Fw: (NOEWAIT) What's Happening in Florida?? A report from Left Behind in Florida byMike Coonan

[Guest guest]

Not sure this helps much, but, if it is any consolation, other states are

experiencing similar challenges. as we are experiencing in Illinois.

Ellen

Ellen Garber Bronfeld

egskb@...

(NOEWAIT) What's Happening in Florida?? A report from Left Behind in

Florida byMike Coonan

History repeating itself

In my lifetime history has repeated itself. Fifty years ago, families with

special needs kids had nothing but a distant state hospital as the safety net

for their children who had Mental Retardation, Autism and Cerebral Palsy,

otherwise know as a Developmental Disability. They had no schools and no

community support system. They were marginalized, ignored and invisible to the

greater community.

Over this time frame, many positive developments have taken place to

accommodate the unique needs of special needs children. For example, the

implementation of Special Education for K-21 years of age has provided a

meaningful educational experience for disabled children. In addition the

service and support system to keep families intact and in the community was

created and is now operated in Florida by the Agency for Person with

Disabilities (APD).

In 2003, Governor Jeb Bush and Senator Peadon determined that providing services

for developmentally disabled people was a luxury the state could no longer

afford. They created the waiting list for APD’s services which has ended

support and services for anyone who has since applied for and is eligible for

APD. Before 2003, the 33,000 people with a developmental disability who were

eligible were accepted by APD and provided support services. Now seven years

later, almost 20,000 people with a developmental disability (just like the

people getting services) linger on APD’s waiting list with no hope for help in

the foreseeable future..

Children with disabilities comprise the largest number on APD’s waiting list.

They are closely followed by developmentally disabled people who are over 45

years of age.

As their elderly parents' health deteriorates, these developmentally disabled

individuals over the age of 45 will become the most vulnerable segment of the

Developmental Disabilities population.

To make matters worse, anybody with a special needs child who moves to Florida

will find themselves on the waiting list. This is particularly hard on our

military families who are ordered to Florida, only to learn that their special

needs child is on APD’s waiting list and they will not get any help. As a

result, military families have had to turn down tours over seas to help with the

childrearing at home. This action to keep their family together ended any

chance for promotion in the service and ended their careers. Other military

families have had to take hardship transfers to other states which have the

specialized services required for their special needs child.

Children now in school, who are on the waiting list, graduate into oblivion at

age 21 when they complete special education. There is no support system to help

them keep the skills they worked so hard to learn in school. They will just

linger at home with nothing to do.

Families with special needs children moving to Florida lose their support system

provided by their home state. People moving here because of jobs or to retire

are the hardest hit. According to APD Deputy Director, , the only

way to get your child off the waiting list now is if you abuse or abandon your

child or you die. The list operates on a priority basis rather than a numerical

one.

The Association for Retarded Children, now known as The ARC, has been viewed as

the advocate for people with special needs. Over the years the ARC has turned

itself into a multi-billion dollar a year business using state and federal funds

to provide workshops etc. They claim that if they rock the boat too much for

families on APD’s waiting list they will jeopardize their own funding. As a

result they have become a toothless eunuch in the fight to help people on the

waiting list.

To make matters worse, the ARCs actively works to keep the people on the

waiting list silent, invisible and in the dark. With more than 200,000 special

needs people on waiting lists across the county one would think that the waiting

list issue would be a high priority of the national ARC. But you would be

wrong. In November 2010, The ARC will have its national convention in Orlando.

The waiting lists across the country affect about 40% of the people they claim

to care about. Yet the waiting list is not on their agenda. Go to the Florida

arc at http://www.arcflorida.org/news.php and you will not find the waiting list

on their web site.

So, for the 20,000 families in Florida on APD’s waiting list we are on our own

again just like 50 years ago. We are back to raising money with car washes and

bake sales, because we have no support from our natural allies, the leaders of

other families with special needs children who are getting services.

To begin to fight for the 20,000 families in Florida on the waiting list, we

created Left Behind in Florida. http://leftbehindinfla.net/ Our first fund

raising event is a golf tournament, to raise the public awareness of our plight.

It is to be held at Scenic Hills Country Club on Saturday May 8, 2010. Tee off

time at 8:30 am. Men and women are invited to help us, and play golf. For about

$50.00 dollars you can play 18 holes of golf, including a cart and barbeque .

Of tha - Mike Coonant money $20.00 will be donated to Left Behind in Florida.

Please call Scenic Hills Country Club at (850) 476 0611 to reserve your tee

time. Scenic Hills Country Club is donating lunch consisting of hamburgers and

hotdogs following our round of golf.

Our first fund raiser was conceived by Cliff Stoner, a member of the Scenic

Hills Men’s Golf Association (SHMGA) and promoted by Mark Gray, President of

SHMGA. Our fight to obtain full funding for our special needs children will be

won with the support of the community leaders like Cliff and Mark. Sadly, we

are making this fight without any help from the leaders in the developmental

disability system.

