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# Resources

Health Care Coverage

Your health insurance will play a critical role in determining where your child can go for rehabilitation. In the early days post injury, it is important to contact your insurance and ask for a case manager based on your child's injury and future health care needs. The insurance case manager in collaboration with the acute care hospital case manager can assist you in selecting a rehabilitation program that meets your child’s and family's needs and one that is covered by your insurance.

As the parent, you play a critical role in determining what is best for your child and family. You have a right to participate in the selection of a rehabilitation facility. Be proactive, do your research and advocate for what best meets your child's and family’s needs. Remember that rehabilitation is short term and that your child might return home in as few as 30 days. In the end, however your insurance policy will determine coverage and what facilities you can select. If you disagree with the decision of your insurance company, you can file an appeal.

If you do not have insurance or are under insured, it is important to apply for Medicaid as well as Social Security for your child. Each state has financial guidelines as well as eligibility criteria that take into consideration the severity of the disability. If you do not qualify for Medicaid, there is Children's Health Insurance Program, better known as CHIP. CHIP was designed to assist those families who can not afford a private health insurance policy but who make too much money to qualify for Medicaid. Even though CHIP was created by the federal government, individual state governments operate their own program. Visit Medicaid and CHIP for more details.

For children with a spinal cord injury, Shriners' Hospital offers free care. Shriners' Hospitals provide care to children up to age 18 if a Shriners' physician deems that your child will benefit from the specialized services available. Visit Shriners' spinal cord injury program to read more.

Visit care for your child to apply through Shriners'.

For additional resources in your state, please visit the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation Paralysis Resource Center state documents.

Sources:
- Shriners Hospitals for Children
- Insure Kids Now

The ArcThe Arc is the world’s largest community based organization of and for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. It provides an array of services and support for families and individuals and includes over 140,000 members affiliated through more than 850 state and local chapters across the nation. The Arc is devoted to promoting and improving supports and services for all people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Alliance for Parent CentersThe Technical Assistance ALLIANCE for Parent Centers (the ALLIANCE) is an innovative partnership of one national and six regional parent technical assistance centers, each funded by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP). These seven projects comprise a unified technical assistance system for the purpose of developing, assisting, and coordinating the over 100 Parent Training and Information Centers (PTIs) and Community Parent Resource Centers (CPRCs) under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. The national and regional parent technical assistance centers work to strengthen the connections to the larger OSEP Technical Assistance and Dissemination Network and fortify partnerships between Parent Centers and education systems at local, state, and national levels.

Ability OnLineA computer friendship network where children and youth with disabilities or chronic illnesses connect to each other as well as to friends, family members, caregivers and supporters.

All Kids Can!A disabilities awareness program that helps students of all ages learn attitudes of acceptance, dignity and respect, especially toward those with disabilities.

A Reeve Foundation Fact Sheet on Children's and Teen Books (PDF)

Council for Exceptional ChildrenThe Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) is the largest international professional organization dedicated to improving the educational success of individuals with disabilities and/or gifts and talents. CEC advocates for appropriate governmental policies, sets professional standards, provides professional development, advocates for individuals with exceptionalities, and helps professionals obtain conditions and resources necessary for effective professional practice.

Camp Ronald McDonaldA fully accessible residential camp for kids with special needs located in the high Sierra.

Easter SealsEaster Seals provides exceptional services, education, outreach, and advocacy so that people living with autism and other disabilities can live, learn, work and play in our communities.

Education Resources Information Center (ERIC)ERIC - the Education Resources Information Center - is an online digital library of education research and information. ERIC is sponsored by the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) of the U.S. Department of Education. ERIC provides ready access to education literature to support the use of educational research and information to improve practice in learning, teaching, educational decision-making, and research.

Family Voices Family Voices Information and Publications, and links to external resources can be located in a number of different ways. All of our materials are categorized by topic (format and audience coming soon) on the publications page. You may also use the "Search FV" Tool in the left column to find materials by keyword. Some materials are available for download, some for viewing online, and others are available by hardcopy only from our catalog. State specific information may be found by contacting a Family Voices State Network Member. Please contact the kidshealth@familyvoices.org if you require any assistance.

Island Dolphin CareAllows children to swim and play with dolphins.

Family Center on technology and DisabilityThe Family Center is a resource designed to support organizations and programs that work with families of children and youth with disabilities. We offer a range of information and services on the subject of assistive technologies. Whether you're an organization, a parent, an educator, or an interested friend, we hope you'll find information that supports you in your efforts to bring the highest quality education to children with disabilities.

KidsComSite has plenty of games, message boards, kids chat, video game cheats, contests and prizes.

National information Clearinghouse for Children and Youth with Disabilities INICHCY) NICHCY is very pleased to offer you a wealth of information on disabilities! NICHCY stands for the National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities.

National Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center (NECTAC) Our mission: To strengthen service systems to ensure that children with disabilities (birth through 5 years) and their families receive and benefit from high quality, culturally appropriate and family-centered supports and services.

Parents Helping Parents (PHP) Parents Helping Parents (PHP) provides lifetime guidance, supports and services to families of children with any special need and the professionals who serve them.Parents Helping Parents (PHP) provides lifetime guidance, supports and services to families of children with any special need and the professionals who serve them.

Parent Advocacy Coalition for Educational Rights (PACER) The mission of PACER Center (Parent Advocacy Coalition for Educational Rights) is to expand opportunities and enhance the quality of life of children and young adults with disabilities and their families, based on the concept of parents helping parents.

The Sibling Support Project The Sibling Support Project is a national effort dedicated to the life-long concerns of brothers and sisters of people who have special health, developmental, or mental health concerns.

Shriners Hospitals Children up to the age of 18 with orthopaedic conditions, burns, spinal cord injuries and cleft lip and palate are eligible for admission and receive all care in a family-centered environment at no charge – regardless of financial need.

Starlight Foundation for ChildrenDevelops multi-media and technology projects that empower seriously ill children to deal with the medical and emotional challenges they face on a daily basis.

U Can DoA site that emphasizes what you can do, not what you can’t. Promotes ‘ability awareness’ to help kids focus on what is possible, regardless of their challenges.

YahooligansBig list of links for all sorts of kids’ sites, including tons of places to go for games, sports, TV and movie stuff.

Quality of Life Grants DatabaseFind resources within the PRC Quality of Life Grants Database. Search by Zip Code, State or an Entire Category.

Library Books and VideosFind resources within the PRC library catalog.

Check out programs in your area on our one-of-a kind online searchable Quality of Life program database. You can search by location or topic. GO

The information provided in the Paralysis Resource Center was supported by Cooperative Agreement number 1U59DD000838-01 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Its contents are solely the responsibility of the Reeve Foundation and do not necessarily represent the official views of the CDC.