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.
ALL RESOURCES
- Click HERE to download a comprehensive list of the following resources
- Haga clic AQUÍ para descargar una lista completa de los siguientes recursos
FOOD AND SUPPLIES
- Dial 2-1-1
- English Family Resource Center
- Familias y Comunidades Juntas (FaCT) (Español/Spanish)
- Gia Đình và Cộng Đồng Sát Cánh (FaCT) (Tiếng Việt/Vietnamese)
- Help Me Grow (Click on this link or call 1-866-476-9025)
SUPPORTING YOUR CHILD’S BEHAVIOR DURING COVID-19
- Tip Sheet for Managing Your Child’s Behavior During COVID-19
- Consejos para manejar a los niños durante el COVID-19 (Español/Spanish)
- Lời khuyên cho việc quản lý trẻ em trong COVID-19 (Tiếng Việt/Vietnamese)
- Supporting Individuals with Autism Through Uncertain Times- A Toolkit
- Questions and Answers on Providing Services to Children with Disabilities during the Coronavirus
STAYING PREPARED FOR COVID-19
- Disaster Preparedness Tips for Families Affected by Autism Spectrum Disorder
- COVID-19 Preparedness and Resources
- Autism Response Team (ART)
HELPING CHILDREN AND TEENS UNDERSTAND COVID-19
- 10 Tips to Support Someone During Times of Change
- What Parents Need to Know about COVID-19 (NCH)
- Explaining COVID-19 for children
- A Comic Exploring COVID-19
- Talking with teens and Tweens
- Talking with Kids about Coronavirus
- Just For Kids: A Comic Exploring The New Coronavirus
- How to Talk to Your Kids about Coronavirus- Using Sesame Street, Curious George, and Daniel the Tiger
SELF-CARE FOR CAREGIVERS
- Center for Disease Control – Stress and Coping during COVID-19
- Ten Percent Happier
- Parenting During COVID-19
- Coping with Anxiety- For Yourself and For Your Family
- Preparation and Response Plan; National Child Traumatic Stress Network
- National Alliance on Mental Illness Helpline
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
ACTIVITIES AT HOME
- Music and Dance from Go Noodle
- The 25 Best Podcasts for Kids
- Giant list of activities courtesy of Princess Awesome & Boy Wonder
LEARNING AT HOME
- 8 Tips for Middle and High Schoolers to Get Started in Online School
- Grades 7-9: Tips for Supporting Learners at Home
- Khan Academy
- Reading Comprehension Lessons
- National Geographic Kids
- Exploring Geography and Maps
- Dr. Seuss Reading and Games
- K-8 Learning Games
- Science and STEM videos
- 12 Museums Offering Virtual Tours
- Learn New Skills
- Classes for Ages 3-18
- Kids Activities Blog
- Learn in Color
- Homeschool Hideout
- Cincinnati Zoo has a Facebook live event every day at 3pm!
- This is the museum tours from around the world!
- Smithsonian Virtual Tour
- This is an entire list of Education Companies Offering Free Subscriptions Due to Schools Closing
- McHarper Manor will be live DAILY with FREE art tutorials to keep spirits up, families engaged and creativity flowing.
- Over 30 Virtual Field Trips!
- Historical Movies for Kids (Ages 6-12)
- Internet Archive is a non-profit library of millions of FREE books, websites and more.
SOCIAL STORIES EXPLAINING COVID-19
- What is the Corona Virus?
- Everyone Gets Sick Sometimes
- Don’t Share Your Germs! A Social Story About Staying Healthy
- Wash Your Hands
- Coronavirus Story for Kids
- Historia del Coronavirus (Español/Spanish)
- Coronavirus Story (Tiếng Việt/Vietnamese)
- Coronavirus Story (Tagalog)
DAILY SCHEDULES
Use the links below to create a daily schedule for your children- Create a Daily Schedule with these Printouts
- Example Daily Schedule for a Child 3-5 years old
- Example Daily Schedule for a Child 6-9 years old
SENIORS
- The County of Orange will connect Seniors with resources (food and supplies) during COVID-19. To access these resources, please call 1-800-510-2020.
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.