Being a parent of a child with special needs is a rewarding adventure, but brings a whole new aspect to the parenting learning curve. You may feel alone and overwhelmed with questions about what’s best for your child and are unsure about where to turn. To ease your mind from wading through the seemingly endless amount of information on the internet, we did the heavy work for you and compiled a list of the 115 best websites for parents of children with special needs. From emotional support, parenting issues, the latest research, and product recommendations, these websites cover it all.
Autism Speaks is the world’s leading autism science and advocacy organization that funds research, increases awareness, and advocates. On their site you can read up on the latest research or check out their resource library for a wide range of recommendations.
The Autism Society is the nation’s leading grassroots autism organization and works to improve the lives of those affected by Autism by increasing public awareness, advocating, and providing the latest information on all things Autism.
The Center for Parent Information and Resources (CPIR) serves as a central resource of information and products to the community of Parent Training Information (PTI) Centers and the Community Parent Resource Centers (CPRCs), so that they can focus their efforts on serving families of children with disabilities.
The National Autism Association is a parent-run 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. Founded in 2003, NAA is a parent-run advocacy organization and the leading voice on urgent issues related to severe autism, regressive autism, autism safety, autism abuse, and crisis prevention.
Association for Science in Autism Treatment
This site provides comprehensive information and research on the wide range of autism treatment options.
The Mighty is an online community that empowers people living with disability, disease, and mental illness to share their stories and support one another.
Parent to Parent USA provides emotional support to parents of children with special needs. They provide a one-to-one matching service where an experience support parent will partner with new parents to help them emotionally and assist them in finding information and resources.
The Child Development Institute provides information for parents on children’s development, as they want to enable children to reach their true potential for success and a rewarding life.
The Child Mind Institute is an independent nonprofit providing support for children with mental health and learning disorders and their families. Their website provides information on common challenges faced by these families.
STAR Institute for Sensory Processing Disorder
The STAR Institute’s mission is to improve the quality of life for children, adolescents and adults with SPD, and their families. Their website provides comprehensive research and resources for parents.
Friendship Circle is a non-profit organization working to provide every individual with special needs the support, friendship, and inclusion that they deserve. Their blog is a great up-to-date resource for parents.
Ability Path is an online community bringing professionals and parents of children with special needs together for support through all stages of their children’s development.
Wrights Law provides extensive information about special education law, education law, and advocacy for children with disabilities. You can search by topic to find articles, book suggestions, and more, including actual cases.
National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability – for Youth (NCWD-Youth)
The NCWD-Youth assist with and provides the latest information on transitioning youth with disabilities into the workforce.
National Center on Health, Physical Activity and Disability (NCHPAD)
NCHPAD is the premier resource for information on physical activity, health promotion, and disability, serving persons with physical, sensory and cognitive disability across the lifespan. Their website features a variety of resources and services which can benefit all ages and populations.
Our-Kids brings together parents, caregivers, and those that work with children with special needs to create a special community of support and information sharing.
Asperger/Autism Network (AANE)
The Asperger/Autism Network (AANE) works to help people with Asperger Syndrome and similar autism spectrum profiles build meaningful, connected lives. We do this by providing information, education, community, support, and advocacy, all in an atmosphere of validation and respect.
The Beach Center on Disability
The Beach Center on Disability is a multidisciplinary research and training center run by the University of Kansas. They are committed to making a significant and sustainable positive difference in the quality of life of individuals and families affected by disability and the professionals who support them. They share the findings from their research and provide great resources for parents.
Abilities.com enlightens and entertains with articles, videos, contests and information on disability products, adaptive sports, assistive technology, community heroes, inclusive recreation and more!
This outstanding parenting site provides hundreds of definitive articles, resource directories, expert interviews and exclusive book reviews on parenting, adoption and children’s special needs.
Smart Kids with Learning Disabilities
Smart Kids with Learning Disabilities aims to educate, guide and inspire parents of children with learning disabilities or ADHD and to help parents realize their children’s significant gifts and talents, and to show that with their love, guidance, and the right support, their children can live happy and productive lives.
AIM is designed to provide high-quality information and professional development for anyone who supports, instructs, works with, or lives with someone with autism, through the use of internet modules an individual can work through online.
WonderBaby.org, a project funded by Perkins School for the Blind, is dedicated to helping parents of young children with visual impairments as well as children with multiple disabilities. Here you’ll find a database of articles written by parents who want to share with others what they’ve learned about playing with and teaching a blind child, as well as links to meaningful resources and ways to connect with other families.
Different Roads to Learning was founded by mom and entrepreneur, Julie Azuma. When her daughter was diagnosed with autism, Julie became aware of just how hard it was to find the right teaching tools for her daughter. Determined to fill this void, Julie hoped to help other struggling families by hand picking the best autism intervention products available and offering them in one place. On this site you will find products and also expert articles on all kinds of parenting topics.
