Pierce County Resource Guide to Services and Supports for Individuals
Who Experience Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities
(section links below).
Please call our office at 253.564.0707 to make arrangements to pick up your copy!
Dear Reader:
This Pierce County Resource Guide is dedicated to the hard work and commitment of those who have endeavored
timelessly over the years to “keep the promise.”
We want to acknowledge the generous support of Pierce County Human Services, Developmental Disabilities
Program, in providing the funds to update and print this important comprehensive guide to services and supports
for individuals who experience intellectual/ developmental disabilities. This important tool will assist you in
navigating the public and private programs and services available throughout Pierce County and beyond.
The Pierce County Coalition for Developmental Disabilities (PC2) welcomes the opportunity to assist individuals
and families in finding the services and programs that best meet your needs. We are here to answer your calls
if you need further assistance. Whether you are an individual who experiences an intellectual/developmental
disability, have a family member who experiences an intellectual/developmental disability, work within the disability
field, or are in the general community, we welcome your questions and concerns.
We acknowledge that, when compiling this complex list of resources, there are changes that can occur during the
production process. Please know that every effort was made to ensure the accuracy and completeness of agency
information.
Our experiences speak to the complexities of parenting a child/youth with constant behavioral health care needs. We help parents: increase daily coping strategies, navigate systems (school, juvenile court, and mental health) and develop an on-going support network. Our mission is to strengthen families for the long-haul - building resiliency for life one family at a time!
ARK Institute of Learning (Applied Research Knowledge)
ARK Institute of Learning is a non-profit agency dedicated to diminishing the impact of learning disorders in the lives of individuals. ARK educational therapists evaluate and instruct children and adults in their desire to overcome learning challenges. ARK has assisted hundreds of students with a variety of learning challenges including dyslexia, language disorder, nonverbal learning disorder/visual-spatial processing disorder, dyscalculia, dysgraphia, and specific learning disorder or disability. ARK also assists students who have no formal diagnosis but who would benefit from interventions in reading, written communication, math, oral and reading comprehension, and/or handwriting. Other ARK services include training educators to effectively teach the atypical learner, offering summer small group classes, and providing consultations with ARK's school psychologist.
Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI)
The Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) is the primary agency charged with overseeing K-12 public education in Washington state. Led by State School Superintendent Chris Reykdal, OSPI works with the state’s 295 school districts to administer basic education programs and implement education reform on behalf of more than one million public school students. We want all students to be prepared for post-secondary pathways, careers, and civic engagement. Our mission is to Transform K-12 education to a system that is centered on closing opportunity gaps and is characterized by high expectations for all students and educators. We achieve this by developing equity-based policies and supports that empower educators, families, and communities.
StopBullying.gov provides information from various government agencies on what bullying is, what cyberbullying is, who is at risk, and how you can prevent and respond to bullying. StopBullying.gov coordinates closely with the Federal Partners in Bullying Prevention Steering Committee, an interagency effort co-led by the Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human Services that works to coordinate policy, research, and communications on bullying topics. The Federal Partners include representatives from the U.S. Departments of Agriculture, Defense, Education, Health and Human Services, the Interior, and Justice, as well as the Federal Trade Commission and the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. Please visit our website for more information.
The mission of the Washington Education Association is to advance the professional interests of its members in order to make public education the best it can for students, staff, and communitites. Our goal is to build confidence in public education and increase support for Washington’s public school system. Our objectives are to: increase WEA members’ and employees’ professional status and job satisfaction; improve the quality of and access to public education for all students; forge partnerships with parents, business, other unions, and community groups; promote a just and inclusive society with respect for the worth, dignity, and equality of every individual; end institutionalized racism and bias in public education; increase participation of individuals from historically under-represented groups in all aspects of WEA activity.
Washington Sensory Disabilities Services partners with families and service providers to support children who are deaf/hard of hearing, blind/visually impaired or deaf-blind. We’re here to support the developmental and learning needs of children aged birth to 21 who: are deaf or hard of hearing, are blind or visually impaired, or have a combined hearing loss and visual impairment. Please visit our website for more information.
Washington State Special Education Advisory Council, OSPI
The SEAC consists of members appointed by the Superintendent of Public Instruction who are committed to quality education for children with disabilities. The council consists of individuals from across the state in many areas of expertise and interest. The SEAC members focus on statewide issues impacting special education. The SEAC believes that all students with disabilities have the right to a free and appropriate public education in a safe environment that is conducive to learning.
A Washington non-profit organization working with families who have children with special needs. Offers programs and activites for special needs children and their families. We support, educate, and empower exceptional families and our community to create an inclusive environment for children with special needs.