This document provides information on risk factors, community resources, and agencies that support families with exceptional needs in South Carolina. It discusses biological and environmental risk factors such as prenatal, perinatal, and postnatal conditions as well as poverty, toxins, and abuse. Community resources in South Carolina, Columbia, and Fort Jackson are presented, including the Department of Disabilities and Special Needs, school districts, Exceptional Family Member Program, and recreational organizations. Educational agencies at the state and local levels provide services for students with disabilities.
1. A HELPFUL GUIDE FOR
UNDERSTANDING RISK FACTORS AND
AVAILABLE AGENCIES AND
ORGANIZATIONS FOR ASSISTING
FAMILIES WITH EXCEPTIONAL NEEDS
S O U T H C A R O L I N A
C O L U M B I A
F O R T J A C K S O N
PROVIDING SUPPORT TO
FAMILIES
4. Biological Risks
Prenatal
• Maternal Illness and Infection
• Rubella
• Cytomegalovirus
• Sexually Transmitted Diseases
• HIV/AIDS
• Maternal Substance Abuse
• Alcohol
• Illegal Drugs
• Prescription Drugs without doctor
approval
• Smoking
• Extremes of Maternal Age
• Early or Late
Perinatal
• Oxygen Deprivation
• Prematurity and Low Birth Weight
Postnatal
• Child illness at birth or early in life
*If you’ve experienced a pregnancy resulting in a birth defect of the brain or spinal cord, a larger dose may be recommended.
5. Environmental Risks
Radiation
Neurotoxins
• Lead, mercury, pesticides,
cadmium, organic solvents
Accidents
Poverty
• Economic and social
Child Maltreatment
• Physical abuse, psychological or
emotional abuse, or neglect
Family Instability
Family Structure
School Factors
• Poor quality of schools with fewer
fully-credentialed teachers at a
higher turn over rate and fewer
resources
6. Prevention
• Eat a healthy diet and maintain a healthy lifestyle
• Take a multivitamin with 400 micrograms* of folic acid every day before and during
pregnancy to prevent birth defects of the brain and spinal cord
• Avoid Hazardous Substances, like paint, pesticides, lead, cigarette smoke, etc.
• Sustain from substance abuse
• Early Prenatal Care
• Prenatal Testing
• Immunizations
• Genetic Counseling
• Early Intervention
7. S O U T H C A R O L I N A
C O L U M B I A
F O R T J A C K S O N
Community Resources
10. South Carolina Department of Disabilities and
Special Needs
GOAL
“SCDDSN is the state agency that plans,
develops, oversees and funds services for South
Carolinians with severe, lifelong disabilities of
intellectual disability, autism, traumatic brain
injury and spinal cord injury and conditions
related to each of these four disabilities. Our
mission is to assist people with disabilities and
their families in meeting needs, pursuing
possibilities and achieving life goals, and to
minimize the occurrence and reduce the
severity of disabilities through prevention.”
INDIVIDUAL & FAMILY SUPPORT
SERVICES:
Individual/Family Support Services Include:
Early Intervention
Genetic Evaluation, Treatment and Counseling
Services
Respite Services
Financial Assistance
Individualized Summer Services
Summer Camps
Individual Rehabilitation Support Services
SC Neural Tube Defect Awareness &
Prevention Initiative
Steps to Your Health
Residential Services
CONTACT INFORMATION
S.C. Department of Disabilities and Special
Needs
3440 Harden St. Ext.
Columbia, SC 29203
(803) 898-9600
www.ddsn.sc.gov/Pages/default.aspx
11. South Carolina Center for Fathers and
Families
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
“Fatherhood programs are thoughtfully created to
deliver services that work from the inside out, helping
fathers prepare to meet the material, emotional and
spiritual needs of their children. They no longer have
to go it alone because our fatherhood programs can
help.”
BENEFITS
This program offers solutions and assistance to prevent
the environmental risks of family instability, family
structure, child maltreatment, and poverty.
GOALS
“The South Carolina Center for
Fathers and Families is one of
the Southeast’s most experienced
and effective organizations
creating stronger, stable and
successful families by supporting
engaged and responsible
fathers.”