Our goal at the EasyStand Blog is to communicate to you what we stand for, whether it is about standing, disability, or just topics that we care about. We want to encourage interaction with our many circles of contacts – suppliers, clinicians, consumers, and their families.
Children’s Disabilities Information
This website was created by parents of a child with special needs to help other parents of children with special needs, with articles on topics that they have found to be helpful over the past 20 years. The Children’s Disabilities Information website has a special focus on the special needs of preemies and young adoptees.
For the first time ever, 15 nonprofit organizations have joined forces to support parents of the one in five children with learning and attention issues throughout their journey. With state-of-the-art technology, personalized resources, free daily access to experts, a secure online community, practical tips and more, Understood aims to be the support parents need to help children unlock their strengths and reach their full potential.
The Parent’s Place of Maryland
The Parents’ Place is a Maryland nonprofit, tax-exempt organization and parent center that helps families of children with disabilities and special health care needs throughout Maryland. Their online resources provide a great wealth of information for parents.
Raising Special Kids is a non-profit organization that provides support and information for parents of children, from birth to age 26, with a full range of disabilities and special health care needs.
Support for Families of Children with Disabilities (SFCD)
SFCD is a parent-run nonprofit organization that supports families of children with disabilities or special health care need as they face challenges. Their website provides families of children with disabilities with the information, resources and support they need to make informed choices for their children.
National Association of Parents with Children in Special Education (NAPCSE)
NAPCSE is a national membership organization dedicated to rendering all possible support and assistance to parents whose children receive special education services, both in and outside of school. NAPCSE was founded for parents with children with special needs to promote a sense of community and provide a national forum for their ideas.
Thinking Person’s Guide to Autism
Thinking Person’s Guide to Autism (TPGA) is a one-stop source for carefully curated, evidence-based information from autism parents, autistics, and autism professionals. The goal of TPGA is to help you fast-forward past society’s rampant autism fabrications and negativity, by providing clear, thoughtfully presented, balanced, and referenced information.
The Coffee Klatch is a morning radio show and a virtual cup of coffee for parents of children with special needs to support each other and exchange information.
Answers4Families seek to provide support and reliable information for families of children with special needs.
Parenting Special Needs is an online magazine providing parents of children with special needs of all ages and stages of life, both information and inspiration. They share practical tips, life’s lessons, while tackling the challenges and celebrating the joys of one of life’s greatest gifts.
The Autism Support Network is designed as a place by those living with ASD for those with ASD and those seeking social connection, peer guidance and a feeling of community with those that understand.
A licensed and certified speech-language pathologist created this website to provide information to parents, teachers, etc. of children with language and speech delays.
BrainLine is a national multimedia project offering information and resources about preventing, treating, and living with TBI.
Special Needs Resource Project
Special Needs Resource Project (SNRP) provides a basic guide for parents of children with chronic health issues, disabilities and special needs. This site is designed to help you get a jump-start in your search for helpful information and resources.
Abled Body is a news and media website for families of and individuals with disabilities. They focus on assistive and emerging technologies, but you can also find lots of articles about lifestyle, design, and work life.
Support for Special Needs is an online community for advocates and caregivers to share information and support one another.
Special Needs Jungle provides easy to understand resources for parents and caregivers of children with special needs. They aim to deliver the tools needed to empower parents and caregivers to self-advocate so their children can live the best possible life.
Kid Companions is run by a mother and grandmother of special needs children who want special kids to be themselves and thrive. In addition to providing products to help sensory challenged children, their blog is run by a former teacher and grandmother of special needs children and full of great information for parents.
Dr. Selznick and his team at t=The Shut-Down Learner offer years of experience and practical advice. They strive to provide clear, jargon-free, down-to-earth perspectives on dyslexia, reading/learning issues and related topics such as ADHD/ADD and other school-based problems. This website offers access to teleseminars, blog posts and other material.
Not Alone is run by parents of children with special needs who rely on their faith for strength in their journey and pass along the comfort it has brought them to other parents looking for support.
America’s Special Kidz (A.S.K.)
A.S.K. understands the struggles of families of children with special needs and they seek to serve the needs of these families through advocacy, providing resources, and many other avenues to ensure all individuals have the best quality of life possible.
A former special educator provides resources to guide parents and guardians through the special education process to make sure they are making the right decision for their child.
Bloom was created by Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital to combine the knowledge of professionals and parents of children with disabilities.
The Caregiver Space is a special online support community where caregivers can vent, ask questions, and be there for one another.