For more information call Mike Coonan (850) 478-2558.

Thank you

Mike

[Guest guest]

Not sure this helps much, but, if it is any consolation, other states are

experiencing similar challenges. as we are experiencing in Illinois.

Ellen

Ellen Garber Bronfeld

egskb@...

(NOEWAIT) What's Happening in Florida?? A report from Left Behind in

Florida byMike Coonan

History repeating itself

In my lifetime history has repeated itself. Fifty years ago, families with

special needs kids had nothing but a distant state hospital as the safety net

for their children who had Mental Retardation, Autism and Cerebral Palsy,

otherwise know as a Developmental Disability. They had no schools and no

community support system. They were marginalized, ignored and invisible to the

greater community.

Over this time frame, many positive developments have taken place to

accommodate the unique needs of special needs children. For example, the

implementation of Special Education for K-21 years of age has provided a

meaningful educational experience for disabled children. In addition the

service and support system to keep families intact and in the community was

created and is now operated in Florida by the Agency for Person with

Disabilities (APD).

In 2003, Governor Jeb Bush and Senator Peadon determined that providing services

for developmentally disabled people was a luxury the state could no longer

afford. They created the waiting list for APD’s services which has ended

support and services for anyone who has since applied for and is eligible for

APD. Before 2003, the 33,000 people with a developmental disability who were

eligible were accepted by APD and provided support services. Now seven years

later, almost 20,000 people with a developmental disability (just like the

people getting services) linger on APD’s waiting list with no hope for help in

the foreseeable future..

Children with disabilities comprise the largest number on APD’s waiting list.

They are closely followed by developmentally disabled people who are over 45

years of age.

As their elderly parents' health deteriorates, these developmentally disabled

individuals over the age of 45 will become the most vulnerable segment of the

Developmental Disabilities population.

To make matters worse, anybody with a special needs child who moves to Florida

will find themselves on the waiting list. This is particularly hard on our

military families who are ordered to Florida, only to learn that their special

needs child is on APD’s waiting list and they will not get any help. As a

result, military families have had to turn down tours over seas to help with the

childrearing at home. This action to keep their family together ended any

chance for promotion in the service and ended their careers. Other military

families have had to take hardship transfers to other states which have the

specialized services required for their special needs child.

Children now in school, who are on the waiting list, graduate into oblivion at

age 21 when they complete special education. There is no support system to help

them keep the skills they worked so hard to learn in school. They will just

linger at home with nothing to do.

Families with special needs children moving to Florida lose their support system

provided by their home state. People moving here because of jobs or to retire

are the hardest hit. According to APD Deputy Director, , the only

way to get your child off the waiting list now is if you abuse or abandon your

child or you die. The list operates on a priority basis rather than a numerical

one.

The Association for Retarded Children, now known as The ARC, has been viewed as

the advocate for people with special needs. Over the years the ARC has turned

itself into a multi-billion dollar a year business using state and federal funds

to provide workshops etc. They claim that if they rock the boat too much for

families on APD’s waiting list they will jeopardize their own funding. As a

result they have become a toothless eunuch in the fight to help people on the

waiting list.

To make matters worse, the ARCs actively works to keep the people on the

waiting list silent, invisible and in the dark. With more than 200,000 special

needs people on waiting lists across the county one would think that the waiting

list issue would be a high priority of the national ARC. But you would be

wrong. In November 2010, The ARC will have its national convention in Orlando.

The waiting lists across the country affect about 40% of the people they claim

to care about. Yet the waiting list is not on their agenda. Go to the Florida

arc at http://www.arcflorida.org/news.php and you will not find the waiting list

on their web site.

So, for the 20,000 families in Florida on APD’s waiting list we are on our own

again just like 50 years ago. We are back to raising money with car washes and

bake sales, because we have no support from our natural allies, the leaders of

other families with special needs children who are getting services.

To begin to fight for the 20,000 families in Florida on the waiting list, we

created Left Behind in Florida. http://leftbehindinfla.net/ Our first fund

raising event is a golf tournament, to raise the public awareness of our plight.

It is to be held at Scenic Hills Country Club on Saturday May 8, 2010. Tee off

time at 8:30 am. Men and women are invited to help us, and play golf. For about

$50.00 dollars you can play 18 holes of golf, including a cart and barbeque .

Of tha - Mike Coonant money $20.00 will be donated to Left Behind in Florida.

Please call Scenic Hills Country Club at (850) 476 0611 to reserve your tee

time. Scenic Hills Country Club is donating lunch consisting of hamburgers and

hotdogs following our round of golf.

Our first fund raiser was conceived by Cliff Stoner, a member of the Scenic

Hills Men’s Golf Association (SHMGA) and promoted by Mark Gray, President of

SHMGA. Our fight to obtain full funding for our special needs children will be

won with the support of the community leaders like Cliff and Mark. Sadly, we

are making this fight without any help from the leaders in the developmental

disability system.

For more information call Mike Coonan (850) 478-2558.

Thank you

Mike