Information in Spanish on Disability Topics

NICHCY is pleased to connect you with sources of information and assistance in Spanish on specific disability topics. This page is presented here in English to help people looking for Spanish materials to share with their Spanish-speaking families. For our Spanish-speaking visitors, we also offer this page completely in Spanish, at:
www.nichcy.org/resources/sp-sptopics.asp

The resources we've listed focus exclusively on disability topics such as assistive technology, special education, evaluation, or IEP. Use the Table of Contents above to see what disability topics are covered and to jump to the one in which you're interested.

Wondering what's available in Spanish on disability conditions, such as AD/HD or learning disabilities? Visit our separate Connections page on disability conditions, available at:
www.nichcy.org/resources/spdisabconditions.asp.

The list below isn't intended to be exhaustive of the Spanish-language resources on disability topics available---we'll be adding to this page constantly. So check back often to see what's new!

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

• What's the ADA all about?
  www.usdoj.gov/crt/ada/infoline.htm
  Call the ADA Information Line at the U.S. Department of Justice, where Spanish speaking staff can answer your questions about the ADA: 1.800.514.0301 (Voice), 1.800.514.0383 (TTY).
  
  English versions of many publications explaining the ADA are available online at: www.usdoj.gov/crt/ada/publicat.htm. Spanish language versions are available by calling the ADA Information Line. Examples of what's available include: ADA Questions and Answers (31 pages), A Guide to Disability Rights Laws (21 pages, covering 11 Federal laws that protect the rights of people with disabilities), A Guide for People with Disabilities Seeking Employment (2 pages), but there's much more!
• Child care and the ADA.
  www.childcarelaw.org/
  Want a quick reference to the ADA for child care providers? Want to know when a child care program is required under the ADA to admit a child with a disability? Visit the Child Care Law Center and find handy information. Spanish versions of many publications are available online from the publications menu, at: www.childcarelaw.org/publications.cfm

Assistive Technology

• Visit the Alliance for Technology Access.
  http://ataccess.org/
  Find publications and articles on toys as well as general information on assistive technology. On the menu bar under the heading of "ATA Resources," select (click on) "En Espanol."
• Here's a basic introduction to AT and communication.
  http://taalliance.org/publications/index.htm
  The Alliance is the central technical assistance center for all of the Parent Training and Information (PTI) Centers in the U.S. From the main publications page link above, look under "Handouts & Flyers," and find online versions in English and Spanish of Simple, Inexpensive Devices Can Help in Communication.
• How AT can help your child to be more active.
  www.pbs.org/parents/quickstart/spanish/spanish_content.html
  PBS offers many resources for parents of children with disabilities, including this brief called Tecnologia Asistida: Como La Tecnologia Puede Ayudar A Su Nino A Ser Mas Activo (Assistive Technology: How Technology Can Help Your Children to Be More Active). Click the link above, and scroll down the page until you see the link to the brief.

Behavior

• General info about home discipline.
  www.kidshealth.org/parent/en_espanol/index.html
  Disciplinando a su Hijo (Disciplining Your Child) takes a look at this critical subject by age groups: 0-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12, and 13 and up.
• Behavior as a form of communication: What does defiant behavior say, and what to do about it?
  www.pbs.org/parents/quickstart/spanish/spanish_content.html
  PBS offers many resources for parents of children with disabilities, including this brief called Comportamiento Desafiante en Ninos. Click the link above, and scroll down the page until you see the link to the brief.
• Supporting children's social-emotional development and preventing challenging behaviors.
  http://csefel.uiuc.edu/whatworks.html
  Visit CSEFEL (Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning) and check out their What Works briefs, which describe practical strategies, provide references to more information about the practice, and include a one-page handout that highlights the major points of the Brief. Titles include Helping Children Make Transitions between Activities and Helping Children Learn to Manage Their Own Behavior.
• Looking for information on functional behavioral assessments?
  www.pacer.org/parent/php/PHP-c79s.pdf
  FAPE is the Families & Advocates Partnership for Education. Although the project is no longer in operation, its 8-page brief in Spanish on functional behavioral assessment and positive behavioral interventions is still available online.
• A goldmine of information on positive behavior support.
  www.pbis.org/spanish/default.htm
  The Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports offers a Spanish side to its site on addressing behavior problems through positive behavioral supports (PBS). Find materials on improving behavior at home; offering behavior support in class, individually, or to the family, and conducting functional behavioral assessments.
• The role of schools in helping children with emotional or behavioral disorders.
  www.air.org/cecp/promisingpractices/1998monographs/resprinvol3.htm
  Read the Executive Summary (in Spanish) to the Center for Effective Collaboration and Practice's The Role of Education in a System of Care: Effectively Serving Children with Emotional or Behavioral Disorders, Volume III.
• General tips about changing five common bad habits in our children (maybe even ourselves!).
  www.kidshealth.org/parent/en_espanol/index.html
  Las Malas Costumbres de los Ninos (Bad Habits) focuses on five bad habits children may have (biting their nails, sucking their thumb, playing with their hair, picking their nose, and holding their breath) as a way of talking about how habits are formed and broken.

