Special Education Spotlight Stockton: Resources for Students, Teachers, and Parents

Located about 50 miles south of Sacramento, the city of Stockton, California, provides several resources for special education teachers and parents. Many of these resources, offered through educational institutions and nonprofit organizations, are in the form of workshops, support groups or seminars.

Image Courtesy of Shutterstock.com

Special education students, too, will find some recreational and educational programs throughout and near the city that are designed to help them build their social and communication skills.

Educational Resources for Special Education Students, Teachers and Parents

The Special Education Department of the Stockton Unified School District works with parents and other professionals to form an IEP for special needs students. The department also offers services in occupational and speech and language therapy. A Parent Information link on the website provides information about parents’ rights and details about the Community Advisory Committee, while teachers can find links to assessment and educational tools under Teacher Resources.

The San Joaquin County Office of Education oversees the Special Education Local Plan Area (SELPA), which includes the Stockton Unified School District. The office supplies early intervention, occupational therapy, speech and language, hearing and behavioral consultation services. The website also provides a link to available resources through a lending library, which offers books, manuals, videos, DVDs and CDs covering a wide variety of special needs topics for both parents and teachers.

Recreational, Legal and Other Resources for Special Education Students and Parents

Stockton is home to few organizations that provide services to special needs children and their families. But while most of these organizations might not be located directly in Stockton they do serve the city, or are within commutable distance.

Family Resource Network offers support to parents of special education students through support groups, outreach programs, advocacy services, and workshops and seminars. There is also an online newsletter published four times a year that reports on events and includes helpful articles for parents of special needs children.

A similar organization is found in Salida, which is approximately 25 miles south of Stockton. B.E.S.T. (Behavioral & Educational Strategies & Training) also provides behavior analysis services. These services range from comprehensive analysis and management to mock preschool and school programs. Parent training workshops are also available. The programs are designed for children with autism as well as other learning and behavioral disorders.

Image Courtesy of Shutterstock.com

Based in Modesto and serving Stockton, among a few other cities, the Central Valley Autism Project provides behavioral analysis services for children ranging from infants to teens. This includes an assessment and treatment program designed mainly to help children form strong social skills.

Though based about 60 miles west of Stockton, CHADD (Children and Adults with AD/HD) of Northern California holds occasional parent support group meetings in nearby Manteca throughout the year. CHADD’s website also provides links to various special needs organizations, articles and consulting services.

GymStars is a Stockton-based gym that provides a program called StarBound for special needs children. These gymnastics and cheer programs are designed to help children develop coordination and motor skills as well as build self-confidence and social skills.

The California Special Needs Law Group (CSNLG) of Pasadena provides legal advice and services to special education parents throughout the state. IEP development assistance and conflict mediation are among the firm’s services.