Overview
Navigating disability services across a lifetime doesn’t come with a manual, but this guide is the closest thing to one. Your Family’s Roadmap is a free, one-page visual guide created by Columbia Ability Alliance that walks families through eight life stages, from birth through adulthood, mapping the key services to explore, the deadlines to watch, the agencies to contact, and the financial and legal steps to take at each milestone.
The most common feedback CAA hears from families is: “I wish I had known about this sooner.” This guide is designed to make sure that doesn’t happen. Whether your family member is a toddler just starting early intervention or a young adult making the transition to post-school life, the Roadmap shows you what’s coming next, and what to do before it arrives.
Download Your Family’s Roadmap (PDF) →
Who This Is For
The Roadmap is designed for any family navigating disability services across the lifespan, but it’s especially valuable for:
- Families who are newly navigating the system and don’t know what to expect
- Parents of young children who want to plan ahead before deadlines sneak up
- Families of transition-age youth (ages 14–22) coordinating between school, DVR, and DDA
- Caregivers of adults who want a reminder of what to review and update annually
Print it. Tape it to the refrigerator. Share it with grandparents, case managers, and teachers. Bring it to IEP meetings as a reminder of the bigger picture.
Download Your Family’s Roadmap (PDF) →
Go Deeper: Hub Resources for Every Stage
Each stage of the Roadmap connects to fuller resource pages in this hub:
- Early Intervention (0–3): Children’s Developmental Center → | ESD 123 Early Support → | Benton Franklin Health District →
- School Years (4–22): Special Education Rights → | Special Education Advocacy / IEP Support → | ESD 123 →
- Transition (14–22): CAA Student Employment Services → | DVR → | Your First Steps: A Simple Roadmap →
- Financial Planning: Washington ABLE Savings Plan → | SSI / SSDI →
- Decision-Making at 18: Guardianship and Alternatives → | Supported Decision-Making →
- Adult Life: CAA Employment Services → | CAA Community Inclusion → | DDA → | Housing Resources →
