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Online Resources

Online Resources for Special Services

Our Special Services staff has curated a collection of excellent local, state and national resources for our families and educators.

Local

  • KCSD Notice of Procedural Safeguards
    The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the Federal law concerning the education of students with disabilities, requires Kershaw County School District (KCSD) to provide you, the parents of a child with a disability, with a notice containing a full explanation of the procedural safeguards available under IDEA and U.S. Department of Education regulations.
     
  • Transition Alliance of SC - Kershaw
    Working together to increase successful student post-secondary transition outcomes through active interagency collaboration.
     
  • Special Olympics Kershaw County
    Kershaw County Special Olympics is a sub-group of the South Carolina Special Olympics. This event includes students who attend grades K-12 and adults with special needs in the county.

State

  • SC Department of Education's Special Services
    The SC Department of Education provides leadership and support so that all public education students graduate prepared for success.
     
  • SC Vocational Rehabilitation
    SC Vocational Rehabilitation Department is an employment agency for people with disabilities. Many of our clients are highly motivated but need help developing work skills. After eligibility is established, each client participates in an assessment to determine which vocational rehabilitation services are needed to help the client prepare for employment. The client is totally involved in the development of an Individualized Plan for Employment tailored to his or her abilities and interests. 
     
  • Able-SC
    Able South Carolina is a Center for Independent Living (CIL)– a consumer-controlled, community-based, cross-disability nonprofit that provides an array of independent living services to people of all ages with all types of disabilities, in 23 counties in South Carolina.
     
  • SC Assistive Technology Program
    The South Carolina Assistive Technology Program (SCATP) uses technology devices and services to help people with disabilities live, work and learn more independently.
     
  • SC Department of Disabilities and Special Needs
    SCDDSN is the state agency that plans, develops, oversees and funds services for South Carolinians with severe, lifelong disabilities of intellectual disability, autism, traumatic brain injury and spinal cord injury and conditions related to each of these four disabilities.
     
  • The Arc of Midlands
    The Arc of Midland is a nonprofit organization which promotes the general welfare of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and increases their presence, participation and inclusion in the community.
     
  • Family Connections SC
    The mission of Family Connection of South Carolina is to strengthen and encourage families of children with special healthcare needs through parent support.  A few of the many programs Family Connection offers include: Family Social Events, Family Partner Program, Awareness: The Key to Friendships, Kid Connection, Support Groups, Medication Education Programs
     
  • Job Readiness Training Center
    Provides life and job skills classes to DJJ youth on probation, parole, or in committed status ranging primarily from ages 12 to 18, and other youth as part of the agency’s prevention and intervention efforts.
     
  • Protection and Advocacy for SC Investigates reports of abuse and neglect and advocates for disability rights in areas such as health care, education, employment and housing.   Important Document on Transfer of Rights
    When a child turns 18, he or she becomes entitled to the legal rights and duties of an adult.  Generally, it does not matter whether the person has a disability. At age 18, a person is considered to be capable of making his or her own decisions unless a court has decided that the person is incapacitated. This information sheet describes some of the legal effects of becoming 18, as well as some adult rights that apply even before age 18.
     
  • Family Resource Center for Disabilities and Special Needs
    The Family Resource Center was organized to promote opportunities for learning, inclusion, and empowerment for individuals with disabilities and special needs, their families, and their communities through such means as education, advocacy, and outreach. Contact (843)266-1318 or frc@frcdsn.org for more information.
     
  • Carolina Autism Resource and Evaluation (CARE) Provides research and resources for families and adults with Autism.
     
  • South Carolina Autism Society South Carolina Autism Society provides for the facilitation of partnerships between school personnel and the parents of students with autism through the Parent-School Partnership program.  They also provide a parent to parent network of support and regional support groups.
     
  • The SC Respite Coalition
    SC Respite Coalition works to help families and caregivers get the breaks they need.  We are currently working to increase awareness of the needs of families within the faith community.  The SC Respite Coalition brings people together from different faiths to assist them in providing respite for those in need of a break within their own faith communities.    
  • S.A.F.E. - South Carolina Advocates for Epilepsy
    SAFE is a charitable organization, formed in 2011, to help raise epilepsy awareness in South Carolina.  We are patients, family members, caregivers and friends that want to make a difference!  Join us on our journey as we support each other and teach many!
     
  • SC High School Credential
    The South Carolina High School Credential offers applicable students with disabilities the opportunity to work towards a uniform, state-recognized credential.

Federal

  • US Department of Education - Department of Civil Rights
    OCR’s mission is to ensure equal access to education and to promote educational excellence through vigorous enforcement of civil rights in our nation’s schools.
     
  • National Center and State Collaborative
    Develops an alternate assessment system and related content to assess the English Language Arts and Mathematics achievement of students with the most significant cognitive disabilities.
     
  • Resource for Parents - Understood
    Understood provides a variety of resources for working with students who struggle with academics, inattention, hyperactivity, and social skills.  In addition to background information in these areas, the site also contains a parent toolkit with helpful ideas for assisting children, links to additional resources, and a guide to assist caregivers in understanding the child's perspective.
     
  • Reading Rockets
    Reading Rockets is a national multimedia project offering information and resources on how young kids learn to read, why so many struggle, and how caring adults can help.
     
  • Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA)
    The Individuals with Disabilities Act 2004 is a law ensuring services to children with disabilities throughout the nation.
     
  • Parent Advocacy Coalition for Educational Rights (PACER) Center
    The PACER Center was founded on the premise of parents helping parents of children and youth with disabilities to advocate for a free and appropriate public education for all children.  Today, the PACER Center expands opportunities and offers services to enhance the quality of life of children and young adults with disabilities and their families across the nation. Staffed primarily by parents of children with disabilities, PACERS works in coalition with 18 disability organizations to provide assistance to individual families, workshops, materials for parents and professionals, and leadership in securing a free and appropriate public education for all children. 
     
  • National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)
    NAMI is the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness. NAMI advocates for access to services, treatment, supports and research and is steadfast in its commitment to raise awareness and build a community for hope for all of those in need.