Early Childhood Resources
ADVICE FROM BREEANNE: Although services may sometimes seem few and far between, there are free services that are required to provide assistance to you. Don’t give up! As a parent myself, I believe parents of children with disabilities should not discouraged when they are told that their child has a disability. There are programs that will help children and their families with early intervention services. Parents should be aware that they have the right to be involved in every aspect of their child’s education too.
Where to start ... If you are concerned a child might have a disability or developmental delay, start by calling the early childhood tracking program.
Turtle Mountain Infant Tracking Program - TM Headstart, Cindy Gillis P.O. Box 900 Belcourt, ND Ph. 701-477-0260
Spirit Lake Early Childhood Tracking - P.O. Box 489 Fort Totten, ND 58335 Ph. 701-766-1238
Lake Region KIDS (Offers occupational, speech and physical therapy as well as other services for families in the Lake Region)- 218 4th Street SW Devils Lake, ND 58301 Ph. 701-662-6324 They serve Benson, Ramsey, Rollette, Cavalier, Eddy and Towner counties.
If you don't live on the Turtle Mountain or Spirit Lake Reservation and need to find services... call the North Dakota state department for a referral to services in your area...
Disability Services Division Phone: (701 328-8930) Toll Free: 1-800-755-8529600 TTY: (701) 328-8968North Dakota Department of Human Services Developmental Disabilities Suite 1A , South Second Street, Bismarck, 58504-5729
Often, the hardest problem people face is finding the information they need, especially what resources are available to help. There are many programs out there. For tribal communities many of these services are provided through the school’s Special Education program which is available in all communities. Have you thought of networking with your school support services? The special education personnel should be able to let you know about other programs available to you – everything from the Special Olympics to Vocational Rehabilitation. One advantage of small communities is we can all work together and get to know one another. If there is an interagency council, a Family Services Committee or other group you can join to network with other programs - join it!
