Special Projects
About Special Kids participates in many special projects that further the interests of families of children with special needs. These projects are funded through various sources and donations to the organization are also always welcome.
Indiana Parent Education Project
Through this project, About Special Kids staff provide families of children with special needs information and referral to community agencies, training and education and peer support. About Special Kids staff also provide information to professionals who work with children with special needs and their families. A unique aspect of this project is the follow-up support that is given to families after they contact About Special Kids. Families are followed for a period of one year after their initial contact with About Special Kids through a series of HAT calls (How Are Things?). Information for families and professionals covers many topics such as special education, health care financing, respite, child care and the medical home and is distributed through personal contact with an About Special Kids Parent Liaison, the website, newsletter, trainings, information fairs and the About Special Kids resource directory.
Dyson Initiative
In collaboration with the Indiana University School of Medicine, About Special Kids is one of three community based organizations (CBO's) that provides community learning experiences for pediatric residents in the Indiana University medical education program at Clarian Health Partners. One of ten projects in the United States, the focus populations of the Indiana Dyson project are children with special health care needs who are defined as children with disabilities and serious chronic illness, Hispanic children whose parents speak English as a second language, and children who are victims of domestic violence. The Dyson Initiative is changing the way pediatric residents are trained to work with community organizations in meeting the needs of children with special needs and their families through site visits, interactions with families and children, and special projects.
Indiana’s Family to Family Health Care Information and Education Center
Indiana’s Family to Family Health Care Information and Education Center (F2F HIC) is improving access to accurate, timely information on health care financing options, by providing education and training for both families and professionals. This project was initially funded by Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) from 2003-2007 and now funded by a federal Maternal & Child Health Bureau (MCHB) grant. This funding has allowed About Special Kids (ASK) to continue its advisory committee consisting of organizations and individuals from across the state interested in healthcare financing issues and family support. The continuation of the grant has also enabled us to expand our reach into the state by funding 3 part time Parent Liaisons in 3 distinct regions---Lake and Porter counties, Clark, Floyd, Harrison and Scott counties and now in Allen County. ASK will continue to work with families and professionals both one on one and by conducting healthcare financing trainings across the state. The funding has also allowed ASK to update its website and resource directory, www.aboutspecialkids.org.
An ultimate goal of this project is to create systems change in Indiana related to the delivery of services for children with special needs and to create systems that will foster independence of these individuals.
POWER: The Near East Side Community Parent Resource Center
Through funding from the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs, About Special Kids established the Near East Side Community Parent Resource Center (CPRC) in 2005. This project has a focus on the near east side of Indianapolis and is meeting the needs of parents and professionals who reside in this area. A number of families in this area are considered to be low income and this is also an area with a high number of Spanish-speaking families. The POWER program is providing information to families of children with special needs and the professionals who work with them with a specific focus on special education law and community resources. About Special Kids will serve families on an individual basis, will provide group trainings and information fairs and will disseminate information to increase awareness about resources.
Medical Home Initiative
Through this project, physicians and community partners throughout the state are educated on the components of the medical home and are given practical tools customized for their own community resources.
MCO Project
In 2002, About Special Kids began to build partnerships with Medicaid Managed Care Organizations (MCO’s) in order to provide premium service to families of children with special needs that these MCO’s serve. About Special Kids currently provides intensive services to families of children with special needs in conjunction with medical case management received from the MCO’s. The range of services About Special Kids provides includes information and referral to community resources, one on one training and support regarding health care financing options and education options and intensive peer support. About Special Kids also educates the MCO’s about community resources and disability issues. About Special Kids currently has contractual arrangements with two MCO’s and hopes to expand this project to include more MCO’s and private health insurance companies.