Additional Disabilities

ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder in which the person diagnosed may display patterns of inattention, impulsivity, inability to sit still, poor self-control, and trouble focusing which can lead to additional challenges at work, home, or school. 

• Resources 
  • American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry – ADHD resource center.
  • Attitude Mag – Inside the ADHD mind.
  • CHADD – Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD) provides support and resources to help improve the lives of people affected by ADHD.
  • National Alliance on Mental Illness – ADHD treatment and support resources.

Visual Impairment is a partial or complete loss of a person’s sense of vision or sight.

• Resources 
  • American Council of the Blind – Offers education, resources, and support for individuals who are blind or visually impaired. 
  • American Foundation for the Blind – Expanding possibilities for people with vision loss. 
  • Central Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired – Provides treatment, therapy, training, support services and educational services. 
  • Family Connect for Parents of Children with Visual Impairments – Services and resources available for parents, family members, and professionals for children who are visually impaired (birth to adulthood).
  • National Federation of the Blind – Providing programs, services, and resources for the community. 
  • Visually Impaired Advancement (VIA) – Offers services and support for people who are experiencing vision loss or legally blind. 

Cerebral Palsy is a motor disorder, usually present at birth, that affects movement, coordination, muscles, posture, and motor skills.  Cerebral Palsy is a life-long condition with no cure.  Treatments are available to help improve motor function and quality of life.  

• Resources 
  • CerebralPalsy.org – Resources for everything Cerebral Palsy.
  • CerebralPalsy.org – Resources for everything Cerebral Palsy.
  • Cerebral Palsy Group – Information, resources, and support for the community.
  • Cerebral Palsy Guidance – A network of support that provides answers and assistance to parents of children with Cerebral. 
  • Cerebral Palsy Guide – Providing parents and caregivers diagnosis overview, treatment overviews, and support options for children with Cerebral Palsy

CAPD is a condition in which the brain has difficulty process the information received by the ears.  This condition can lead to challenges with effective listening in busy or noisy settings and can impact performance at work, school, or home.    

• Resources 
  • American Speech-Language-Hearing Association – A focus on making effective communication accessible for every individual.
  • Buffalo Hearing and Speech Center – Helps improve the quality of life for adults, children, and infants by providing diagnosis and treatment of hearing and speech impairments. 
  • Hearing Evaluation Services of Buffalo, Inc. (HES) – HES is a non-profit audiology practice providing quality hearing services at a variety of locations throughout Western New York. 

Deaf-Blind is the term used to describe person who have a partial or complete loss of their sense of hearing and vision. 

• Resources 
  • Center for Disability Rights – Deaf and Deaf/Blind Services 
  • National Center on Deaf-Blindness – Deaf-Blind information, family resources, and state project resources. 
  • New York Deaf-Blind Collaborative – Provides technical assistance to improve services for children and youth who are deaf-blind between the ages 0-21.
  • National Family Association for Deaf-Blind – Supporting families to advocate for services, helping families connect for support, and providing information and training to teach families and professionals.
  • New York Parent Association for Deaf-Blind – Resources, activities, and services for families of people who are deaf-blind or visually and hearing impaired. 

Down syndrome is a genetic condition in which a person is born with an extra chromosome.  A chromosome is a part of a cell that contains DNA.  This extra chromosome leads to differences in mental and physical development.    

• Resources 
  • Down Syndrome Parents Group WNY – Support group and social groups for parents and caregivers. 
  • Gigi’s Playhouse – Buffalo – GiGi’s Playhouse was created to change the way the world views a Down syndrome diagnosis and send a global message of acceptance for all.
  • National Down Syndrome Congress – National resource of support and information for individuals with Down Syndrome.

FASD is a group of disorders that result from exposure to alcohol during the mother’s pregnancy.  The life-long challenges associated with FASD vary greatly and may include developmental delays, intellectual impairment, physical abnormalities, birth defects, learning problems, and behavior challenges. 

• Resources 
  • Healthy Children – Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders diagnosis information and treatment resources. 
  • National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism – Support resources and information for mothers who are pregnant.
  • National Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome – State-by-state resource directory for information and treatment resources. 

SPD is a condition in which the brain has difficulty receiving and understanding information that it gathers from body senses – hearing, seeing, tasting, smelling, feeling, and body awareness.  This can lead to person’s diagnosed with SPD being very sensitive to their surroundings or seeking out an excess of sensory stimulation.    

• Resources 
  • Sensory Processing Disorder Parent Support – A community to find support, ask questions, learn, share, and spread awareness about SPD. 
  • Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD Resource Center) – Resources and activities for children with sensory processing disorders.
  • Understood – Understanding sensory processing issues.

Traumatic Brain Injury is a broad category of permanent or temporary disabilities that impact the normal function of the brain because of an injury to the brain. 

• Resources 
  • Brain Injury Association of New York State – Statewide support group list. 
  • Brain Line – Brain injury resource directory
  • Headway of Western New York – A support and advocacy agency for persons with brain injuries or other disabilities.
  • Venture Forthe – Personalized home care services and supportive care for individuals experiencing a traumatic brain injury.

Hearing impairment is a partial or complete loss of a person’s sense of hearing or sound. 

• Resources 
  • Buffalo Hearing and Speech Center – Helps improve the quality of life for adults, children, and infants by providing diagnosis and treatment of hearing and speech impairments. 
  • Deaf Access Services (DAS) – Promotes communication access, awareness, and opportunities in the greater community for Deaf and Hard of Hearing individuals. 
  • Empire State Association of the Deaf – Various New York state resources for people with hearing loss (Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and Deaf-Blind)
  • National Association of the Deaf – National resource of support and information for Deaf or Hard of Hearing individuals.