General Adoption
Topics
The
Adoption Clubhouse
- a website for children ages eight to 12, designed for children whose
lives have been touched by adoption, includes a section called Speak
Out and a section called Adoption Talk which promotes positive adoption
language and includes a staffed message board where children can "talk"
to other children. A Fun Stuff section offers puzzles, games, and postcards.
Another special section will address the concerns of parents and offer
suggestions for Internet safety. The URL of the site is www.AdoptionClubhouse.org
Adoption.com
is the home page for a family of websites relating to all aspects of
adoption.
Adoptnet - The adoption support site from the National Adoption
center
Adoptive Families Together
- a chance to exchange information, anecdotes, resources, and
adoption
The Adoption Network - a volunteer
operated information source for adoption community.
Center for Adoption Support
& Education provides information for kids, teens, parents, birth
parents, educators and [professionals.
Pact - An Adoption Alliance -
a useful adoption resource site founded by adoptive parents.
The Child Welfare Information Gateway provides access to information and resources to help protect children
and strengthen families. Visit often for the latest on a wide range of
topics from prevention to permanency, including child welfare, child
abuse and neglect, foster care, and adoption
Tapestry Books is a publishing
house specializing in books on all aspects of the adoption experience.
Drop in and browse the book summaries.
AdoptShoppe Unique adoption
gifts, books, and resources that celebrate adoptive families.
The Evan B. Donaldson Adoption
Institute is a useful source of information for adoptive parents
and professionals. Their goal is to identify the best information on
adoption that is available, analyze and synthesize that information,
and make it readily accessible to the adoption community.
The Parents Network for the Post Institutionalized
Child offers a support network devoted to understanding the medical,
developmental, emotional and educational needs of children adopted from
hospital, orphanages and institutions throughout the world
The Children's Bureau is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
It provides useful information about adoption topics from the Federal
perspective.
The Orphans Foundation provides a different perspective on adoption and has some very good informatiom downloads.
Voices of Adoption provides
a forum for discussions about adoption as well as much good information.
In particular the "Borderlands" section has special emphasis
on Transracial adoptions.
F.A.M.I.L.Y. Inc. has a lot of resources for foster/adopt/kinship families in Pennsylvania.
ADVOCACY
Pennsylvania
Partnerships for Children is dedicated to improving the health,
education and well-being of the Commonwealth’s children
ADD/ADHD
C.H.A.D.D.
- Children and Adults with Attention Deficit Disorders
Internet Mental
Health - a useful guide to symptoms, treatment & resources
Shari Landes' Attention
Deficit Disorder (ADD) Reference List - Bunches of useful links.
The
Health Gazette is an excellent resource for clinical diagnosis and
treatment.
www.christianadhd.com provides
a Christian perspective and a unique approach to handling the problems
arising with this disorder.
The National Institute
of Mental Health offers a comprehensive guide with diagnosis, case
studies and medication advice.
The ADD Action Group
has a collection of articles on alternate treatments and other
aspects off ADD/ADHD.
ADDitude is an on-line magazine
for people with ADD.
AUTISM
The Asperger
Syndrome Coalition of the U.S. is a national nonprofit organization
committed to providing the most up-to-date and comprehensive information
on Asperger Syndrome and related conditions.
The
Autism Society of America
provides a great source of information and help. The local Philadelphia
chapter may be reached at www.asaphilly.org
The Autism
Network International is a self help group run by and for autistic
individuals.
The Autism Research
Institute is a non profit organization which researches autism and
disseminates information on diagnosis, treatment and prevention.
Autism Resources
has a list of available Pennsylvania resources and contacts.
There is an excellent online support group for parents & kids at mdjunction.com
Cerebral Palsy
National Institute of Neurological Disorders - has information on diagnosis & treatment as well as links to other resources.
The American
Academy for Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine is a good
place to start researching CP issues.
The mission of the Family Support
Project of United Cerebral Palsy of Pennsylvania (UCP)
is to develop and pass legislation that will create family support services
for children with all disabilities and their families.
Disabilities -
General
Family
Village - a global community that integrates
information, resources, and communication opportunities on the Internet
for persons with mental retardation and other disabilities.
The Post
Adoptive Resource Project offers Support for families who have adopted
children with emotional/behavioral disabilities
The Parents Involved Network of Pennsylvania
is a statewide network providing support for families of children
adolescents with emotional or behavioral disorders. It provides a useful
collection of fact sheets and advice.
The Family Support Project
is intended to develop, enact and implement a family support bill that
creates Family Support Services in Pennsylvania for all families of
children with all kinds of disabilities, from birth to age 21.
Kid's Together is designed to provide helpful information
and resources
to enhance the quality of life for children and adults with disabilities.
The Disablilities Law Project is aimed at advancing the civili rights of persons with disabilities.
Education
The Special
Ed Advocacy Library has articles and advice on hoe best to get your
child the education they need.
The Pennsylvania School Reform Network
is dedicated to improving the way that schools work. It provides many
resources for parents.
