Raising Special Kids is such a valuable resource to parents and caregivers. I wouldn't have made it through some difficult situations without their help. They are the greatest at giving support to the families they serve. They provide their support with care. They are professionals with Hearts.
Scared, helpless, confused, angry, frustrated and exhausted. This is what I felt like as I dialed the number. Raising Special Kids answered and listened...REALLY listened. They provided suggestions and guidance. They gave me knowledge. They taught me what questions to ask and how to ask. They gave me a voice. Which gave me the strength to get my daughter what she needs to be the best she can be. They might of thought it was "just" a phone call, but that call changed a family's life for the better! Thank you from the bottom of my heart!
RSK is an organization that has provided hope and encouragement to thousands of parents, friends, families, doctors, neighbors, schools, hospitals...everyone!
What makes a GREAT Nonprofit? Professionalism, compassionate, friendly, sincere, caring, dedicated, kind, knowledgable, resourceful and research based. All of these Raising Special Kids possesses.
How do you put a value on hope and encouragement? You live it.
Thanks to RSK, my life has been forever changed.
Raising Special Kids has been good to us over the years. I went through a divorce 4yrs ago and they were able to give me help in how to go about making sure my sons (both have autism) were able to adjust positively. This year an advocate helped me with issues involving my son's school and his food allergies. Great place to go when you don't know what to do!!!
Helping parents through Raising Special Kids for approximately 12 years has been very rewarding. Each time I meet a new parent I can identify with what they are going through and I try to give them information from my own experiences and developmental disability certification training. However, Raising Special Kids is the catalyst in supporting, educating, and just being there for parents with children of special needs.
Keep up the good work RSK and congratulations to an agency that follows through with their mission statement.
Raising Special Kids has been a Godsend for our family. Their knowledge and expertise is beyond any organization I have ever experienced. To a person our family has been impressed with everyone we have worked with at RSK. It is not often that is the case. Without hesitation I refer families to them and just wait to hear of the good experience they will have. Vickie French has impressed me with each and every conversation I have had with her. She is amazing. Thank you for being a GREAT non-profit!
Raising Special Kids helped me find my footing during the slippery slope of initial diagnosis. They gave me resources, offered a listening ear, and provided much needed expertise! I always turn to them when I'm stuck on how to better advocate for my son. They give me confidence, courage, and the kind of support a special needs parent truly needs. Thank you Raising Special Kids! You are a true blessing to me and my family!
My (foster) son, soon to be adopted son, was being abused at a local school. Through the help of Raising Special Kids, I was able to get the correct complaints filed that led to the Dept. of Education reaching a settlement for all special needs kids in the district. Although this also led to the lose of my job, they were invaluable in learning how to look out for these very special kids. They recently helped me with his IEP meeting. After following their steps, verifying teacher qualifications and gently reminding the new school that I was not afraid to speak out, I was able to get his IEP changed such that he is now getting the services he needs to overcome his issues. I could not have done this without the patient support of Raising Special Kids.
I refer families to Raising Special kids in Phoenix no less than weekly in my role with The Division of Developmental Disabilties. They have exellent information for families and individuals looking for information and support. They provide not only exellent education but compassion and support for families who are looking for resouces to support their family members.
I know that the people I refer will be treated with respect and compassion. I would rate them higher if I could. Respectfully,
Brenda E. Sondersted
Raising Special Kids is Awesome! They often have educational classes for family members, special activities for all their partcipants and most important their peer-mentor program best fits the needs of the famlies they serve.
It has been my privilege to see the work that Raising Special Kids has done by helping families walk through this journey with a special needs child. Families often come to this time completely in shock and fear and unaware of any resources that are available. The incredible people at RSK are not just there to tell them what to do, but guide them and nurture them through this valley. Wonderful people performing a wonderful service.
I'm a former board member and also a parent who has relied on RSK for valuable insight and support in the many years since my son's diagnosis with autism. The staff is responsive and professional and has provided me with invaluable guidance on issues relating to my son's treatment and education.
Raising Special Kids puts a personal face on families that have children with disabilities. I often host medical residents in my home and share the story of how we received Josie's diagnosis. It allows me the opportunity to educate new doctors on Cerebral Palsy and the effect that diagnosis has on us as a family. On a very personal level I hope that new docotrs undertand that their choice of words echo foreaver in our mind. That information empowers us as parents and that Raising Special Kids as an organization is family friendly and provides accurate, up to date information on disabilities and a network that guides us through the maze of this new challenge.
It is an absolute pleasure to host resident doctors in my home, share our story about our disabled daughter, and further educate them on the necessity of organizations such as Raising Special Kids. It is a relief to these residents to know that there is a capable organization with an abundance of resources to where they can refer their patients and families.
Raising Special Kids has been an encouragement to my family through some really difficult times. They were available for direction and helped us network with other families. Their events have been very well planned and well received. I especially enjoyed the Resilient Relationships workshop. They are a great resource for families who "Raising Special Kids."
Raising Special Kids was there for me from the earliest months when we had yet to get the (eventual) diagnosis of autism for our daughter. We have participated in the residency training program for several years. What a great feeling of giving back it is to help our medical providers have a more realistic ... hopefully more empathetic and knowledgable ... view of what it's like to be a family living with a child who has a disability. Sharing, one on one, some of the very personal challenges (many uncomfortable, emotional, and not easily shared) can be a powerful experience for both parties. A wonderful organization!
