Each state sets eligibility ages for services to children and youth with disabilities. For current information concerning this state, please contact the office listed under Department of Education: Special Education.

State Department of Education: Special Education
Dennis Kane, Director 
Student Support Services
120 State Street, State Office Building 
Montpelier, VT 05620-2501
(802) 828-2755
Web: www.state.vt.us/educ/sped.htm 

State Coordinator for NCLB (No Child Left Behind)
Bud Myers, Deputy Commissioner
Standards & Assessment
Student Support Services
120 State Street, State Office Building 
Montpelier, VT 05620-2501
(802) 828-5101
Web: www.state.vt.us/educ/sped.htm

Programs for Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities: Ages Birth through 2 
Helen Keith, Director
Family, Infant and Toddlers Programs
P.O. Box 70
Burlington, VT 05402
(802) 651-1786
E-mail: hkeith@vdh.state.vt.us
Web: www.state.vt.us/health/hi/cshn/fitp/fitp.htm

Programs for Children with Disabilities: Ages 3 through 5 
Mark Sustic, Preschool Coordinator 
Special Education Unit
Department of Education 
120 State Street 
Montpelier, VT 05620-2501
(802) 828-5115
E-mail: msustic@doe.state.vt.us
Web: www.state.vt.us/educ

State Vocational Rehabilitation Agency 
Diane Dalmasse, Director 
Vocational Rehabilitation Division 
Department of Aging and Disabilities
Agency of Human Services 
103 S. Main Street
Waterbury, VT 05671-2303 
(802) 241-2186
E-mail: diane@dad.state.vt.us
Web: www.vocrehabvermont.org

Coordinator for Transition Services 
K. Michael Ferguson, Special Education Consultant BEST Team 
Vermont State Department of Education 
120 State Street 
Montpelier, VT 05620 
(802) 828-5110
E-mail: mlferguson@doe.state.vt.us
Web: www.state.vt.us/educ/new/html/pgm_sped.html#links

Office of State Coordinator of Vocational Education for Students with Disabilities 
Ruth Durkee, Special Needs Consultant
Vocational Education for Disadvantaged and Handicapped Programs
Department of Education 
120 State Street
Montpelier, VT 05620 
(802) 828-3101
Web: www.state.vt.us/educ

State Developmental & Mental Health Services
Susan Besio, Commissioner 
Department of Developmental and Mental Health Services
Agency of Human Services 
103 S. Main Street, Weeks Building 
Waterbury, VT 05671-1601 
(802) 241-2610 
E-mail: sbesio@ddmhs.state.vt.us
Web: www.state.vt.us/dmh/

State Mental Health Representative for Children and Youth 
Charles Biss, Director of the Child, Adolescent and Family Unit
Division of Mental Health
103 S. Main Street, Weeks Building
Waterbury, VT 05671-1601
(802) 241-2650
E-mail: cbiss@ddmhs.state.vt.us 
Web: www.state.vt.us/dmh/

State Developmental Services Program 
Theresa Wood, Director 
Division of Developmental Services 
Department of Developmental and Mental Health Services
103 S. Main Street, Weeks Building
Waterbury, VT 05671-1601
(802) 241-2648; (802) 241-2614 
E-mail: twood@ddmhs.state.vt.us
Web: www.state.vt.us/dmh

State Developmental Disabilities Planning Council 
Vermont Developmental Disabilities Council 
103 S. Main Street, North 1
Waterbury, VT 05671-0206 
(802) 241-2612 (V/TTY)
E-mail: vtddc@ahs.state.vt.us
Web: www.ahs.state.vt.us/vtddc

Protection and Advocacy Agency
Nancy Breiden, Director 
Disability Law Project 
57 N. Main Street
Rutland, VT 05701
(802) 775-0021; (800) 769-7459 (V/TTY)
(800) 889-2047 (state office)
E-mail: nbreiden@vtlegalaid.org
Web: www.vtlegalaid.org

Ed Paquin, Executive Director
Vermont Protection and Advocacy, Inc.
141 Main Street, Suite 7
Montpelier, VT 05602
(802) 229-1355; (800) 834-7890 (In VT)
E-mail: info@vtpa.org
Web: www.vtpa.org

Client Assistance Program 
Karen Colgrove, Director 
Client Assistance Program 
1111 Main Street, Suite B
St. Johnsbury, VT 05819
(802) 748-4611; (802) 769-6728
E-mail: kcolgrove@vtlegalaid.org
Web: www.vtlegalaid.org

Programs for Children with Special Health Care Needs 
Carol Hassler, M.D., Director 
Children with Special Health Needs
Department of Health 
108 Cherry Street
P.O. Box 70 
Burlington, VT 05402 
(802) 863-7338
E-mail: chassle@vdh.state.vt.us
Web: www.state.vt.us/health/hi/cshn/cshn.htm

