Families & Guardians

The Parent Hub in the Special Education section of the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) website is a place for families of students with disabilities. It offers easy-to-understand information like the Parent's Guide to Special Education, the Notice of Procedural Safeguards, and tips for choosing a special education advocate. These tools can help parents learn about their rights and how to work with schools to support their child. Families can also find information about assistive technology, learning materials, and how to help children move smoothly from early childhood programs to school. By sharing these resources, DESE helps families stay informed and involved, which is an important part of making sure all students with disabilities get the support they need to succeed.

• Special Education/IDEA
• Massachusetts Organizations/Resources
• National Organizations/Resources

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Massachusetts Organizations/Resources

• Arc Massachusetts
  Arc Massachusetts is a statewide volunteer educational and advocacy organization dedicated to helping individuals with specific developmental disabilities.

• Family TIES
  Family TIES of Massachusetts is a statewide information and parent-to-parent support project for families of children with special needs and chronic illness.

• Federation for Children with Specials Needs
  The Federation is a center for parents and parent organizations to work together on behalf of children with special needs and their families.

• Massachusetts Association of Special Education Parent Advisory Councils (MASSPAC)
  The mission of MassPac is to work towards the understanding of, respect for, support and appropriate education for all children with special needs in our respective communities.

• Autism Commission
  In August 2014, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts established the Autism Commission as a permanent entity it is comprised of 35 members. The Commission is charged with making recommendations on policies impacting individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), and individuals with Smith-Magenis syndrome.

• Massachusetts Public, Charter, Private, Collaborative, and Approved Private Special Education Schools
  Directory and Profiles

• Office of Public School Monitoring Family resources
  Public School Monitoring (PSM) is an office within the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE); ensures state and federal laws and regulations for special education and civil rights are being followed.

• Strengthening Partnership:
  A Framework for Prenatal through Young Adulthood Family Engagement in Massachusetts

• The Parent Professional Advocacy League (PPAL)
  PPAL is the statewide chapter of the Federation of Families for Children's Mental Health. PPAL provides support, education, and advocacy around issues related to children's mental health.

Last Updated: June 3, 2025