Special needs parents group will meet tonight in Jackson

Special needs parents group
will meet tonight in Jackson

JACKSON — Tonight’s meeting of the school district’s Special Needs Parents Group will feature a speaker who will address family issues that arise from having a special needs child.

The session is scheduled for 7-9 p.m. tonight in the media center of the Craw-ford-Rodriguez Elementary School, Larsen Road.

The evening’s featured speaker is Donna Vickers, who is diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome. Vickers will also bring other family members, including her teenage son, who has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

According to a press release from the school district, Asperger’s syndrome is characterized by severe and sustained impairment in social interaction, development of restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior, interests and activities. These characteristics result in clinically significant impairment in social, occupational or other important areas of functioning.

"The family enjoys answering questions so any member of the community who has a child, sibling or other family member with any of these or other disabilities might find this session informative," said Linda Fashauer, the chief organizer of the group.

The Special Needs Parents Group welcomes all parents who have children in preschool through high school. The group typically meets on the fourth Thursday of the month from 7-9 p.m. in the library of the Crawford-Rodriguez Elementary School, 1025 Larsen Road.

Some meetings have scheduled speakers on topics that would be of concern to the group. Other sessions may include an open forum. Notices are sent home with students prior to the meetings, mailed to out-of-district students’ homes, are listed in the school district calendar, and are sent to local newspapers.

Anyone who would like to be on the group’s mailing list may attend a meeting or call Linda Fashauer at (732) 833-4630, Ext. 2114, or send an e-mail to LFashauer@jacksonsd.k12.nj.us.

The other coordinators for the group are Joan Russell and Pat Stajak-Vorwerk, who teach preschool at the Crawford Rodriguez School.

Child care can be arranged by calling Linda Fashauer one week in advance of the meeting. Anyone who has a speaker or a topic they would like to have addressed is asked to let the group know.