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Brianna Sugiura
Jillian Bennion
ENGL 2010
3 May 2016
Scarcity of Special Needs Services in the Central Valley, California
In the Central Valley of California, programs and services for special needs children are ineffective
and insufficient. In the summer of 2015, parents and district employees highlighted the severity of this issue
by publishing articles in the Fresno Bee, utilizing local statistics to illuminate the effects of insufficient
programs like the ones secured in public school systems. Research conducted on children with
developmental disabilities has proven that once these disabilities are diagnosed early intervention is critical
for proper development. Counties within the Central Valley experience an influx of children with disabilities
into classrooms only capable of accepting a small number of special needs children. Because classrooms
exceed capacity, many other issues arise. Parents of special needs children, then, rely on outside programs to
provide support and services for their children. Even with these limited programs, the eligibility
requirements are exacting. The deficit in programs like after school and daycare services impacts families
and the individuals themselves at multiple levels. The confounding variables for these insufficiencies imply
alternative approaches to alleviate this issue aside from funding in public education; therefore, the
insufficiencies of special needs programs in the Central Valley must be publicized and resolved with
alternative approaches that will be outlined in this essay. Like the parents of the Central Valley, this essay
emphasizes the importance of supplying or offering accommodating programs for families with special
needs children in the Central Valley, as well as the outcomes from the presence of these programs. There
will be no immediate quantitative propositions because this essay will promote qualitative propositions.

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Awareness of these issues enables the Central Valley community to propound and impel alternatives for
county and district employees to consider when modifying special education programs.
The importance of intervention for children with special needs is possibly a widely supported
concept. Based on unwarranted assumptions, many people residing in the United States could understand
the essence of proper development in children with developmental disabilities. Sometimes it is tragic
revelations that remind of the importance for intervention. An event to exemplify is the tragic massacre in
Newtown, Connecticut at Sandy Hook Elementary. Despite qualms about gun control emerging, questions
about the potency of special services for individuals with mental health issues blossomed. Was the
perpetrator receiving the intervention he needed to function autonomously? Questions like that are
sometimes too late to answer. It is unfortunate that events like Sandy Hook are the revelations to society that
our efforts are impotent. The tragedy at Sandy Hook was a culmination of unattended problems.
Insufficiencies in special needs services for children with disabilities analogize with the inattentions to
mental health. Just how mentally infirm individuals are precarious alone, children with disabilities are
similar. Eventually these children grow to an age where they must be independent. Individuals with
disabilities could be exposed to the same misbehavior as individuals with mental illnesses. This is why it is
imperative to reveal insufficiencies and inadequacies before drastic escalations like the Sandy Hook
massacre occur. The specification to the Central Valley of California is an intentional and brilliant objective.
Within the Central Valley, activism about special education has faintly emerged. In two Fresno Bee
articles, a few different concerns were mentioned about the insufficiencies of special needs services. The
first article shared the distressing fact that there are likely thousands more infants and toddlers in the Valley
who are missing out on such services (Sheehan 2015). The first Fresno Bee article mentioned common
explanations for these insufficiencies were because of transportation, capacity issues, strict eligibility
requirements, and lack of knowledge either about the services or the childs disability. The Central Valley is

