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These links are offered for informational purposes only and are not screened by Yesodot. Inclusion on this list does not constitute endorsement by Yesodot, nor does Yesodot endorse products or services mentioned. Each user must determine whether or not the content of Yesodot Resources or the site in general is relevant to his or her situation. Parents are urged to monitor their children's Internet use.
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- General Forum
- After reading through the rules, click here to connect with other families of Yesodot!
- TRANSITIONS Forum
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- Disability Blogs
- A lengthy list of disability blogs compiled for inspirational and informational purposes.
- Yesodot Blog
- Written by members of the Yesodot Team, this blog is another way for Yesodot to directly connect and share information with its families and friends.
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- About Accessibility
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We created this policy with a fundamental respect for our users' right to privacy and to guide our relationships with our users. This Privacy Policy discloses the privacy practices for this website.
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- Yesodot's Families
Yesodot's families come from over 62 cities and towns in the Greater Boston community. Individuals with disabilities served range from young children to adults.
- Yesodot's History
- Yesodot is a lifeline for Jewish families challenged by disability.
- Yesodot's Programs
Yesodot provides parent and sibling support; family recreational outings; presents educational workshops; disseminates information and develops resources; offers programs for young people transitioning from high school, and runs an assistive technology project.
- Calendar (Other Events)
- Calendar (Yesodot)
An informative calendar frequently updated with upcoming events.
- Community Connections
- Fostering the participation of our families in community-wide events and working together with other Jewish community organizations to promote community inclusion.
- Current Programs & Events
- Family Education
- Family ExpLoRATionS
- Family social and recreational activities such as bowling, adaptive skiing, holiday, community and other enjoyable events for families.
- Past Programs & Events
- Transitions-Turning 22
- General Members
- Newsletters
- Resource Links
- RSS - Disability News
Display contents of an RSS feed to keep your pages fresh.
- TRANSITIONS Members
- TRANSITIONS Library
- Prepare your child for adult life with these fun and age/ability-appropriate tools. Members may request library materials from the Yesodot office. Items will be sent by mail and should be returned after three weeks.
- TRANSITIONS Notebook
- Notebook Access
- Click here to access the various categories within the TRANSITIONS Notebook.
- Volume Four
- Volume Four contains information about age of majority, guardianship, benefits, legal and financial planning, independent living, health care transition, social and recreational resources,and sexuality information and resources.
- Volume One
- Volume One contains introductory information about transition planning including Transition Planning guides, Federal and State laws and regulations related to Transition Planning, and Chapter 688 Human Service agencies information.
- Volume Three
- Volume Three contains information about self-determination, person-centered planning, and self-advocacy and related resources.
- Volume Two
- Volume Two contains information about transition assessments, post-secondary education, and employment and related resources.
- Chapter 688 Human Service Agencies
- Federal and State Laws and Regulations
- General Transition Planning and Guides
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- Employment
- Post-Secondary Education
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- Person-Centered Planning
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- Self-Determination
- Related Articles
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- Age of Majority (Turning 18)
- Benefits (SSI, SSDI, etc.)
- Guardianship
- Healthcare Transition
- Independent Living
- Legal and Financial Planning
- Sexuality information and resources
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- Related Articles
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- Events Newsletters
- These monthly newsletters detail the events to come that month.
- Resource Newsletters
- These monthly newsletters contain articles, websites, and other resources to help inform you in your daily lives.
- TRANSITIONS Newsletters
- The TRANSITIONS Newsletters are designed to break up the comprehensive TRANSITIONS Notebook into smaller, easy-to-manage pieces. These newsletters are only available to TRANSITIONS members.
- Search by Category
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- Federal and State Laws and Regulations
- General Transition and Planning Guides
- Articles
- Articles posted for Yesodot members.
- Audio and Video
Our site easily supports audio and video.
- Informational Resource Sheets
- Assistive Technology Plus
Resources for assistive, rehabilitative, augmentative and adaptive devices. Includes assistive technology for various disabilities, as well as catalogs to help select them.
