A change of station for a military family means a change of school for the kids. Important for every parent, finding the right new school can take priority for a family with special needs children.

“Military kids in general are very resilient,” said Janet Gates-Cortez, special education administrator for Tacoma School District’s Park Avenue alternative school. “It’s an advantage that in moving a lot they learn how to quickly join new groups and form new relationships.” Gates-Cortez speaks from experience, as she attended 17 different schools during her father’s Army career. Now, her husband is an Army Reserve warrant officer.

“For a child with emotional or behavioral disability, the changes caused by a move can add pressure, though,” Gates-Cortez added. Her Park Avenue school is a kindergarten through 12th grade therapeutic learning center. Here children with severe behavioral issues learn appropriate responses in an academic environment tailored for them.

Other district programs help children with problems such as autism, profound physical disability, delayed development, and hearing or visual impairment.

“We get a lot of calls from other districts and other states, especially from military families moving into this area,” said Community Relations Assistant Pamela Thompson. “They want to know where to locate in order to have the best program for their child.”

Tacoma School District is noted for the quality of its comprehensive program for students with mental, physical, emotional, or behavioral challenges. Problems the Park Avenue school helps children work through include aggression, defiance, obsessive-compulsive disorder, phobias, anger, depression, anxiety, withdrawal, and grief.

“We use a structured environment with a team approach and work closely with parents, which includes sending home a daily report,” said Gates-Cortez. Each child helps design an Independent Education Plan, or IEP, with learning and behavior goals.

Park Avenue teachers use behavior management to teach social skills and self-control. Individual and group counseling may be used. Thorough academic testing finds each child’s optimal learning style. Academic success leads to improved self-esteem and improved behavior — and vice versa. “We’ve had children advance as much as four grades reading level in one year,” Gates-Cortez said.

But what happens when a military family moves from a program like TSD’s?

“If the move is to a local area, we have a transition meeting with the staff in the new school,” says Gates-Cortez. “We make them aware of any special accommodations that need to be part of the child’s educational setting.”

If the move is out-of-state, TSD special education teachers send the new school a narrative report and the student’s IEP along with the usual academic report. The packet includes contact information for a telephone conference between TSD staff and the new school.

Gates-Cortez’s advice for parents: “Remain involved and advocate with the school’s special education team for what you know is best for your child.”

She also recommends parents use the support available at military medical facilities, civilian mental health agencies, and advocacy groups such as STOMP, www.stompproject.org, which provides support and advice to military parents with special needs children.