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Autism Family Network of Santa Cruz Resource Directory
Balance4kids
The BALANCE organization will address the needs of children with severe disabilities in a collaborative model with private organizations, parents, and public schools working together. We seek to increase student success in the school and home setting by bringing alternative supplemental programs to public education and the home. BALANCE supports the inadequate existing conditions and resources for children with disabilities through our various programs.
Camp Krem
Camping Unlimited is a non-profit organization providing children and adults with Special Needs a full program of recreation, education, fun and adventure. Our program encourages independence, nurtures responsibility, develops competence and builds lifelong friendships in a warm supportive atmosphere of planned permissiveness.
Community Bridges
Dancenter
Ruth- Director
Summer classes offered by Ruth’s team of teachers. Ruth’s specialty is teaching young children and dancers with special needs.
Easterseals
Easterseals Camp Harmon
Easter Seals offers help, hope and answers to more than a million children and adults living with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and other disabilities or special needs and their families each year. Services and support are provided through a network of more than 550 sites in the U.S. and through Ability First Australia. Each center provides exceptional services that are individualized, innovative, family-focused and tailored to meet specific needs of the particular community served.
Employment and Community Options
Lori Menzies - Senior Program Manager
The goal of these services is to increase opportunities for adults with intellectual disabilities and customize day services to meet individualized needs. We have been helping adults with intellectual disabilities find work and gain independence. We do this by matching them with employers who value dependable, reliable workers.
First 5 California
http://www.first5california.com/
Research shows 90 percent of a child’s brain develops in the first five years of life. Making those years count is what First 5 California is all about. Our focus is to educate parents and caregivers about the important role they play in their children’s first years.
Holistic Practitioner
LeAndra Johnson - Founder
www.Ancientwisdomhealingservices.com
Helping you navigate autism through Reiki, Lightwork and Ayurveda
- Identify and validate your natural qualities
- Discover hidden meanings behind Symptoms and behaviors
- Understand how consistent energy healing can have profound effects on autism and ASD
HOPE Services
Hope Services’ mission is to improve the quality of life for individuals with developmental disabilities, as measured by eight indicators:
- personal development
- self-determination
- interpersonal relations
- social inclusion
- rights
- emotional well-being,
- physical well-being, and
- material well-being
KidQuest
Colleen Russell - Center Manager
The Club Quest Social Center is a recreation center that is available to children and young adults aged 4-22. The center provides workshops for self- advocacy and empowerment. The center will encourage participation from children and young adults with special needs, as well as typically-developing peers, in order to achieve full community inclusion.
Live Oak Community Resources
https://communitybridges.org/mcr/
Mountain Community Resources
Monterey Bay Horsemanship and Therapeutic Center
Anne Phillips - Founder and Director
Enjoy the excitement of being involved in a Horse ranch Community! Learn, ride, feed, groom, hang out on a working horse ranch!
Benefits for Horse Riding: Improved motivation and attentions span, improved spatial awareness and body image, increased strength and endurance, increased balance and coordination, decreased spasticity and improved mobility and improved sensory integration.
MUSEUM OF DISCOVERY (MOD) - Capitola Mall
MOD delights, inspires, and challenges kids and their adults through an exciting and interacting learning environment where they can explore the wonders of Santa Cruz County.
MusicalMe
Lizz Hodgin - Director
“Talent” is a mythical concept. People think of it as a magical gift, but it is, in fact, the expression of potential that has been developed into expertise through dedication, drive, and practice.” At Music Together we’ve had direct experience with the average person’s true capacity . We see young children blossom musically when placed in an environment designed to stimulate, nurture, and enhance active music expression.”
One Step Closer Therapeutic Riding
One Step Closer Therapeutic Riding is an equestrian organization using the human-horse relationship to help the participants achieve their full potential-physically, emotionally, and spiritually- to be all that God intends for them.
The staff of One Step Closer Therapeutic Riding are committed to serving people with special needs without bias of race, economic status, or religious beliefs.
