Inspiring Women Fall 2018

advocate services for children with
special needs and their families in the
school districts and in the community.
My caseload was made up of children
from 5 to 18 years old and they all were
d iagnos ed with e i t her m e n t al
retardation, Down syndrome, autism or a
combination of developmental
disabilities. In hindsight, I can tell you that
I mostly always met with the mother, as
they were in charge of the home and
the children. If there were multiple
children, the siblings of the non-typical
child felt resentful, sad and sometimes
angry but most had incredible patience
and an easy way of relating to others. I
soon volunteered to be a group
facilitator for a Sibling Support group where I learned so much more about this resilient bunch.
As a counselor, I learned to fight the good fight and be relentless for those that don’t have a
voice; this included my clients but also their immigrant mothers who didn’t speak English. There is
still so much work to do in this area, especially in the United States where these children and
families are kept hidden and they feel shame for having a child with special needs.
Lastly, as a behavior analyst, I had the job of teaching mothers how to change their child’s
unwanted behavior. I finally had an opportunity to see these families weekly and work directly
with them to create direct change. This by far was the most difficult work. A young single woman
without children had to teach these intangible tools to mothers where most were at their wits’
end or still mourning the loss of not having a typical child. It was a fool’s errand. I saw all the
women of the world in their eyes, what they go through as mothers and wives. I couldn’t just do
my job, I went above and beyond. I found a way to empower them, to make sure they knew
that they could do anything including becoming their child’s teacher. The lesson here was
simple, when there’s a will, there’s a way. Even when that will is the will and strength of others
which will help see you through.
Today I continue my work as an advocate and provide light and strength to women through my
coaching programs. I make sure they don’t ever forget that they have what it takes, they can do
more than they imagine and reminding them that they need to cultivate a support system. You
don’t need a special needs child
to have a support group.
I recently finished my year as the
President of the Barcelona
Women’s Network. It was a great
year serving the charities the
group supports. At the time, we
were raising money for two
different charities: a women’s
organization that helps empower
immigrant women by giving
them work experience while
getting them integrated into
Barcelona (Mujeres Pa’ Lante).
The other organization helped
displaced children either
orphaned or temporary housed
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