Overview of Services
The mission of the Family Support team at The Center for Autism & Neurodevelopmental Disorders (CAND) is to support families in the process of getting evaluations for their child, learning about resources, accessing services and coping with psychosocial stressors that impact family life.
Community Resources and Programs
CAND provides education and training for parents, caregivers, community providers, and others in the community who would like to learn more abut Autism Spectrum Disorder, ADD, ADHD, and other neurodevelopmental disorders. CAND also provides wellness programs for children, teens, and young adults to promote health and well-being through art, music, and dance.
You do not have to be a patient or have a child who is a patient of The Center to attend one of our classes or programs.
You can see flyers for our upcoming educational events by liking and following our Facebook page.
Write to Us
In need of additional support? We’re here to help!
Family Support Team
Families with children with special needs may feel overwhelmed by their children’s diagnosis and unsure where to turn for help. Our Family Support Team is involved in new patient evaluations and providing ongoing follow-up care for patients and their families. They assess family needs and provide guidance and emotional support for navigating systems to connect children and families to appropriate resources. We’re proud to help empower parents to learn to be advocates for their children throughout treatment.
Additional Resources
CAND’s top priority is to provide you with support, guidance and enriching learning opportunities. Therefore, we’re happy to provide the following resources and programs to better help you navigate these challenging times.
The Autism Response Team (ART) is an information line for the autism community. Team members are specially trained to provide personalized information and resources to people with autism and their families and help you find autism services and supports in your community.
View more information here.
Child Behavior Pathways is a program of The Center for Autism & Neurodevelopmental Disorders (formerly CUIDAR) that helps parents identify possible attention and behavior difficulties in their children before they enter school. Our parent education classes helps parents and caretakers by teaching them how to address these behavioral obstacles so that their child can have more successful school experiences.
For more information about Child Behavior Pathways, please visit their website.
Comfort Connection Family Resource Center at Regional Center of Orange County (RCOC) connects families who have children with special needs to resources and support.
View more information here.
Each FaCT Family Resource Center is a family-friendly, community-based site that provides access to comprehensive prevention and treatment-oriented social, educational, and health services for all families, including birth, blended, kinship, adoptive, and foster families. Examples of services include mental health counseling, basic needs resources, utility assistance, job training, legal assistance, parenting classes, job training, recreational programs, and more.
View more information here.
The Grandparent Autism Network informs grandparents about autism and the medical, educational, legal and social issues that affect their families, enabling them to share how they may improve the quality of life for their children and grandchildren.
View more information here.
Help Me Grow connects children and their families to developmental services to enhance the development, behavior and learning of children birth through eight years.
View more information here.
The OC Links Information and Referral Line provides telephone and online support for anyone seeking information or linkage to children and adult mental health, alcohol and drug inpatient and outpatient, crisis programs, and prevention and early intervention services. Callers can be potential participants, family members, friends or anyone seeking out resources. Trained Navigators provide information, referral, and linkage directly to programs that meet the needs of callers.
View more information here.
A Professional Fiduciary is an individual who is entrusted property or power for the benefit of another. He or she serves vulnerable populations, such as the elderly and those who can no longer care for themselves, and is a neutral and objective party that provides overall care for a client. If an individual becomes incapacitated or dies, a Professional Fiduciary can take care of managing an estate. He or she can also serve independent, productive people who need assistance in making sound financial, health care, and day-to-day decisions.
Here are suggested support groups for parents with children with special needs in Orange County.
View more information here.
The Center for Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders (CAND) works collaboratively with Children’s Hospital of Orange County (CHOC) Thompson Autism Center by providing a monthly educational online workshop that introduces Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) to parents and caregivers whose children are newly diagnosed. CAND and CHOC also work together to provide hope to those in our community struggling with Mental Health. Click the links below to learn more and find help today.