Does PHP only serve families with young children who have special needs?

PHP helps families who have children of any age with special needs.  PHP's staff receive calls from families having children from infancy through their child's adulthood into their 50's and 60's! It is never too late to call PHP!  Adult siblings who have responsibility for the care of their sibling with a disability call PHP, too.

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How can I find Family Resource Centers in my state?

There are nearly 100 Parent Training and Information Centers (PTIs) and Community Parent Resource Centers (CPRCs) in the US and Territories
Find your Parent Center

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Does PHP offer therapy?

Although Parents Helping Parents does not offer therapies of any kind, we are happy to provide information and direction on resources and referrals specific to your child's or family needs.

 

Are all PHP events held at the PHP site in San Jose?

Not always, but most of the time. Please check our Event Calendar for locations in the community.

 

What kinds of support and information groups does PHP Offer? And when do they meet?

PHP’s Special Interest Groups (SIGs) are specific to a certain condition/disability or language.  A current list of SIGs can be viewed on our Support page.

 

Most groups meet at a regular time each month.  Some provide lectures by a variety of professionals on different topics of interest while others primarily provide a social opportunity for parents/caregivers to talk together.  Some groups provide a combination of these things.  You are welcome to attend any support group meeting or lecture that is of interest and relevance to you.  PHP staff also has information on non-PHP support groups in the community.

 

Can a PHP Staff Member go with parents to their IEP meetings?

With more than 56,000 children in the PHP service area and a staff of 11 in the Education Department at PHP, it is impossible to attend IEP's with individual families.  

PHP Education Specialists are there to help you prepare, learn about the law and special education training are ongoing so that the broadest audience is reached.   

 

PHP is also able to connect you to another family who is willing to go to an IEP meeting with you.  We encourage you to bring others to your child's IEP--a friend, family member(s) and other people who know your child and is interested in their best outcomes.

 

When needed, PHP maintains a list of special education advocates and attorneys.  Our goal is to give parents the tools they need to advocate for their children.

PLEASE NOTE: Parents of children at Ravenswood City School District are an exception.

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How can I find a Special Education Advocate or Attorney to help me with my child's IEP?

Parents Helping Parents has a Resource Directory where you can search for advocates and attorneys.  Go to http://www.php.com/resources  for the PHP Resource Directory.   

 

Additionally, COPAA (Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates) maintains a database of advocates and attorneys. Go to http://www.copaa.org/search/custom.asp?id=1489 for their website.

 

When I leave a message, how long will it take until someone returns my call?

Our goal is to respond within 24 hours during weekdays but when it is very busy with incoming calls, it may be up to 48 hours.  

 

How can I get the school district to evaluate my child?

Use our Special Education Request Letter Writer to create a letter requesting an assessment.  If you are concerned that your child is behind his peers in a specific developmental area and you would like to see if the school district might offer services that would address the issue, then this tool will help you write a letter that gets results!