CONTACT INFORMATION
2711 Middleburg Drive, Suite 111 Columbia, SC 29204
Phone: 803.227.8800
www.scfathersandfamilies.com
12. South Carolina Department of Social
Services
Department of Social
Services for Children
and Families
The Family Independence program is also known as the Temporary
Assistance for Needy Families program (TANF)
GOAL
“The primary focus of the program is to assist
low income families meet basic needs by
providing cash assistance, supportive services,
and training and employment opportunities.
The FI Program is designed to serve both
single-parent and two-parent families, as well
as households with disabled adults. In many
instances these families would be eligible for
SNAP benefits and Medicaid.”
SERVICES PROVIDED
Assessments, Evaluations, and Screenings
Employment Planning & Placement Classes
Monthly Stipend
Work Experience
Community Service and On the Job Training
Vocational Education
Childcare and Transportation for Training and
Employment
Transitional Services with Employment
CONTACT INFORMATION
1535 Confederate Ave
Columbia, SC 29201
(803) 898-7601
dss.sc.gov/content/customers/finance/fi.aspx
14. Family Connection of SC
GOALS
“We are a statewide nonprofit organization
with the mission to strengthen and encourage
families of children with special healthcare
needs through parent support.”
PROGRAMS
Parent Match
Babynet Parent Connection
Project Breathe Easy
Parent Groups
Healthcare Connection
Hispanic Outreach
Project 360
NICU Support
Physician Education Awareness
Kid Connection
Hometown Connection
Respite Care
CONTACT INFORMATION
Columbia Office
2712 Middleburg Dr. Suite 103
Columbia, SC 29204
Phone: (803)252-0914
Email: info@FamilyConnectionSC.org
BENEFITS
Families of the Columbia community have
access to programs with Family Connections
that can decrease the risks of family instability
and child maltreatment. The programs also
offers knowledge about healthcare and proper
physicians which may lead to prevention.
17. Exceptional Family Member Program
GOALS
“The Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP) is a
Department of the Army (DA) Program to assist you
through selective assignments and reassignments as
you travel with your special needs family member(s).
The EFMP is designed to include all eligible family
members: children, spouses, and dependent relatives
with special needs requiring ongoing medical treatment
or special educational services.
Army Community Services (ACS) here at Fort Jackson
is committed to helping to improve the quality of life
and the well-being of our soldiers and family members.
The ACS EFMP, in particular, seeks to ensure that all
families caring for someone with physical, emotional,
developmental, or intellectual disorders receive prompt
and adequate information, referrals and assistance to
appropriate services and resources.”
CONTACT INFORMATION
5450 Strom Thurmond Blvd
Room 120
Fort Jackson, SC 29207
(803) 751-5256
http://fortjacksonmwr.com/acs_exp/
BENEFITS
As military families relocate, EFMP travels
with them. It is an Army wide program that
offers assistance with medical treatments and
educational services. It also hosts
recreational events on post for families to
socialize and collaborate. This program
prevents risks associated with family
instability, child maltreatment, school
factors, and improper healthcare. The
programs ability to travel with the soldier
from one duty station to the next is
remarkable assistance and family support.
18. STOMP
Specialized Training of Military Parents
GOALS
“STOMP, a parent-directed project exists to
empower military parents, individuals with
disabilities, and service providers with
knowledge, skills, and resources so that they
might access services to create a collaborative
environment for family and professional
partnerships without regard to geographic
location.”
STOMP delivers training information and
facilitates power beyond its resources by
having a parent driven approach, personal
experience and contacts, and expert knowledge
on disability and special education laws, rights,
regulations, and responsibilities as they
pertain to military families.
PURPOSE
To serve military families by:
• Providing information and training about
Laws, regulations and resources for military
families of children with disabilities
• Connecting families to other families
• Assisting parents and professionals in
developing their own community parent
education/support group
• Providing a voice to raise awareness of
issues faced by military families of children
with disabilities.
