JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH, Texas –
The Joint Base San Antonio Exceptional Family Member Program, which guides and informs military families with special-needs members, hosted a Specialized Training of Military Parents workshop Oct. 10-11 at the JBSA-Randolph Military and Family Readiness Center.
STOMP, a two-day workshop on rights and responsibilities of military parents with special-needs children, teaches parents about special education services for their children, both in the United States and overseas.
"Instructors teaching these courses have raised their own special-needs children and were the forerunners of many of the changes families enjoy today," Robert Griffin, JBSA-Randolph M&FRC EFMP director, said.
STOMP provides people networking opportunities within the joint base community and chances to accumulate information, Kathleen Moree, JBSA-Randolph M&FRC director, said.
"You can learn what's available and ask questions in the right environment where there's a similar focus for everyone," she said.
With the constant changes associated with military life, Griffin said, families with special-needs members may struggle to find the next specialist.
"Families need to find someone who's both good with the child and medically qualified," he said.
The knowledge these instructors have can help prevent parents from struggling on their own. They have the latest legal updates and can speak about details many parents may not think of when treating their child.
Senior Airman Courtney Moses, 59th Medical Wing photographer and the mother of a 2-year-old daughter with special needs, said the workshop gave her information about the various records she must maintain when her daughter starts attending school.
"I learned what I should expect when asking for records and what to keep at my house," she said. "Without that information, I think I would be lost when it comes time for her to go to school."
Tech. Sgt. Chris Rashall, 1st Manpower Requirements Squadron analyst, who attended the workshop with his wife, Amber, said the workshop shed light on the rights of parents with special-needs children.
"I didn't know he was eligible for special education classes," Rashall said, speaking about his 6-year-old son, Colby, who has been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. "I will request a meeting at his school so we can come up with an individualized education program for him. There are goals we have for him so he can be productive in class.
"The most important thing is getting him the help he needs," he said. "Now that I understand the system, I know what needs to be done to help him."
The JBSA-Randolph STOMP workshop was the last in a series that has taken place across Joint Base San Antonio locations.
"I think bringing STOMP to each location in JBSA has helped the EFMP receive good exposure," Moree said. "It's a free opportunity to get information from the right resources in our own community."
To learn more about EFMP, call the M&FRC at 652-5321.