Area Board Locations

Special Education Resources

For your convenience, resources may be listed in more than one section. All resources are free.

Statewide Resources

• California Department of Education: Procedural Safeguard Referral Service

  Information and referral for resolving disputes regarding special education services.
  Phone: (800) 926-0648
  Located: Sacramento, CA
  

• California Department of Education: Special Education Division

  Author of "A Composite of Laws, California Special Education Programs".
  Phone: (916) 319-0800
  Located: Sacramento, CA
  

• California Rural Legal Assistance

  Serving lower income residents in rural areas.
  Phone: (415) 777-2752
  Located: Across California

• Disability Rights of California (Formerly Protection and Advocacy Inc.)

  Provides consultation, representation, and information on special education issues. Co-author of "Special Education Rights and Responsibilities" manual.
  Phone: (800) 776-5746
  Located: Across California

• Legal Aid Societies

  Provides special education consultation, information, and limited representation to families who have lower incomes.
  Located: Locations in most metropolitan areas across California

• Office of Clients' Rights Advocacy

  The clients' rights advocates at the regional centers, who are employed by Disability Rights California, provide consultation, representation, and information on special education issues.
  Phone: (866) 833-6712
  Located: Across California

• Parents Helping Parents

  Provides support, information and workshops on special education law.
  Phone: (408) 727-5775
  Located: San Jose, CA

• United States Department of Education: Office of Civil Rights

  Ensures equal access to education and promotes education excellence for special education.
  Phone: (415) 486-5555
  Located: San Francisco, CA
  E-Mail: ocr@edu.gov

• United States Department of Education: Office of Special Education Programs

  Oversees IDEA on a national level.
  Toll Free: (800) 872-5327
  Phone: (202) 401-2000
  Located: Washington, D.C.

Articles/Books/Internet Only

• California Commission on Teacher Credentialing
• CA Disability Community Action Network (CDCAN)
• Disability Rights California's Special Education Publications
• Eight Steps to Better IEP Meetings: Play Hearts, Not Poker
• IEP Strategy Guide
• IEP Training
• Learn to Ask Questions, Get Services
• Loving Parents Want What's "Best" for Child - School Only Needs to Provide an "Appropriate Program"
• Paper Trails, Letter Writing, and Documentation
• Response to Instruction and Intervention (RTI)
• Self-Guided Tutorial on Special Education Law
• Special Education Rights and Responsibilities Manual
• Tactics and Strategy: The "Letter to a Stranger"
• To Avoid Conflict, Prepare for Conflict; Rules of Adverse Assumptions
• Wrightslaw

Resources Specific to a Region

• California's 13 Area Board Locations

  The State Council includes 13 Area Board locations to serve the consumer population of California.
  Located: Across California
  

• California Department of Education Diagnostic Centers:
  
  • Diagnostic Center North
    Phone: (510) 794-2500
    Located: Fremont, CA
  • Diagnostic Center Central
    Phone: (559) 243-4047
    Located: Fresno, CA
  • Diagnostic Center South
    Phone: (323) 222-8090
    Located: Los Angeles, CA
• Community Alliance for Special Education (CASE)

  Free consults for residents of Napa, Solano, Santa Clara, and Santa Cruz Counties. Free consults and follow-up as necessary for residents of Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo, Sonoma, and West Contra Costa Counties.
  Located: San Francisco, CA
  Phone: (415) 431-2285

• Parents Helping Parents

  Provides support, information, and workshops on special education law for residents of San Joaquin, San Mateo, Santa Clara, and Santa Cruz Counties.
  Located: San Jose, CA
  Phone: (408) 727-5775

• Stanford Law School: Mills Legal Clinic

  Serves residents of the Bay area. Provides legal referrals and limited direct legal representation for lower income families facing special education issues.
  Located: Palo Alto, CA
  Phone: (650) 723-4336

• Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund (DREDF)

  Serving residents of Alameda, Contra Costa, and Yolo Counties.
  Located: Berkeley, CA
  Phone: (800) 348-4232

• Self Advocacy Council VI (6)

  Located: Stockton, CA
  Phone: (209) 955-3624

• Disability Resources Agency for Independent Living (DRAIL)

  Below is a listing, by counties, along with corresponding phone contacts.
  Amador, Calaveras and Tuolumne County: (209) 532-0963
  Mariposa County: (209) 532-0963
  San Joaquin County: (209) 477-8143
  Stanislaus County: (209) 521-7260

• Family Resource Network of Stockton

  Serving residents of Amador, Calaveras, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, and Tuolumne Counties.
  Located: Stockton, CA
  Phone: (209) 472-6374
  Toll-Free: (800) 847-3030
  E-Mail: frnfamilies@aol.com

• Family Resource Network of Los Angeles County

  A directory of family resource centers in Los Angeles County.

• Support for Families of Children with Disabilities

  Location: 1663 Mission Street, 7th floor, San Francisco, CA 94103
  Phone: (415) 282-7494
  E-Mail: info@supportforfamilies.org

• Matrix Parent Network

  Location: 94 Gali Drive, Suite C, Novato, CA 94949
  Phone: (415) 884-3535
  Toll-Free: (800) 578-2592
  E-Mail: info@matrixparents.org

• Family Resource Network

  Location: 5232 Claremont Avenue, Oakland, CA 95618
  Phone: (510) 547-7322

• CARE Parent Network

  Location: 1340 Arnold Drive, SUite 115, Martinez, CA 94553
  Phone: (925) 313-0999
  E-Mail: CAREofARC@aol.com
  

A special thanks to Area Boards 1, 5, 6, 7, and 10 for their assistance in developing this information!