CONTACT INFORMATION
STOMP Headquarters Office
6316 S 12th St
Tacoma WA 98465
Phone: 253-565-2266 1-800-5PARENT
www.stompproject.org/default.asp
20. E D U C A T I O N A L A G E N C I E S
South Carolina
21. South Carolina State Department of Education
CONTACT INFORMATION
1429 Senate Street
Columbia, SC 29201
Tel: 803-734-8500
E-mail: info@ed.sc.gov
ed.sc.gov/agency
EXECPTIONAL CHILDREN
“The Office of Exceptional Children ensures that
all children with disabilities in the state have
available a free appropriate public education
(FAPE), protects the rights of these children and
their parents, and provides leadership to school
districts and state-operated programs in the
provision of appropriate special educational
services.”
GIFTED AND TALENTED
“The South Carolina State Board of Education
recognizes the need to provide gifted
education services to identified students in
grades 1-12. Gifted and talented students are
those who are identified in grades 1-12 as
demonstrating high performance ability or
potential in academic and/or artistic areas.
These students require an educational
program beyond that normally provided by
the general school program in order to
achieve their potential.”
22. E D U C A T I O N A L A G E N C I E S
Columbia
23. Richland County School District One
Based upon individual needs, children with disabilities are taught in the least restrictive environment.
ELIGIBLE CATEGORIES
• Pre-school Program for
Developmentally Delayed
(age 3-5)
• Autism (AUT)
• Emotional Disability (ED)
• Hearing Impairment (Hl)
• Intellectual Disability (Mild,
Moderate, Severe)
• Learning Disability (LD)
• Orthopedic Impairment (OI)
• Other Health Impairment
(OHI)
• Speech or Language
Impairment (SI)
• Traumatic Brain Injury
(TBI)
• Visual Impairment (VI)
RELATED SERVICES
• Audiological Services
• Counseling Services
• Interpreting Services
• Occupational Therapy
• Orientation & Mobility
• Parent Counseling and
Training
• Physical Therapy
• Psychological Services
• School Health Services
• School Nurse Services
• Specialized
Transportation
CONTACT INFORMATION
Richland County School District One,
1616 Richland St., Columbia, SC 29201
Phone: (803) 231-7000
richlandone.org/groups/special-
education-department
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
The school district’s website offers
links to valuable resources like
information for early intervention in
preschool, Individualized Education
Program (IEP), and a Parent
Handbook to Special Education.
24. E D U C A T I O N A L A G E N C I E S
Fort Jackson
25. Fort Jackson School Liaison Services
CONTACT INFORMATION
School Liaison Services
Joe E. Mann Bldg.,
C- Wing Room C-04
Fort Jackson, SC 29207
(803)751-6150
fortjacksonmwr.com/school_liaison/
education/specialNeeds.html
• The school liaison services offered assist military families in their transition to a new duty station and
school system by providing information on Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP),
Individualized Education Plan (IEP), psychological testing, and progress reports.
RESOURCES LISTED ON WEBSITE
• STOMP
• Pro Parents
• South Carolina Early Autism Project
• Military OneSource
• Yellow Pages for Kids with Disabilities
• Individuals with Disabilities Act IDEA
• Office of Special Education and
Rehabilitative Services (OSERS)
• Family Educational Rights and Privacy
Act (FERPA)
26. Educational and Developmental Intervention
Services
GOAL
“Fort Jackson EDIS program is a federally mandated program which provides comprehensive
services to eligible infants and toddlers (birth to age 3) with established developmental delays or
with a condition which has a high probability of resulting in developmental delay. The services
provided, at no cost to the parent, include screenings and evaluations for diagnostic and treatment
purposes, service coordination, family training and home visits, special education instruction,
speech pathology and audiology, physical therapy, occupational therapy, psychological services,
transportation, nutrition services, medical services for diagnostic purposes, vision services, and
assistive technology devices and services.”
CONTACT INFORMATION
Rooms 201 and 203
Building 4555 Scales Avenue
Fort Jackson
803- 751- 4165
moncrief.amedd.army.mil/Clinics/
edis.aspx
27. R E C R E A T I O N A L A G E N C I E S
South Carolina
28. South Carolina Special Olympics
CONTACT INFORMATION
1276 Assembly St
Columbia, SC 29201
803- 772- 1555
So-sc.org
GOAL
“The mission of Special Olympics is to
provide year-round sports training and
athletic competition in a variety of
Olympic-type sports for children and
adults with intellectual disabilities, giving
them continuing opportunities to develop
physical fitness, demonstrate courage,
experience joy and participate in a sharing
of gifts, skills and friendship with their
families, other Special Olympics athletes,
and the community.”
