Serving as the GPS to special-needs families

To improve the advocacy skills and knowledge of parents and teachers of special-needs children, Kulanu’s Parent Advocacy & Resource Center (PARC) hosted its first Wrightslaw conference JFK Airport Hilton in Jamaica on May 14.
The one-day event focused on special education law and advocacy programs for families with special-needs children. Special education law, rights and responsibilities; tests and measurements for monitoring student progress and regression; SMART IEPs [Specific, Measurable Achievable Relevant and Time limited Individualized Education Plans] for special needs students; and introduction to tactics and strategies for effective advocacy, were addressed
A division of the Kulanu Center for Special Services, located in Cedarhurst, PARC was created to address the concerns of individuals with special needs, their families and the community. The center serves as a clearinghouse of information with an up-to-date reference library of booklets and pamphlets on a wide variety of developmental, educational, and family topics. Information and referral services, workshops, technical assistance, and parent training are available to individuals, families and outside agencies.
Amy Eisenberg, PARC’s director, said she had attended two Wrightslaw conferences before. Eisenberg said the Wrightslaw mission of helping special-needs children advocates meshed with what PARC does, she thought it was very important to bring the information from the conference to those in her community. The information she gathered wasn’t disability specific, which she thought could help a variety of people.
“After participating in conferences before, I felt that Kulanu’s Parent Advocacy and Resource Center needed to bring this expertise to their families,” she said. “PARC’s mission is to assist in the navigation of challenging systems. We are the GPS to our families.”