Understanding "Related Services" for Children with Disabilities

Related services are fundamental to meet the educational needs of children with disabilities.  They are developed to offer students with disabilities specialized assistance in areas such as speech and language therapies, physical therapies, occupational therapies, counseling, hearing services, mobility services and health services.  

Typically, personnel from the Department of Education (DOE) provide these services while the child is in school. However, this is not always possible and a lot of students end up receiving the services elsewhere. The most common reason for this is when schools run out of providers. When this happens, the DOE looks into associated or contracted agencies in order to offer the services within the school. If they are not able to find any, parents should receive a Related Services Authorization (RSA) letter, which allows them to find an independent provider paid by the DOE.

Parents should contact the schools as early as possible during the semester to find out if their children are receiving the mandated related services.  They should also know that these services are only mandated if they are written on the child’s Individualized Education Program, or IEP. 

If a child is missing some or all of his or her related services, parents need to contact the district office and request RSA letters. The DOE also provides transportation reimbursement to and from the therapist office, and some therapists are able to travel to the child's home to provide the services. 

When obtaining RSA letters, parents should also receive the list of independent providers with their contact information. Here's a list of related services providers by borough.

MPC: Real Stories From Real Parents

Transfer to District 75 Stopped Using Mediation

Daniel was an 8th grade student in a 12:1:1 program in a community school when his parents contacted Sinergia's Metropolitan Parent Center (MPC). They needed our help because their son was being recommended for a more restrictive 8:1:1 program in District 75 with a classification of emotional disturbance (ED).  The parents did not know 8:1:1 programs are intended to serve students with autism, but were told that the smaller class would provide Daniel with more assistance.

Daniel’s parents, now represented by the MPC, rejected both the program recommendation and the classification of ED. However, soo after that Daniel was suspended by the school, in what looked like retaliation. Undeterred, the parents requested a Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA), which they had learned was a document required by law before an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) team can consider a more restrictive placement for behavioral reasons. As previous meetings had been very heated, and the FBA and Behavior Plan would halt any school transfer, getting the school to support Daniel in his current program was going to be a challenge.

The MPC suggested the parents consider mediation as a voluntary dispute resolution process and after some convincing both parties agreed to it. Although not a smooth process, mediation allowed both parties to express their concerns and resulted in a redirection of efforts from pushing Daniel from his current school to providing him with the support and services he needed. He received counseling from a school psychologist with whom Daniel was able to develop a trusting relationship with, and was also assisted by his tireless, dedicated teacher. Within months progress was evident. Today Daniel is in a high school for the arts and is doing fantastic work!

A New Beginning for Tania and her Son

As a precursor to the Puertorican Day Parade, the 116th Street Fair on Saturday, June 12, 2010 was a feast of food, music and very colorful characters. Sinergia participated in the fun and fanfare thanks to a booth donated by Mt. Sinai Hospital. Our staff members were on hand all day long to answer questions and distribute brochures. We offered free blood pressure screenings in the morning which had a huge response, and during the "afternoon shift," Michael Mitchell, Tiffany James, Carmina Perez, Mildred Ramos and Lizette Dunn-Barcelona greeted people walking by to give them information about Sinergia's many services.

A young woman by the name of Tania, her disabled 9 year old son and her cousin were among those that stopped by. The mother and son had just arrived from Puerto Rico within the last two weeks and were staying with their cousin in the Bronx. Tania's son had had several surgeries in Puerto Rico and she was now trying to get special care for him in New York City. She was in need of medical and educational services for her son, and a place to live.

The following Monday Sinergia began working with Tania and within two weeks she and her son were living in one of Sinergia's Tier ll shelters funded by the Department of Homeless Services. She also began receiving case management services through our Family Support Program. Their case manager will ensure that her son's Medicaid services are in place, that all his evaluations are current and that he is enrolled in a district 75 school in time to begin classes this fall.

Both Tania and her son are doing well and are adjusting to life in NYC. Once her son is settled in school Tania hopes to begin looking for work in order to find permanent housing. She is grateful to Sinergia and looks forward to a long rewarding relationship with us.