- Community Living/Housing
- Information regarding technical assistance and independent living. Includes a database of accessible housing units.
- Disability Awareness Month
- Employment
- Information on transition from school to the workforce. Includes planning guides and links.
- Family Issues
- This link is open to both non-members and members of Yesodot. Financial planning, support, advocacy, and health benefit resources, as well as sites specifically for mothers, fathers, siblings, and grandparents.
- Federal Agencies
Government resources on various topics, including civil rights and rehabilitative services.
- For Kids & Teens
- Resources for children and teenagers, including basic information sites, games, software, and summer programs.
- Jewish Disability Information
- Books, print resources, websites, and discussion groups for parents, teachers, and children.
- Jewish Programs & Services
- This link is open to both non-members and members of Yesodot. Programs and services in the Greater Boston Jewish community for people with disabilities.
- Law & Public Awareness
- This link is open to both non-members and members of Yesodot. Links on Massachusetts law, policy, public awareness and federal law.
- MA Organizations & Services
- This link is open to both non-members and members of Yesodot. Various resources for advocates, consultants, and service providers, as well as general information.
- MA State Agencies
- This link is open to both non-members and members of Yesodot. Resources from the Massachusetts State Agencies that include many state departments and commissions.
- Online Directories
- A comprehensive list of general resources, links and online directories geared towards families.
- Recreation & Play
- Articles, resources, catalogs, toys, and teaching aids designed for children and adults with disabilities.
- Special Education & Inclusion
- Numerous resources for special education, such as books, publishers, and teaching aids. Many of these resources advocate early childhood education.
- Specific Disabilities
This link is open to both non-members and members of Yesodot. A list of specific disabilities, a brief description and helpful websites.
- What it Means to Turn 22
- Information and Links on Transition (Turning 22), Person Centered Planning, and Self Advocacy.
- Communication Guidelines
- Tips on interacting with people with disabilities.
- D'Vrei Torah Ideas
- A collection of sermons and D'vrei Torah relating to disability.
- Jewish Disability Awareness Month
- Information on the Disability Awareness Month, how to plan for it, and additional disability resources.
- Programs and Events
- A description of past events and programs during the Jewish Disability Awareness Month. Includes a link to the Yesodot calendar.
- Welcoming People with Disabilities into Your Synagogue
- Tips for rabbis and congregations to welcome people with disabilities into their synagogues, as well as information for supporting Disability Awareness Month.
- Activities of Daily Living/ Adapted Equipment
- Product catalogs for theraputic equipment and aids for daily activities.
- Assistive Technology for People Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing
- Product catalogs for telephones, telephone accessories, and other assistive listening devices.
- Assistive Technology for People with Visual Impairments
- Product catalogs for braille products, video magnifiers, speech synthesizers, and related technology. Also includes audio journals that broadcast printed materials.
- Augmentative Communication Catalogs and Resources
- Product catalogs for communication devices, switch compatible software, and adapted toys.
- Computer and Device Access and Switches
- Product catalogs for switches and computer accessories, as well as sites for free adaptive computer software.
- Computer Software and Hardware
- Product catalogs for and information regarding switch operated software.
- General Resources, Links, and Product Databases
Information about assistive technology, integrating into schools, and general resources. Includes organizations that provide assistive technology services.
- Online Books, Digital Libraries, and Text-to-Speech
- Information about and product catalogs for text-to-speech software and online digital libraries.
- Picture Symbol Communication
- Picture symbols for daily living, academics, and various Jewish holidays.
- Estate and Financial Planning
- Information regarding special needs trusts and estate and financial planning.
- Family Support and Advocacy
- Online articles and resources about family issues, disability awareness, advocacy, and legislation.
- Fathers
- Online support and resources specifically for fathers raising children with special needs.
- Grandparents
- Information and links for grandparents with grandchildren with special needs.
- Health Insurance and Public Benefits
- Information guides regarding social security information, insurance, and benefits.
- Mothers
Blogs, forums, and exchanges for mothers of children with special needs.
