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Disability Awareness

July 25, 2023

Disability Does Not Mean Inability

Having a child with a disability can be challenging and expensive. Sometimes it’s hard to find the right resources to help financially, emotionally, and physically depending on your child’s diagnosis and needs. Knowing the resources available to you can help ease some of the burden from your shoulders. PMC has put together a list of resources in our area that can help you and your family.
Resources:

Local Resources:

Community Resources:

  • Apples for Children

Offers a computerized listing of all regulated forms of child care (licensed family child-care providers, licensed center-based and school-age programs, certified camp programs, certified nursery schools, kindergartens, and Head Start programs). Group Details: Facilitated by the Alliance for Parent, Provider, and Local Employer Solutions, website: www.applesforchildren.org, contact: 301-733-0000

  • Birth Injury Center

The birth Injury Center provides assistance to anyone who has been affected by a birth injury. They offer resources to assist the injured and their families. More information can be found online at: www.birthinjurycenter.org

  • Sargent Shriver Head Start Center

This Federally funded program offers comprehensive child development and family support services to income-eligible families. Preventative health and nutrition services are included. Children with disabilities are welcome. Part-day and full-day programming available. Group Details: website: http://headstartwashco.org, contact: 301-733-4640

Community Partners:

  • Equipped for Life
  • Ability Prosthetics & Orthotics Inc.
  • National Mobility & Seating
  • Variety Children's Charity
  • Potomac Case Management
  • Cornerstone Physical Therapy
  • Bester Community of Hope
  • NuMotion
  • Orthotic Solutions

Funding Resources:

  • Tri-State Civitan
  • Variety Children's Charity
  • The Angel Fund

Special Education Resources:

  • Washington County Public Schools Special Education

Specifically designed instruction, at no cost to the parents, to meet the unique needs of a child with a disability. Additionally, once Special Education is determined, related services may also be implemented based on student need. Group Details: Facilitated by Washington County Public Schools, website: http://wcpsmd.com/special-education


  • Infants and Toddlers Program

Washington County Public School’s Infants and Toddlers Program is a countywide system of coordinated, interagency and multidisciplinary early intervention services for children ages birth to five who are suspected of having a disability. Group Details: Facilitated by Washington County Public Schools, website: http://wcpsmd.com/

Mental Health Resources:

  • Maryland Coalition of Families for Children's Mental Health

If you are caring for a child with a mental health, behavioral or education issue, a developmental disability or involvement with the juvenile justice system, you may need Family Navigator services. Any parent or caregiver can call a Family Navigator to request assistance for their child, age 0-21 years, with special needs. Group Details: website: http://www.mdcoalition.org, contact: 410-730-8267 or Youth Crisis Hotline 1-888-607-3637

 

  • Brooklane Health Services, Inc.

Offers outpatient and short-term inpatient hospitalization services, substance abuse treatment, and a variety of other services for children, adolescents, and adults. Group Details: website: www.brooklane.org, contact: 301-733-0330

 

  • Change Health Systems

Services include: outpatient mental health clinic, psychiatric rehabilitation program, therapeutic behavioral services, autism waiver services, special education services and respite services. Group Details: website: www.change-health.com, contact: 240-420-1850

 

  • The Mental Health Center of Western Maryland, Inc.

Providing outpatient treatment for children, teens, and adults, rehabilitation services, after-school programs, mobil treatment, school based treatment, medication evaluation and follow-up, monitoring, and community education. Group Details: website: www.thementalhealthcenter.net, contact: 301-791-3045

 

  • Villa Maria of Washington County

Catholic Charities provides outpatient services in Washington County. These services include individual and family therapy as well as medication management. In addition, all sites provide child and adolescent psychiatric rehabilitation services in conjunction with outpatient services. Group Details: www.catholiccharities-md.org, contact: 301-733-5858

 

  • QCI Behavioral Health

Provides mental health outpatient and mobile treatment services to children, adolescents and adults with medical assistance only. Group Details: website: www.qcihealth.com.hagerstown, contact: 301-791-2660

Local, Statewide, & National Caregiver Resources:

  • Potomac Case Management

Office provides services to families through our Mental Health Care Coordination (MHCC) serving children 5 – 18 years of age, including transportation. Potomac Case Management also provides services to adults through our Targeted Case Management (TCM) serving adults 18 and older. Group Details: website: https://www.pcmsinc.org, contact 301-791-3087

 

  • Family Caregiver/Grandparent Support Groups

Support groups meet the first Tuesday of every month from 10:00am-12:00pm and provide support to caregivers caring for seniors 60 and older or grandparents and other relative caregivers over the age of 60 who are caring for a child age 18 or under. Group Details: Facilitated by Washington County Commission on Aging, website: wccoaging.org, contact 301-790-0275 ext. 205

 

  • Cerebral Palsy Resource Guide

Cerebral Palsy Guide is a national support organization dedicated to educating individuals and families about Cerebral Palsy. They strive to provide answers and guidance to ensure that families receive the assistance that they need to help improve their overall quality of life. Group Details: Information at https://www.cerebralpalsyguide.com


