Workshop to be held for military parents of children with special needs

  • Published
  • Airman and Family Readiness Center
HILL AIR FORCE BASE, Utah --  Did you know that as many as one in 10 military children have special educational or health care needs?

Many of these children may need an Individualized Education Program, or IEP. If they are younger than 3 years old they may need an Individual Family Service Plan (IFSP). Some may need a 504 or Accommodation Plan; while others transitioning into adult life will need to take on a whole different set of challenges.

"I went to STOMP training in 2009 and I can't tell you how much I got out of it," said Tammy Custer, Hill's EFMP-Family Support specialist. The Specialized Training of Military Parents is an organization dedicated solely to address the needs of military families who have family members with special medical or educational needs.

Custer noted, "The excitement and empowerment (that STOMP) left me with, led me to the job I am now doing."

The STOMP event on May 20-21 is open to all active duty, retired Guard, Reserve and Team Hill civilians. "A very small portion of the training is military specific," said Custer.

The two-day workshop will present information on the areas of parent rights and responsibilities with regard to the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA), IEPs, 504, TriCare Extended Care Health Option (ECHO), special needs trusts and guardianship. Special emphasis is placed on collaboration and communication between families and the professionals who support them.

"We have a special understanding of the challenges families face when they have a family member with disabilities or special needs and they have to PCS from place to place or face deployments," said Heather Hebdon, the director for STOMP. "Our staff members have family members with disabilities and we have all dealt with the challenges and joys that come with military life."

STOMP is a parent directed program that exists to empower military parents, individuals with disabilities and service providers with knowledge, skills and resources so that they might access services to create a collaborative environment for family and professional partnerships without regard to geographic location. Established in 1985, STOMP has been recognized as the premiere resource for families within the military who have children, youth and adult family members with disabilities, and other special educational and medical issues. For more information about STOMP or to talk with a staff member, call 1-800-5-PARENT or visit the website at www.stompproject.org.

The STOMP workshop is free. The event will be held in the Airman and Family Readiness Center, Building 150, from 8:45 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. on May 20 and 21. Please RSVP to 801-777-4681 by May 16 to ensure there will be adequate materials for all attendees. Lunch will be provided both days and there will be door prizes. For more information or an event agenda please contact Tammy Custer, EFMP-FS, tammy.custer@hill.af.mil or call 801-586-2611.