Southwest Network

Local Resources

Agencies and groups located in Fairfield County in Connecticut

Angelfish Therapy, Pediatric aquatic therapy company providing PT and OT in the water. Individual setting and small groups. Local programs at the New Canaan Y, Stamford JCC and Westport Y. Also swim instructors and land based PT and OT services. Call Ailene Tisser P.T. at 203-969-6431 or check www.Angelfishtherapy.com.

ARI OF CONNECTICUT, INC. Michael Smith, President and CEO, 174 Richmond Hill Avenue, Stamford, CT 06902. ARI provides services which enable people with disabilities to fulfill their potential as contributing members of their community. Programs include vocational training and placement, residential services, advocacy and education, socio-habilitative training, recreation, birth to three services, respite care and case management. For more information, call (203) 324-9258 or check www.arict.org.
CACLD, www.cacld.org The Connecticut Association for Children and Adults with Learning Disabilities is an independent, regional non-profit organization serving children and adults with learning disabilities and attention deficit disorders. For information and referral, a library with books and tapes on LD , Dyslexia, and ADD/ADHD for purchase, advocacy consultations, newsletters, workshops, seminars, conferences.

Child’s Play Clinic. http://childsplay.home.att.net. 46 Post Road East, Suite Six, Westport, Connecticut 06880. (203)226-9961. Run by occupational therapist, Rae Suba OTR/L.

CT Family Support Network Southwest Regional Coordinator: Lisa Sheppard Tel: (203)556-7317. E-mail: lnshep@aol.com. www.ctfsc.org. The CT Family Support Networkis a network of families who have children with disabilities. The Network was created by the Connecticut Family Support Council, a legislatively established partnership of parents and professionals working to improve supports for families of children with disabilities.
Circle of Friends. A program to help special needs children in our community. The Circle of Friends extends a helping hand to families who have children with special needs and involves them in a full spectrum of Jewish and social experiences. The Circle of Friends introduces teenage volunteers to the children and through shared experiences both are enriched. Sponsored by Beth Israel of Westport/Norwalk, 40 King Street, Norwalk, CT 06851. Telephone: 203-866-0534, Email: friendship@snet.net. http://www.bethisraelct.org/circleoffriends.html.

Collaborative Advocacy Associates. Advocacy for students with special learning needs. www.collaborativeadvocacy.com. Telephone Noreen O’Mahoney at (203) 221-4555.
Department of Mental Retardation, Southwest Region, www.dmr.state.ct.us Family support for persons with developmental disabilities.

Disability Resource Center of Fairfield County, Inc. (DRC) www.drcfc.org telephone (203) 378-6977.
Fairfield County Autism Society, FCAS is the local chapter of the Autism Society of America. For more information, contact Kim at scott.newgass@yale.edu.

Fairfield SEPTA, Meets the second Wednesday of each month of the school year. Contact Doreen Caruso at dornicky@optonline or (203) 319-7452. Check out their new website at www.fairfieldsepta.org.

Greenwich ARC, www.arcgreenwich.org Offers a sensitive and complete array of services for people of all ages and degrees of developmental disabilities in lower Fairfield County, CT.

Greenwich PTA Special Education Services Committee (SES), Parent forum for special education issues and support network. Meetings held on the third Wednesday of each month, 9:30 am, Greenwich Town Hall. Contact: Paige Davis at (203) 637 - 8777

Greenwich Pizza Moms: Support group for Moms with special needs children. Meets every third Wednesday of the month at 7:00 p.m. at Nonna’s in Cos Cob (371 East Putnam Avenue). Check their website at www.geocities.com/nanette618/pizzamomsg.html

Greenwich Challenger Little League Baseball. Open to all Greenwich residents with special needs, 5 years and older. Questions please contact Pat Ferris (203) 531-7198.

Kennedy Community Services www.thekennedycenterinc.org

Lindamood-Bell® Stamford Center 2777 Summer Street, Suite 211 Stamford, CT 06905. (203)-355-0044. www.lindamoodbell.com. Lindamood-Bell is a research based organization dedicated to enhancing human learning, offering programs that develop the sensory-cognitive processes that underlie reading, spelling, math, visual-motor skills, language comprehension, attention, memory and critical thinking.

PDD/Asperger Syndrome Support group. Call Lori Whitney (203) 259-1167 Their website is www.pddaspergersupportCT.org.

Pizza Moms, Meets first Tuesday of every month; provides informal information sharing and support group during supper, 7:30 p.m. at Post Corner Pizza in Darien. Check their website at www.geocities.com/nanette618/pizzamoms.html

R.O.S.E. Ridgefield organization for special education. P.O. Box 753, Ridgefield, CT 06877; telephone (203) 438-6948, fax (203) 474-9661, e-mail rose-pta@mindspring.com.

SCOPES, www.scopesnetwork.org. A parent-to-parent support and advocacy network for families of children with special needs in Stamford, Connecticut.

SPED*NET Special Education Network of New Canaan, Ltd. A monthly forum for discussing issues and ideas and developing strategies for special education. For more information, visit www.spednet.org.

SPED*NET Special Education Network of Wilton, Ltd. A monthly forum for discussing issues and ideas and developing strategies for special education. For more information, visit www.spednet.org or email Eve Kessler at eviesuekessler@yahoo.com.

Smart Kids with Learning Disabilities, a (501)(c)(3) non-profit organization providing information and support to parents of children with learning disabilities and attention deficit disorders (ADHD). For more info, visit www.SmartKidswithLD.org or call 203-226-6831. $25 annual membership fee includes six issues of the highly-regarded national newsletter, Smart Kids with Learning Disabilities, as well as a members-only area of the website providing access to the entire archive of the newsletter.

STEPS of Darien, a parent lead group that is committed to advancing, involving and including residents of Darien, CT with disabilities in all facets of the community. To find out more about STEP’s, please call the YWCA at (203) 655-2535 extension 61 or email them at YWCASTEPSDarien@optonline.net.

St. Vincent’s Special Needs Service/First Connections Family Center www.stvincentsspecialneeds.org

STAR - Lighting the Way, Inc., www.starinc-lightingtheway.org Located in Norwalk, Ct., is a not-for-profit membership organization, serving infants, children and adults with developmental disabilities and their families. Check out their impressive comprehensive online resource directory!

WeCAHR, www.wecahr.org The Western Connecticut Association for Human Rights

Weston SEPTA - The Angel Network: a support, education and networking organization for parents of children receiving special education services from the Weston School District or the Connecticut Birth to Three System. For more information call Elayne Robertson Demby at 203-222-8107 or Amy Sierra at 203-226-5847 or e-mail at edemby@ix.netcom.com or asierra001@aol.com.

Westport SEPTA (Special Education PTA) is a unit of the Connecticut PTA concerned with the general welfare of children with any type of special need. At SEPTA presentations monthly meetings, speakers cover a wide range of topics of interest for special needs families. The SEPTA Kids division provides extra-curricular recreational and enrichment activities for children. Website: www.westportsepta.org, Email: info@westportsepta.org. Phone: 203-222-1796