The Organization for Autism Research is unique in that they focus on applied research, not research that tries to “cure” or treat autism. They have some phenomenal free resources for parents, siblings, teachers, and self-advocates.

The Ausitic Self Advocacy Network seeks to advance the principles of the disability rights movement with regard to autism. They are a 501(c)3 non-profit with chapters in each state and it’s a great organization to connect with for self-advocates and for caregivers and supporters to understand what matters for actually autistic people. The guiding principal for ASAN is “nothing about us, without us.” They also have a fantastic ebook to share with family, friends, or coworkers who need basic autism understanding.

The Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates is an organization that focuses on enforcing the legal and civil rights of children with disabilities. They train SPED advocates and encourage networking and collaboration to among attorneys and parents. This is a great organization to keep an eye on if you want to know what challenges may come up for. your child in the education system, and what to do about it.

The Council for Exceptional Children is an organization focused on supporting professionals, but they also have a parent membership. I love their learning library and it’s one of the few organizations that focuses on twice-exceptional kids.

This may seem obvious, but I think people seriously under estimate the value of a strong Parent Teacher Association. This website is loaded with great education resources for all kids. I encourage you to join or start a PTA at your child’s school.

The National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities is the national association for the 56 Councils on Developmental Disabilities (DD Councils) across the United States and its territories. The DD Councils receive federal funding to support programs that promote self-determination, integration, and inclusion for all people in the United States with developmental disabilities. If you are new to a state or planning to move, use the NACDD website to determine your state council.

The Texas Council for Developmental Disabilities helps Texas residents with developmental disabilities achieve their potential for independence, productivity, and integration into their communities through the development of service and support systems.

The Texas Organization of Parent Attorneys and Advocates is an organization that focuses on the state and federal laws that regulate the education system and related services of Texas students with disabilities. TOPAA provides support and legal help for families navigating these systems.

The Texas PTA website is full of advocacy-related resources and engagement opportunities for Texas public education. Local PTA’s are an excellent way to get involved in the education system that effects your child. The website has access to trainings as well as helpful newsletters on public education in general and you can also find local Special Education PTAs as well.

Disability Rights Texas is an organization that helps disabled persons understand and exercise their rights to the fullest extent of the law, ensuring their equal participation in society. Their website is one of the most resource-rich sources out there for developmental disabilities in the state of Texas.

Partners Resource Network is a non-profit agency that operates the Texas statewide network of Parent Training and Information Centers that serve parents and children with disabilities ages 0-26 and youth self-advocates ages 14-26.

Texas Parent to Parent empowers families to become strong advocates and self-advocates through a parent-to-parent peer support model. TxP2P will quite literally walk with families through the process of education, isolation, support needs, policy goals, and whatever families need or want to accomplish. .

Raise Your Hand Texas is a non-partisan nonprofit organization supporting public policy solutions for public education students in Texas. You can count on RYHT to take a centrist approach to public education, including public charter.

50Can is a national foundation with individual state branches that advocate locally for high-quality education for all children. This organization is not pro or anti any form of education and instead operates from four foundational beliefs; evidence-based policy and open advocacy, citizen advocates can change education, nationwide change depends on networks of local advocates, and a clear-eyed, committed approach to improving education.

Leadership ISD is a North Texas-based organization that focuses on empowering communities and school leaders to push for greater education equality. Their mission is to equip leaders to advance academic excellence and racial equity in public education. They do this through leadership training, coalition building, and trustee engagement.

Texas has twenty Education Service Centers across the state of Texas that provide services to school districts to increase student performance, implement initiatives assigned by the state legislature or commissioner, and operate more efficiently. Although most pieces of training offered through ESC are designed for teachers, they also have an extensive library of helpful resources for parents.

The Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services is definitely an intimidating website, but it is where you will find the original sources that may be required when investigating the rights of children with disabilities in public or private education.

The Texas Education Agency is the agency that oversees primary and secondary education in Texas. TEA is led by the commissioner of education, the State Board of Education, and the State Board for Educator Certification. Another intimidating and resource rich website, TEA is the starting point for researching current education policy, guidelines, and standards in Texas.

This website is literally gold for teachers and parents. This post on Autism + IEP Goals is one of the most helpful posts for parents I have ever read. There is so much misinformation out there about the IEP process and this post is clear and to the point.

Help Me Grow North Texas works to promote collaboration across child-serving agencies to promote the optimal health of young children. Help Me Grow works on partnerships to improve care options for families; they link families with resources and provide care coordination.

Child Care Associates is a child development organization that provides quality early childcare and early education to low-income families. You can apply for care chare subsidies as well as Head Start and Early Head Start programs.

