The links to these various national and international professional associations,
government programs, and continuing education and product websites serve as a
resource to healthcare providers, clients and caregivers.
National and International Associations:
American Physical Therapy
Association- The APTA is a national professional organization representing
more than 63,000 physical therapists, physical therapy assistants and students of
physical therapy. The APTA mission is to further the profession's role in the
prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of movement dysfunctions and to enhance the
physical health and functional abilities of members of the public.
American Academy of
Pediatrics - The AAP is dedicated to the health of all children. Its member
pediatricians are committed to the attainment of optimal physical, mental, and
social health and well-being for all infants, children, adolescents, and young
adults.
American Occupational Therapy
Association, Inc- The AOTA is a nationally recognized professional
association of approximately 40,000 occupational therapists, occupational therapy
assistants, and students of occupational therapy. The AOTA mission is to advance
the quality, availability, use, and support of occupational therapy through
standard-setting, advocacy, education, and research on behalf of its members and
the public.
American Speech-Language-Hearing
Association - ASHA is the professional, scientific, and credentialing
association for more than 115,000 members and affiliates who are audiologists,
speech-language pathologists, and speech, language, and hearing scientists. The
ASHA mission is to promote the interests and provide the highest quality services
for professionals and to advocate for people with communication disabilities
American Academy for Cerebral Palsy and
Developmental Medicine - The AACPDM is a multidisciplinary scientific
society devoted to studying cerebral palsy and other childhood onset disabilities,
to promoting professional education for the treatment and management of these
conditions, and to improving the quality of life for people with these
disabilities.
Association of University Centers on
Disabilities - The AUCD is a non-profit organization that promotes and
supports a national network of interdisciplinary university centers that advance
policy and practice for and with individuals with developmental and other
disabilities, their families, and communities.
The American Academy of Neurology - The
AAN is an international professional association of more than 18,000 neurologists
and neuroscience professionals dedicated to providing the best possible care for
patients with neurological disorders.
Foundation for People with
Learning Disabilities - A charity established in the UK in 1998 whose
mission is to use research and projects to promote the rights of people with
learning disabilities and their families. The foundation works with people and
their families to ensure they can use effective services, play a fuller part in
communities and society, and enjoy equal rights.
International Bobath Instructors Training
Association - IBITA is the international organization of Instructors,
teaching the Bobath Concept applied to the assessment and treatment of
adults with hemiplegia and allied neurological conditions. IBITA, headquartered in
the Netherlands, was founded in 1984 for the specific purposes of providing a forum
for defining the continued interaction and education of its present instructors,
training future instructors, and formulating the Bylaws and Rules & Regulations
of the organization with respect to the teaching of the Bobath Concept worldwide.
Today IBITA unites Instructors worldwide, representing 250 members in 26 countries.
National Stroke Association - NSA, the
leading resource for stroke, is the only national non-profit organization in the
United States devoting 100 percent of its resources to stroke through a variety of
innovative and high impact programs. NSA's mission is to reduce the incidence and
impact of this life-threatening medical condition, to save lives, to improve
quality of care, and to increase patient outcomes.
Pathways Awareness
Foundation - Pathways Awareness Foundation is a national non-profit
organization dedicated to raising awareness about the benefit of early detection
and early therapy for children with physical movement differences.
Sensory
Integration International- SII is a non-profit corporation concerned with
the impact of sensory integrative problems on people's lives. SII brings together
professionals, individuals, families, and researchers who want to know more about
sensory integration. SII's mission is to promote knowledge of Sensory Integration
and its impact on people's lives.
United Cerebral Palsy - UCP
is the leading source of information on cerebral palsy and is a pivotal advocate
for the rights of persons with any disability. As one of the largest health
charities in America, UCP's mission is to advance the independence, productivity
and full citizenship of people with disabilities through an affiliate network.
Government Programs and Departments:
California State Council on Developmental
Disabilities - The SCDD is a federally funded independent state agency
established in federal and state law to assist in planning, coordinating,
monitoring and evaluating services for individuals with developmental disabilities
and their families. This council is an example of others that are established in
each state through the DD Act.
Administration on Developmental
Disabilities - The ADD is the U.S. Government organization responsible for
implementation of the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act
of 2000, known as the DD Act, which requires ADD to ensure that people with
developmental disabilities and their families receive the services and supports
they need and participate in the planning and designing of those services. From
this website, there are links to each state program.
National Institutes of Health: National
Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke - NINDS is the nation's
leading supporter of biomedical research on disorders of the brain and nervous
system. The mission of NINDS is to reduce the burden of neurological disease - a
burden borne by every age group, by every segment of society, by people all over
the world.
National Institutes of Health: National
Institute of Child Health and Human Development - Part of the NIH, which is
the biomedical research arm of the U.S. Dept of Health and Human Services, the
mission of the NICHD is to ensure that every person is born healthy and wanted,
that women suffer no harmful effects from reproductive processes, and that all
children have the chance to achieve their full potential for healthy and productive
lives, free from disease or disability, and to ensure the health, productivity,
independence, and well-being of all people through optimal rehabilitation.
National
Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research - NIDRR is one of three
components of the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services at the
U.S. Department of Education. Created in 1978, it is the mission of NIDRR to
generate, disseminate and promote new knowledge to improve the options available to
disabled persons.
The National Rehabilitation Information
Center - NARIC is committed to providing direct, personal, and high-quality
information services to anyone interested in disability and rehabilitation issues.
We are committed to serving consumers, researchers, family members, health
professionals, educators, counselors, students, librarians, and administrators
throughout the country.
Continuing Education Resources:
BOEHME WORKSHOPS - is a
clinically based continuing education provider of seminars focused on clinical
skills. We specialize in providing training, video tapes and textbooks with a
specialized focus on children and adults challenged by both congenital and acquired
injuries to the central nervous system.
Other Useful Links:
Exceptional Parent Magazine - EP's
on-line resource continues to provide information, support, ideas, encouragement
and outreach for parents and families of children with disabilities, and the
professionals who work with them.
Family
Village--A global community that integrates information, resources, and
communication opportunities on the Internet for persons with cognitive and other
disabilities, for their families, and for those that provide them with services and
support. Our community includes informational resources on specific diagnoses,
communication connections, adaptive products and technology, adaptive recreational
activities, education, worship, health issues, disability-related media and
literature, and more.
Harriet Lane Links - Formerly
known as Pediatric Points of Interest, this site provides an edited and reviewed
collection of pediatric resources (6273 links) on the World Wide Web. Maintained
and edited at the Johns Hopkins University, this site catalogs, reviews, and scores
existing links to pediatric information on the internet.
Neuroguide: Information on Human
Neurological Diseases - This search engine provides an index of
neuroscience resources available on the Internet. Follow these links for specific
resources on stroke or cerebral
palsy.
The National Dissemination Center for Children
with Disabilities - NICHCY is a center that provides information to the
nation on disabilities in children and youth; programs and services for infants,
children, and youth with disabilities; IDEA, the nation's special education law; No
Child Left Behind, the nation's general education law; and research-based
information on effective practices for children with disabilities.