Veronica Villa reached out to Raising Special Kids for support with school issues regarding her son Isaak. Isaak has autism and has struggled with behaviors in class, so she did not know where to turn. She voiced her concerns with the school, but still needed advice and direction on how to advocate for her son’s needs. “I needed help as Izaak’s paraprofessional support was removed and he started to regress,” Veronica shared. “But the school and I could not come to an agreement on what supports he needed to be successful. Admittedly I was really frustrated, and Izaak was having a hard time.”
Veronica called Raising Special Kids for help and connected with a family support specialist who guided her on handling this situation. She received the information and resources she needed to feel more confident and assertive when working together with the school team, including a clear understanding of her rights as a parent. She also received suggestions on how to approach the team to collaborate more effectively on Izaak’s Individualized Education Program (IEP). Veronica took this advice and put it into action to help her son Izaak. She scheduled an IEP meeting to go over her concerns and was successful in advocating for him! With RSK’s help, Veronica advocated for ABA therapy services in school to work on Izaak’s behavioral struggles. She now feels much more positive about his future.
“Thank you so much, Raising Special Kids, for always being there for my family. I wouldn’t have been able to do this without all the support I received from my family support specialist, and I no longer feel lost or defeated,” Veronica said. “I know RSK will guide me so that I have the ability and confidence to advocate for the resources my son needs. It is an ongoing process, and I am sure I will need help again but am so glad I am not alone!”