Accept your child/loved one without feeling judged, openly talk about the challenges of parenting a child with unique needs, understand development and know what to expect, advocate for your child’s/loved one’s needs, connect with other families who know what you’re going through. http://www.mdcoalition.org/. 

Services are free.

🖼️ NATIONAL ALLIANCE ON MENTAL ILLNESS 

(NAMI) Support groups for parents/caregivers of children and adolescents with behavioral health challenges. No diagnosis is necessary. 

• Parent Support Group

• Transition Age 

• Youth Support Group

• Family Support Group

Sponsored by National Alliance on Mental Illness, Howard County. https://namihowardcounty.org/

Services are free

🚦 PARENTS PLACE OF MD

(PPM) Serving as Maryland’s Parent Training and Information Center and Family-to-Family Health Information Center, the Parents’ Place of Maryland (PPMD) provides resources, support, and information to parents of children with disabilities and special health care needs. https://www.ppmd.org/

Services are free

🖍️ Project ACCESS

Project ACCESS is a program that helps high school students with disabilities get ready for college. It supports their move from high school to higher education. Students who have finished 9th, 10th, 11th, or 12th grade and will earn a high school diploma can join.

Information page is here.

⛑️ SEIZURE FIRST AID

(Free; On Demand Class) The Seizure First Aid Ready course is now available on demand. Access this 30-minute online training from anywhere, anytime by visiting the Epilepsy Foundations Educational Videos page. Seizure First Aid Ready educates the public on the Epilepsy Foundation’s basic procedures for responding to someone having a seizure. The course is presented in an interactive format with animations, videos, and activities to help everyone become Seizure First Aid ready. To take this course or learn about other online classes please visit https://learn.epilepsy.com/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=pardot&utm_campaign=epilepsy-news_0922 

Sponsored by the Epilepsy Foundation.

🪑 SPECIAL EDUCATION CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE (SECAC)

Howard County SECAC advises the school system on the needs of students with disabilities. We collaborate with other community disability advocacy groups to improve special education and the lives of our students in Howard County. https://howardcountysecac.com

Services are free.

🤾🏾‍♂️ SPECIAL OLYMPICS (HOWARD COUNTY)

Special Olympics Howard County (SOHC) offers year-round training and competitive sports opportunities in 25 different sports programs for Howard County children and adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities. Training for most sports programs can start at the age of six with competitions starting at age eight. A Young Athletes Program is offered for children ages 2-7. To learn how to become a Special Olympics athlete please visit https://somdhc.org/become-an-athlete/. For more information about SOHC visit https://somdhc.org/ or call 410 740-0500. There is no cost to participate in Special Olympics.

🛩️ TSA CHECKPOINT SUPPORTS FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH A DISABILITY**

TSA Cares is a helpline from the Transportation Security Administration that provides travelers with disabilities, medical conditions and other circumstances, additional assistance during the security screening process. Travelers can reach out to the TSA Cares helpline 72 hours prior to traveling. TSA Cares answers questions about screening policies, procedures and what to expect at the security checkpoint. Travelers requiring special accommodations or who have concerns about the security screening process may ask a TSA officer or supervisor for a passenger support specialist who can provide on-the-spot assistance. For more information, please visit https://www.tsa.gov/travel/passenger-support. 

**Families have shared that the services available can vary from airport to airport.

🪪 VOLUNTARY DEVELPOMENTAL DISABILITY DISCLOSURE CARD

Maryland Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA) provides upon request from a customer or parent/guardian, the Developmental Disability Disclosure Card. The blue card is the size of a driver's license. It includes space for an individual to provide details on a developmental disability and gives guidance on effective communication between law enforcement officers and people with developmental disabilities. 

To obtain a Voluntary Developmental Disability Disclosure Card, please visit the information desk at any of the 24 MVA branches statewide during typical operational hours to request and obtain a card. MDOT MVA will not ask customers to disclose or present any documentation of their disability to obtain this card. For a list of branch locations please visit https://mva.maryland.gov/locations/Pages/mvabranchesandveiplocations.aspx.