A parent-to-parent |
WHO I CALL? |
 by Brandi Dawson-King |
Above left: The King family has discovered local groups to help care for Orrand, Jr., who is all smiles despite his cerebral palsy. Above right: George Jenkins benefits from his mom’s activism in local organizations that support children with autism.
It is interesting to hear people’s thoughts on parenting children with special needs. Some think that with disability payments (SSI), families suffer no financial strain. Some even think that for those forced to quit work to care for their child, it must be fun to be at home. These misconceptions are not only wrong, but hurtful to those who experience the challenges of everyday life with a special-needs child.
Even more difficult is the adjustment new parents must make once their child receives a diagnosis. Many deal with feelings of uncertainty, guilt and depression. Once the initial shock has passed, the parents must begin to learn how to properly care for their special child.
As the parent of two children with special needs, I know the stress and frustration of day-to-day life in the world of disability. Struggles obtaining Social Security for our children and numerous days of missed work are only the beginning. Fortunately, I also know the joy and strength that can be gained once you find access to the necessary resources and people who will strive to serve your family.
Being new to this way of life four years ago, I had to learn to navigate the special needs system. I discovered several resources here in Columbus designed especially to help parents give their children the best life possible. Pediatria, Babies Can’t Wait, and STEPS are just a few whose services stand ready to meet your family’s needs.
Babies Can’t Wait (BCW) is Georgia’s Early Intervention Program for Infants and Toddlers. From birth until age three, the program serves children with an established risk of a developmental delay due to a diagnosed physical or mental condition.
BCW provides the initial evaluation and assessment, conducted by a qualified team of professionals to determine eligibility and the scope of services and support needed. BCW also provides service coordination to assist families in identifying and accessing resources, services and support in their local communities.
Both the evaluation and assessment and the ongoing service coordination are provided at no cost to families. Early intervention services are provided in places where children live, learn and play to increase opportunities to practice new skills within the family’s routines and activities.
Walter B. remembered his son’s first days. “As a parent of a child born very prematurely, I was filled with doubts and fears concerning my son’s future,” he said. “When I learned of the Babies Can’t Wait Program, all those fears and doubts changed to hope and understanding.”
Pediatria HealthCare For Kids is an innovative provider of day healthcare services. Led by a team of skilled pediatric healthcare professionals, the company delivers clinical services that promote the ultimate level of wellness for medically fragile children, while educating and strengthening the entire family. Children from birth to five years with complex medical problems benefit from care received from highly skilled nursing professionals.
“Our goal is to manage their medical needs while encouraging peer socialization and interaction in a center-based setting,” said Nataly Morgan, Columbus Pediatria Director. Pediatric nurses and physical, occupational and speech-language therapists work as a team in the center with each child. “The children receive a transdisciplinary approach to healthcare that is not available anywhere else in the Chattahoochee valley,” said Morgan. “Our staff provides health education to families on many topics including diagnoses, medications, treatments, therapies and procedures."
The Mayor’s Committee for Persons with Disabilities provides a liaison between citizens with disabilities and the Columbus Consolidated Government. Under leadership and coordination from the office in the Columbus Government Center, committee volunteers plan and implement various programs and projects to improve the quality of life for people with disabilities.
The Special Training for Exceptional Preschool Students (STEPS) provides free special education services to preschool children from three through five years of age. Lead teacher Karen Wilson has witnessed many success stories thanks to the early intervention services her program provides.
“Over the past 16 years, we have seen children progress in unbelievable ways,” she said. “For example, the little boy who had been in a car accident and had to learn everything over took his first new steps when he was attending preschool. I’m not sure who had more tears of joy, the staff or his grandmother. And the hearing impaired student who made her mom cry the first time she said ‘mom.’”
Taking first steps and saying “mom” are typical firsts in the life of a child, but many parents of disabled children don’t expect to experience these milestones. “I think in reflecting on the successes of the students that many times the gains the children make enables their parents to become more confident of the goals their child can accomplish,” Wilson explained.
Families also enjoy the support they receive from the staff. “Probably one of the sweetest stories is of the little girl with cerebral palsy who was being raised by her grandmother because her parents were in the army,” Wilson recalled. The grandmother had provided for the child’s every need and was reluctant to send her to school. “After her two years in the STEPS Program, grandmother begged for the child to stay with us,” Wilson said. The staff— teacher, speech therapist, occupational therapist and physical therapist—had become the grandmother’s support system.
Wilson takes pride in the fact that many students leave the STEPS program needing no or few special education services in kindergarten.
If you are a parent of a child with special needs, Columbus is rich with resources for you and your child. In addition to these programs and agencies, support groups for parents of children with autism, Down syndrome and brain injury meet regularly and welcome new members.
If you experience difficulty finding resources for your family, additional help is on the way. The first Disability Awareness Resource Fair and Fun Day will be held at Carver High School from noon until 5 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 29. Representatives from various agencies and companies in our local area, as well as from Atlanta and Albany, will be on hand to share information and answer questions about the services they offer. Your family can enjoy games, crafts and giveaways as you connect and network with other families with special needs kids.
For more information:
Babies Can’t Wait
706-327-0189
Pediatria HealthCare For Kids
Director Nataly Morgan * 706-322-3693
STEPS
Lead teacher
Karen Wilson * 706-683-8863
Disability Awareness
Resource
Fair and Fun Day
Organizer Brandi Dawson-King * 706-327-5555
