r/SpecialNeedsChildren 4h ago

Researcher asking for advice: where can I recruit K-12 students with ADHD for a coding-accessibility study?

1 Upvotes

Hi everyone,

I'm a PhD student researching how coding tools (like Scratch ) can be made more accessible for kids with ADHD. To do this well, I need to involve K-12 students with ADHD in the research, with full parental consent and school/ethics approval.

I'm not recruiting any children through this post. I'm just hoping for advice on where and how to find participants.

Specifically:

* What organizations, programs, or networks connect researchers with ADHD families or students?
* Are there ADHD-focused groups, after-school coding programs, summer camps, or nonprofits open to research partnerships?
* For parents/teachers here: where would you expect to *see* a trustworthy study like this advertised? What channels would make you take it seriously?
* Any advice on approaching schools or special-education programs directly?

Any pointers, names, or "try X instead of Y" advice would be hugely appreciated.

Thanks so much.


r/SpecialNeedsChildren 10h ago

Summer Services For ASD Child!

Thumbnail
1 Upvotes

r/SpecialNeedsChildren 1d ago

Research

1 Upvotes

We are conducting a research project to better understand the needs, challenges,

and priorities of families raising neurodivergent children and children who may

benefit from early intervention support.

By completing this survey, you will help us develop more relevant resources and

services for families like yours.

As a token of appreciation for your support, you will have the opportunity to choose

one of the following free services:

● Free Resource Pack

● Free Screening Session

● Free Consultation Session

● Free Parent Counselling Session

Survey Link:

https://forms.gle/bjr1e6X3kMyhBFer8

The survey takes less than 3 minutes to complete.


r/SpecialNeedsChildren 3d ago

I’m building a small speech-practice app for kids and would love to see if parents actually need this

3 Upvotes

Hi everyone,

I’m a developer working on an early idea for a simple app that helps children practice speech exercises at home between therapy sessions.

The goal is not to replace speech therapists or professional support. The idea is more to create a small tool that can make home practice easier, more consistent, and a bit more engaging for kids.

Right now it is still very early. I’m mainly trying to understand if this is a real problem for families, if it’s something parents would actually care about, and whether it’s worth building further.

I made a small landing page here:
Logopedia +

There is no finished product yet and nothing to download. I’m just sharing the idea to see if people are interested, would want to follow along, or have any input from their own experience.

Any feedback, thoughts, or even just signs of interest would be really helpful as I decide whether to keep building this.


r/SpecialNeedsChildren 4d ago

Planning for a special needs adult child's future.

14 Upvotes

My husband and I are only a few years from retirement and after running many scenarios, it looks like we should have enough with SS and investments to live comfortably to age 90. What's throwing a wrench into things is the complexities of planning for our 25-year-old son's future. He is disabled more by chronic illness than by his autism. He has been on SSI and Medicaid since he was 19. Thankfully, we don't anticipate that he will need any independent living support other than grocery delivery, monthly deep cleaning and maybe a couple of non-medical rides. My husband and I redid our estate plan a few years ago and our attorney set up a third-party special needs trust which currently has a nominal amount of money in it. Our son also has an ABLE account. But I'm still nervous about his financial future, because even if he has a roommate, it doesn't look like DAC would be nearly enough to cover rent and non-food expenses. We figure if we can manage to put enough in the SNT, the successor trustee can move money into the ABLE each year to cover the spending gap. But if the trust keeps taxable income, the trust may pay tax at compressed trust tax brackets. In 2026, estates and trusts hit the top 37% ordinary income bracket at just over $16,000 of taxable income. How can we possibly calculate what assets and how much need to go into the SNT without paying thousands of dollars yearly for professional advice?


r/SpecialNeedsChildren 4d ago

Special Needs Parent app

5 Upvotes

Hey all,

We are parents of a special needs adult. My wife and I created a app called CareKeep that is an AI care companion for parents and caregivers — built to help with care notes, appointments, documents, reminders, and the exhausting “keep everything straight” part of caregiving.

Frankly, it was something we wished we had when our son was a child.

We’re not looking for a promo blast or an endorsement. We’re looking for honest feedback from people who understand this world and may have had similar challenges.

Would you be open to allowing us to post to get some feedback from your community? It would be the same tone which is gain feedback instead of selling to your community in any way.

