Kids Included Together (KIT) specializes in providing best practices training for community–based organizations committed to including children with and without disabilities into recreational, child development and youth development programs. KIT’s programs include a National Training Center on Inclusion, a state-of-the-art training facility dedicated to creating and disseminating best practices information and tools. These information and tools are designed to promote an increased knowledge of accommodations and supports, to build relationships with program stakeholders, and to provide better understanding of how policies and procedures impact inclusion.
Visit the Website – Kids Included Together.
This fact sheet defines cultural competence and goals to ensure cultural competency for the Information and Technical Assistance Center for Councils on Developmental Disabilities that was approved by the Administration on Developmental Disabilities.
Download the Fact Sheet – Cultural Competence Plan (Word Document).
Special issue of newsletter from the Institute for Community Inclusion at the University of Minnesota. Includes articles for self advocates, siblings, researchers, and practitioners on aging with developmental disabilities.
Read the Article – Aging and People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.
This website is designed to assist educators in determining self-determination practices in their school or classroom. Resources provided on this website include needs assessments, checklists, rubrics to determine student needs, and surveys and IEP exist assessments that educators can use the develop, implement, and evaluate the effectiveness of IEP; assist students in developing their own goals for the IEP; and determining whether the student’s goals were met during the transition process. These instruments are not intended to be used as a compliance tool but as a resource.
View the Website – Self-Determination Project.
Heller, T., Kaiser, A., Meyer, D., Fish, T., Kramer, J., Dufresne, D., (2008). The sibling leadership network: Recommendations for research, advocacy, and supports relating to siblings of people with developmental disabilities. Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Family Research Program.
The paper summarizes key research findings on siblings of individuals with disabilities and provides an initial set of guidelines and recommendations to guide new research in this area.
Download the Academic Research – Recommendations for Research, Advocacy, and Supports Relating to Siblings (PDF).
A guide for planning a health promotion program for adults with disabilities.
View information on Health Matters: The Exercise and Nutrition Health Education Curriculum for People with Developmental Disabilities at the Brookes Publishing website.
This website links you to a free handbook that outlines best practices for organizing a self-advocacy group. This handbook includes information on how to run meetings, problem solve, set goals, fundraise, and include support staff in group activities. It is written by the Green Mountain Self-Advocates. This organization supports 18 local self-advocacy groups in Vermont.
View the Handbook – Green Mountain Self-Advocates Handbook.
This website connects you to “Maneuvering Through the Maze: A Family Resource Guide”. This guide provides a list of resources available to families and people with developmental disabilities that deal with important issues from birth to adulthood. While this information is primarily focused at New Hampshire resources; some resources and suggestions are relevant to any family. New Hampshire Family Voices is the state Family Voices organization. This organization provides information to families of people with developmental disabilities and is staffed by people who have family members with developmental disabilities.
Visit the Guide – Maneuvering Through the Maze: A Family Resource.
This guide provides information to schools and families to help them as they prepare students for post-school environments. This guides includes a student-centered process that describes steps and a time line for transition planning; suggestions for establishing and organizing a transition team; suggested assessment information to evaluate the transition process; examples of assessments and checklists to evaluate the transition process; and additional forms and information to help facilitate the transition process. This guide was written by the Prince Edward Island Department of Education. Though it does list PEI community agencies, the general suggestions are broad enough to be helpful for American families going through the transition process.
Download the Guide – Secondary Transition Planning (PDF).
The book provides information and activities designed for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities to give them more information about decisions that they will need to make as they move into adult life. Topics included in this book include: thinking about dreams for the future, people who support you, where people want to live, transportation, employment, education, and recreation and social activities.
Download the Guide – Dare to Dream: A Guide to Planning Your Future, revised (PDF).