BENEFITS
Participation in group athletics builds
confidence and creates a positive self-
concept. Family members are able to
interact and find support among their peers
while enjoying their child achieve fitness
goals. This program decreases the risks of
family instability and child maltreatment.
29. Upcoming Special Olympics Events
March 15 – Cayce Tennis and Fitness Center, Cayce SC
2014 Spring Spin Tennis Tournament
March 15 – Mauldin Middle School, Simpsonville SC
Mauldin Middle Cross-Country 5k Fan Run
March 22 – The Citadel, Charleston SC
Area 6 Basketball Invitational
March 25 – SC State House, Columbia SC
End the “R” Word Statehouse Rally
30. R E C R E A T I O N A L A G E N C I E S
Columbia
31. The Arc of South Carolina
CONTACT INFORMATION
1202 12th St.
Cayce, SC 29033
(803) 748 — 5080
TheArc@ArcSC.org
www.arcsc.org
GOAL
“At The Arc of South Carolina, we believe in
person-centered planning — an approach that
empowers people with disabilities to make
choices about their lives. Our goal is to
support and help all individuals with special
needs to achieve recognition and acceptance
as valued members of their communities.”
PROJECTS
Walk this Way
Increasing physical activitiy for those
with and without disabilities
Rec-Connect/Arcworks
Activities involving social
communication for those with
Intellectual and Developmental
Disabilities
32. Upcoming Family Connection Recreational
Events
March 6
Asperger/ADHD Connection
6-7:30pm
Family Connection Columbia office
- 2712 Middleburg Dr., Ste 103,
Columbia SC
Come join is parent discussion
group.
For more info, call (803)252-0914
Hands and Voices
6pm
Family Connection Columbia office
(small conference room) - 2712
Middlburg Dr., Ste 103, Columbia
SC
Come join us at this parent
discussion group that meets the
first Thursday of each month.
For more info, call (803)252-0914
March 8
Down Syndrome Playgroup
1-3pm
Family Connection Columbia office
- 2712 Middleburg Dr., Ste 103,
Columbia SC
For more info, call (803)252-0914
March 11
Morning Coffee
10am
Panera Bread - On Harbison in
Irmo, SC
For more info, call (803)252-
0914
March 13
Morning Coffee
9am
Cracker Barrel - Sandhills, NE
Columbia
Tell the hostess that you are with
Family Connection
For more info, call (803)252-
0914
March 15
WINGS Group Yoga/Social
10am
Gigi Garzon's studio - 2518 Craig
Rd., Columbia SC
Join WINGS for this free yoga
and social!
RSVP to (803)315-9988
March 17
Autism Connection
6-7:30pm
Family Connection Columbia
office - 2712 Middleburg Dr.,
Ste 103, Columbia SC
Come join this parent
discussion group!Guest
speaker Adrianna Kleckley
with Carolina Behavior and
Beyond is coming to speak
about those newly
diagnosed.
For more info, call (803)252-
0914
March 18
Transitioning Out of
Special Education
Workshop
Presented by Tanya
Inabinet, PRO-Parents of SC
Regional Education
Coordinator
6-7:30pm
Family Connection Columbia
office - 2712 Middleburg Dr.,
Ste 103, Columbia SC
RSVP to (803)252-0914
March 22
Scrapbooking
1-5pm
Family Connection Columbia office
- 2712 Middleburg Dr., Ste 103,
Columbia SC
Join other parents at Family
Connection who enjoy
scrapbooking. No charge. Bring
your own supplies.
For more info, call (803)252-0914
March 28
Spring Spectacular Golf
Tournament
Hosted by Family Connection of SC
Register Now!
12pm Shotgun Start
WildeWood Country Club
Cost: $200 per team
This tournament is a two-person
shamble format. Registration i
includes cart, greens fees, range
balls, dinner, beverages and a gift
bag.
For more info, email Susie Phillips
at susiemp62@gmail.com
Richland County
33. E F M P R E C R E A T I O N A L A C T I V I T I E S
Fort Jackson