Reading Rockets brings proven research and helpful information to parents and instructors to help children become confident readers. Their website contains lots of great information about reading strategies for children with special needs.
Special Needs Parents Association
The Special Needs Parents Association was established to represent the views of all parents of persons with special needs and disabilities, regardless of their diagnosis or age.
Hopeful Parents is a grassroots organization where parents of children with special needs can connect and share their journeys.
Exceptional Parent Magazine’s mission is to develop, translate, and share information as tools for positive change for the special needs community.
MyChild is a comprehensive website designed as a one-stop destination for information, tips, resources, encouragement and inspiration to individuals touched by Cerebral Palsy.
This websites covers everything you need to know about Sensory Processing Disorder.
This website accompanies the books, Raising a Sensory Smart Child: The Definitive Handbook for Helping Your Child with Sensory Processing Issues and Raising a Sensory Smart Child, and provides lots of valuable information for parents of children with sensory processing disorder through articles, podcasts, and workshops. Don’t miss their many free downloadable articles, checklists, podcasts, videos, and more!
This site provides help with over 350 fact sheets of autism-related information, with an emphasis on practical strategies, for families who cannot afford the more expensive interventions, or may be geographically isolated and cannot access autism support services.
Learning Disabilities Association of America
LDA’s mission is to create opportunities for success for all individuals affected by learning disabilities and to reduce the incidence of learning disabilities in future generations.
PACER Center enhances the quality of life and expands opportunities for children, youth, and young adults with all disabilities and their families so each person can reach his or her highest potential. PACER operates on the principles of parents helping parents, supporting families, promoting a safe environment for all children, and working in collaboration with others.
The M.O.R.G.A.N. Project is a national, community-based organization of volunteers dedicated to promoting awareness and facilitating support of parents caring for their children with special health care needs, thereby enhancing the Quality-of-Life for these special families.
Federation for Children with Special Needs
The Federation for Children with Special Needs provides information, support, and assistance to parents of children with disabilities, their professional partners, and their communities.
Family Voices aims to achieve family-centered care for all children and youth with special health care needs and/or disabilities. They provide families resources and support to make informed decisions, advocate for improved public and private policies, build partnerships among families and professionals, and serve as a trusted resource on health care.
Council for Exceptional Children
The Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) is the largest international professional organization dedicated to improving the educational success of individuals with disabilities and/or gifts and talents. CEC provides a lot of quality information for parents and educators on their website.
National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS)
The mission of the National Down Syndrome Society is to be the national advocate for the value, acceptance and inclusion of people with Down syndrome. Their website provides a wealth of information for parents of children with down syndrome.
Closing the Gap was started by the parents of a child with a disability. After realizing the role technology would play in their child’s life, they made it their mission to share the information and possibilities with others. Today, Closing the Gap still provides the latest information and news in the assistive technology industry.
Disabled Sports USA’s mission is to provide national leadership and opportunities for individuals with disabilities to develop independence, confidence, and fitness through participation in community sports, recreation and educational programs. Their website provides everything a parent needs to know about getting involved in disabled sports.
The Life Unexpected is the ultimate survival guide for parents and educators who are navigating the muddy waters of raising special needs children. Marianne Russo, the creator of The Coffee Klatch Special Needs Talk Radio Network, takes readers from that first step of accepting the reality of your new life to the true meaning of advocacy, empowerment and hope.
Parenting Children with Special Needs (PCWSN)
The mission of PCWSN is to empower parents of children with special needs by providing communication, information, general knowledge, understanding, encouragement, support and guides to services that are available.
Makoa – disABILITY Information and Resources
This website was created by Jim Lubin, who is a C2 quadriplegic, and provides lots of useful information from product recommendations to book reviews.
Washington State Father’s Network
The Washington State Fathers Network (WSFN) connects men with other dads, resources, information and education, plus opportunities for “all family” celebrations. Focus is on assisting fathers as they become more competent and compassionate caregivers for their children with special needs.
The Goals of Kids Together, Inc. include a desire to remove barriers that exclude people with disabilities. We support the belief that children with disabilities, like all children, have the need to be welcomed, cherished and embraced in our communities.
The Asperger’s Disorder Homepage goal is to provide you with the most basic, important and useful information about Asperger’s Disorder, while connecting you with the best resources out there.
Asperger’s Syndrome and High Functioning Autism Association (AHA)
AHA serves individuals on the autism spectrum, their families, and the professionals who work with them, providing crucial resources and support as they face challenges, build on their strengths and fulfill their potential. AHA helps families and individuals become more informed self-advocates. Our programs encourage awareness and acceptance.
OASIS @ MAAP is a single resource for families, individuals, and medical professionals who deal with the challenges of Asperger Syndrome, Autism, and Pervasive Developmental Disorder/ Not Otherwise Specified (PDD/NOS).
