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Developmental Disabilities |
What resources are available for people with
developmental disabilities and their families?
CDC does not study education or treatment programs for
people with developmental disabilities, nor does it provide direct
services to people with developmental disabilities or to their families.
However, CDC offers the following suggestions on where to find resources
for people affected by developmental disabilities.
The links below are not on the CDC Web site.
These links are included for information only. CDC has no control
over the information at these sites. The views and opinions of these
organizations are not necessarily those of CDC, the Department of
Health and Human Services (HHS), or the U.S. Public Health Service
(PHS). |
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First, talk with your child's doctor or teacher if you
are concerned about your child's development.
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The National Dissemination Center for Children with
Disabilities (NICHCY) has resource sheets that list key
programs in each state for children with developmental problems and for their
families. The lists include state agencies serving children and youth with
disabilities, state chapters of disability organizations and parent
groups, and parent training and information projects. [View
the NICHCY Resource Sheet for your state]
You can also call NICHCY at 800-695-0285 (voice or
TTY) to talk with a staff person about your questions or concerns or e-mail
them at nichcy@aed.org.
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Every state provides education services for children
who have developmental problems. These programs can start right after a
baby is born and last until he or she turns 22. You can find
out more about these programs from the following resources:
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Financial help may be available for health care.
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Children's Health Insurance Program
Each state has a Children's Health Insurance Program that provides free or
low-cost health insurance for eligible children. The Insure Kids Now! Web
site has basic facts about these programs. It also has links to every
state's insurance program for children, where you can learn who is
eligible for the program, how to apply, and what services are covered.
Information is available in English and Spanish.
[In English: Insure Kids Now!
| Your State's Program]
[En Español:
¡Asegure a sus Hijos Ahora! |
El Programa de
su Estado]
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Medicaid
People of all ages who have disabilities may be eligible for health care
coverage through Medicaid. Each state runs its own Medicaid program. The
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Web site has general information
about Medicaid, including who is eligible and what services are provided.
It also has the Web address for each state's program. [Go
to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Web site] [Find
the Web site for your state's Medicaid program]
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People with developmental disabilities may be helped
by using assistive technology (AT). AT is any item that helps a person do
things in his or her daily life. Examples of AT devices include
wheelchairs, a keyguard that
helps children find the right keys on a computer keyboard, a simpler
remote control for a TV or stereo, an adapted mouse that makes computer
navigation easier, switches that help children play with toys, and talking
books.
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The National Institute on Disability and
Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR)
NIDRR funds state projects that help people of all ages with
disabilities get access to AT devices and services. [Find
the NIDRR assistive technology project in your state and visit the
project's Web site]
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National Library Service for the Blind & Physically
Handicapped (NLS)
NLS provides a free library service for people who cannot read regular
books and magazines because of vision impairment or physical disability. NLS
offers books and magazines in both Braille and audio formats. NLS libraries
are located throughout the country. [Read
more about NLS] [Find
the NLS library closest to you]
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MEDLINEplus: Assistive Devices
MEDLINEplus is an online service of the National Library of Medicine. It
links users to information about specific health topics,
including assistive devices. The site includes general
information about assistive devices, plus links to information about
funding, research, specific conditions, dictionaries, organizations,
statistics, and children, teenagers, and seniors. MEDLINEplus brings
together information from many sources and is updated daily. Some information is
available in Spanish.
[In English:
MEDLINEplus Health Information: Assistive Devices]
[En Español:
MEDLINEplus Información de Salud: Aparatos de asistencia]
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Possible new treatments for people with disabilities
are studied through clinical trials. ClinicalTrials.gov is a Web site run
by the National Library of Medicine that has information about studies funded
by the National Institutes of Health, other federal agencies, and
companies that make drugs. You can find out about studies involving people who have certain disabilities, including who is doing the
study, what the purpose of the study is, who can be in the study, where
the study is being done, and how to get more information about the study.
When you go to the ClinicalTrials.gov site, you can enter the name of the
disability you are interested in, such as “cerebral palsy” or “blindness.”
Then click on the Search button and you will see a list of related
studies. [Find
studies on ClinicalTrials.gov site]
[Return to top]
Date: October 29, 2004
Content source: National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental
Disabilities
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