Culturally Appropriate Services

• Visit CLAS, the Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services Early Childhood Research Institute.
  http://clas.uiuc.edu/index.html
  At CLAS, click on "Bienvenidos" to find publications in Spanish on childhood/early intervention resources that have been developed across the U.S. for children with disabilities and their families and the service providers who work with them.
• Visit NASP, the National Association of School Psychologists.
  www.nasponline.org/culturalcompetence/
  NASP promotes cultural competence in every area of school psychological service delivery. Its Cultural Competence Practice Web site offers a collection of resources to assist school psychologists, educators and parents in enhancing the mental health and educational competence of all children. Various materials are available in Spanish, including handouts on the role of the school psychologist, grade retention and promotion, and psychological testing, at: www.naspcenter.org/espanol/

Evaluation for Special Education

• Wondering if your child's development is on track?
  www.pbs.org/wholechild/spanish/abc/index.html
  The typical developmental process children follow is described in PBS' online material called El ABC del Desarrollo del Nino: Los Cinco Primeros Anos de su Hijo: Hitos del Desarrollo. Four areas are discussed: physical development, social-emotional development, cognitive skills, and communication skills.
• How does the evaluation process go?
  NICHCYoffers a short, easy-to-read explanation in Spanish of what's involved in evaluating children to see if they are eligible for special education services. Find La Evaluacion de Su Nino (Your Child's Evaluation) at: www.nichcy.org/pubs/spanish/bp1stxt.htm
• Here's a thorough overview.
  www.pbs.org/parents/quickstart/spanish/spanish_content.html
  PBS offers many resources for parents of children with disabilities, including this brief called Evaluacion de Educacion Especial: Lo que los Padres Deberian Saber y Preguntar. Click the link above, and scroll down the page until you see the link to the brief.
• FAPE also talks about evaluation.
  www.fape.org
  FAPE is the Families & Advocates Partnership for Education. Although the project is no longer in operation, its materials in Spanish on evaluation are still available online, at: www.fape.org/pubs/fape_8s.pdf (Special Education Evaluation) and www.fape.org/pubs/fape_9s.pdf (Re-evaluation).
• What does evaluation mean to your child?
  http://taalliance.org/publications/index.htm
  The Alliance is the central technical assistance center for all of the Parent Training and Information (PTI) Centers in the U.S. From the main publications page link above, look under "Handouts & Flyers," and find online versions in English and Spanish of Evaluation: What Does It Mean For Your Child?
• NASP describes the basics of psychological testing.
  www.naspcenter.org/espanol/
  NASP is the National Association of School Psychologists. It offers two explanations in Spanish about testing, Psychological Testing and Psychological Evaluation, both of which will be helpful to parents when the school asks permission to evaluate their child.