Sinergia Intern Carries the Message to the Dominican Republic

For two summers in a row we have had a guest intern, Kirsy Rosado from the Dominican Republic who is from La Asociacion Dominicana de Rehabilitacion. The organization has four schools that focus on special education and rehabilitation.  Unfortunately according to Kirsy they do not have much in the way of parent training. Last year she was exposed to many programs at Sinergia and of course the workshops and the work of our Parent Training and Information Center, which she enjoyed immensely. Her internship is sponsored by an organization called DONAR America which provides technical assistance to organizations in the Dominican Republic and NYC, primarily to the Dominican population.

The PACER Center has graciously agreed to share the Spanish translation of their FAST curriculum, which is focused on the development of training modules to teach families and their children to become self-advocates. Kirsy is a wonderful teacher and administrator and we are very pleased that she is bringing this much needed training to people with disabilities in her home country.

Recap of July Events at Sinergia

On Friday, July 9th Sinergia held its Annual Family Picnic in Central Park.  Thanks to the assistance and hard work of the staff this picnic turned out to be just as successful as the ones we have had in the past.  Again this year we featured games, gift bags, balloons and prizes for the young kids as well as music, food and good times for the adults.  The weather was perfect (well maybe a little hot) but the estimated 250+ guests that the staff entertained all seemed to have a great time.  Thanks to our friends at Chem-Rx for their generous donation that once again made the picnic possible.  See you all next summer!



 

 On Thursday July 29, 2010, Sinergia celebrated the dedication, hard work and passion of its Family Care providers with an Appreciation
Luncheon. Family Care Coordinator, Kenia Peralta and her team organized a fabulous luncheon and also presented each coordinator with flowers and a framed certificate of appreciation.  Sinergia Executive Director, Myrta Cuadra-Lash attended the luncheon and personally thanked these long-term providers for their invaluable contribution to the lives of the people with disabilities in their care.  These providers open their homes to these individuals with disabilities and treat them like a member of the family.  Many of them have had the same person in their care for more than ten years and in one case, over twenty. The Family Care program is a very unique service provision and the kind of dedication that is required cannot be taught or paid for. We thank the following providers for their continued service:
 
Regular providers:
ANA GUZMAN
ANGELA BAEZ
GUADALUPE GUILLEN
CARMEN ULLOA
LEYDI DOMINGUEZ

Substitute providers:
ADRIANA POLANCO
SIRIACA BAUTISTA

Our Very Own Secret Garden

Cindy F., Christine V., Mildred R. and Michael C. put their green thumbs to work.

This summer, some of Sinergia's Day Habilitation participants have been learning to grow in a different way - with soil, water, and sunshine!  At the Carver Community Garden on 124th Street we have been planting, tending, and harvesting our very own vegetables. We share a plot with Pathways to Housing, a neighboring non-profit and collaborate with members of their Resource Center to grow a variety of nutritious and tasty plants: tomatoes, eggplants, cucumbers, basil, collard greens, squash, cabbages, and more!  It has been a lot of fun to watch our garden grow, talk about how to prepare different vegetables and learn about the rich nutrients they provide us with. 

As novices, we often learn tips from some of our fellow gardeners, like James, a gentleman who has gardened at Carver for a number of years and has been a great help. On the other side of our plot, The Nourishing Kitchen grows vegetables for their soup kitchen. They are also experienced gardeners and offer cooking and gardening workshops.

This gardening opportunity has been provided by Urban Garden Connections, a Partnership of the Bronx and Manhattan Land Trusts.  They operate a number of community gardens in Manhattan and the Bronx.  For a list of garden locations visit The Manhattan Land Trust website.

I look upon the pleasure we take in a garden
as one of the most innocent delights in human life.
--Cicero

Staff Spotlight: Michael Cortes, Esquire

It is with much pleasure that the Sinergia family congratulates Michael Angel Cortes on being admitted to the New York State bar on August 4th 2010. Mr. Cortes joined the Sinergia family a year ago as a Housing Advocate and has proved to be an invaluable asset to the organization. With Mr. Cortes becoming a licensed attorney, Sinergia can now offer legal advice and representation to our consumers when those services are needed. Sinergia looks forward to many more years of working with Mr. Cortes and in continuing to provide quality services to our community.