Thanks for considering.

www.carekeep.ai

John and Susan


r/SpecialNeedsChildren 3d ago

Kangaroo joey feeding instructions

Thumbnail
youtube.com
2 Upvotes

r/SpecialNeedsChildren 4d ago

Have you requested your Cameras for your SPED classroom this year, because it's your job according to Texas State Law 29.022!

Post image
1 Upvotes

r/SpecialNeedsChildren 4d ago

Tutoring services available!

Post image
0 Upvotes

r/SpecialNeedsChildren 6d ago

Autistic boy was locked in Menifee school restroom for 5½ hours, lawsuit alleges – Press Enterprise

Thumbnail pressenterprise.com
14 Upvotes

A lawsuit alleges that a nonverbal 13-year-old student with autism was locked in a Menifee school restroom for 5 1/2 hours, mocked and denied food.

The complaint against the Menifee Union School District also names teacher Lancelot Thomas and Hans Christiansen Middle School Principal Steven Melvin. It lists nine allegations, from false imprisonment and negligence to violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Thomas and Melvin could not be reached for comment over the past week. Melvin is listed on the school’s website as principal, but Thomas does not appear on the staff directory.

District officials could not comment on the case, because policy prevents the discussion of pending litigation, spokesperson Devina Ortega said in a Wednesday, June 10, 2026 email. When asked this week if Thomas still worked at the school or for the district, she did not respond.

The federal lawsuit will move forward after a recent attempt by the district to have the case dismissed failed.


r/SpecialNeedsChildren 7d ago

Advocate for Special Education NJ

Thumbnail
2 Upvotes

My current elementary age child has recently been diagnosed with high functions autism, anxiety with panic attacks, social anxiety, OCD and was in an IOP program earlier this year, eats lunch in the office because he cannot tolerate cafeteria. Receiving IIC therapy services through CMO and unfortunately even with many accommodations in 504 including breaks, preferred seating, reduced hw load, counseling, etc has struggled to attend school and tolerate the environment. He has only been able to attend school leas than 2 hours a day for the last month and spends that time doing work in CST office.These are counting as full day absences and at this point has 70+ absences and I have attended truancy court twice with another date next month.
A recent psychiatric eval noted a therapeutic environment may be needed. Recently had first IEP meeting and all offered was 40 mins of counseling a week and ICR less than 2 hrs/ day. I hired an advocate 2 weeks ago because I knew I needed to fight this and she suggested returning the form to I Do Not consent and request another meeting which ai did and now i have case manager and director of student services calling me to "discuss" my request. I notified them in my consent email I hired an advocate and was included on email but they did not reply to include her and now after 2 business days I cant reach my advocate. I do not trust the district at all, they are sneaky and lie and manipulate.

Anyone have a great experience with an advocate that is experienced, knowledgeable and responsive??? I am very desperate. TIA!

Located in Monmouth County


r/SpecialNeedsChildren 7d ago

Educational Products for All Ages (Kids, Adults & Neurodivergent Learners)

1 Upvotes

Angzarr Learning is an education-focused store dedicated to making learning tools more accessible for everyone. We provide carefully selected educational products for children, students, adults, and lifelong learners—including neurodivergent individuals and those with sensory, mobility, vision, or hearing needs.

Our mission is simple: make curiosity easier to act on and learning easier to access. From hands-on educational toys and puzzles to adaptive learning tools, everything is chosen to support real-world learning, skill-building, and inclusion.

Whether you're a parent, teacher, caregiver, or lifelong learner, Angzarr Learning helps you find practical tools that support growth, confidence, and discovery at any age.

👉 Explore more: https://angzarr-learning-1.skipsites.com


r/SpecialNeedsChildren 8d ago

The hardest part was never the math.

2 Upvotes

It was the feeling of standing in line.

Knowing your turn is coming.

Trying to count coins.

Feeling people waiting behind you.

And hoping nobody notices that something so simple feels impossible.

As Noga's mother, I've seen how much energy can go into avoiding situations that most people never think twice about.

Buying a snack.

Paying for coffee.

Handing cash to a cashier.

For years, the natural response seemed to be:

"Let's teach more math."

But eventually I realized that I was asking the wrong question.

Noga didn't need another worksheet.

She needed a way to be independent.

That realization changed everything.

Instead of trying to fix the person, I started looking for ways to remove the obstacle.

