By Adrianne Paderna, Clovis Community College
Students with special needs often find themselves in situations in which their specific needs are not accommodated or accounted for – and in many cases, their parents find themselves fighting grueling, unexpected battles; Jodie Howard is one such parent, but the battles she fought were not only for her own family.
Michael Cohen was diagnosed with mild to moderate autism when he was just two years old. With the definition of what constitutes mild to moderate autism as varied as the opinions on how to assist those who exhibit it, some forms of “treatment” can actually do more harm than good.
Like all parents, Arti Nayyar wants the best possible public education for her kids. Unlike most parents, however, she finds herself embroiled in a battle to obtain it. A veterinarian who runs her own private practice, Arti is the proud mother of two children. Her son Kabir, now six, was diagnosed with autism when he was three. With no prior knowledge about the condition, Arti felt overwhelmed and lost with the diagnoses, unsure how to find the proper resources for Kabir’s education.
Hello everyone, my name is Andres Diaz and I’m a 24-year-old man with Autism. Being diagnosed with Autism hasn’t stopped me from achieving my life goals. I spent 13 years in the special education system, and I’ve overcome many challenges that I faced throughout my Pre K-12 years while attending school in the Clovis Unified School District.