By Nick Buglione
The Special Education Resource Center and Library is the result of Judy Shiechel-s and Marcee Rubinstein-s hard work over the past two years. When the facility officially opens its doors on March 29, it will offer parents of special-education students in the East Meadow School District a place where they can find information, resource materials and, perhaps most important, a sympathetic ear.
It was our dream and our passion, said Rubinstein, who, along with Shiechel, has been involved with the East Meadow Special Education PTA (SEPTA) for 17 years. We wanted to create a place where parents can have access to materials so they won-t go through the same frustration that we did.
Seventeen years ago, things were quite different for parents of children with special needs. There was no involvement, said Shiechel, the current president of the East Meadow PTA Council. SEPTA existed, but it was almost like an orphan unit. There was more complacency at that point.
Shiechel, whose 22-year-old son, Evan, has a speech impediment, and Rubinstein, whose 21-year-old son, Lonny, has Down syndrome, worked tirelessly over the years to transform SEPTA into a cohesive group that effectively lobbies for parents. We really wanted to empower parents, and let them know there is stuff out there you should be involved in, Rubinstein said.
The Special Education Resource Center and Library is the duo-s latest accomplishment. After kicking the idea around for a while, they put a plan in motion two years ago. After a fund-raiser at W.T. Clarke High School pulled in $5,000 last year, Shiechel and Rubinstein bought loads of special education reference materials CDs, videos, magazines, brochures and books. The East Meadow School District agreed to give the ladies space at its headquarters in the Salisbury Center to set up shop, and the resource center was born.
There, parents will be able to research their children-s disabilities and learn about their education options. Open for appointments and staffed by SEPTA members, the center will also be a place where mothers and fathers can talk to someone who understands what they-re going through.
Children who require special education can suffer from a variety of mental and physical disabilities, including speech impediments, emotional disturbances, autism, mental retardation and attention deficit disorder. Having a child with any one of these impairments can frustrate parents and have a tremendous impact on the family, Rubinstein and Shiechel said.
And these conditions don-t necessarily dissipate with time, as the two parents can attest. Though both of their sons are in their 20s, they still share serious concerns about the future. For me, it-s trying to get Evan into the mainstream world, and yet having this hovering feeling about how the world is going to respond to him, Shiechel said.
My child is always going to be dependent on adults for all his needs, Rubinstein said. So my worry is, who will be Lonny-s custodian? Who will it be? Where will it be?
These are exactly the questions Shiechel and Rubinstein hope the new resource center will help answer. We also want to be able to use this as a vehicle for other things, Shiechel said, noting that they hope to create workshops and support groups at the center.
There will be a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Special Education Resource Center and Library, at 718 The Plain Road, on Tuesday, March 29, at 7 p.m., and the public is invited to attend. Following the ribbon cutting, Raymond DiGiuseppe, chairman of the St. John-s University psychology department, will speak on anger management and coping skills for parents.
SEPTA is also organizing an oldies concert on Saturday, May 14, at East Meadow High School. All proceeds will benefit the resource center. Tickets are $40 and $38.50. For more information, call Maria Joesten at (516) 333-1389 or Maria Smith at 997-1809.
Comments about this story? NBuglione@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 236.
