CLASE Bios 2019

My family dynamic is made up of my husband, myself, a 15-year-old daughter and a 10-year-old son. I am a stay-at-home mom and the primary caregiver/advocate for our son who has a primary diagnosis of autism and other conditions such as a learning disability and speech impairment. My daughter is a smart young lady with a passion for helping her little brother. We four integrate as a team and we are trying our best to cover all the needs of my son’s conditions.

The Broad Spectrum Broader Minds parent group in Moreno Valley was started to help provide a safe place for Latinx families of Spanish language origin to come together to learn from each other and provide social/emotional support in an understanding way and without judgment. The group meets every Tuesday at the St. Christopher Church off Perris Blvd. & Cottonwood Ave. in Moreno Valley. The Broader Sprectrum, Broader Minds parent group was started to help provide a safe place for Latinx families of Spanish language origin to come together to learn from each other and provide social/emotional support in an understanding way and without judgment. The group meets every Tuesday at the St. Christopher Church off Perris Blvd. & Cottonwood Ave. in Moreno Valley.

Lilia Ulloa, better known as Lily, is the Executive Director of Capacidades Diferentes (Different Capabilities). Part of Capacidades Diferentes mission and promise is to share resources with communities in effort to promote self-advocacy and nourishing local leadership. Lily is a mother of four who attended Guadalajara Universidad and migrated to the US and has been active for over 12 years in various social justice movements, such as advocating for Immigrant Rights and Environmental Justice. Through her years in activism, Lily has collaborated with Learning Rights- bringing TIGER to Riverside- and has been part of the organizing committee of Fiesta Educativa Riverside. Additionally, she has served as a motivational public speaker and presented on other topics centered on identifying added skills in order to better navigate the special education system. During her free time, Lily enjoys sharing meals with friends, reading on the latest news and spending time with her family. She is recognized for her charisma and ease of creating connections with different abled families.

Lilia Ulloa, mejor conocida como Lily, es la Directora Ejecutiva de Capacidades Diferentes. Parte de la misión y promesa de Capacidades Diferentes, es compartir recursos con la comunidad en un esfuerzo para promover la autoabogacía y liderazgo comunitario. Lily es una madre de cuatro, que attendio la Universidad de Guadalajara, migró a los Estados Unidos en y ha estado activa durante más de 12 años en diversos movimientos de justicia social, como la abogacia por los derechos de los inmigrantes y su imvolucramiento con la justicia ambiental. A través de sus años de activism, Lily ha logrado colaborar con Derechos de Aprendizaje para traer el programa TIGER a Riverside, y ha sido parte del comité organizador de Fiesta Educativa Riverside. Ademas, ella ha servido como oradora pública motivocional y presentado en temas centricos en el tema de cómo saber navegar por el sistema de educación especial. En su tiempo libre, Lily disfruta de compartir comidas con amigos, leer las últimas noticias y pasar el tiempo con su familia. Ella es reconocida por su carisma y facilidad para crear conexiones con diferentes familias capaces.

Liliana is the mother of twins on different levels of the Autism Spectrum Disorder and two typical children. Liliana and her husband have advocated for families, She is currently the adult resource specialist and leader of Charla con Cafe, a support group for Spanish speaking families with the Autism Society Inland Empire.

Serves the Inland Empire. Bilingual Resource specialist provides support, information, and resources for all ages of individuals and families with a loved one with autism. Offers Charla, Autismo y Café meets once a month in Rancho Cucamonga. This group has several fun social events and workshops throughout the year.

Hold monthly workshops on a variety of special education topics. Location of Meetings & Workshops, 1535 W. Highland Ave., San Bernardino, CA 92411. Interpretation and childcare will be provided.

Luisa Domenack is currently a Paraprofessional for English Learners Department in the San Bernardino Unified School District. With a career in special education for over fifteen years, she has always been passionate about helping all students and especially students on the spectrum. One day she was invited to attend an Autism Society meeting by her friend and coworker Olivia Finley. The first meeting was all it took for her passion to be fueled and participation in the Autism Society of Inland Empire guaranteed. Luisa is a Peruvian dedicated to the education, growth, and development of each and every family with a child on the Spectrum.

Provides resources to all disabilities through our website and events that are psycho-educational and inclusive for social development. Serves Spanish and English speakers. Group of family events for families with different abilities.

