Special Kids

What Special Kids does

Special Kids, Incorporated (SKI) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 1990 by Agnes A. Johnson and Rose J. Ferguson, two parents of children with disabilities who sought to address systemic gaps in services for underserved families in the Houston, Texas area. The organization operates as a Community Parent Resource Center serving families of children and individuals with disabilities from birth through age 26, delivering services free of charge regardless of race, disability, religion, language, sexual orientation, or economic status.

SKI's core offerings are organized around two program areas: parent-focused services (one-on-one consultations, IEP/ARD workshops, support groups, and the SKI in Public Schools/SIPS program that operates inside Houston-area school districts) and youth-focused services (Youth Explorers Program, Mentoring Program, Life Skills Development, and a STEAM Summer Enrichment Program). The organization also operates the Agnes Johnson Computer Technology Center, hosts annual community events including a long-running Christmas Party (35th held in 2024), and provides referrals for basic needs such as housing, food, social services, and transportation. There are no proprietary technology systems; the model is human-delivered, in-person, and community-based.

The business model is donation-driven: SKI receives tax-deductible monetary contributions from individuals and tiered corporate sponsorship (Gold and Silver levels) with associated logo placement, event recognition, and complimentary gala tickets. Marketing and distribution rely on community-based channels including Facebook, Instagram, email newsletters, website content, school partnerships, word-of-mouth referrals, and community events. Headcount is small (11–50 employees), and the organization engaged over 100 families in 2024 across its events and programs.

Name

Special Kids

Legal name

Special Kids, Incorporated

Website

https://www.specialkidsinc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Special Kids Incorporated is a 501(c)(3) non-profit founded in 1990 in Houston, Texas, that provides free advocacy, training, support groups, and youth development services to families of children and individuals with disabilities from birth to age 26.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Disability Support and Advocacy Services

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120), Child and Youth Services (62411)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Family Advocacy, Parent Training & Support Services (EDAJAKAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Special Needs Early Intervention & Preschool Programs (EDAKAAAE), Parenting Education for Special Needs & Developmental Differences (EDACALAK), Down Syndrome & Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities (IDD) Childcare (HSAAAIAC)

Keywords

• Disability support services
• Special education advocacy
• Parent resource center
• Youth enrichment programs
• Family support services

Headquarters

HQ city

Pearland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: Monetary donations from individuals who support the organization's mission to serve families of children with disabilities. All monetary donations are tax-deductible as a 501(c)(3) organization.
2. Sponsorship Programs: Tiered sponsorship levels (Gold and Silver) that provide corporate partners prominent logo placement, event recognition, social media mentions, and complimentary gala tickets in exchange for financial contributions.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Special Kids, Incorporated (SKI) is a 501(c)(3) Community Parent Resource Center that provides free support services for families of children and individuals with disabilities (birth to age 26). Core offerings include one-on-one consultations, IEP/ARD advocacy workshops, parent and caregiver support groups, the SKI in Public Schools (SIPS) program, youth enrichment programs (Youth Explorers, Mentoring, Life Skills, STEAM Summer Enrichment), and the Agnes Johnson Computer Technology Center.