The Best Place for Kids!® is a whole-community initiative to ensure every Tarrant County child is on the path to learning and life success. Their website provides resources for quality education and childcare, resources for working parents, and other community resources.

Where do you turn when you aren’t sure where to turn? Child Study Center is a one-stop shop for complex developmental and behavioral concerns. They offer evaluation, developmental pediatrics, developmental psychology, and intervention services.

Fort Worth Education Partnership provides data and research for public education options in Fort Worth, including traditional public, public charter, and schools of choice. You can count on FWEP to provide accurate data to understand educational trends and results in Fort Worth.

Children with developmental delays or developmental disabilities are not immune to stressful home environments, or the disability can require extra care and support for all family members. ACH has a number of programs designed to prevent child abuse, neglect, or separation so families can stay healthy and safe. They offer crisis intervention, family counseling, and skill-building classes, to name a few.

This account speaks to my heart. Sasha Long is a board-certified BCBA and former SPED teacher, and this account is full of resources for teachers and parents. I am a sucker for a printable resource, and The Autism Helper has them in spades. I find myself using this account constantly in the summer.

Andi Putt is a pediatric speech-language pathologist who works primarily with autistic clients. I love her printables, especially the ones geared toward young people. Speech therapy is often the very first therapy a child with a developmental disability will start, and that was also true for us. They have a special place in my heart.

Autie Self Care is the account of Izzy, an autistic youth in the UK. Young people tend to be naturally spicy, and autistic youth can be extra spicy! That said, we should never be afraid to listen, and we should never ignore the voices of #actuallyautistic individuals, including young people. I love the bite-sized lessons that Izzy provides their followers.

The goal of Disability Reframe is to change the perspective on disability. I love the nuggets of wisdom, and thought-provoking story telling that this account offers.

Two pediatric neuropsychologists run this account. Their website is devoted to clients, but their Instagram has great information on developmental differences.

The Expert Ally, Yulika Forman, Ph.D., is a Psychologist, special education consultant, advocate, and parent coach. Her IG is full of tons of great information, useful graphics, and discussion.

Autistic Flair is an online community and resource hub with the goal of improving autism understanding and inclusivity. Autistic Flair is Autistic led and centers on the Autistic person and their experience.

This account is run by an Autstic Adult diagnosed later in life. The account was started to be the support the author wished they had before they knew they were autistic. I love the breakdown of the autistic experience shared on this account, and it’s another good one for resources- these resources appeal to older teens and adults rather than children.

The ADHD Dude is a licensed school and clinical social worker and the father of a child with ADHD. I enjoy this account for the male perspective because I often wonder if my typically female perspective helps or hurts my ADHD kiddo. I think it’s important to note that the ADHD Dude’s credentials are in social work, so I keep that in mind when I read something that makes me go, “hmm…”

Wish you had a mom tribe that was just full of moms who understood autism and other forms of neuridiversity? Put this podcast on while you’re folding laundry and enjoy. These gals are moms, their expertise comes from their lived experience, and I’m here for it.

She’s got a podcast too! I love the Autism Helper, and I love her podcast just as much. She has great content for educators, parents, and service providers.

Also a fantastic book, this podcast keeps the conversation going by highlighting voices from the autistic community and thought leaders on autism.

Speech therapy is often the very first service a parent might seek out for their child, and as a result, speech therapists have a lot of tough conversations with new parents. The Speech Source is hosted by two local Fort Worth SLPs with decades of experience in the field. They talk about their favorite books for kids, games, toys, and methods for developing speech in young children.

I loved this book for the non-ableism perspective it offered. It was helpful for me as a parent to read about the mistakes parents before me had made, and the successes of families who had children with high support needs.

This is a must-read for me. The book discusses autism as a disability and a naturally occurring neurological difference that is widely prevalent. I was fascinated by the clinical history of autism and just who and what academic programs caused the most harm. Not to be dramatic, but the truth will shock you, lol.

One thing we know about Autism is that it does have a genetic component to some extent. It’s thought that many kids have a delayed diagnosis because their parents are also on the spectrum of neurodiversity and don’t recognize the child’s difficulties as anything other than what the parent experienced as a child. This book discusses the rare subject of the female neurodivergent and what the journey to diagnosis looks like when you are a woman.

If you have only read one book about ADHD, let it be this one. Comprehensive, balanced, and covers the lifespan from childhood through working adulthood.

If you could only ask another person to read one book about Autism, make it this book. It’s short, quick to read, and covers all the basics. It’s a perfect book for someone who knows very little about Autism, or someone who may be resistant to accepting what you are trying to share about your child. Bonus that it’s written by an actually autistic person that has matured past young adulthood.