Health Care

• Health care insurance for Hispanic children.
  www.insurekidsnow.gov/espanol/index.htm
  Did you know that each state has a health insurance program for children? Children who don't have health insurance right now are very often eligible for state medical coverage. The insurance is available to children in working families, including families that include individuals with a variety of immigration status. Parents' most common questions about the program are answered at: www.insurekidsnow.gov/espanol/questions.htm. To find out what your state's policies are, what's covered, and how to apply, sall 1.877.543.7669 or visit the map available at www.insurekidsnow.gov/espanol/states.htm.
• Su Familia: The National Hispanic Family Health Helpline.
  www.hispanichealth.org/
  Call 1.866.783.2645 and connect to free, reliable, and confidential health information in Spanish and English. Give your zip code and be referred to one of over 12,000 local health providers, including community and migrant health centers. From the home page, under "Resources," click on "Health Facts" and you'll see "Informacion en espanol ."
• National Health Information Center.
  www.health.gov/nhic
  Call 800.336.4797 and connect to Spanish language information specialists who can refer you to appropriate health-related organizations.
• Information about health topics of all kinds.
  http://medlineplus.gov/spanish
  This site is a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine and offers everything from an online medical encyclopedia to interactive tutorials for patients.
• More information about health topics of all kinds.
  www.familydoctor.org
  The American Academy of Family Physicians provides this site of "health information for the whole family." For Spanish language materials, go to: www.familydoctor.org/spanish.xml
• Health care connections from the government.
  www.firstgov.gov/Espanol/Topics/Salud.shtml
  What health-related resources are out there? Health care is only one topic treated at FirstGov in Spanish.
• Lookin' for health care advice to share with your Spanish-speaking families?
  www.aap.org/bst/showdetl.cfm?&DID=15&Product_ID=3937&CatID=1383
  The American Academy of Pediatrics offers Consejos de Salud para Pacientes (Health Care Advice) with the complete text of more than 150 patient education brochures, AAP immunization statements, and safety sheets. You'll find easy-to-copy-and-share briefs on key health concerns from infancy through adolescence. Order this book online in either English or Spanish, or both.

Inclusion

• The National Institute for Urban School Improvement is a good place to visit.
  www.urbanschools.org/publications/pub_espanol.htm
  You'll find lots here on inclusion and best practices.
• What every parent should know about inclusion.
  www.pbs.org/parents/quickstart/spanish/spanish_content.html
  PBS offers many resources for parents of children with disabilities, including this brief called La Educacion Incluida: Lo Que Cada Padre Debe Saber. Click the link above, and scroll down the page until you see the link to the brief.
• Inclusion forms a circle.
  www.circleofinclusion.org/
  The Circle of Inclusion Web site offers demonstrations of and information about the effective practices of inclusive educational programs for children from birth through age eight. To access its materials in Spanish, click on the bullet "Espanol."

Individualized Education Programs (IEPs)

• NICHCY's a good place to start.
  www.nichcy.org/pubs/spanish/spanpubs2.asp
  If you enter the search term "IEP," you'll get a list of five publications in Spanish that discuss the IEP. The most detailed is Developing Your Child's IEP (in Spanish, Desarrollando el IEP de Su Hijo), available online at: www.nichcy.org/pubs/spanish/pa12stxt.htm
• Visit the Alliance.
  http://taalliance.org/publications/index.htm
  The Alliance is the central technical assistance center for all of the Parent Training and Information (PTI) Centers in the U.S. From the main publications page link above, look under "Handouts & Flyers," and find online versions in English and Spanish of Attending Meetings to Plan Your Child's IEP.

Mediation

• Having a problem with the school district?
  www.directionservice.org/cadre/index.cfm
  Mediation has become one of the preferred ways of resolving disagreements between parents and school districts. Sit down with an impartial third party and work out your differences. Learn more about mediation at CADRE, the information center on mediation. CADRE offers information in Spanish, at: www.directionservice.org/cadre/index_espanol.cfm
• A parent's guide to mediation.
  For parents, CADRE and the Alliance teamed up to write Mediation in Special Education: A Parent's Guide. The English version is online at: http://taalliance.org/publications/SEMe.pdf. Find the Spanish version at: http://taalliance.org/publications/sems.pdf

No Child Left Behind (NCLB) 

