Resources for Children with Special Needs
Search Tips

Getting Started
General Introduction
There are four ways to search the database: by CATEGORY, by SERVICE, by AGENCY/ORGANIZATION and by SPECIFIC CRITERIA relating to the child or family.
  1. You can browse through the list of CATEGORIES on the left and click the CATEGORY that best describes the type of help you need. Or,
  2. You can click the SERVICES button on the right and then type in a word or phrase that best describes the type of help you need. For example: Preschool, or Family Counseling, or Home Health Care. Or,
  3. You can click the AGENCY/ORGANIZATION button and then type the name of the agency for which you would like more information.
  4. After choosing one of the above, you can narrow your search with specific criteria (disability, age, zip or borough) relating to the child or family.
Your Search Result Is Organized by Geographic Location
  • If you do not select a borough or zip code (see “Specific Search Criteria” below), all the agencies in New York City appear first, by borough, in alphabetical order: Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan (New York), Queens, Staten Island. These are then followed by the states and their cities, in alphabetical order.

  • If you do select a location, all the agencies located in and serving that location will appear first, followed by agencies located in New York City (alphabetically by borough). For example, if you search for a service in Manhattan, agencies located in Manhattan will be at the top of the list, followed by agencies in Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, and then all states and their cities, in alphabetical order.
Use the program’s Back or Start Over buttons instead of the internet’s back browser.
 ?  Definitions for service terms can be found by clicking on the  ?  after the service term in the Category/Subcategory search and Services search.
Category Searches
Categories are the TYPES of services in our database.
  • Start by selecting a Category from the list on the left side of the screen. The next page lists Subcategories. Select one. The next page lists the Services in the subcategory. Select the service you want. You will get a list of agencies providing that service.
Note: Look for related services in the Service list. For example, if you selected Family Counseling, try also General Counseling Services. You will get a broader range of counseling programs.
Service Searches
Your Service search result can be broad or focused. For a broad search result, use Any Word or All Words; for a focused search result use Exact Phrase or Partial Word.
  • Any Word will search for EACH word you type in – be careful, this can result in a very long list.
  • All Words will contain ALL the words you type in any order.
  • Exact Phrase will contain ALL the words in the order you type them.
  • Partial Word (i.e., if you enter the word Parent, the result will be all variations of the term: parenting, grandparents, parent counseling, parent support, etc.).
Hint: If your Service search is coming up empty, try starting with a Category search. This will give you an idea of the service terms used in the database.
Agency/Organizations Searches
Enter the full name or partial name of an agency. If you type a name that includes common words such as and, the or for, do NOT use the Partial Word or Any Word search. Your search will return a list of all agencies and programs that include these words.
Specific Search Criteria
  • Disability
  • Age
  • ZIP Code or borough

Getting too long a list? Focus your search by selecting one or all of these criteria.

Getting too short a list? Expand your search by using fewer criteria.
Disability
Search by both the specific disability you are interested in and All Disabilities.

Some specific disabilities are cross-referenced to a broader disability term:

A Developmental Disability search will locate agencies that serve all developmental disabilities including autism, Asperger’s syndrome, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, Familial Dysautonomia, Fetal Alcohol syndrome, Fragile X syndrome, hydrocephalus, mental retardation, neurological disability, pervasive developmental disorder, Prader-Willi syndrome, seizure disorder (includes epilepsy), spina bifida, Tay-Sachs, traumatic brain injury and Williams syndrome.

Emotional Disability searches include anxiety disorders, depression, eating disorders, elective mutism, obsessive/compulsive disorder, phobias and schizophrenia.

Health Impairment searches include AIDS/HIV+, allergies, arthritis, asthma, blood disorders, cancer, cardiac disorder, chronic illness, colitis, cystic fibrosis, diabetes, life-threatening illness, obesity, renal disorders, scoliosis, sickle cell anemia, skin disorders and thyroid disorders.
Age and Grade
Searching for a school? For the most focused search, select “age” from the Specific Search Criteria and Education/Schools from the Category/Subcategory. Our service term Elementary Schools cover grades K - 8 and Secondary Schools cover grades 9 - 12. Schools serving grades 7 – 9 will appear in both Elementary School and Secondary School searches. Charter schools in New York City often start up with one or two grades and then add a grade each year until their goal is reached. Therefore, contact the school of your choice to see if they have added the grade you are interested in.
For More Help
If you are having trouble with searches and are able to call us, please call 212-677-4650, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m., and ask for the Publishing Group. We will be happy to help you with any problems.

We can provide training for agencies using our database. Call us at 212-677-4650 and ask for the Publishing Group.
© 2005-2006 Resources for Children with Special Needs, Inc. All rights reserved
Resources for Children with Special Needs