The Education Law Center is a non-profit
legal advocacy organization dedicated to insuring that all of Pennsylvania's
children have access to a quality public education
Wrightslaw is a site providing
pages of legal resources for parents and professionals with special
education issues to resolve.
Pattan (Pennsylvania Training
and Technical Assistance Network) has resources for special education
students covering dispute resolution and other topics.
The Education
Law Center is a non-profit legal advocacy organization dedicated
to insuring that all of Pennsylvania's children have access to a quality
public education.
FAS/FAE
FAS Community Resource Center haste has good information on the diagnosis, treatment
and parenting of children with FAS/FAE.
The National Organization on Fetal Alcohol
Syndrome is a national organization focusing solely
on FAS.
The Real Brain Drain is a great (though somehat detailed) book on the effects of FASD. It realy helped our understanding of the challenges involved. It is fuly downloadable as a PDF.
For Kids
AdoptionClubHouse is an exciting web site specifically for adopted children between 8 & 13, their parents and others interested ib knowing what's on the mind of young adoptees.
Fragile X Syndrome
The National Fragile X Foundation has a lot of information and resources concerning the most common cause of inherited mental impairment.
The National Fragile X Research Foundation will keep you informed of the latest research into this disorder.
International
The Eastern
European Adoption Coalition is an umbrella organization which
serves the needs of families adopting children from Eastern Europe.
Legal
The Adoption
LawSite aims to deliver a single online resource where prospective
adoptive parents, biological parents, adoption and child welfare lawyers,
juvenile and family court judges and child advocates of all kinds can
turn to for child welfare and adoption law information.
The Juvenile Law Center is a non-profit,
public interest law firm which advances the rights and well being of
children in jeopardy. They work for the reform and coordination of the
child welfare, juvenile justice and public health care systems in their
delivery of services to children.
The Education Law Center is a non-profit
legal advocacy organization dedicated to insuring that all of Pennsylvania's
children have access to a quality public education.
The Legal
Information Institute has links into to federal laws pertaining
to adoption. There is some state law coverage but not much.
The Disabilities Law Project (DLP)
is a non-profit Pennsylvania law firm that provides free legal assistance
to people with disabilities, their families, and their organizations
The Council of Parent Attorneys and
Advocates is an organization of attorneys, advocates & parents
established to improve the quality and quantity of legal assistance
for parents of children with disabilities.
The Support Center for Child Advocates
advocates for abused and neglected children in Philadelphia with the
goal of securing a permanent, nurturing environment for every child.
Learning Disabilities
LDonline
- an interactive guide to learning disabilities for parents, teachers
& children
Learning Disability Association
- the largest non-profit volunteer organization advocating for individuals
with learning disabilities
Learning Disabilities
Association of Pennsylvania - LDAP is a nonprofit organization whose
purpose is to advance the education and general well-being of persons
with normal or potentially normal or above intelligence who have learning
disabilities.
The Parenthood
Web - a useful quick guide to symptoms and solutions.
Parents & Educators Resource
Center offers a comprehensive set of resource links categorized
by specific learning difference.
The Schwab Foundation offers
support for families with a learning disability as well as resources
for professionals.
Apraxia-Kids
claims to be the Internet's most comprehensive site for information
on developmental apraxia of speech (verbal dyspraxia).
Math-and-reading-help-for-kids.org provides a growing directory of education related articles
Magazines
Adoptive Families - www.adoptivefamilies.com
Subscribe so that you can
download free articles and sign up to receive their e-newsletter "Adoptive
Families Update". Make sure you reference our partnership program
code when you subscribe as Adoptive Families will donate $5.00 to further
Taplink's work for any new or renewal subscription. Partnership
Program Code = P09220
Fostering Families TODAY Magazine
is a bimonthly publication of stories and informative articles for foster
and adoptive parents and the professionals who serve them. Order
online or by phone: (888) 924-6736, credit cards accepted. $24 a year.
www.fosteringfamiliestoday.com
Medical
Web_MD is another good
general medical reference site with an excellent guide to medications.
C. Everett Koop (the ex-Surgeon
General of the USA) has a comprehensive site offering medical
news along with drug and disease references.
National Organization for Rare
Disorders maintains databases that may help you find help for an
unusual problem.
The Mayo Clinic is another great source for medical information
Mental Health
The Mental
Health Association of Southeastern Pennsylvania (MHASP)
is a nonprofit citizen's organization that develops, supports and promotes
innovative education and advocacy programs.
The Federation of Families for Children's
Mental Health is a national
parent-run organization focused on the needs of children and youth with
emotional, behavioral or mental disorders and their families.
Oppositional Defiant
Disorder
Conduct
disorders.com provides a place to share information about
this and other conduct disorders. Check out the unusual introduction
page.
Mental Health offers good technical descriptions of the symptoms, causes
and treatments of this disorder.
Parenting and Adoption Training
Foster Parent College Offers on-line training for foster, adoptive, kinship, and birth parents. These interactive
courses provide valuable information, insights and advice from experts
on dealing with challenges faced by foster parents.
National Adoption Center offers on-line training for prospective adoptive and foster parents. There is a small cost for each cost.
Reactive Attachment
Disorder
TAPLINK