Resources
- Autism Spectrum Disorders and Resources (PDF) - The Autism Society of Maine has compiled a list of websites addresses for your convenience.
Disclaimer - References in this web site to any specific products, services or therapies do not constitute its endorsement or recommendation by The Autism Society of Maine. ASM is not responsible for the contents of any "off-site" web page referenced from this server.
Autism Society
The Autism Society of Maine is a chapter of the Autism Society, a non-profit organization which advocates services for individuals with Autism. This is one of the best places to begin learning about Autism.
Advocacy & Legal Rights
Disability Rights Center: Provides individuals with information about their rights and service systems, and represents individuals at meetings and hearings by providing legal services to individuals and groups.
Developmental Disabilities Council: To help ensure that individuals with developmental disabilities and their families participate in the design of, and have access to needed community services, individualized supports, and other forms of assistance.
Pine Tree Legal: Legal services to Maine people with low incomes.
Wrights Law: Information about special education law, education law, and advocacy for children with disabilities.
Assistive Technology / Communications
ACAT (Assistive Technology and Augmentative Communication): A program of the Pine Tree Society that provides children with disabilities with appropriate tools to communicate effectively and be successful learners.
AllTech: A resource for information, technical assistance, and professional development about assistive technology, assistive and educational software, web accessibility, and universal design in education.
Family Center on Technology and Disability: This center serves organizations and programs that work with children and youth with disabilities. They offer information and services on assistive technology.
Maine CITE (Consumer Information and Training Exchange): Maine CITE is a statewide project designed to help make assistive and universally designed technology more available to Maine children and adults who have disabilities.
Get At Stuff: Here you can look for or list Assistive Technology devices for sale or for free.
University of Maine at Farmington, Center for Assistive Technology: The Center for Assistive Technology provides information about assistive technology (AT), how to use and evaluate various AT devices, and a place to view AT equipment. The center is available free to individuals with disabilities and their families, UMF students, faculty, professionals in the community.
iAbida: A free service of team sharing of daily schedules, daily behavior (graph the progress), receive alerts about any changes, share pictures, videos or audio files.
Community Inclusion
Center for Community & Disability Studies (CCIDS): CCIDS brings together the resources of the university and Maine communities to enhance the quality of life for individuals with developmental disabilities and their families.
Maine Autism Spectrum Resource Center: Links to external resources in twelve different categories regarding developmental disabilities.
Dance Therapy
Origin Movement: Dance therapy for children and adults. (South Portland, ME)
Department of Education (DOE)
Special Services: Directory of Maine Department of Education Special Services.
Chapter 101 Regulations: Effective May 10, 2012
Guide to Special Education in Maine: A guide for parents divided into five parts: Building Partnerships & getting organized, Early Years Birth to 5, School years 5-20, Getting Older & Dispute Resolution.
Special Purpose School State Listing
Maine Administrators of Services for Children with Disabilities (MADSEC): Represents special education in Maine and provides support for educators and a resource for Maine schools and agencies.
Child Development Services (CDS): The Child Development Services (CDS) system is an Intermediate Educational Unit that provides both Early Intervention (birth - two years) and Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE for ages three - five years) under the supervision of the Maine Department of Education.
Department of Health & Human Services (DHHS)
District Map: Find out what district your town is in.
Children's Behavioral Health: Case Management, Home & Community Based Treatment Services, Rights/Grievances, Service Provider List, Special Education regulations for parents & Privacy Policy.
MaineCare Eligibility: How to apply, cost, getting an application and help with filling out application.
Katie Beckett Option: Katie Beckett is a MaineCare option for children with serious health conditions. It is one of the many ways your child can get MaineCare. If your child meets the rules for this option, your child can get MaineCare full benefits.
Respite Services: Respite care offers parents a much needed, short-term break from the day to day demands of caring for and raising a child with special needs.
Developmental Services - Adults: Adult Protection Services, Behavioral Regulations, Case Management, Crisis Services, Community Inclusion & Supported Employment, MaineCare Waiver Services, Person-Centered Planning, Provider Directory, Shared living Model, Training Information, Supports Intensity Scale.
Guardianship and Alternatives: Information for anyone seeking information on adult guardianship, conservatorship, or alternatives to guardianship.
Family Organizations
Adoptive & Foster Families of Maine: Adoptive and Foster Families of Maine, Inc. (AFFM) provides support services for adoptive and foster parents, and kinship providers
Autism Society of Maine: The Autism Society of Maine provides education and resources to support the valued lives of individuals on the autism spectrum and their families.
G.E.A.R Parent Network: A network for parents of children with disabilities. GEAR offers support through group meetings and telephone, workshops on topics of interest to parents and local conferences.
Maine Learning Disabilities Association: A non-profit organization dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for all individuals with learning disabilities and their families.
Maine Parent Federation: Provides information, advocacy, education, and training to benefit all children and promotes community inclusion for people with disabilities.
NAMI Maine: NAMI is a nonprofit, grassroots, self-help, support and advocacy organization of consumers, families, and friends of people with severe mental illness.
Southern Maine Parent Awareness: An organization dedicated to providing information, referral support, and education to families who have children with special needs.
Housing
Maine State Housing Authority: MaineHousing offers programs and services that make housing more affordable to Maine people
HUD in Maine: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Homes & Community website.
