STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION: SPECIAL EDUCATION
Robert M. Pryhoda, Director
Office of Special Needs
Department of Education, Shepard Building
255 Westminster Street, Room 400
Providence, RI 02903-3400
(401) 222-4600, ext. 2301
PROGRAMS FOR CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES:
AGES 3 THROUGH 5
Charlotte Diffendale, Preschool ECSE Consultant
Special Education Program Services Unit
Shepard Building
255 Westminster Street
Providence, RI 02903-3400
(401) 222-4600, ext. 2457
PROGRAMS FOR INFANTS AND TODDLERS WITH DISABILITIES:
AGES BIRTH THROUGH 2
Ron Caldarone, Part H Coordinator
Division of Family Health
State Department of Health
3 Capital Hill, Rm. 302
Providence, RI 02908-5097
(401) 222-2313; (401) 222-2312
STATE VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION AGENCY
Raymond A. Carroll, Acting Administrator
Office of Rehabilitation Services
Department of Human Services
40 Fountain Street
Providence, RI 02903
(401) 421-7005, Ext. 301
Web: www.ors.state.ri.us
OFFICE OF STATE COORDINATOR OF VOCATIONAL EDUCATION FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES
Thomas W. Stoh
State Department of Education
RI Transition Project for Youth with Disabilities
Shepard Building
255 Westminster Street
Providence, RI 02903-3400
(401) 222-4600, Ext. 2216
STATE MENTAL HEALTH AGENCY
A. Kathryn Power, Director
Department of MH, Retardation & Hospitals
600 New London Avenue
1 Barry Hall
Cranston, RI 02920
(401) 462-3201
STATE MENTAL HEALTH REPRESENTATIVE FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH
George McCahey, Acting Chief
Children’s Behavioral Health
610 Mt. Pleasant Avenue, Building #7
Providence, RI 02908
(401) 457-4514
STATE MENTAL RETARDATION PROGRAM
Lynda Kahn, Executive Director
Division of Developmental Disabilities
Department of Mental Health, Retardation & Hospitals
Aime J. Forand Building
600 New London Avenue
Cranston, RI 02920
(401) 464-3234
STATE DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES PLANNING COUNCIL
Marie Citrone, Executive Director
R.I. Developmental Disabilities Council
400 Bald Hill Road, Suite 515
Warwick, RI 02886
(401) 737-1238 (V/TTY)
Web: www.riddc.org
PROTECTION AND ADVOCACY AGENCY
Raymond L Bandusky, Executive Director
Rhode Island Disability Law Center
349 Eddy Street
Providence, RI 02903
(401) 831-3150; (401) 831-5335 (TTY)
(800) 733-5332 (in RI)
PROGRAMS FOR CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL HEALTH CARE NEEDS
Ron Caldarone, Director
Office for Children with Special Health Care Needs
Department of Health
3 Capitol Hill
Providence, RI 02908
(401) 222-2313; (401) 222-2312
STATE AGENCY FOR THE VISUALLY IMPAIRED
Jack Thompson, Deputy Administrator
Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired, Department of Human Services
40 Fountain Street
Providence, RI 02903
(401) 222-2300; (800) 752-8088, Ext. 2300; (401) 222-3010 (TTY)
(401) 222-7990 (Cambodian telephone line)
(401) 222-8090 (Hispanic telephone line)
Web: www.ors.state.ri.us
PROGRAMS FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH WHO ARE DEAF OR HARD OF HEARING
Pamela Zellner, Acting Coordinator
Commission on the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
One Capitol Hill, Ground Floor
Providence, RI 02908-5850
(401) 222-1204 (V); (401) 222-1205 (TTY)
Web: www.state.ri.us/ricdhh
STATE EDUCATION AGENCY RURAL REPRESENTATIVE
Robert Pryhoda, Director
Office of Special Needs
Department of Education, Shepard Building
255 Westminster Street, Room 400
Providence, RI 02903-3400
(401) 222-3505
REGIONAL ADA TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AGENCY
Adaptive Environments Center, Inc.
