spotlight series

Spotlight Series: Family Support Program and Community Parent Resource Center

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Arkansas Support Network’s Family Support Program (FSP) plays an important role helping children who have disabilities at home and in healthy settings with their families. FSP also includes the Northwest Arkansas Community Parent Resource Center (NWA CPRC). The resources provided aren’t just focused on the child who has a disability but the family as a whole. Parents of all children have a big job to do. They are often faced with challenges like communicating with doctors or teachers about their children. This is especially true for parents of children with disabilities.

Jasmine Pham and her family were able to benefit from FSP through the NWA CPRC. Pham first found Arkansas Support Network when her son was in elementary school. She needed some help after her son was diagnosed with autism and had some issues at school. English as a second language made communication with schools even more intimidating.  A friend told her to contact ASN and see what they could do for her.

“I can’t express how much the staff here have helped Jack and me. They stand behind me and they help me feel confident,” said Pham.  ASN supports her in meetings at schools to help the administration understand what Jack needs.

Jack with his family
Jack with his father, mother, and sister

Language barriers can cause confusion between families and schools sometimes. Family Services Specialist and Educational Advocate, Irene Clark, said, “Communication is important both with parents to schools and schools to parents. There are two sides to every story and you should listen to them both.” It’s important for parents to be involved with IEP plans and to ask questions before there is ever an issue. Opening that communication right away will help the child in the long run.

FSP staff recommend parents of children with disabilities take someone with them for support anywhere they go in the community, including the school, doctor visits, and the Department of Human Services office because there will be a lot of information. Parents can also write down questions, concerns, and things they want to talk about ahead of time. “Remember to pay attention to what’s actually written in the plan. If it’s not written down, it didn’t happen or it won’t happen,” says Clark. The NWA CPRC can also help. In addition to educational advocacy, they offer a series of trainings both in-person or on online videos.

Many parents deal with suspensions and expulsions in school settings. There is a process to determine if the incident is a manifestation of the child’s disability. Specific laws determine what supports a school is obligated to provide, like a paraprofessional in the classroom. What is appropriate for one child may not be appropriate for another child.

Jack Pham with his father
Jack Pham with his father

Jack is now in high school and has made a lot of progress and continues to do so. The road isn’t the same for any two parents. What will be the same is that families can count on the Family Support Program at Arkansas Support Network to guide, answer questions, and advocate for the child and the family.

Pham says that ASN has worked with her to decide how best to help Jack: “They discuss our problems and then help me be fully prepared at meetings.”  She adds, “I don’t have the words to thank them for what they’ve done for him.” 

Spotlight Series: Johnny Nicholson

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Johnny Nickelson works in Division 6 of Community Living Services.
Johnny Nicholson

Johnny Nicholson started working at Arkansas Support Network in November, 2014. He came to Arkansas after Hurricane Katrina. He didn’t have any experience working with or even knowing people who have disabilities. His background was in sales, and he had worked as an apartment manager. After a stop in Siloam Springs, he made his home in Fayetteville.

Nicholson says he saw the opportunity to work for ASN as a blessing. He’s worked with 27 consumers under 7 different supervisors. He currently works under Division Manager Katrina Williams whom he says has gone above and beyond in helping him get through various challenging situations. Williams said of Nicholson, “Johnny has been my backbone. Any time I’ve ever needed him for anything, he’s been there to support our division by ensuring that all of our consumers’ needs were met.” Lately, Nicholson has really stepped up for ASN, too,earning the nickname “Johnny on the Spot.” He has worked fill-in shifts, stayed after his shift to wait on other staff, and kept a positive attitude. He says this comes from understanding that his work is important. He knows that people’s well-being is in his hands. Williams said that Nicholson deserves to be recognized for all his hard work and dedication.

He is currently working with a new consumer whose care requires early morning and late-night shifts. Nicholson is certified in Personal Care, which has brought him a lot of experiences, and he’s glad he is able to help more people.

In addition to his work at ASN, Nicholson has been able to save enough money to start his own recording studio. He works with an artist called Al’Nicx over the last six months. Al’Nicx is also came to Arkansas after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. Part of his vision for his studio is to help some ASN consumers record their own music. He’s heard several individuals who are interested, and he is anxious to record someone in particular: “She can really sing. I’d love to get her in the studio and see what she can really do.” He went on to say that this job “takes a lot of patience, caring, and hard work but it’s worth it to help people.”

The smile in his voice is apparent when he talks about what he does. While Hurricane Katrina left so many people with nothing, to build new lives from the ground up, Nicholson found a way to build a new life.  A new outlook on people and his own abilities, Nicholson is the kind of person we are glad to have working with and caring for the people we provide services to.

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