Step Eight

What kinds of resources are available to me?

It is important that you know that there are resources available to you, both within British Columbia and in the world. Most of these resources are available online and they can really help you understand your child’s diagnosis and the treatment options that are available for this diagnosis. You can also connect with parents support groups either online or through websites dedicated to specific disorders, such as cerebral palsy or epilepsy. Here are a few resources that are available to you:

• The Infant Development Program website;
• The Aboriginal Infant Development Program website;
• The Supported Child Development Program website;
• The Aboriginal Supported Child Development Program website;
• The Family Support Institute website;
• The BC Ministry of education’s website, which contains useful information about a variety of special needs and conditions;
• The Ministry of Children and Family Development’s website;
• Websites that have sections that are specifically geared towards parents, such as the Bandaides and Blackboards website and the Exceptional Parent website;
• Websites that have sections that are specifically geared towards children with special needs, such as the Bandaides and Blackboards website and the Stuttering Foundation website;

This modules are part of a website that contains a lot of information that you may find useful, either because your child has a diagnosis, or because he or she does not have a diagnosis but is still struggling in school or with his or her social skills. Here is what the website has to offer:

• Child development questionnaires that can help you determine whether or not your child is developing typically. These questionnaires are not assessment or screening tools. They are just guidelines on how typically developing children grow. These questionnaires are available in English, Farsi, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Punjabi , Vietnamese and Spanish;
• A list of websites that contain a lot of useful resources about a number of special needs and conditions as well as special needs libraries located in British Columbia’s Lower Mainland;
• A list of recommended books;
• A list of recommended DVDs and videos.

We have compiled these resources to make your life a little bit easier and it is our sincere hope that they will!