About Armando and why I am offering
programs for parents of special needs
My name is Armando Alcaraz and my main work is in the area of business consulting. However, I was inspired to offer programs for parents of children with special needs because I am convinced many of the tools I learned over the years and that I now apply in the business area can be very beneficial to parents of special needs children. I came to this conclusion through my experience, of which I want to tell you a bit more.
My Story
I first became more fully aware of the challenges faced by parents of special needs children when I met a friend who cared for a child who needed complete self-care. He could not walk, turn, crawl, he could not manipulate any objects, and was unable to do the most basic tasks of self-care. In addition, she was always vigilant for how strong his seizures could get, since he had several a day.
I became close to my friend and ended up dating her, and we eventually married. Along the way, I experienced co-parenting, which included staying up at night making sure her son was breathing well and maintained the right temperature.
A little before me and my wife began to date, I started to work as an aide for special needs children at school and had to develop strategies to manage unwanted behaviors and keep as focused as they could on their tasks. I started to work helping families with respite hours in their houses, and eventually was hired to do social work at the San Andreas Regional Center, working with families of children with developmental disabilities. I worked for 10 years at the Regional Center where I had the privilege to meet more than a hundred parents of special needs children over the years. My work involved assessing family and client needs and making sure they were connected with the right resources in the community. I was also responsible for purchasing the state services for the disabled and to advocate for the child in school and medical settings when appropriate.
When working at the Regional Center I also began to teach in a different local nonprofit, PAPAS, helping parents improve their communication skills at home and in the community. I noticed many of the issues parents of special needs children dealt with could be addressed by the classes I taught in the community. However, throughout the years only one couple with a special needs child attended those community classes.
The barriers for parents of children with special needs to access community resources are many - from not feeling comfortable in environments where other parents don't understand their experience, to the simple overwhelm due to the intensity of their lives. Tragically, these special parents are the ones who most need those same community resources.
If you are a parent of special needs children I hope I can be a resource to improve the quality of your life.
Sincerely,
Armando
My Story
I first became more fully aware of the challenges faced by parents of special needs children when I met a friend who cared for a child who needed complete self-care. He could not walk, turn, crawl, he could not manipulate any objects, and was unable to do the most basic tasks of self-care. In addition, she was always vigilant for how strong his seizures could get, since he had several a day.
I became close to my friend and ended up dating her, and we eventually married. Along the way, I experienced co-parenting, which included staying up at night making sure her son was breathing well and maintained the right temperature.
A little before me and my wife began to date, I started to work as an aide for special needs children at school and had to develop strategies to manage unwanted behaviors and keep as focused as they could on their tasks. I started to work helping families with respite hours in their houses, and eventually was hired to do social work at the San Andreas Regional Center, working with families of children with developmental disabilities. I worked for 10 years at the Regional Center where I had the privilege to meet more than a hundred parents of special needs children over the years. My work involved assessing family and client needs and making sure they were connected with the right resources in the community. I was also responsible for purchasing the state services for the disabled and to advocate for the child in school and medical settings when appropriate.
When working at the Regional Center I also began to teach in a different local nonprofit, PAPAS, helping parents improve their communication skills at home and in the community. I noticed many of the issues parents of special needs children dealt with could be addressed by the classes I taught in the community. However, throughout the years only one couple with a special needs child attended those community classes.
The barriers for parents of children with special needs to access community resources are many - from not feeling comfortable in environments where other parents don't understand their experience, to the simple overwhelm due to the intensity of their lives. Tragically, these special parents are the ones who most need those same community resources.
If you are a parent of special needs children I hope I can be a resource to improve the quality of your life.
Sincerely,
Armando
