The Special Needs Information Service Online is based on research indicating that parents and professionals need information about local resources to help them in caring for their children. In 1988 a survey of young children with special needs in Nova Scotia (Canning & Lyon, 1989) found that parents and professionals reported significant difficulty finding information on services available in the province and how to access them. In 2004 similar results were reported in an Ontario/Alberta survey (McLennan et al., 2004), as did a report on service gaps prepared for the Canadian Council on Social Development (2004).

The Special Needs Information Service Directory was initiated to address these needs in Nova Scotia. The directory, a compendium of resources and support services, was widely circulated and was issued in several editions in 1992-1995. In the late '90s, a pilot project developed the information service further using a toll free phone line in conjunction with a computerized database. In 2004 with the support of Technical Resource Centre, King's Regional Rehabilitation Centre, SNIS moved to the Internet.

Parents' suggestions have guided the development of SNIS from the original print directory to this website. Content, criteria for inclusion and format are all based on ideas presented in parent focus groups. Parent feedback and usage statistics have contributed to the redesign of SNIS Online after its first full year of operation. The site is more streamlined in appearance, easier to navigate and includes more information.

At the end of 2008, more than 44,000 separate visitors had made 55,436 specific visits and viewed 188,078 pages of information. Twenty-six percent made visits lasting between 5 minutes and 1 hour. Visitors looked for information most frequently by agency name, followed by service need and finally by location. Analysis of search words and phrases revealed differences between numbers of requests and number of service providers. For example the number of searches for respite care and residential services far exceeded the number of services in all locations. Annual statistics also showed seasonal variations in topics searched. September and January had the most requests for educational information and April and May the most for camps. The information provided by annual statistics will help SNIS Online stay up to date with user needs.

Notes:
Canning, P. & Lyon, M. (1988). A survey of young children with special needs.