New Special Needs Liaison helps build bridges for families with special needs children

By Kathy Moore, SRVUSD Teacher on Special Assignment

 

Approximately ten percent of children in our community have special needs, and the process for families to navigate the system to find appropriate resources and services can oftentimes be a very difficult and challenging one.

 

Enter Todd Gary, a new face in the San Ramon Valley Unified School District. Gary is the district’s Special Needs Liaison, filling a new position that was created to meet the growing needs of the community.

 

His job is to support both the families of special needs students and the staff that serve them. He works hard to provide neutral support, focusing on building creative, collaborative and positive partnerships between the district and families of special needs students.

 

The creation of the position evolved over time, as did Gary’s own personal decision to ultimately change careers. The evolution began after his son Cameron was diagnosed with a form of autism. Gary became a support and advocate for Cameron as he familiarized himself with the very complex process of Special Education. Volunteering in Cameron’s classroom, he began to see the world through a different lens. Soon he found himself volunteering on the PTA Special Needs Committee, the Special Programs Steering Committee and eventually, the District’s Special Education Design Team that worked last year to improve the special education process. At the same time, a sub-committee of the Steering Committee began researching the creation of a liaison position. Although it wasn’t in his original plan, Gary emerged as a natural candidate to fill that position.

 

“The more I volunteered and the more I helped, the more rewarding it became. I realized this is what I wanted to do.”

 

A litigation attorney with his own successful practice, he had the negotiation, mediation and people skills needed to keep people talking towards a solution. “A solution that doesn’t work for everyone is no solution at all,” Gary maintains. And so he resigned from his law firm and stepped into the role he seemed destined to take on. “This job was a way of honoring Cameron’s gift to us.”

 

Cameron’s gift. That’s how Gary refers to his son’s disability. He acknowledges that the process of accepting that gift was the most difficult thing he’s ever been called on to do. And he’s quick to point out that each family handles life’s challenges in their own way. “All that we can really do is support each other on the journey, and know that we will each find our own success in our own way.”

 

In his new role, he does a lot of active listening. “I want to truly understand people’s perspectives and help people to listen actively to each other,” he says, “and I want to help them understand their own perspectives as well.” Ultimately, he wants to help the special needs community have access to the resources they need so that they can make the decisions that are best for their children and their unique situations.

 

PTA representative Ilona Rodd commends Gary for his guidance at IEP (Individual Education Plan) meetings and his ability to keep the conversation focused on the needs of the child. “Quite often conversations will steer away from the issue at hand to some program, and everyone forgets that the progress of the child is what they are supposed to be focusing on. The greatest gift Todd brings to the IEP process is the ability for the education team to stay focused on what is best for the child.”

 

Gary has set many personal goals. First and foremost, he aims to earn the trust of the community. Additionally, he wants to build a resource library for families and staff members that is second to none – providing professional literature, websites, community events and information to help strengthen their capacity for support. He wants to continue improving the special education process, merging his parent and district perspectives, he wants to help resolve difficult situations, and he wants to be proactive, putting together educational and training programs that are welcoming, informative and supportive.

 

It’s a tall order, but Todd Gary is committed to this work, and grateful for the opportunity to make a difference.

 

“I want this community to know what a phenomenal commitment it was for the district both to sponsor the design team and to create this position. It says a lot about their commitment to improving special education for students and their families. I am thrilled to be here, to be doing this. Everything I’ve experienced has validated my personal decision.”