Has been a Parent Representative with the Early Start Family Resource Network for over 15 yrs. She is a Parent Partner with Exceptional Parent Unlimited for the past year. She is also the President for District 23 Challenger Baseball League which serves the West End Area and she’s the Challenger Coordinator for the Chino POP Warner Challenger Flag Football and Cheer Program. She has 4 children her oldest son Ralph who is 25 yrs old has Traumatic Brain Injury and she has a 17 yr old daughter with ADHD. She provides Parent to Parent support and it’s knowledgeable in various services such as IHSS, SSI, CCS and Medical to name a few.

Melissa graduated from Florida Atlantic University and has a Bachelor of Health Services. She is a mother of 4 boys, 2 who are on the spectrum.

Serves the Inland Empire. Bilingual Resource specialist provide support, information, and resources for all ages of individuals and families with a loved one with autism. Offers Charla, Autismo y Café meets once a month in Rancho Cucamonga. This group has several fun social events and workshops throughout the year.

EPU serves San Bernardino County, and provides training, IEP consultations, telephone assistance and guidance at no cost for families and professionals. EPU is also now doing in-home or community visits to offer parent education to Regional Center families in San Bernardino County.

I was born and raised in San Bernardino. I had my whole life planned out…I was going to finish high school, join the Air Force to become a pilot and eventually get married and have a little girl, but God had other plans for me. I had already signed up to join the Air Force, but I found myself pregnant. I had my first son and became a stay at home mom. Four years later , I had my twins. Yes, I had 3 boys. As my children were growing we noticed the twins were different from their brother, but we thought it was a twin thing. I started working with the San Bernardino City Unified School District in their Special Education Department. When my twins started school they were having a very difficult time, so eventually their behavior earned them a time of being tested. They were then placed in Special Ed as RSP students and I was requested that they be placed somewhere for “kids like them” at that time that would have meant somewhere for kids with behavior problems. Working in the district, I got to see the good the bad and the ugly and I was unwilling to let them go. We all worked very hard and they are a success. I continue to work in Special Education and help the students and families that I work with see the potential in their students and encourage them to work hard and see the great outcomes in their futures. As I said God had His own plans for my life.

My small family dynamic is made up of myself as primary Caregiver, my Husband as Primary Income Earner/US Army Veteran; parenting, learning and advocating for our (elementary-aged) child with a primary diagnosis of Autism and other co-existing conditions. The Broad Spectrum Broader Minds parent group in Moreno Valley was started to help provide a safe place for Latinx families of Spanish language origin to come together to learn from each other and provide social/emotional support in an understanding way and without judgment. The group meets every Tuesday at the St. Christopher Church off Perris Blvd. & Cottonwood Ave. in Moreno Valley.

Provides resources to parents to advocate, ask for services and guide them on special education, regional center services, social security, etc. in Spanish and English. Covers all developmental disabilities.

TASK’s mission is to educate and empower people with disabilities and their families. TASK helps families navigate special education, disability services, and assistive technology. We provide families with emotional support, information, and direction. When needed, we refer them to other agencies for additional services, Our goal is to promote cooperation between families and schools to help children succeed

Mi nombre es Verónica Ascencio García, Soy egresada de la Licenciatura de Nutrición en México, mi país natal. Como hermana de un niño con necesidades especiales, nos hemos enfrentado a grandes retos y desafíos y hemos conocido el verdadero significado del amor puro e incondicional.
A lo largo de estos 13 años que hemos tenido altas y bajas, pero gracias a esto, nos hemos dado a la tarea de capacitarnos para poder abogar mejor por él y poder ayudar a más padres a que su lucha no sea tan dura. En lo personal he tomado clases por 2 años para conocer mejor los programas y servicios que ofrece el distrito escolar y sobretodo, para saber cómo pedir lo que se ofrece. Así mismo, a saber abogar correctamente por mi hermano y por los niños que servimos en nuestra página.
El grupo de Capacidades Diferentes, nos da las herramientas para poder compartir recursos e informar a otros padres de eventos y servicios que se ofrecen en nuestra comunidad y a sus alrededores, darnos apoyo y recordarles a todos los padres que estamos en la misma lucha, aunque cada uno, peleamos nuestras propias batallas.