Please allow 3-5 business days to process your request. 

You can learn more about sponsorship and business opportunities by visiting our Business Opportunities page. 

Business Opportunities

No amount of dues paid to CEC are used for lobbying. 

No, membership dues in CEC are not tax deductible under the Internal Revenue Service Code. 

Yes – donations to any of CEC’s various funds are tax-deductible under the Internal Revenue Service Code. These are considered donations to CEC and not professional expenses.

• Professional Member – for professionals with more than three years working in special or general education.
• Early Career Professional Member – for professionals with three or fewer years working in special or general education.
• Retired Professional Member – for professionals who no longer hold a professional position – employee, consultant, or otherwise - in education or special education.
• Pre-Service Student Member – for currently enrolled undergraduate or graduate students, including doctoral candidates, who have not yet graduated and/or worked as a special education professional.
• Graduate Student Member – for currently enrolled undergraduate or graduate students, including doctoral candidates, who have been in the profession and are returning for additional credits/degree(s).
• Paraeducator Member – for paraprofessionals providing instructional or related support to students and their families under the direction and supervision of a certified teacher.
• Family/Affiliate Member – for individuals who are interested in special education but are not employed (including as consultants) in any field of education and/or special education.
• Group Membership/Professional Development Packages are available for groups of five (5) or more professionals from the same school, school district, cooperative, university, student group, or other organization. Groups must be submitted using this form and payment.

You can request a Membership Verification Letter by completing a short form. Your recipients will receive the letter and you will also receive a copy upon completion. For urgent requests, please contact us directly at (888) 232-7733 and be sure to have your CEC Member ID ready.

Request Verification Letter

You may view our rates by clicking below.

Current Rates

Yes. CEC offers one (1), two (2), and three (3) year membership options. 

The CEC membership is active for one year from date of payment. 

No. CEC does not permit the transfer of membership between individuals. The new member must join independently.

Yes, CEC offers a Family/Parent Affiliate membership which allows individuals interested in the special education field. Family/Parent Affiliate members cannot be employed in any field of education and/or special education (including as consultants). CEC does not provide services directly to children or families. 

Group membership information can be found on our Group Membership Page. CEC offers preferred rates to groups of five (5) or more.

Group Membership

Yes! Click below to submit a hardship waiver request and a member of our team will be in touch with you.

Request a Waiver

You may have a duplicate record in our system. Please contact CEC Member Services to have us merge your records and update your login information.

Please click below to sign in to your account. Usernames and passwords are case sensitive. If you do not remember your username or password, please contact CEC Member Services.

Login

First, login to your account. Next, under Account Actions, click Reset Password and follow the prompts. If you do not receive a confirmation email, please reach out to CEC Member Services. If you are unable to access your account or have difficulty with the reset form, please contact CEC Member Services.

Login

Please visit CEC’s Convention & Expo website. Scroll down to Group Rates to download the form. 

All purchase orders must be received with all accompanying registration forms. Before submitting your forms, be sure that all information is complete and accurate. Click below to submit your purchase order.

Uploads

No. Those who choose not to provide a vaccination verification are welcome to attend the virtual convention. A negative PCR test result will not be accepted for in-person registration. Accommodations requested at least three weeks in advance may be offered on a case-by-case basis for those unable to be vaccinated due to medical exemption. Accommodations may be requested by emailing convention@exceptionalchildren.org.

Learn More

Some events are eligible for group registration discounts. To learn more about group discounts, please visit the webpage of the event you would like to attend.

For CEC’s Convention & Expo discount information, visit the CEC Convention website and scroll down to Group Rates for the most up-to-date information.  

All purchase orders must be received with accompanying member information. We do not currently accept purchase orders online; they must be submitted directly to CEC. Click below to submit your purchase order.

Upload

Council for Exceptional Children

PO Box 79026

Baltimore, MD 21279-0026

NOTE: This address is for payments only. All other correspondence should be sent to CEC’s Office Address (above).  

Yes! All purchase orders must be received with accompanying member, attendee or product information. We do not currently accept purchase orders online; they must be submitted directly to CEC. Click below to submit your purchase order.

Upload

Please email lce@exceptionalchildren.org for more information or to request a trial of the program.

At the top of the page, click CEC Learning Library or by clicking below. For questions about accessing the Library, contact CEC Member Services.

Access CEC Learning Library