Copyright Benita Koeman 2008 - 2012
Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP) resources
Autism - ACT Today! (Autism Care and Treatment Today) for Military Families
ACT Today! (Autism Care and Treatment Today!), is a national non-profit organization whose mission is to raise awareness and provide treatment services to families that cannot afford the treatments and services their children require. Recognizing the extraordinary challenges military families experience (waging a battle on two fronts...one for their country and another for their children), ACT Today! for Military Families is a dedicated fund to assist military families impacted by autism. ACT Today! for Military Families works to improve awareness and delivery of effective autism services, and provides financial assistance to military families to help defray out-of-pocket costs associated with autism treatments and other quality of life programs.
Autism - American Military Families Autism Support
American Military Families Autism Support is by military families, for military families, providing news, information, contacts and options for military families dealing with autism spectrum disorder. Due to the nature of military life and the challenges of autism, these families often experience additional stressors over non-military families.
The site is currently being constructed to offer the first national support site comprehensively for our families. Your feedback and ideas are critical to ensure it meets your needs.
Unlike with traditional sites, you will be part of a living, breathing community of rich news and information. But as with serving in the military, the role you play will be instrumental in the success or failure of the objective.
Autism - Operation Autism
Operation Autism directly supports U.S. military families touched by autism and autism spectrum disorders. It serves as an introduction to autism, a guide for the life journey with autism, and a ready reference for available resources, services, and support.
Local programs - C.A.S.T. for Kids
Our mission is to provide disabled and disadvantaged children the opportunity to enjoy a quality outdoor recreational experience fishing on the water.
Local programs - Young Life Capernaum
Young Life leaders have the privilege of knowing and sharing their lives with kids and young adults with disabilities. While all Young Life activities are open to every kid, many Young Life areas have dedicated programs for kids and young adults with disabilities, typically referred to as Young Life Capernaum Ministries.
Young Life Capernaum gives young people with mental and physical disabilities the chance to experience fun and adventure, to develop fulfilling friendships and to challenge their limits while building self-esteem through club, camp and other exciting activities. Young Life staff and volunteers model Christ’s unconditional love and acceptance as they walk alongside these young adults — filling their lives with love and support.
Online support group - EFMP Support Group
Are you enrolled in the EFMP? EFMP Support is for family members to have a place to find support and gather information about the EFMP. I am a level 4 in the EFMP and have been denied support services. This is a place for all of us to share experiences and come together in awareness and support. The group is closed for the protection of the members.
Resources - DoD Special Needs Parent Toolkit (Military Homefront)
The DoD Special Needs Parent Toolkit has comprehensive information and tools that are geared towards helping military families with special needs children navigate the maze of medical and special education services, community support and benefits and entitlements. The Toolkit is broken down into six colorful modules that can be easily downloaded and printed. We have included important facts, records, tools and sample letters.
Whether you need to learn about early intervention services or want to learn how to be a more effective advocate for your child, you will find the information you are searching for here!
Resources - EFMP Mobile
The Exceptional Family Program (EFMP) offers a mobile website for service members and families to conveniently access essential EFMP information from any mobile device. With the mobile site, EFMP families can quickly and easily access important information about programs and services through a smartphone, tablet, or any another mobile device with an Internet connection.
Resources - Military OneSource
Military OneSource (MOS) supplements existing family programs by providing a website and a worldwide, 24 hour, seven-day-a-week information and referral telephone service to ALL active, Guard and Reserve Soldiers, deployed civilians and their families. MOS services are provided at no-cost.This site is designed to help military families deal with life's issues.
Resources - Military Special Needs Network
Our Network is a parent-managed, community based organization founded to respond to the needs of all branches of the Military and of our Exceptional Family Members (EFM). We focus on peer-support for our Special Families who have a dependent with special medical or educational needs, including: Autism, Down syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, ADD/ADHD, Sensory Processing Disorder, Chromosomal and Neurological Disorders, hearing and vision impairments, dyslexia, and everything else in between!
Military families have so many stresses in our lives. When you add an Exceptional Family Member (EFM) to the mix, we often face many difficult challenges such as:
- Feelings of isolation and lack of proximate family support.
- Difficulty navigating disjointed services
- Inadequate information, resources and community support.
- Locating physicians, specialists and therapists who accept TRICARE (if not offered at a Military Hospital).
- Creating and maintaining relationships with medical and educational personnel.
