By: Dominga Sequeira We were concerned about my daughter, Andrea’s reading skills when she was in 2nd grade. We began to realize that she was falling behind her progression level from that of her peers. We realized her reading and comprehension skills were not improving and knew we had to do something. For many years, I requested help for my daughter, as she was not showing […]
Out of desperation, we searched for help to clear our son from some serious accusation that could affect his education, future, and possible legal action. Thankfully, our family was referred to Ms. Laura Nata with Families Helping Families of Greater New Orleans. We met with Ms. Nata in person and told her how long Harley had been out of school. She explained to us that because […]
By: Terry Ellis While attending therapy at Children’s Hospital for my son, Dylan, one of the staff members there introduced us to Thuy and Steven Nguyen. Thuy and Steven both work for Families Helping Families of Greater New Orleans in the Children’s Special Health Services Family Resource Center. Since my son was turning 16 in […]
By: Griselda Elizalde I called Families Helping Families of Greater New Orleans because a person that I trust recommended me to this agency and since I trust her, I knew this was the place to get some guidance. I was happy to meet Ms. Laura S. Nata, someone who is knowledgeable about educational rights and was able to help me […]
I am the mother of three children, Riley 7, Grace 5, and Ian 2. All of my children have exceptionalities. By the time my third child was diagnosed, I was at the point of literally breaking down and did not know what to do. My oldest two children are still in pull-ups and it was […]
I am the proud Mother of Corinth, affectionately called Dr. Du, who is a happy and lovable four-year-old with a diagnosis of Autism, Sensory overload, Dysphagia, Epilepsy, and multiple others. His nonverbal communication has led him to converse with others using American Sign Language (ASL) and Picture Exchange Communication (PECS). Corinth also attends Speech and Occupational Therapy at Moreau […]
By Raquel Castaneda Brittany Wheeler gave me this response when I asked her how she felt about the support she received at Families Helping Families of Greater New Orleans (FHFofGNO). “When learning of (FHFofGNO) I was dubious at first to visit their office. After a few months, I realized the information and support I received […]
Our family was directed to Families Helping Families of Greater New Orleans through EarlySteps as an outreach for information and resources. We wanted to give our child the best that he could get, so we reached out to them to get answers we needed. We met Thuy and Steven Nguyen with FHF through Children’s Hospital […]
By Elba Izaguirre Brianna is my three-year-old daughter who was just diagnosed with autism and she is my world. When she was about two years old, I had a feeling something was going on with her. She wasn’t meeting the milestones that other children her age should meet. I asked her pediatrician about it and […]
When my husband passed away, I was unsure of what supports and services were available for our son with Down syndrome. I found out about Families Helping Families and I went to their office in Harahan to see if they could assist me. When I arrived I was greeted very professionally and did not wait long until I was in […]
“I learned through Families Helping Families that if it is not documented, it didn’t happen” By: Arianne Penalva We were concerned about our son Victor’s reading skills. He was falling far behind his grade level and eventually was held back a year. We realized his reading skills were not improving and knew we had to do something. When a […]
My name is Jana Prince; I work for an agency called IMPACT, a behavioral service center and I have a disability so Families Helping Families is a great tool for me both professionally and personally. I only wish I would have known about them sooner. I reached out to them recently because I needed help with a family I was working […]
By: Chris Roe As a family with two special needs children trying to navigate special education services, it was a bright light to find Families Helping Families of Jefferson. Their support and assistance was key to successfully navigating the IEP process for our sons, both of whom have Autism. This fall, both started PK4 at a new school in a fully […]
By: Raquel Castaneda The De Leon family recently received an autism diagnosis for their 5-year-old son, Mike. The family was having a hard time navigating the system and finding services, so they hired someone to help them with this task but it was beginning to become too costly for the family. Edilma, Mike’s mother, came to us after her child’s pediatric doctor […]
Translated by: Minerva Flores In February of this year, I felt I was in a low place and desperate for some help. I just wanted someone to hear me out. Although I understand English well, I cannot speak it, and this made me feel isolated. I had a lot of questions about my son, he had been previously diagnosed with […]
August 2017 Success Story – Jolene & Drew Spell I called Families Helping Families of Jefferson after numerous attempts of trying to get a new diagnosis added to my son’s IEP. I knew the urgency of updating the school with my son’s new medical information and that it may bring on some changes on his IEP. I called and sent […]
By: Raquel Castaneda Iris Maldonado called Families Helping Families of Jefferson (FHF) after she went through an ordeal with a fishy company. This company claimed to prepare students for college by teaching them how to interview, how to apply for colleges and provided coaching to help decide which college to go to. The catch is families have to pay $1000 out of […]
By: Raquel Castaneda Samantha and her mother, Tammy, came in contact with Families Helping Families of Jefferson (FHF) through our Interagency Transition Team meetings held every semester at all the high schools in Jefferson Parish. Since our first meeting at East Jefferson High School, Samantha has grown to be a great example for others. When we first crossed paths, she was very shy […]
I recently discovered that relatives of mine that passed away a long time ago had left me an inheritance. I am a person with a disability and receive services that assist me to live in my own home. Any inheritance that I receive that is not left to my Special Needs Trust can jeopardize these […]
Like many parents and guardians, Mingo was confused about the system and how to get started. What made it even more difficult for him was the language barrier. He is a Spanish speaker and has had trouble in the past understanding most of the information and resources regarding his situation. Luckily he called the right […]