30 THE BEST OF MONTEREY BAY® FAMILY 2026-2027 For parents, witnessing their children achieve milestones is one of the most gratifying moments in their lives. “Every step they take, even a small one, is a giant leap for us. As parents, we are very proud of what we have achieved with our children, and we are going for more,” Leidy Gomez says in Spanish. She is a mother with three sons on the autism spectrum, ages 10, 7 and 3. Gomez says her oldest was diagnosed with autism when he started first grade. She says she didn’t know much about the disorder and she started paying more attention once her son’s teacher told her he needed additional support. Shock, denial and guilt are some of the emotions parents might go through when they learn their child has a disability. “They don’t want to accept the help, because accepting the help means acknowledging that there’s something wrong with your child,” says Monica Andrade, a playgroup facilitator for the nonprofit Door to Hope. She works with kids 0-5 years old. Experts say for many parents, their children’s diagnosis is their first encounter with a disability and they can feel overwhelmed, especially when navigating the process to receive aid. “If you were diagnosed with cancer, you probably would have a primary care physician that would help navigate all those services for you. But when you have a child with a disability, there is no primary care physician of sorts to be able to provide that navigation,” says Lori Luzader, executive director of Special Kids Connect, a nonprofit organization that provides resources and support to children with disabilities and their families. Satwat Rais, director of special education at Alisal Union School District, says not every child is tested for a disability; a medical diagnosis or letters from parents and caregivers reporting developmental delays will trigger testing. At AUSD, many students receive speech therapy. Since many students in the district are bilingual, there is another factor at play when testing them. “Is it an actual deficit in speech, or is it just second language acquisition?” Rais says. Luzader says most parents need aid navigating the educational system, whether their child qualifies for speSpecial Kids Connect’s Neurodiverse Connect program teaches college and career readiness skills by allowing youth to plan and execute events. Shown at left, students work on creating products to sell at a Salinas farmers market. Above: Specialists at Special Kids Connect help families navigate services. COURTESY OF SPECIAL KIDS CONNECT SUPPORT SYSTEM It can be an emotional time for parents when their child is diagnosed with a learning disability. Help is available. By Celia Jiménez COURTESY OF SPECIAL KIDS CONNECT
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