- Establishing eligibility for community resources.
We know just how hard it is to navigate the difficult waters of Special Needs within the Military. We have been there! Our commitment is to empower these Special Families in their vital role as advocates, by providing information, support, training opportunities, monthly meetings, an online community and so much more!
Resources - National Military Family Association
Website has links to branch-specific EFMP resources.
Resources - SCOR Special Care Organization Record (TriCare)
The Special Care Organization Record (SCOR) for Children with Special Health Care Needs is specifically designed as an organizing tool just for parents with children with special health care needs. It is intended to help track and organize your child’s information to make it easier for someone else to care for your child in your absence. The SCOR can be used to capture a variety of information such as your child's birth history, likes and dislikes, medical and educational information, insurance, and step-by-step action plans in case of an emergency.
Resources - Specialized Training of Military Parents (STOMP)
STOMP (Specialized Training of Military Parents) is a federally funded Parent Training and Information (PTI) Center established to assist military families who have children with special education or health needs. STOMP began in 1985, it is a project of Washington PAVE, and is funded through a grant from the U.S. Department of Education.
The staff of the STOMP Project are parents of children who have disabilities and have experience in raising their children in military communities and traveling with their spouses to different locations.
STOMP serves families in four main ways:
- By providing information and training about Laws, regulations and resources for military families of children with disabilities
- By connecting families to other families
- By assisting parents and professionals in developing their own community parent education/support group
- By providing a voice to raise awareness of issues faced by military families of children with disabilities.
For military families of children with disabilities, STOMP is a one-stop shop for information and training regarding special education and other resources.
Resources - The Education Directory for Children with Special Needs
The Educational Directory for Children with Special Needs provides assignment personnel and families of military dependents with ASD the information they need to make informed assignment decisions.
The directory consists of two components:
- Early Intervention Directory focuses on early intervention services for children birth-3 years old. This directory will not be available till 2012.
- School-Age Directory focuses on educational services for children who are 3-21 years old. The School-Age Directory is currently available.
Both tools provide a summary of trends related to ASD at the national and state level, as well as specific descriptions of providers and school districts that serve military installations in selected states.
Useful resources are also included. Currently, the directory includes information primarily related to children with ASD, but information related to additional disabilities will continue to be added.
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Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP) books
Everything About ME (Military Personnel and Families Edition):
A Guide for My Future Caregivers Author: Dee Marrella, Copyright @ 2011With the huge numbers of American soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan with injuries requiring long-term care -- possibly life-long care, this book (print and electronic versions) provides individuals and their families with a way to create a true tool that can be used by any caregiver who ever works with this person. Since family members might not always be available to be the caregiver in a veterans life, this guide will provide even a total caring stranger with a lifetime of knowledge, information and guidance on what the individual desires in the way of caregiving. This book, when completed, will tell all who use it every important fact about them: how "I" feel about life support, my favorite foods, the TV programs I dislike, how I'd like to have my obituary read, and my funeral conducted. When the time comes that a once vibrant individual required round-the-clock caregiving, and may not have a "voice" left o speak with -- this book can be that "voice" tell all who use it everything you want known.
Special Needs Families in the Military:
A Resource Guide Authors: Janelle Hill, Don Philpott, Copyright @ 2011The saying "it takes a village to raise a child" is especially true for families with special needs children. It takes an "army" of therapists, doctors, nurses, counselors, and educators. Special needs families in the military often find the task even more daunting, compounded by the unique circumstances of military life today. Even though the challenges are often greater, there are many helpful resources for families in the military who are raising a special needs child. In Special Needs Families in the Military: A Resource Guide, authors Janelle Hill and Don Philpott provide advice on the many issues that arise, including diagnoses, financial support, education, medical care, case management, insurance, advocacy, and coping with the accompanying mental and emotional trials.
The book covers the basic challenges which all special needs families must face, and also pays special attention to those resources, programs, and aids available to special needs families in the military, where the added stresses of military life often make things seem overwhelming. This book guides special needs families through all the procedures and protocol they must face, and offers helpful tips for setbacks and unexpected challenges that may arise. It is essential reading for military families with special needs children and those who work with them.
