The Island Dolphin Care Family Resource Room has been a great success! It allows for families to read about new techniques, equipment, and much much more. In addition the internet access allows families to check their personal email, as well as doing research on the new resources to which they have been exposed.

The IDC team is always looking for resources that may peak your interest. Please visit our resources web page along with the following new sites:

OSEP Tool Kit
Want or need to know more about assessing students with disabilities? Teaching them? If so, you may be interested in the toolkit available online at the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), U.S. Department of Education. The Tool Kit brings together the most current and accurate information, including research briefs and resources designed to improve instruction, assessment, and accountability for students with disabilities.
The Tool Kit is intended to assist state personnel, schools, and families in their efforts to ensure that all students with disabilities receive a quality education.
Find the Tool Kit online at: http://www.osepideasthatwork.org/toolkit/index.asp

IDEA Parent Guide.
There is a new IDEA Parent Guide available from the National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD). This guide takes you through the special education process - a process that is the same regardless of a child's particular difficulties or disabilities.
Within the guide, special emphasis is placed on the category of specific learning disability. The guide includes parent perspectives, terms you'll find helpful to know, and practical materials for parents such as Checklists, Sample Letters, Charts, and Questions to Ask.
Find the IDEA Parent Guide online at: http://www.ncld.org/content/view/902/456086/

Fun Stories-Deena is constantly finding fun stories, and ideas that she enjoys sharing with the families. Check these out and be prepared to laugh and perhaps even cry.

Basketball Anyone?
Another wonderful article and video about the high school basketball player with autism. http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/news/story?id=2352763

Hippo and the Turtle?
This is a real story that shows me that our differences don't matter much when we need the comfort of another. We could all learn a lesson from these two creatures of God, "Look beyond the differences and find a way to walk the path together." Read the story here

Mathew's Pod Racer
Mathew and his family spent a week at Island Dolphin Care last spring. His dad sent this picture and story to share.
"Mathew and I ran our 1st marathon together at the ING Miami Marathon at the end of Jan. We got some great press coverage and managed to finish and raise some money for UCP of South Florida. Maybe next year we can do it for you guys. I pushed him in a Baby Jogger and, of course, that name just wouldn’t due for our pre-adolescent Star Wars junky. So we called it Mathew’s Pod Racer (after the high tech chariots in Star Wars 1 with young Anakin). So the picture is your favorite Jedi in his Pod Racer."