In the fall of 1991 two parents were brought together because of their common interest in
children with special needs. By January 1992 they had not only become friends, but had
begun the long, sometimes overwhelming road of pursuing improved services not only for
their children with special needs but for all persons with special needs and their families.

Many, many hours of brainstorming ideas and fact-finding meetings brought them to the
decision to form a non-profit resource center. The center was formally named Access for
Special Kids Resource Center (ASK). ASK Resource Center would serve persons with
special needs, their families as well as the professional community.

This commitment began to grow! The two parents recruited others, formed a board of
directors and began to loan materials and answer the phones from their homes.

As the community needs grew, the original ASK board realized the center was more than
they could handle on a volunteer, part time basis. About that time, a congressional staff
member requested that they consider taking on the responsibility of applying for the
Parent Training and Information (PTI) grant. And, as the saying goes…the rest is history.

Through the years, ASK has taken on new community partners, projects and challenges.
We continue to build on our early vision of a one-stop-shop to provide information and
resources to individuals with disabilities and their families.

Through coordinated efforts, ASK partner organizations engage in a wide variety of
activities and outreach efforts to all parts of the state of Iowa.