Opinion: Support students with disabilities
The African Proverb, “It takes a village to raise a child,” explains the perspective of shared responsibility and an entire community working together for the well-being of our children.
Students with disabilities — and their parents or guardians — face unique challenges and opportunities in order to adapt and achieve success at home, in school, or in a place of employment.
Few families understand the value of a village like Elizabeth and Joe Flores who have four children attending Collier County Public Schools (CCPS). The oldest, a teenager named Angelica, helps out a great deal with her three younger brothers with special needs.
“The journey started with Joe,” recalled Elizabeth.
She said 10-year-old Joe Jr. is doing well in the Intensive Behavioral Intervention program at Eden Park Elementary. Both he and the youngest of the Flores children, four-year-old Julius, live with autism. Julius takes advantage of our Exceptional Student Education (ESE) pre-school program at Village Oaks Elementary.
Six-year-old Jordan has a different set of challenges. When he was just two years old, blood vessels ruptured in his brain, which led to a stroke, permanent vision impairment, and the right side of his body remains paralyzed. Through all of those physical and emotional challenges, Jordan remains resilient and learns through a modified curriculum offered at Lake Trafford Elementary. Truly inspiring.
The unfortunate reality is that many people do not realize the villagers who are willing and eager to support them. That is why CCPS is hosting an ESE Expo on Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2019, at Immokalee High School from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.
A variety of community partners will be present to assist our parents in making connections to support their students. Each ESE Expo is scheduled for 90 minutes in a casual, drop-by, explore and learn format.
Elizabeth is looking forward to this event because it allows her to meet parents in similar situations.
“The sooner you accept there is an obstacle, the sooner you will be able to help (your children) through it,” she said.
ESE Expo attendees will learn about adaptive recreation offered by Collier County Parks and Recreation, speak with representatives from the Agency for Persons with Disabilities, as well as find out about performing arts opportunities adapted for students with disabilities.
From arts and athletics to getting paid and gardening — attendees will speak with a wide range of local providers. The ESE Expo also will lay out ways to improve your child’s future through CCPS programs: Pre-Kindergarten, Unified Champion Schools, and Transition Work Study through Project Search, The Life Program, and Community-Based Vocational Instruction.
We are excited to continue to bridge school services with community-based opportunities for students with disabilities. In building partnerships between our neighborhood schools and community, we can help to improve the quality of life and outcomes for persons with disabilities of all ages.
If you are unable to attend our event on Wednesday, there will be another ESE Expo on Jan. 22, 2020, at Gulf Coast High School.
Through our new Strategic Plan, CCPS is laser focused on graduating students who are college, career, and life ready. We recognize students with disabilities may need additional support to build those skills needed for life and for success in the workplace.
“Regardless of what we go through on a daily basis we always try to help others because it is part of who we are,” Elizabeth added. “We always try to lend a hand.”
That is the type of attitude that makes our village stronger.
-- Superintendent Kamela Patton