The Autism Society’s Mission is to provide information, support and encouragement to those families and individuals dealing with an Autistic, Asperger’s Or Pervasive Development Disorder.
Sensory Processing Disorder Now
This website offers a wealth of information at the SPD Foundation section of the website, as well as an online learning center for parents at the SPD University section of the website.
Sensory Processing Disorder Support
PD Support, formerly known as SPD Parent S.H.A.R.E., is an International network of volunteer Support Hosts formed in order to share information, resources, awareness and support to families that are affected by Sensory Processing Disorder.
SMG, part of the Childhood Anxiety Network, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing information, resources and support to those impacted by a child with the anxiety disorder known as Selective Mutism (SM).
First Signs mission is to ensure the best developmental outcome for every child by promoting awareness regarding the most important and often overlooked aspects of development: social, emotional, and communication.
Disability.Blog, the official blog of Disability.gov, features weekly posts from subject matter experts who address important topics for people with disabilities, their families and others.
The Developmental Disability News Blog
The DD News Blog provides news, information, and commentary for families and friends of people with developmental disabilities.
United Spinal Association is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life of all people living with a spinal cord injury or disease (SCI/D). They provide support and information to people with a Spinal Cord Injury, their loved ones, care providers and professionals.
Possibilities is a financial resources for parents of children with disabilities to help them manage their finances and plan for the future.
Autism Web is full of tips for parents and teachers of children with Autism.
KidsHealth provides easy to understand information about all aspects of children’s health, behavior, and development.
HealthyChildren.org is the official parenting website of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and is the ONLY parenting website backed by 66,000 pediatricians. Whether you’re looking for general information related to infant, child, and adolescent health or for more specific guidance on parenting issues, you’ll find it at HealthyChildren.org.
Like the best-selling book, What to Expect When You’re Expecting, this site is provides reliable information about pregnancy and parenting and has fostered a close-knit online community of parents.
Empowering Parents provides judgment free parenting advice for those dealing with behavior issues in their children.
Today’s Parent provides information ranging from getting pregnant to parenting toddlers.
A mother of two, including as on with down syndrome, shares her everyday life while offering encouragement and support to other parents of children with special needs.
An adoptive mother of two children with special needs shares humor and help for parents of children with special needs.
A blog by parents of children with special needs for parents of children with special needs.
A mother of a child with special needs shares her story, taking it one day at a time.
A mom offers support through humor and her personal story raising a son in “The Middle World” as she calls it, “raising a child who is not typical, but does not have an official diagnosis.”
A special education teacher and mother of a child with autism writes about her life to support and encourage other families with individuals with special needs.
A mother blogs about her journey raising a daughter with CDKL5 to inspire other mothers of children with special needs.
Now is the Winter of Our Discontent
A single mother raising a son with cystic fibrosis writes about her journey.
A former opera singer and mother of 3, the oldest with severe Autism and ADHD, blogs about her life.
A mother blogs about raising her son with Autism and developmental delays.
A mother writes all about her son Boog, who is on the Autism Spectrum.
The parents of two children with special needs started this blog to connect with other parents for support.
A mother of 4, two of which are on the Autism Spectrum, shares her journey.
Shut Up About Your Perfect Kid
Two moms of children with special needs share their parenting experiences in a humorous way.
A mother with disabilities raising 3 children, including a daughter with down syndrome, shares her journey through life.
Raising 5 Kids with Disabilities and Remaining Sane
A mother blogs about raising 5 kids with disabilities to share her experience.
A refreshingly relatable blog from the mother of a child with special needs.
Joseph’s Amazing Spectrum Coat
A Mom’s honest journey about raising her son with Autism.
Mom – Not Otherwise Specified (MOM-NOS)
A Mother chronicles raising her son with Autism, since diagnosis in 2005.
Confessions of an Aspergers Mom
A Mom’s down-to-earth account of raising her son with Asperger’s Syndrome.
A Mother of a child with a rare birth defect has created an inspiring and artistic space for parents of children with special needs.
A mom shares her journey raising her son who is disabled after developing Pneumococcal Meningitis at five and a half months of age.
Fighting Monsters with Rubber Swords
A father shares his gripping journey about raising his daughter with a rare neurological condition that left her unable to speak.
A mother shares her honest journey through miscarriage, a stillbirth, and raising her two sons, one of which has a disability.
A mother of a “One in Million Baby,” who was diagnosed with a rare syndrome and died in infancy from complications, honors her journey and other parent’s journey’s with their “One in a Million” children.
A mother writes about her real life as an educator and mother, covering topics from homeschooling to sensory processing disorder. Her “Sensory Play” blog section is a great resource for those that love DIY projects.