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A Different Dream for My Child:
Meditations for Parents of Critically or Chronically Ill Children Author: Jolene Philo, Copyright @ 2009For years, Jolene Philo’s son was hospitalized many times as he battled a life-threatening birth defect. Far from home, without friends and family to support them, Jolene and her husband felt utterly and completely alone. Today, support networks for parents of critically or chronically ill children have improved, but most only provide for urgent physical needs. The devotional meditations in this book address the spiritual needs of these parents as the author shares her own life lessons, as well as those of other parents who have walked this road. "No matter how difficult the road," Philo writes, "you do not have to lose hope."
Dancing with Max:
A Mother and Son Who Broke Free Author: Emily Colson, Copyright @ 2010Meet a remarkable young man. Max doesn't communicate like we do. But he communicates better than we do about the most important things. Max doesn't think like we do. But his actions reflect deep spiritual truths. With candor and wit, Emily Colson shares about her personal battles and heartbreak when, as a suddenly single mother, she discovers her only child has autism. Emily illuminates the page with imagery---making you laugh, making you cry, inspiring you to face your own challenges. Chuck Colson, in his most personal writing since Born Again, speaks as a father and grandfather. It is a tender side Max brings out of his grandfather, a side some haven't seen. As Emily recalls her experiences, we discover that Max's disability does not so much define who he is, but reveals who we are. Dancing with Max is not a fairy tale with a magical ending. It's a real life story of grace and second chances and fresh starts in spite of life's hardest problems. And Max? Max will make you fall in love with life all over again, leaving you dancing with joy.
Parents of Children with Disabilities:
A Survival Guide for Fathers and Mothers Authors: Press Barnhill, Gena P. Barnhill, Copyright @ 2010I simply could not put this book down! It is very well written and makes me feel like I am sitting in Press and Gena's living room talking about their experiences. I love the Chapter Take Aways and the stories from other families. Readers will feel inspired with new direction. I only wish this was available years ago as our family began our journey caring for our son with autism." Didi Zaryczny Chairperson, disAbility Resource Network "As a parent of a disabled child, I find this book to be an immensely valuable resource. The Barnhills offer practical help for navigating the emotional and relational pitfalls common to those in our situation. Their advice is concrete, realistic, and encouraging." Andrew Dunks Pastor and father of a teenage son with brittle-bone disease.
Receiving David:
The Gift of a Son Who Taught Us How to Live and Love Author: Faye Knol, Copyright @ 2010David Knol was born dangerously early and wasn’t expected to live. Remarkably, he not only beat the survival odds but also went on to live a life with joy and a measure of independence and opportunity, despite his severe disabilities. From the beginning, his family viewed him as a blessing, a gift bestowed on them by God, and received him with thanks.
Through inviting stories and a few memorable photographs, Faye Knol shares the lessons about love, the value of life, and the beauty of relationships that David taught those around him during his twenty-two years of life. Warmth, good humor, laughter, and passion shine through this mother’s words as she tells tales of life in this inspiring family.
David’s story is a moving picture of how one person — despite great obstacles — can profoundly shape a family and a community in a positive way.
Unlocking the Treasure:
A Bible Study for Moms Entrusted with Special-Needs Children Author: Bev Roozeboom, Copyright @ 2011Has your child been given a heart-wrenching diagnosis such as bipolar disorder, Down syndrome, autism, Asperger syndrome, ADHD, or reactive attachment disorder? Was your child born with physical or intellectual disabilities? Then you're not just the mother of a special-needs child, you're a special-needs mom!
If your child struggles with physical, emotional, mental, or behavioral difficulties and you find yourself disillusioned and disheartened, this study is for you. Written by a mom who is also walking this journey, "Unlocking the Treasure" offers hope and encouragement in the midst of daily battles and extraordinary challenges.
As the pages of Scripture are opened, you will uncover the treasure of a heavenly Father who deeply loves His children. This journey will bring you into the heart of Scripture where you will discover God's lavish love and gentle compassion. You will learn what it means to trust God with yourself and your child. You will discover the God of hope and uncover the promises of peace and contentment. Finally, you will bring to light the hope of an abundant and joy-filled life, even on this side of heaven!
Moms of children with special needs often feel alone, wondering if anyone understands their heart. As you complete this study, walls of isolation will crumble as you meet other women who share similar struggles. "Unlocking the Treasure" includes real-life stories from several moms who are also on this journey called "special needs"...a journey not of their choosing, but one uniquely designed for them by the Creator of all life.
Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP) resources
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resources
Military supporters, churches
Military chaplains
Organizations that support
Resources for
Encouragement
Military life
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