I found out about RSK when my young son was diagnosed and they helped me in several ways. I have been a volunteer now for several years and it gives me great joy to work with such a professional, knowledgeable group. They do great things for individuals, families, and the community.
Raising Special Kids has helped so many Doctors in Training better understand how to dialog with our special needs families. This resident training gives a wider base of knowledge for our doctors and thus better service for our special needs patients.
Raising Special Kids has been a tremendous help, comfort and encouragement to countless individuals and families who wrestle with some of the toughest issues people have to face. I have volunteered on several occasions and have seen their work up close and first hand. Integrity and honesty are at the forefront of this great agency and those who work with them know it. It is a great personal benefit to share in the work they do in the Valley of the Sun. They facilitate amazing results with the staffing they have and volunteers they recruit. A lot of us have had our lives changed for the better by this group of caring people.
I have worked with this organization for over 15 years. We send our pediatric residents there as a part of their rotation in Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics and they visit a family at home who has a child with a disability. This is the best way to see a child, at home, in their world, and not in a Hospital or Clinic setting. They love it. The families love it and I certainly love it. I have more recently been on their Professional Advisory Board and still would love to have more time to do more for this outstanding organization. It's the Best!
This organization has helped so many families to move past the hard times in life and learn valueable life lessons about the true meaning of family.
Raising Special Kids is a fantastic resource for special education teachers and staff to pass along to families. They provide wonderful workshops and information that helps guide families in the right direction. We are thankful to have them in this community.
Raising Special Kids helped my family find information and resourse when I needed them most for my son, who has Autism. They are a kind, loving and smart group of people. I love working with them. They really care about the families they help.
I have been invovled with Raising Special Kids (RSK) for the past two years as a board member. Before this I called on RSK for help in my position with the school system using RSK to support and help families who may be struggling with the special education process and needed a supporting hand with the process. They have done training for us to provide parents the guidance they needed to attend IEP meetings to feel successful and to be listened to by school personnel. They have helped many families in our distict and districts across the state. From advocacy at the state level to the individual family advocacy this organzation had helped thousands of families across Arizona. Families would be lost without this organization. My hat is off to RSK and all they do to support and provide information to everyone involved in the disability movement. THANK YOU!!!!!
Since my almost 19 daughter was 4 months old Raising Special Kids has touched my life. In the early years it was through guidance, support and the knowledge other volunteers had to guide me through the craziness of raising a medically fragile child. What rights did I have, what was best for her and how to neogotiate the very scary school system where at times you feel very out numbered. As my daughter grew older and more stable, it was time to give back and I decided to volunteer to hopefully help other parents fight the maze that I felt I had somewhat successfully managed through Raising Special Kids support. I became a Parent to Parent Volunteer and helped other families, they referred me to apply for the Special Education Advisory Panel to the State Board and am now serving on my 3rd term and over the past 3+ years have become a parent forum speaker, helping bring the reality of a family with a special needs child to those who may be unfamiliar or just beginning their adventure into this world. I have always gained more from the partnership than I've given, the relationships, the knowledge and support have been priceless.
Raising Special Kids has been an invaluable resource for me and my family. Through the years I have attended programs that they have put on and have learned so much. Whenever I need help or a resource, they are the first call I make because I know they will have the answer. They helped when we were doing our first IEP when my daughter was entering kindergarten and now that I need help on transition and guardianship matters, they are the agency that I know I can count on. They are a staple in my life and it is so nice to know that they are here for our family and everyone that needs help with their special needs children.
Volunteered at various events to help advocate for IWD or bring awareness to the general public of the difficulties the IWD face each day. -We still have buildings where IWD cannot get through the front door because the modern buildings are inaccessible for IWD. -Due to unpaved roads, IWD are not able to receive immediate medical attention. -The insurance they have relied on is being changed. Much education and support is needed for IWD, as well as our representatives and leaders.
Raising Special Kids has been in existence for over 30 years. Their "Tag Line" is "families helping families." This takes many forms, shapes and avenues. I am very proud to be asscociated with and active in touching the lives of families as they experience the challenges in raising children with special health care needs. Raising Special Kids offers family-centered support from the Board of Directors, at the top level, through the staff, volunteers and then directly to families and their children. There are no fees or charges to families.
RSK has served the Arizona community with unstoppable focus on children with disabilities and their families. RSK always keeps an eye toward flexible, innovative approaches to meet the needs of individual families, to the development of sound public policy, and to the empower children and their families to reach new heights through their own strengths, goals, and dreams. RSK continues to demonstrate in their day to day operations the firm belief that everyone has potential, everyone has great value and everyone has unique abilities. RSK has supported countless families in acheiving that potential.
Raising Special Kids is dedicated to providing a catalyst for family to family support in the special needs community. It is very difficult to receive an unfavorable diagnosis for a child or family member. You feel lost and overwhelmed. Raising Special Kids provides information on many different levels but most importantly they match you with another family who has been through this and knows what the next steps are. It saves a lot of time and is very comforting to know others in similar situations that can ease your burden. Raising Special Kids also helps in providing the resources you might need for both the newly diagnosed family and the peer family. Education is also an important role of Raising Special Kids. They help parents through getting the necessary provisions for the child to succeed is the school environment. They also educate doctors and nurses on the best way to interact with patients and families of patients with special health considerations.