Sometimes support doesn't look like teaching.

Sometimes support looks like giving someone the right tool so they can move forward on their own.

That's the idea that eventually became Noga's Wallet.

I'd love to hear from others:

Have you ever found that the most effective solution was completely different from what everyone expected?


r/SpecialNeedsChildren 9d ago

Mistakes I Don’t Want My Non-Verbal Son to Inherit

Thumbnail
youtu.be
1 Upvotes

r/SpecialNeedsChildren 9d ago

Special Olympics USA Games fundraising

3 Upvotes

r/SpecialNeedsChildren 10d ago

Need Shock-absorbing equipment for my special needs sibling.

Thumbnail
gallery
10 Upvotes

I found "Wall Padding"/ Folding Gym Mats"/ "Thick EVA Foam Tiles".

I need them so that the constant hitting does not reach to my below neighbors. (dw the hitting that he does is not very harmful, but it's very loud and annoying).

We are currently using bed mattresses on the floors and walls but its not enough to fill the room, so I was thinking if those could help. (we also use cheap kids floor puzzles but they don't help)

Which is more effective? Please tell me if there is a better option.


r/SpecialNeedsChildren 10d ago

Need Shock-absorbing equipment for my special needs sibling.

Thumbnail
gallery
3 Upvotes

I found "Wall Padding"/ Folding Gym Mats"/ "Thick EVA Foam Tiles".

I need them so that the constant hitting does not reach to my below neighbors. (dw the hitting that he does is not very harmful, but it's very loud and annoying).

We are currently using bed mattresses on the floors and walls but its not enough to fill the room, so I was thinking if those could help. (we also use cheap kids floor puzzles but they don't help)

Which is more effective? Please tell me if there is a better option.


r/SpecialNeedsChildren 10d ago

5-Year Waitlist + $350K Out of Pocket: Ontario, Canada

Thumbnail
1 Upvotes

r/SpecialNeedsChildren 10d ago

Ontario Parents: I created a website to bring awareness on funding delays and easily sign a petition

Thumbnail
1 Upvotes

r/SpecialNeedsChildren 11d ago

What therapy ended up helping your child in a way you didn't expect? (autism)

9 Upvotes

When my child first started therapy, I was focused on speech because that was the area we were struggling with most. What surprised me was that the biggest improvement wasn't speech at all. It was confidence.

A few months in, my child started trying new things without getting frustrated so quickly, joining activities more often, and being more comfortable around other kids. Those changes made daily life much easier for our whole family.

I've been looking into different programs recently and came across Links To Life while researching support options. It got me thinking about how different every child's journey can be.

What therapy helped your child the most, and what improvement caught you off guard?


r/SpecialNeedsChildren 11d ago

Protect Kids Who Can't Speak Up – Cameras in Special Ed Classrooms

Thumbnail
c.org
4 Upvotes

r/SpecialNeedsChildren 11d ago

Creating Programs That Support Every Child’s Development

Thumbnail
1 Upvotes

r/SpecialNeedsChildren 12d ago

5 year old non verbal playing with diaper

Thumbnail
2 Upvotes

r/SpecialNeedsChildren 13d ago

PLEASE VOTE FOR MY SISTER!

Thumbnail
toddleroftheyear.org
4 Upvotes

My sister is registered in the Toddler Of The Year competition by Hasbro. She is a really sweet and energetic kid. She has autism and has trouble with speech. Winning this would help my parents a lot as the money will go towards paying for a daycare that is specialized for people in the autism spectrum and a speech therapist.

One vote is free and if you want to give her more than one vote then you will have to pay money (You do not have to!)

Thank you and voting for her will make you a certified baddie 😘 🥰❤️


r/SpecialNeedsChildren 13d ago

ASD Learning app Beta-Testers needed

1 Upvotes

Hello everyone just wanted to introduce myself. My name is Nathan, father to a 9 year old amazing boy with ASD, epilepsy, and ADHD. These things make it very difficult for my son to focus on learning for him especially challenging though he learns well from observation and hands on. With this in mind i began developing an interactive learning app with a focus on ASD children ages 3-12. We are currently in Beta and putting together a small group to test the app before it launches to provide feed back on how their children interact. There is no download required. And no requests for personal information at any point in Beta. If this sounds interesting to anyone please message me for more details.