• Diez datos que cada padre debe saber sobre la Ley Que Ningun Nino Se Quede Atras (NCLB).
  http://www.ed.gov/nclb/overview/intro/parents/parentfacts.html
  Ten Facts Every Parent Should Know About NCLB? Find out what they are in English or in Spanish, at the link above.
• Una guia mas detallada para los padres.
  www.ed.gov/espanol/parents/academic/involve/nclbguide/index.html
  From the U.S. Department of Education, this parent's guide (available in English and Spanish) gives parents a solid overview of the law.
• Y una guia NO del gobierno.
  www.plassociates.org/publications.html#nclb
  NCLB...y Lo que Implica Para los Padres (NCLB and What's In It for Parents) takes a close look at the law and its requirements regarding parent participation. This publication, available in English and Spanish at the link above, comes from Parent Leadership Associates.
• Servicios educativos suplementarios (SES)--ayuda adicional para el exito en la escuela.
  www.ed.gov/parents/academic/involve/suppservices/index.html
  This two-page brochure (available in English and in Spanish at the link above) will tell parents about SES and what it means for their child.
• Más sobre el programa SES.
  www.tutorsforkids.org/es/families.asp
  Learn still more about the SES program, where low-income families have the opportunity to find free individualized tutoring services for their children. The link above will tell you the details in Spanish.
• Lo que las familias le deben preguntar a los proveedores de SES.
  www.tutorsforkids.org/es/Quest_for_fam.asp
  Questions that families should ask SES providers...to help them pick the best one for their child.
• Recursos en espanol del Education Trust.
  www2.edtrust.org/edtrust/spanish
  Visit the link above to find out "documentos en espanol" such as: Mejorando su escuela: Una guia para padres y comunidades sobre la ley Que ningun nino se quede atras (Improving your school: A guide for parents and communities on the No Child Left Behind Act) and ?Tiene la tarea de mi hijo altos estandares? (Does my child's homework have high standards?).

Special Education in the U.S.

• Visit us, visit us!
  NICHCY is an excellent source of information about the nation's special education law, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). On our Web site, you'll find many materials in Spanish on the IDEA and special education. Visit our Spanish IDEA page, at: www.nichcy.org/pubs/spanish/spidea.asp and find pubs that:
  
  • give a quick overview of how special education works (Preguntas Comunes sobre Los Servicios de Educacion Especial),
  • look in detail at the law's requirements (Preguntas y Respuestas sobre IDEA), y
  • describe related services available under the law (Servicios Relacionados).
• A quick look at the educational rights of children with disabilities.
  www.pbs.org/parents/quickstart/spanish/spanish_content.html
  PBS offers many resources for parents of children with disabilities, including this brief called Los Derechos Familiar: El Derecho Educacional de Ninos con Discapacidades. Click the link above, and scroll down the page until you see the link to the brief.
• Visit FAPE.
  www.fape.org
  FAPE is the Families & Advocates Partnership for Education. Although the project is no longer in operation, its materials in Spanish on IDEA are still available online. Helpful resources include:
  • a listing of what the acronyms and agencies in special education stand for (www.fape.org/pubs/fape-15s.pdf),
  • informed parent consent (www.fape.org/pubs/fape-23s.pdf),
  • prior written notice (www.fape.org/pubs/fape-24s.pdf),
  • planning your child's individualized education program (www.fape.org/pubs/fape-25s.pdf),
  • and more (see publications list, at: www.fape.org/pubs/index.htm).
• Is your child making progress?
  http://taalliance.org/publications/index.htm
  The Alliance is the central technical assistance center for all of the Parent Training and Information (PTI) Centers in the U.S. From the main publications page link above, look under "Handouts & Flyers," and find online versions in English and Spanish of How Will I Know If My Child is Making Progress?
• The bigger picture about participating in your child's education in general.
  www.firstgov.gov/Espanol/Topics/Educacion.shtml
  Visit FirstGov in Spanish for several useful briefs that aren't about special education specifically, but that speak to education in general: (1) Familias Latinas: Participando en la Educacion de sus Hijos (Latino Families: Getting Involved in Your Children's Education), (2) Buena Comunicacion entre Padres y Escuelas (Good Communication Between Parents and Schools), (3) Derechos Civiles sobre Educacion (Civil Rights about Education), and (4) "No Dejar Atras a Ningun Nino" n Recursos para Padres (No Child Left Behind - Resources for Parents).

Transition to Adulthood

• Looking for transition materials in Spanish?
  www.nichcy.org/resources/transition101.asp#Spanish
  Try NICHCY's Transition 101, Spanish materials.
• Looking for transition tips for parents?
  http://taalliance.org/publications/index.htm
  Visit the Alliance. From the Alliance's main publications page link above, look under "Handouts & Flyers," and find online versions in English and Spanish of Parent Tips for Transition.

What's Next from NICHCY?

You tell us! What "Information in Spanish on Disability Topics" are you looking for that you didn't find here? Drop us a line at: nichcy@aed.org