- Parents with Disabilities
- Information about parents with disabilities.
- Siblings
- Links and articles for and about siblings of children with special needs.
- Talking About Difficult Topics
- How to talk to your children about everything from terrorism to the news to their feelings.
- Games and Activities
- Online painting projects and interactive games.
- Information and Resources
- Sites for and about kids and teens with disabilities.
- Summer Camps
- Various summer camps both throughout the county and surrounding Boston, MA for children with special needs.
- Text-to-Speech Software and Online Digital Libraries
- An extensive list of online digital text libraries available for kids and teenagers.
- Education
- Information on special needs education and workshops within Boston's Jewish community.
- Other Programs
- Information regarding funding and synagogue inclusion for people with disabilities.
- Programs For the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
- Social, educational, recreational, and religious resources for children and adults who are deaf or hard of hearing.
- Services For Adults
- Social, vocational, housing, and other resources for adults with special needs.
- Services For Families
- Resources offering support, advocacy, and various servies for Jewish families with children who have special needs.
- Where To Start
- General sites that provide information on services in the Boston area.
- Books and Print Resources for Children
Picture books, chapter books, and books on tape about children with disabilities.
- Books and Print Resources for Parents and Teachers
Educational print resources regarding children with special needs in the Jewish community.
- Major Movements of American Judaism
- Each of the three major Jewish movements offer online information relating to Jews with disabilities.
- Online Resources
- Bar/bat mitzvah, blind, deaf, and special education resources specifically for a Jewish community.
- Developing Public Awareness
A collection of resources about contacting federal and state legislators, as well as information about both state and federal issues.
- Federal Law
- Information and resources about numerous federal laws, including the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
- Massachusetts Law
- A collection of resources and information about Massachusetts laws, regarding everything from MCAS to housing to Chapter 766 of the Special Education Law.
- Play Activities and Adaptive Toys
- Articles, resources, and product catalogs for activities and toys for both children and adults.
- Recreation
- Product catalogs and general information about accessible state parks and the Special Olympics.
- Books on Tape/ E-books
- Resources for free access to books and newspapers online or books on tape.
- Early Childhood and Intervention
- A comprehensive list of resources about inclusive early childhood education.
- Methods, Curricula, General Resources, and IEPs
- Articles and resources designed to aid students with special needs, as well as their families and educators.
- Publishers and Educational Suppliers
Resources for books and print and learning materials for children with special needs.
- Angelman Syndrome
- Angelman syndrome is usually not recognized at birth or in infancy since the developmental problems are nonspecific during this time...
- Apraxia & Dyspraxia
Apraxia is a neurological disorder characterized by loss of the ability to execute or carry out learned purposeful movements, despite having the desire and the physical ability to perform the movements...
- Attention Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD) is a neurobiological disorder.
It is characterized by developmentally inappropriate impulsivity, inattention, and in some cases, hyperactivity...
- Autism Spectrum Disorder
- Autism is a developmental disability that comes from a neurological disorder that affects the normal functioning of the brain...
- Canavan Disease
- Canavan disease (CD) is a relatively rare, but always fatal, inherited, degenerative brain disorder that primarily affects children of eastern and central European Jewish (Ashkenazi) descent...
- Cerebral Palsy
- Cerebral Palsy is a broad term used to describe a group of chronic movement or posture disorders. “Cerebral” refers to the brain...
- Cri du Chat (5p- Syndrome)
- Each year in the United States, approximately 50 to 60 children are born with 5p- Syndrome (five p minus), also known as Cat Cry Syndrome or Cri du Chat Syndrome...
- Deaf & Hard of Hearing
- There are different kinds of hearing loss, and each kind of hearing loss affects deaf and hard of hearing children differently...
- Deafblind
A person who is deaf-blind has a unique experience of the world...If the child is profoundly deaf and totally blind, his or her experience of the world extends only as far as the fingertips can reach...
- Down Syndrome
- Down syndrome is a common genetic variation which usually causes delay in physical, intellectual and language development. It is one of the leading clinical causes of cognitive delay in the world...