374 Congress Street, Suite 301
Boston, MA 02210
(617) 695-1225 (V/TTY)
Web: www.adaptenv.org
DISABILITY ORGANIZATIONS
Attention Deficit Disorder
To identify an ADD group in your state or locality, contact either:
Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (CH.A.D.D)
8181 Professional Place, Suite 201
Landover, MD 20785
(301) 306-7070
(800) 233-4050 (Voice mail to request information packet)
Web: www.chadd.org
National Attention Deficit Disorder Association (ADDA)
P.O. Box 1303
Northbrook, IL 60065-1303
Web: www.add.org
Autism
To identify an autism group in your state, contact:
Autism Society of America
7910 Woodmont Avenue, Suite 300
Bethesda, MD 20814
(301) 657-0881; (800) 3-AUTISM
Brain Injury
Sharon Brinkworth, Executive Director
Brain Injury Association
Independent Square, 500 Prospect Street
Pawtucket, RI 02860
(401) 725-2360
Cerebal Palsy
United Cerebral Palsy of Rhode Island
1704 Broad Street
Cranston, RI 02905
401.941.9377
Web: www.ucpri.org
Learning Disabilities
Janice DeFrances, President
Learning Disabilities Association of RI
P.O. Box 6685
Providence, RI 02940
(401) 294-7994
Mental Health
Laure Turn-Mulrooney, Executive Director
Mental Health Association of RI
500 Prospect St.
Pawtucket, RI 02860
(401) 726-2285
Lisa Conlan, Director
Parent Support Network
400 Warwick Avenue, #12
Warwick, RI 02888
(401) 467-6855; (800) 483-8844 (in RI)
Nicki Sahlin, Ph.D., Assistance Director
NAMI Rhode Island
1255 North Main Street
Providence, RI 02904
(401) 331-3060
Mental Retardation
James Healey, Executive Director
The Rhode Island Arc
99 Bald Hill Road
Cranston, RI 02920
(401) 463-9191
Special Health Care Needs
Family Voices of Rhode Island
175 Main Street
Pawtucket, RI 02860
(800) 464-3399 (in RI); (401) 727-4144
Speech and Hearing
Patricia Iasrate Bellini, President
RI Speech-Language-Hearing Association
P.O. Box 9241
Providence, RI 02940
(401) 455-7472
Spina Bifida
Deborah Gellman
Spina Bifida Association of RI
P.O. Box 6948
Warwick, RI 02889
(401) 732-7862
Visual Impairments
Elga Joffee, Director of Information Center
American Foundation for the Blind
11 Penn Plaza, Suite 300
New York, NY 10001
(212) 502-7600; (212) 502-7662 (TTY)
Web: www.afb.org
UNIVERSITY AFFILIATED PROGRAM
A. Anthony Antosh, Director
UAP of Rhode Island
600 Mount Pleasant Avenue
Providence, RI 02908
(401) 456-8072; (401) 456-8773 (TTY)
TECHNOLOGY-RELATED ASSISTANCE
Susan Olson, Project Director
Rhode Island Assistive Technology Access Partnership
Office of Rehabilitation Services
40 Fountain Street
Providence, RI 02903-1898
(800) 752-8088, Ext. 2608 (in RI)
(401) 421-7005; (401) 421-7016 (TTY)
Web: www.atap.state.ri.us
PARENT TRAINING AND INFORMATION PROJECT
Annie Bisson, Executive Director
RI Parent Info Network (RIPIN)
175 Main Street
Pawtucket, RI 02860
(401) 727-4144; (800) 464-3399 (In RI)
Web: www.ripin.org
PARENT TEACHER ASSOCIATION (PTA)
Pauline Nunes, President
Rhode Island Congress of Parents and Teachers
RIC Campus-Building #6
600 Mt. Pleasant Avenue
Providence, RI 02908
(401) 272-6405
OTHER DISABILITY ORGANIZATIONS
John Kelly, President
Easter Seal Society RI
Meeting Street Center,
667 Waterman Avenue
East Providence, RI 02914
(401) 438-9500; (401) 438-3690 (TTY)
Governor’s Commission on Disabilities
555 Valley Street, Building 51, 3rd Floor
Providence, RI 02908-5686
(401) 222-3731; (401) 222-5686
Web: gcd.ri.gov
Jeannine Chartier, Executive Director
VSA (Very Special Arts) Rhode Island
500 Prospect Street
Pawtucket, RI 02860
(401) 725-0247