Product overview

Special Kids Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization operating as a Community Parent Resource Center. The organization offers a comprehensive suite of services for families of children with disabilities from birth to age 26. Services are delivered through multiple interconnected programs including One-on-One Consultations, Workshops for Parents (covering IEP/ARD support), Support Groups (including the SKI in Public Schools/SIPS program), and Youth Programs (Youth Explorers, Mentoring, Life Skills Development, and STEAM Summer Enrichment). The organization also provides access to technology resources through its Agnes Johnson Computer Technology Center and hosts annual community events. Services are provided without regard to race, disability, religion, language, sexual orientation, or economic status, focusing on empowering underserved families in the Houston, Texas area.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• One-on-One Consultations Individual consultations with parents over the phone and in person to address specific needs of their child with disabilities; staff assist parents in working with professionals to plan appropriate services.
• Workshops for Parents Training and empowerment programs helping parents advocate for IEP (Individualized Education Plan) and ARD (Admission, Review and Dismissal) meeting strategies, and effectively communicate with teachers and administrators.
• Support Groups for Parents and Caregivers Support group meetings providing emotional and practical support to parents and caregivers of children with disabilities, with exchange of information and ideas to reduce isolation.
• SKI in Public Schools (SIPS) A parent-run support group program designed to bridge communication between parents of children receiving special education services, faculty, and school administrators on school campuses.
• Youth Explorers Program
• Mentoring Program Program pairing youth with disabilities with positive role models who provide guidance and help build confidence in navigating personal challenges.
• Life Skills Development Program focused on teaching essential life skills to empower youth with disabilities in making informed decisions.
• Youth Explorers STEAM Summer Enrichment Program Four-week summer enrichment program focused on Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math education with hands-on activities, creative projects, and career-building exercises for youth with disabilities.
• Annual Community Events Program Annual community-building events including the Christmas Party, Easter Egg Hunt, Parents Night Out, Back to School Family Fun Day, and youth camping trips such as Camp Mohawk.
• Agnes Johnson Computer Technology Center Technology center opened in 2006 providing Special Kids families with access to the internet and computer technology.

Quantifiable outcome

• Engaged over 100 families in 2024 through events, enrichment programs, and community celebrations
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Chicken N Pickle of Webster, TXminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2024Donor and sponsor of SKI's Easter Egg Hunt event and Parents Night Out 2024. Provided venue for community event bringing families together for games and activities.
• Grassroots Consortium on DisabilitiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-founded by SKI Co-Founder Agnes Johnson. A consortium of organizations working together on disability advocacy issues throughout the United States. SKI developed partnerships with other advocacy organizations through this network.
• Camp MohawkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost venue for SKI's Youth Explorers Program two-day camping trips in November. Provides outdoor facilities for team-building exercises, leadership activities, and nature exploration.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Broad incumbents

• Easterseals: A national 501(c)(3) network serving people with disabilities and special needs across the lifespan through services, advocacy, and education — directly comparable mission and service mix to SKI but operating at significantly larger, multi-state scale.
• The Arc of the United States: National disability advocacy organization serving individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and their families — closely mirrors SKI's IDD advocacy focus and family-empowerment mission.
• Best Buddies International: International nonprofit creating opportunities for one-to-one friendships, integrated employment, and leadership development for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities — comparable population and life-skills/mentoring programming to SKI's Youth Explorers and Mentoring services.
• National Disability Rights Network: U.S. membership network of protection and advocacy systems for people with disabilities — federal-scale counterpart to SKI's local advocacy and parent-empowerment mission.

Direct peers

• Parent to Parent USA: A national network of state-based Parent to Parent programs providing parent-to-parent support and information for families of children with disabilities — directly aligned with SKI's parent-support-group and family-advocacy model.
• Navigate Life Texas: A Texas-based program supporting parents of children with disabilities and special health care needs — operates in the same Texas geography with the same family-navigation and resource-referral focus as SKI.
• Disability Rights Texas: Texas-based legal advocacy and disability rights organization representing people with disabilities — shares SKI's Texas-only geographic footprint and similar goal of empowering families to navigate services and advocate for rights.
• Family to Family Network: Houston-area organization providing information, training, and support to families of children with disabilities — the most direct local peer to SKI, serving the same Houston-area families with similar IEP/special-education navigation services.
• Partners Resource Network (Texas PTI): Texas's Parent Training and Information Center providing parent training on special education, IEPs, and disability rights to families across the state — overlaps directly with SKI's IEP/ARD workshop and parent-empowerment offerings.

Regional players

• Special Olympics Texas: Texas affiliate of Special Olympics providing year-round sports training and competition for children and adults with intellectual disabilities — shares SKI's Houston-area footprint and disability population, with overlapping youth-enrichment programming.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Empowermentfamiliesbuildingfutures
• Instagraminstagram.com/specialkidsinc
• Xx.com/specialkids89

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Special Kids