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Where to Find Children’s Special Needs Resources in South Carolina
Are you the parent of a child with special needs, or do you suspect they might have a developmental delay? This can be challenging, and sometimes you might not know where to turn, but it’s important to know that you’re not alone. There are various South Carolina special needs resources to support your family.
5 South Carolina Special Needs Resources
Throughout the state of South Carolina, there’s an array of programs and organizations designed to help families of children with developmental delays. Read on to discover five of the most helpful South Carolina special needs resources.
1. BabyNet
BabyNet is South Carolina’s interagency early intervention system. The program serves infants and toddlers (under the age of three) that have developmental delays or conditions associated with developmental delays.
To begin services with BabyNet, someone will need to refer the child. Anyone who thinks the child is showing signs of a developmental delay can make a BabyNet referral, including parents, doctors, teachers, caregivers, etc.
To refer a child, they must be less than three years old. If they’re older, you can make a referral to DDSN for early intervention services or inquire about the situation with their school district. Remember, the earlier a child gets the help they need, the better.
After a child has been referred to BabyNet and meets the requirements for services, they will be matched with reliable resources in the family’s community. An array of early intervention services will be offered, and a specific plan will be developed to fit each child’s needs.
2. South Carolina Department of Disabilities and Special Needs (SCDDSN)
If you or someone you know is a South Carolina resident with autism, an intellectual disability, a traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, or conditions related to these disabilities, SCDDSN is a beneficial resource. SCDDSN is a state agency that funds and develops programs for South Carolinians with disabilities. The mission of SCDDSN is to assist individuals (children or adults) with special needs and their families to meet their needs, pursue possibilities, and achieve dreams and goals.
One of the valuable services provided through DDSN is Early Intervention services for children ages 3 to 6 years old with developmental delays or a diagnosed condition such as those listed above.
To receive services from SCDDSN, an individual must meet specific requirements. To see if someone qualifies, you can call the agency directly for a 15-minute assessment. After it’s established that they qualify, a case manager will be assigned and will determine what resources the individual would benefit from. Some of the most beneficial services include early intervention therapy, adult day services, career services, and at-home support.
3. Family Connection
Family Connection in South Carolina is an outstanding organization that provides parents of infants, toddlers, and children with developmental delays resources and services for support, development, health, and education. They understand the unique challenges of raising a child with developmental needs, and their mission is to help in any way possible.
Family Connection is happy to provide a top-notch collection of programs to address concerns about healthcare, mental health, and educational systems – which can be overwhelming to navigate on your own. Some services include support for children with asthma, a home-school visitation partnership, assistance with Medicaid and other healthcare programs, NICU support, parent-to-parent support, and more.
4. The South Carolina Autism Society
The South Carolina Autism Society is a nonprofit organization that offers case management, educational mentoring, outreach, training, and referral services for people with autism and their families. They take pride in advocating with state and federal governments and work hard to pass laws and legislation that provide autistic people with the services necessary to live life to the fullest.
The wide array of resources from the South Carolina Autism Society includes parent-school partnerships, case management, advocacy with governmental agencies and state and federal lawmakers, referrals, information about current treatment options, and more. One of the most valuable parts of the society is the network of support from people that all have the same concerns and goals, so you’ll never feel alone.
5. About Play
Here at About Play, we’re proud to offer high-quality early intervention services to children with special needs and their families. We work with infants and children birth to six years of age who are eligible through BabyNet or DDSN.
Through various early intervention services, About Play team members will focus on activities with your infant or child during everyday routines. These activities promote your child’s social-emotional, communication, motor skills, adaptive, and cognitive development. Our early interventionists also assist families in accessing available community resources such as respite care, summer support services, therapy services, autism services, nursing, audiology, assistive technology, and more.
If you think your child would benefit from early intervention services, we’d love to assist you. Contact our knowledgeable team today and discover how we can help.
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