Outreach
OUTREACH is committed to the mission of supporting older adults, individuals with disabilities and low-income families with their efforts to lead independent and self-sufficient lives. From our origins as a War on Poverty program over 30+ years ago, OUTREACH has grown to be one of the nation’s premier ADA Paratransit and community transportation providers.
Para Cruz
METRO ParaCruz is Santa Cruz METRO’s ADA Complementary Paratransit service offering accessible door-to-door shared rides for people who are not able to use the bus due to a physical, cognitive, or psychiatric disability.
METRO ParaCruz provides people with disabilities a level of access to mass public transportation that is comparable to the rest of the community.
METRO operates a fleet of safe, clean, modern and accessible large buses, small buses, and minivans, connecting people to educational, business, medical, shopping, social, and other destinations. All METRO fixed route buses and ParaCruz vehicles are accessible to any customers needing the use of a ramp or lift to board a METRO vehicle.
Parents Helping Parents (PHP)
Parents Helping Parents believes that children with disabilities deserve a life that offers possibilities and promise. Daily we listen to their parents, who often feel hopeless and alone. Our staff, who are also parents and family members, listen with empathy and provide knowledge about systems of care, education supports and connect these parents to a community of caring. Because we empower parents to secure needed supports and services, their children have brighter futures.
Ride A Wave
Ride a Wave’s mission is to give children with special needs the chance to feel the thrill of riding a wave and experience a safe, fun-filled day at the beach, whether they are physically, developmentally or economically challenged.
San Andreas Regional Center (SARC)
San Andreas Regional Center is a community-based, private nonprofit corporation that is funded by the State of California to serve people with developmental disabilities as required by the Lanterman Developmental Disabilities Act. The Lanterman Act is part of California law that sets out the rights and responsibilities of persons with developmental disabilities. San Andreas is one of 21 Regional Centers throughout California serving individuals and their families who reside within Monterey, San Benito, Santa Clara, and Santa Cruz Counties.
Shared Adventures (SA)
Foster Anderson - Director
Shared Adventures is a non profit organization dedicated to improving the quality of life of people living with disabilities.
- Personal growth, development and self-confidence
- Cooperation, decision-making, and leadership skills
- Outdoor skills and environmental awareness
- Improved quality of life and happiness
Special Kids Crusade
Special Olympics
Nick Tanza, Sr. Sports Manager
Special Olympics is a non profit dedicated to providing year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic- type sports for individuals with intellectual disabilities. Sports offered: Basketball, Aquatics, Bocce, Track and Field, Tennis, Volleyball, Golf, Softball, Bowling, Soccer, Floor Hockey.
Special Parents Information Network (SPIN)
Parents of children with special needs may feel isolated and overwhelmed with the medical, emotional, financial, educational and social issues they face as they raise their child. SPIN is a non-profit parent-to-parent support and information network serving parents, guardians and families in Santa Cruz and San Benito Counties who have a child or children with special needs of any age.
The Bay School
The Bay School provides students with autism and /or developmental disabilities ages 5 to 21, comprehensive, extended year educational and clinical services regardless of their race, national or ethnic origin, age gender, or religion. The educational and treatment approach used at The Bay School is based on the principles of applied behavior analysis (ABA), a methodology that applies principles of behavior to learning. Our mission is to provide scientifically-based educational and clinical services to produce measurable and lasting improvements in the lives of the students and families we serve.
Unblind My Mind
Katie Reid – Founder
Unblindmymind is a non profit that raises community awareness and educates on the links between our food and brain disorders, particularly Autism. UnblindMyMind in natural approaches to autism and restoring health by transitioning to a diet based on whole foods and packed with nutrients.
Housing - Monterey County
Please click below for our aggrigated list of housing services for Monterey County.
Housing - San Benito County
Please click below for our aggrigated list of housing services for San Benito County.
Housing - Santa Clara County
Please click below for our aggrigated list of housing services for Santa Clara County.
Housing - Santa Cruz County
Please click below for our aggrigated list of housing services for Santa Cruz County.