- Epilepsy
Epilepsy is a condition of the nervous system that affects 2.5 million Americans. More than 180,000 people are diagnosed with epilepsy every year...
- Familial Dysautonomia
- Familial Dysautonomia - pronounced "dys-auto-NO-mia" - is a genetic disease present at birth in male and female Jewish babies, primarily causing dysfunction of the autonomic and sensory nervous systems...
- Fragile X
- Fragile X syndrome It is a single gene disorder on the X chromosome that occurs in both males and females, but males are typically affected more severely. The disorder can be passed down through generations in a carrier status, with increasing chances of the gene expanding into the full disorder...
- General Information & Medical Research
- A collection of information and resources about various disabilities and disorders.
- Hydrocephalus
Hydrocephalus is a chronic neurological condition characterized by an increased volume of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) within spaces inside the brain...
- Jacobsen's Syndrome (11q)
- Jacobsen's Syndrome (11q Deletion or 11q-) also called 11th chromosome abnormalities disorder, is a rare chrome disorder in which a portion of the 11th chromosome is missing...
- Jewish Genetic Disorders
- The "Jewish" genetic disorders are a group of conditions that are more common among individuals of Jewish descent. Although these disorders can occur in the general population, they do so at a significantly lower frequency than in the Jewish population...
- Klinefelter Syndrome
Klinefelter syndrome is the presence of at least one extra X chromosome, generally found in males...
- Learning Disabilities
- A learning disability is a neurological disorder that affects one or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or in using spoken or written language. The disability may manifest itself in an imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell or to do mathematical calculations...
- Maple Syrup Urine Disease (MSUD)
- Maple Syrup Urine Disease (MSUD) is a disorder in the body’s ability to use three of the essential amino acids in protein. These three essential amino acids—leucine, isoleucine and valine—are often called the branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs)...
- Mental Illness
Mental illnesses are medical conditions that disrupt a person’s thinking, feeling, mood, ability to relate to others, and daily functioning...
- Neurotransmitter Disease
- “Pediatric Neurotransmitter Disease” is an umbrella term for genetic disorders that affect the synthesis, metabolism and catabolism of neurotransmitters in children...
- Prader-Willi Syndrome
- Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) is a complex non-hereditary birth defect resulting from an abnormality on the 15th chromosome. It occurs in males and females equally and in all races...
- Rett Syndrome
- Rett syndrome is a childhood neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by normal early development followed by loss of purposeful use of the hands, distinctive hand movements, slowed brain and head growth, gait abnormalities, seizures, and mental retardation. It affects females almost exclusively...
- Sensory Integration Dysfunction
- Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD, formerly known as "sensory integration dysfunction") is a condition that exists when sensory signals don't get organized into appropriate responses...
- Special Health Care Needs
A collection of resources, including some specifically for Massachusetts families, addressing special health care needs.
- Tay-Sachs Disease
Tay-Sachs disease is a progressive neurological genetic disorder that appears in three forms: Classic Infantile, Juvenile and Late Onset or Chronic Tay-Sachs...
- Tourette Syndrome
- Tourette's Syndrome (also known as Tourette's Disorder) is a fairly common childhood-onset condition that may be associated with features of many other conditions...
- Tuberous Sclerosis
Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) is a genetic disorder that causes tumors to form in many different organs, primarily in the brain, eyes, heart, kidney, skin and lungs...
- Visual Impairment & Blindness
Currently, nearly 94,000 children in the United States who are blind or visually impaired are being helped by some form of special education. These students are an extremely diverse group ranging from infants to young adults through age 21...
- Williams Syndrome
- Williams syndrome is a rare genetic condition (estimated to occur in 1/7,500 births) which causes medical and developmental problems...
- Person Centered Planning
- Articles, guides, and various resources for children, teens, and parents about person centered planning.
- Self-Advocacy
- Publications, links, and workbooks designed to promote and teach self-advocacy.
- Transition
- Numerous resources and publications designed to aid in the transition process.