What's happening right now?
Pick the closest match. You'll get immediate actions, phone numbers, a script, a documents checklist, and the right organizations — without scrolling through 80 pages.
If your district is refusing an evaluation, removing services, or ignoring your IEP, you have specific legal protections under IDEA and Section 504. Move fast — put everything in writing.
Emergency respite is hard but possible. Start with OPWDD Family Support, your county DD office, and the NYS Caregiving & Respite Coalition simultaneously — don't wait on any one call.
Safety comes first. If there is immediate danger, call 911. Otherwise, name what's happening clearly to OPWDD, your Care Manager, and your provider — that triggers crisis pathways that 'I need help' alone does not.
Housing in NY for adults with developmental disabilities is slow but navigable. Start the waitlist now, learn the difference between supervised, supportive, and family care, and build a Plan A and Plan B.
OPWDD has its own language: Front Door, Care Coordination, Life Plan, Waiver, Self-Direction. Most delays happen between steps. Knowing where you are in the pathway lets you push the right person.
Transition starts at 14, intensifies at 16, and the deadline is the school year your child turns 21 (or the date of graduation). Don't wait for the school to drive this — they often won't.
You don't have to figure this out alone. Caregivers in crisis make worse decisions — that's brain science, not weakness. Get a person on the phone today.
Most NY families qualify for free legal help on disability, education, Medicaid, and SSI. Don't pay until you've tried Legal Aid, the Legal Services system, and the disability law projects.