State CHIP Program
(health care for low-income uninsured children)
Dr. Dynasaur
103 S. Main Street
Waterbury, VT 05671
(800) 250-8427
Web: www.path.state.vt.us/Programs_Pages/Healthcare/drdynasaur.htm

Programs for Children and Youth who are Blind or Visually Impaired 
Fred Jones, Director 
Division for the Blind and Visually Impaired
Department of Aging and Disabilities
Agency of Human Services 
103 S. Main Street 
Waterbury, VT 05671-2304 
(802) 241-2132 
E-mail: fredj@dad.state.vt.us
Web: www.dad.state.vt.us/dbvi/

Programs for Children and Youth who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing
Rene' Pellerin, Coordinator of Services for the Deaf 
Division of Vocational Rehabilitation
103 S. Main Street, Osgood II
Waterbury, VT 05671-2303
(802) 241-2186 (V/TTY); (802) 241-2199 (TTY)
E-mail: rene@dad.state.vt.us
Web: www.vocrehabvermont.org

Ed Peltier, Executive Director
Vermont Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
209 Austine Drive, Suite 310
Brattleboro, VT 05301
(802) 258-9500 (V/TTY)
Web: www.austine.pvt.k12.vt.us

State Education Agency Rural Representative 
Leane Page Garland
Department of Education
Special Education Unit 
120 State Street 
Montpelier, VT 05602 
(802) 828-0555
Web: www.state.vt.us/educ

Telecommunications Relay Services for Individuals who are Deaf, Hard of Hearing, or with Speech Impairments
(800) 253-0195 (V)
(800) 253-0191 (TTY); 711 (TTY)
(800) 229-5746 (Speech to Speech - English)
(866) 260-9470 (Speech to Speech - Spanish)

Regional ADA & IT Technical Assistance Center
Valerie Fletcher, Executive Director
Oce Harrison, Project Director
New England ADA and Accessible IT Center
Adaptive Environments Center, Inc.
374 Congress Street, Suite 301
Boston, MA 02210
(800) 949-4232 (V/TTY)
E-mail: adaptive@adaptenv.org
Web: www.adaptenv.org

University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities
Chigee Cloninger, Executive Director
Center on Disability and Community Inclusion
University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities Education, Research, and Service
University of Vermont 
208 Colchester Avenue
Burlington, VT 05405-1757
(802) 656-4031 (V/TTY)
E-mail: chigee.cloninger@uvm.edu
Web: www.uvm.edu/~cdci

Technology-Related Assistance 
Julie Tucker, Director
Vermont Assistive Technology Project
103 South Main Street, Weeks Building
Waterbury, VT 05671-2305
(802) 241-2620 (V/TTY)
E-mail: jtucker@dad.state.vt.us
Web: www.vocrehabvermont.org

State Mediation System 
Susan Boyd, Coordinator
Vermont Department of Education
120 State Street
Montpelier, VT 05620-2501
(802) 828-3136
E-mail: Sboyd@doe.state.vt.us
Web: www.state.vt.us/educ/

Special Format Library
S. Francis Woods, Librarian
Vermont Department of Libraries 
Special Services Unit 
578 Paine Turnpike North 
Berlin, VT 05602 
(802) 828-3273; (800) 479-1711 
E-mail: ssu@dol.state.vt.us

Disability-Specific Organizations

Attention Deficit Disorder
To identify an ADD group in your state or locality, contact either:

Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD)
8181 Professional Place, Suite 201
Landover, MD 20785
(301) 306-7070
(800) 233-4050 (Voice mail to request information packet)
Web: www.chadd.org

Attention Deficit Disorder Association (ADDA) 
P.O. Box 543
Pottstown, PA 19464
(484) 945-2101
Web: www.add.org

Autism
Lisa W. Lawlor, Director
Autism Society of Vermont
P.O. Box 978
White River Junction, VT 05001
(802) 457-3764; (800) 559-7398
Web: www.autism-info.org

Blind/Visual Impairments
Regina Genwright, Director of Information Center
American Foundation for the Blind
11 Penn Plaza, Suite 300
New York, NY 10001
(212) 502-7658; (212) 502-7662 (TTY)
E-mail: afbinfo@afb.net
Web: www.afb.org

Steve Pouliot, Executive Director
Vermont Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired
37 Elmwood Avenue
Burlington, VT 05401
(802) 863-1358; (800) 639-5861 
E-mail: general@vabvi.org
Web: www.vabvi.org/

Brain Injury
James Vyhnak, Executive Director
Brain Injury Association of Vermont
8 Mountain Street
Bristol, VT 05443
(802) 453-6456
E-mail: biavt@aol.com
Web: www.biavt.org