Specialized Housing, Inc/20 E Street: Providers of support at 20 E Street, South Portland, a home ownership program for adults with developmental disabilities.
Community Housing of Maine (CHOM): is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that as its core mission provides advocacy, supportive housing, community inclusion, and stability for homeless and special needs populations across the state. CHOM also provides workforce housing for people who can't afford to live near their work.
Achieving Independence In Maine (AIM): A program designed to launch young adults with ASD's into adulthood through focused attention on skill building and expanding natural community supports.
199 Western Prom: Supported Independent Housing for Adults with Intellectual/Physical Disabilities in Portland, Maine.
Home Buying Help Guide for the Disabled: This guide has been createdto help individuals living with disabilities, and their family members, in the process of buying a home of their own.
Hospitals & In Patient
Acadia Hospital: Bangor, ME
St. Mary's Hospital: Auburn, ME
Spring Harbor: Westbrook, ME
Mid Coast Hospital: Brunswick, ME
Maine Statewide Crisis
Maine Statewide Crisis: 1-888-568-1112 (Voice) 711 (Maine Relay) - If you are concerned about yourself or about somebody else, call the crisis hotline. This will connect you to your closest crisis center.
Music Therapy
Seton School: Individual music therapy services, group therapy available to schools, clinics, childcare centers and preschools. (Camden, ME)
Surry Music Center: Service at the Surry Music Center includes assessments, individual and group therapy sessions, music therapy seminars, conferences and in-service training for agencies as diverse as preschool programs to nursing homes. (Surry, ME)
National Resources
Autism Society: exists to improve the lives of all affected by autism. Advocates for appropriate services for individuals across the lifespan, and providing the latest information regarding treatment, education, research and advocacy.
Autism Speaks: dedicated to funding research into the causes, prevention, treatments and a cure for autism; increasing awareness of autism spectrum disorders; and advocating for the needs of individuals with autism and their families.
Asperger's Association of New England: The Asperger's Association of New England's mission is to foster awareness, respect, acceptance, and support for individuals with AS and related conditions and their families. Click here for information about the AANE Maine Chapter.
Provider / Services
Sweetser Children's Service: Sweetser provides quality treatment, support and hope to children, adults and families through a network of mental health, behavioral health and educational services.
Community Health & Counseling Services: Provides community-based home health, hospice and mental health services to adults and children in central, eastern, and northern Maine. Woodfords Family Services: Community resources including help in your home, early intervention services, and information about group homes and foster care.
Spurwink: A facility with a network of professionals that provide mental health, residential, and educational services for children and adults on the spectrum.
Waban Projects, Inc: a non-profit corporation organized to develop and operate programs which promote the general welfare and education of children and adults with developmental disabilities.
Service Dogs
Service dogs trained for the handicapped, specializing in kids with autism.
Tail Waggin Training Center: Has programs that include: Obedience training, pet therapy training, CGC training and testing, in home training and private lessons, tracking and hunting, presentations and educational programs on service dogs. For more information call (207) 884-7017 or email tailwagn@roadrunner.com.
Therapeutic Horseback Riding
Serenity Mountain Stables: Therapeutic Horseback Riding: Helping individuals with mental, physical and emotional disabilities benefit from the experience of riding on horseback. For more information call (207) 626-7646.
Toolkits; Resources Regarding Living with Autism
Autism Society: Next Steps (for families new to autism), Siblings, School Peers, Supporting Students, College, Puberty, Victims of Crime, Sleep, and Transition Across Grade Levels. There are more toolkits available regarding living with autism that can be downloaded.
Autism Speaks: Family Supports - 100 Day Kit for Newly Diagnosed Family, Medication Decision Guide, Challenging Behaviors, IEP’s, Transition, and School Resources. There are more toolkits available regarding autism that can be downloaded.
Weighted Blankets
New England Adaptive Equipment: The deep pressure provided to the nervous system from wearing a weighted vest, lap pillow or blanket provides a calming effect to a sensory disordered child which would allow that child to function in an otherwise over-stimulating atmosphere. To find out more please call, (207) 269-2816.
L-OMA: Organic buckwheat weighted blankets, vests and pillows. Handcrafted in Maine by the Bridges Foundation.
Websites
Access Maine: A website to assist Maine residents with resources disabilities, their families, and providers.
Autism Hangout: An online discussion forum that reports news, complies facts and community-submitted personal experiences and invites ongoing discussion to discover insights on how best to deal with the daily challenges of autism.
Autism Research Institute: The Autism Research Institute (ARI) is the hub of a worldwide network of parents and professionals concerned with autism.
Autism Risk & Safety Management: Autism training and resources for law enforcement, emergency first responders, parents, educators, care providers and the autism community.
National Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Autism Spectrum Disorders Homepage): Facts about autism, treatments, data & research.
Online Asperger Syndrome Information and Support (OASIS): A resource for families, individuals, and medical professionals who deal with the challenges of Asperger Syndrome and Autism.
Stop Bullying Now! Presenting practical research-based strategies to reduce bullying in schools by Stan Davis, Author of book "Schools Where Everyone Belongs" and founder of the "International Bullying Prevention Association".
Autism NOW Center: Resources and information on community-based solutions for individuals with autism, other developmental disabilities, and their families.