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If Your Child Has a Disability or Special Need

Things You Can Do

Services for Children with Disabilities or Special Needs

  • California Children’s Services can arrange for specialty care for children with some costly medical conditions. Find out if you qualify. Call your Health Department or visit www.dhs.ca.gov/pcfh/cms.
  • For services for children with vision or hearing disabilities, call California Early Start or Disability Services.
  • For services for infants with hearing loss, call Newborn Hearing Screening.
  • For support from other parents of children with disabilities, call your local Family Resource Center. To find it, call California Early Start.
  • For services for children with developmental disabilities, call your Regional Center. To find it, call California Early Start.
  • See if your clinic or health plan has a social worker who can help you get services.
  • For child care and preschool programs.

Financial Help

Your child may qualify for Social Security or Medi-Cal even if your family doesn’t. Call Social Security.

Legal Help

  • For legal help, call Protection & Advocacy or visit www.pai-ca.org.
  • Family Voices is a national organization that advocates for the health care needs of children with disabilities. Call Family Voices.
  • Area Boards advocate for children and adults with developmental disa- bilities. To find your Area Board, call California Early Start.

Learn More About Your Child’s Disability

Go to your local library and find out all you can. For more information, visit www.familyvillage.wisc.edu and www.healthfinder.gov.