  • Parenting Classes

An eight week parenting course every Tuesday from 6:00-8:00pm with open and free enrollment. Group Details: Facilitated by the Parent Child Center, website: www.hagerstownparent-childcenter.com, contact 301-791-2224

 

  • Family Support Center

Assists parents of children and young adults with special needs. Is a resource between family, school and community and offers a full range of support for families of children with special needs, from birth to 21 years. Group Details: Facilitated by the Washington County Public Schools, website: http://wcpsmd.com/special-education/family-support-resource-center, contact 301-766-8221

 

  • The Dad's Connection

Offers Fathers 101 group, individual and group counseling, job readiness and other case management services to men in the fathering role. Group Details: Facilitated at the Washington County Family Center, contact 301-790-4005

 

  • The Family Tree

The toll-free stress line provides confidential information, referrals and support for parents and other individuals in care giving roles, professionals, community members, children, adolescents, families, educators, and more. Available to families 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and is Maryland’s leading child abuse prevention organization. Group Details: Facilitated by the Parenting Help Line, website: familytreemd.org, contact: 1-800-243-7337

 

  • Parent's Place of Maryland

A statewide parent-directed free resource for families of children and young adults with all disabilities.  Provides information on laws, resources, family rights, and the school system. Group Details: website: www.ppmd.org, contact: 1-800-394-5694 or 410-768-9100

 

  • Maryland Community Services Locator

A statewide, interactive online director developed to assist in locating community resources. It allows users to get organizational contact information, map resources by location and instant directions. Group Details: website: www.mdcsl.org

 

  • Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP)

A national healthcare insurance program. Group Details: website: https://www.healthcare.gove/medicaid-chip/childrenshealth-insurance-program.


Educational Resources:

        https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/disabilityandhealth/disability-inclusion.html

Articleon CP Equipment and Adaptive Equipment:

         https://www.flintrehab.com/adaptive-equipment-for-cerebral-palsy

Statistical Resources:

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International Stuttering Awareness Day: Tips for Disfluency

October 21, 2024
Everyone has moments when they do not speak smoothly. It is developmentally normal for children to experience disfluency, or difficulty speaking, during the first few years of speech and language development. Stuttering, on the other hand, is a speech disorder that is characterized by disruptions in the flow of speech that are often accompanied by behaviors or frustration, or negative associations with speaking or embarrassment. People who stutter may experience repetitions (repeat parts of a word), prolongations (stretch a sound out for a long time), or blocks (struggle to get a word out). These are known as disfluencies . But, stuttering is more than disfluency. Stuttering may also include tension, anxiety or negative feelings about talking. While there is no "cure" for stuttering, there are plenty of treatment options available to help individuals who stutter. A speech language pathologist can utilize several strategies to help reduce the frequency and to cope with stuttering. According to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), stuttering usually begins in early childhood, with onset typically beginning between the ages of 2 and 5. However, data shows that up to 80% of children who stutter will not stutter in adulthood. Because stuttering is often a more complex issue than disfluency, it is vital to seek evaluation from an experienced SLP. Research demonstrates that early intervention programs can make a huge difference in whether stuttering carries over into adulthood. When performing an evaluation for stuttering, the SLP will look at: Types of disfluencies The number of disfluencies How your child reacts when they stutter (do they get upset) Does your child try to “fix” their speech (do they start a sentence of or stop talking) An important difference between stuttering and disfluency is that stuttering is often accompanied by negative emotions around speaking and communication. An SLP will look for signs of discomfort or tension when your child is speaking. They will also take into consideration your child’s age and how stuttering affects their daily life. Especially with young children, it is critical to evaluate the differences between stuttering and developmental disfluencies. In preschool-age children, for example, stuttering is often accompanied by various behaviors , including facial tension, eye blinking, frustration or reduced verbal output. If your child struggles with stuttering and you are unsure whether you should seek treatment, here are some guidelines for when to reach out to a speech/language therapist: The stuttering persists longer than six months and occurs frequently during the day The child shows tension, a facial grimace, or struggle behavior during speech The child avoids talking situations or expresses concerns about speech The child avoids saying certain words or sounds The family has a concern about their child’s speech The child has shown signs of frustration or embarrassment during or after a stutter event Treatment methods for stuttering can include promoting confident communication, practicing mindfulness, modifying speech and facilitating desensitization for stuttering. An important part of treatment may also include self-advocacy, and promoting acceptance of stuttering so that children can reduce the negative feelings that accompany instances of stuttering. Examples of treatment techniques include: Breathing exercises Stretching exercises Fluency-shaping techniques Slow speech production Overall, disfluency should be considered normal as everyone does it occasionally. Oftentimes, it is simply a part of development for children. Working with an SLP can help with both disfluency and stuttering, however, they cannot “cure” stuttering, but rather assist a child with strategies for reduction and acceptance of it. If you are looking for treatment for stuttering, please reach out to our office today to learn more about how PMC’s speech therapists can help you.
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