Technical Assistance ALLIANCE for Parent Centers
The Technical Assistance ALLIANCE for Parent Centers (the
ALLIANCE) is an innovative partnership of one national and six
regional parent technical assistance centers, each funded by the
U.S. Department of Education's Office of Special Education Programs
(OSEP). These seven projects comprise a unified technical
assistance system for the purpose of developing, assisting, and
coordinating the over 100 Parent Training and Information Centers
(PTIs) and Community Parent Resource Centers (CPRCs) under the
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. The national and
regional parent technical assistance centers work to strengthen the
connections to the larger OSEP Technical Assistance and
Dissemination Network and fortify partnerships between Parent
Centers and education systems at local, state, and national
levels.
Parent Centers - Parent Training and Information Centers (PTIs)
and Community Parent Resource Centers (CPRCs) - in each state
provide training and information to parents of infants, toddlers,
children, and youth with disabilities and to professionals who work
with them. This assistance helps parents to participate more
effectively with professionals in meeting their children's
educational needs. The Parent Centers work to improve outcomes for
children ages birth-26 years with all disabilities (emotional,
learning, cognitive, and physical).
Staff members in these centers, as well as at the ALLIANCE
offices, are likely to be parents of children with disabilities or
have disabilities themselves. The common experience with the
families they serve results in uncommon commitment to improving
outcomes and results for children with disabilities.
Services Provided
- Offer innovative technical assistance, up-to-date information,
and high quality resources and materials.
- Supports Parent Centers through standardized publications,
unified data collection, national conferences and institutes,
webinars, a monthly e-newsletter, management and nonprofit
expertise, and other resources.
- Conducts annual regional conferences and facilitate
individualized center assistance plans. Other work may include
providing training, conducting conference calls, and making center
site visits.