By JAN LARSON McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
Parents of children with special needs can be overwhelmed by assessments of their children, meetings with teachers, accommodations in the classroom, and the alphabet soup of acronyms used in the education community.
That’s where Shanna Gerken, parent mentor, steps in.
Gerken is head of the Wood County Educational Service Center Parent Mentor Program, working with children with special needs in 10 school districts in the county. She currently has about 50 parents on her caseload.
“They need a wide range of services,” Gerken explained. “A lot of parents will call about behavioral problems and learning difficulties. They may feel they aren’t being listened to by the school.”
As a parent mentor, Gerken works to support the relationship between schools and families. She meets with families and attends school meetings with them if they wish.
“This may be their first time entering the special needs world. They may be overwhelmed,” she said. “They want to have someone by their side.”
The creation of Individualized Education Plans for students can be stressful.
“What sort of accommodations should they ask for for their child? All industries have a different language,” she said.
And Gerken speaks that language. She has a child with special needs.
“No one is going to truly understand unless they also have a child with a disability,” she said. “A lot of parents will just call me to talk to someone.”
At the request of a teacher, Gerken started a support group for parents of children with autism. A virtual monthly meeting is held so parents can come together and give advice on what they have learned and to share resources. As the weather warms, the group is planning to get together at an inclusive playground with the children.
“It always helps to know you aren’t alone in these challenges. There’s a huge amount of support,” she said.
Gerken discusses the resources available to families and accommodations that parents can request in the classroom. She also has a library of books she loans out to parents. These books are free to borrow and can be found on the WCESC website (wcesc.org) or parents can come to the WCESC location in Bowling Green and browse Monday-Friday 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Gerken has also partnered with The Ability Center to help bring their lending library of communication devices, adaptive toys, and equipment to the classroom. If a teacher has a need or wants to try out an item before purchasing for the classroom, they can fill out a form on The Ability Center website and the parent mentor program will pick up the item and deliver it to the school free of charge.
“For most parents it’s their first time they are being thrust into the special education arena. New acronyms are being thrown at them, assessments are being done on their child, and accommodations in the classroom are being created for their child. It’s a whole new world that is overwhelming with all new information, not to mention the emotional side that your child needs these services. But a parent does not have to walk this journey alone.”
All of the services through the Parent Mentor Program are free, Gerken stressed.
If you have questions or would like more information, reach out to Gerken at sgerken@wcesc.org or call 419-354-9010 Ext. 113. Also follow the Parent Mentor social media pages on Facebook (Parent Mentor Wood County), Instagram (parentmentorofwoodcounty) and Twitter (@parentmentor920) for latest resources and events. You can also sign up for Gerken’s monthly newsletter (bit.ly/3TuG6w9). To learn more about the parent mentor project, visit https://parentmentor.osu.edu/