Cerebral Palsy 
James Lund, Executive Director
Association for Cerebral Palsy 
73 Main Street, Room 17
Montpelier, VT 05602 
(802) 223-5161 

Down Syndrome
Jeneane Lunn
Down Syndrome Network of Vermont
7 Center Street
Montpelier, VT 05602
(802) 223-0113; (802) 223-6149
E-mail: cvarc@adelphia.net

Epilepsy
Audrey Butler, Executive Director
Epilepsy Foundation of Vermont 
P.O. Box 6292 
Rutland, VT 05702
(802) 775-1686
E-mail: epilepsy@sover.net

Learning Disabilities
Christina Thurston
Learning Disabilities Association of Vermont
P.O. Box 1041
Manchester Center, VT 05255
(802) 362-3127
E-mail: chthurston@juno.com

Mike Angwin and Caryl Patten, Co-Presidents
New Hampshire Branch of the International Dyslexia Association
(also serving Vermont and Maine)
P.O. Box 3724
Concord, NH 03302
(603) 229-7355
E-mail: referralsVermont@nhida.org
Web: www.nhida.org

Mental Health
National Mental Health Association (NMHA)
( to identify an NMHA chapter in your state )
1021 Prince Street
Alexandria, VA 22314-2971
(800) 969-6642
Web: www.nmha.org

Clare Munat, President 
NAMI Vermont
132 S. Main Street
Waterbury, VT 05676
(802) 244-1396; (800) 639-6480
E-mail: namivt@adelphia.net
Web: www.namivt.org

Lisa Conlan, Executive Director
Vermont Federation of Families for Children's Mental Health
P.O. Box 607
Montpelier, VT 05601-0607
(802) 223-4917; (800) 639-6071 (Families only)
E-mail: VFFCMH@together.net

Mental Retardation/Developmental Disabilities
David Wallace, Executive Director 
ARC of Vermont 
346 Shelburne Road
Burlington, VT 05401
(802) 846-7291
E-mail: info@arcvermont.org
Web: www.arcvermont.org

James Lund, Executive Director
Central Vermont Arc
73 Main Street, Suite 17
Montpelier, VT 05602
(802) 223-6149
E-mail: cvarc@adelphia.net

Speech and Hearing
Patti Taffel, President
Vermont Speech-Language-Hearing Association
64 West Road
Barre, VT 05641
(802) 479-2109
E-mail: ptaffel@helicon.net

Organizations Especially for ParentsAnd Caregivers

Parent Training and Information Center (PTI) 
Connie Curtin, Director 
Vermont Parent Information Center
Chace Mill
1 Mill Street, Suite 310 
Burlington, VT 05401
(802) 658-5315 (V/TTY); (800) 639-7170 (In VT)
E-mail: vpic@vtpic.com
Web: www.vtpic.com

Parent-To-Parent 
Nancy DiVenere, Director
Parent-to-Parent Program of Vermont
600 Blair Park Road, Suite 240
Williston, VT 05495
(800) 800-4005, ext. 26
E-mail: p2pvt@partoparvt.org
Web: www.partoparvt.org

Parent Teacher Association (PTA) 
Holly Hall, President
Vermont Congress of Parents and Teachers
P.O. Box 284
Richmond, VT 05477
(802) 893-0782
E-mail: vt_office@pta.org
Web: www.vermontpta.org

Other Disability Organizations

Donna Bailey and Susan Harding, Co-Directors
Addison County Parent Child Center
P.O. Box 646
Middleburg, VT 05753
(802) 388-3171
Web: www.sover.net/~thepcc

Peter Youngbaer, Executive Director
Vermont Coalition for Disability Rights
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier, VT 05602
(802) 223-6140
E-mail: VCDR@sover.net

Alex Chirelstein, Executive Director
VSA arts of Vermont
The Woolen Mill
20 W. Canal Street, Suite 7
Winooski, VT 05404
(802) 655-7772
E-mail: info@vsavt.org
Web: www.vsavt.org

Independent Living 

To find out the contact information for the Statewide 
Independent Living Council (SILC) in your state, contact:
Independent Living Research Utilization Project
The Institute for Rehabilitation and Research
2323 South Sheppard, Suite 1000
Houston, TX 77019
(713) 520-0232 (V); (713) 520-5136 (TTY)
E-mail: ilru@ilru.org
Web: www.ilru.org

To find out the contact information for centers for 
independent living (CILs) in your state, contact:
National Council on Independent Living
1916 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 209
Arlington, VA 22201
(703) 525-3406; (703) 525-4153 (TTY)
E-mail: ncil@ncil.org
Web: www.ncil.org