Increased awareness for special needs
Heather hopes to bring awareness to adults with autism. “Services fall off at 21 years old,” she explains. “There is a lack of public services available for adults and accessing them is questionable.” Even during childhood, though, treatment still is a patchwork process parents must navigate. Currently, programs are expensive and availability is limited.
Despite being in one of the top school districts in California, the system is inadequate for her son; special education in schools is a difficult system to traverse. The most effective proven treatment – applied behavioral analysis (ABA), in autism’s case – is pricey and schools don’t require aides to be trained in that. “You are dealt what they give you in the public school system.”
Not one to idly sit by, Heather took matters into her own hands. She formed strong relationships with the teachers and administrators. After much research and five years, she has succeeded in getting an ABA aide in the classroom with her son. She’d like to see her individual success become the norm. “This is about credentialing programs and enhancing intellectual disabilities programs,” she says. Heather hopes to see all special education teachers be certified as Board Certified Behavior Analysts – a supervisor level of an ABA therapist – so they fully understand the ins and outs. “Districts get lucky if they hire a teacher that has this training,” she explains.
“I’d love to continue to help military families and special needs kids,” she continues. “It affects me very personally. I know how hard it is to be a military family and how extra hard it is to have a special needs child. People don’t know half the resources available; communication isn’t super strong if you don’t know where to go.”