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characterized as an ethnically diverse rural community. This fact is exemplified in the article when Sheehan
cites that there is a large Hispanic farm labor community in Fresno County that has no access to support or
services because of exacerbated transportation difficulties. The capacity issues are cited as extremely
impactful for children enrolling in preschool due to a lack of resources since these programs are not state
mandated (Sheehan 2015). Another observation to illuminate is that services are offered in the Central
Valley, they just arent sufficient or abundant. Exceptional Parents Unlimited is an example of a service
offered for children with Down syndrome and their parents. The child is accommodated with therapy
services or classes, their siblings are offered playroom activities, and the parents are welcomed into adult
support groups that assist parents in understanding new strategies for providing the best care for their
special needs child (Sheehan 2015). Unfortunately, this life-changing program is stationed at the Fresno
State University campus. Another example of a program offeredyet extremely isolatedis the Huggins
Early Childhood Center. The Center is, again, stationed only on the Fresno State campus. It also admits only
12 children for the preschool slot, which requires a referral from the Fresno Unified School District. Even
when referrals are obtainable, some programs demand the child attain remarkable milestones like potty
training. Often, these programs are restricted to middle to higher-income families since publicly accessible
programs like Head Start are only available to low-income families.
Before transition to scholarly studies, the other perspective about this crisis that was expressed in the
second Fresno Bee article must be presented. An important observation to include is that district employees
highlighted how special education is perceived as an encroachment on regular education funds(George
2015). Such a perception can implicate that special education isnt esteemed as much as it should be. The
parents of these special needs children communicate in the article that an Individualized Education Program
meeting with the district is a proposition instead of a collaborative discussion (George 2015). Instead of
the meetings discussing the childs capacities and attainments, they hastily determine the childs prospective

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developmental schedule. The hasty approach to individualizing an education program for the child isnt
genuinely accommodating. An impersonal and rash decision could impair the childs true potential for
development, and parents rely on these meetings and decisions for their childs progression.
Statewide and nationwide studies conducted on insufficient special services reinforce the remarks
about the crisis in the Central Valley. Oxford English Dictionary defines insufficient as not having enough
of something or being inadequately provided with money, possessions, etc. From the study conducted
specifically for California, families with children who have developmental disabilities reported higher
unmet needs for special services compared to other states, an estimated 23.1 percent versus 17.0 percent.
The families in the study also admitted poorer experiences with health care systems. The researchers defined
unmet need as a need for one or more services such as specialty, mental health, or other health care
where not all of the needed care was received (Inkelas 2005). The definitions of the term insufficient and
unmet need are similar so they will be used interchangeably. Another alarming observation is that
Californian families hassle more with the complicated processes of obtaining specialty referrals. Specialty
referral difficulties curtail admission into limited special services and programs. In the Central Valley,
middle and higher income families rely on elite programs that require referralssince programs like Head
Start are accessible only to low-income families. The Californian families also less frequently disclose care
to be well-organized (Inkelas 2005). A disorganized process repels and discourages families from utilizing
it. Despite demographic differences like health care providers and ethnicity, there are more insufficiencies in
California than other states. National results convey similar messages about the insufficiencies of special
services. A suspected 17.7 percent of the children with disabilities population experience inadequate special
therapy services (McManus 2016). The term inadequate is defined by Oxford English Dictionary as
lacking the quality or quantity required. Children with developmental disabilities or with a disability that
always affected their function, opposed to medical condition and disabilities that affected function little

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of the time, endured inadequate special therapy services threefold (McManus 2016). Because of this
revelation, developmental disability will be the primary focus. A developmental disability is an interference
with one or more of the four dimensions of development throughout the lifespan: physical, cognitive,
emotional, and social (Berk 2013). The most prominent disabilities that experienced unmet therapy needs in
McManus study were ADHD, autism, intellectual disability, and traumatic brain injury. Those disabilities
are categorized as developmental disabilities that interfere within the cognitive, social, and emotional
domains. Also, the same trend appears in the Central Valley as well. Common disabilities or developmental
conditions diagnosed among children in the Central Valley are: speech impairments, language impairments,
autism, hearing problems, visual impairment, intellectual disabilities, emotional disturbance, orthopedic
impairments, learning disabilities, health conditions that hamper learning, and traumatic brain injury
(Sheehan 2015). Because of these recurring trends throughout all reports and studies, a developmental
disability with interference in the cognitive, social, or emotional domains will be the primary focus. The
exemplification of the insufficiencies in statewide and nationwide studies validates that this crisis isnt just
isolated in the Central Valley. It only is exacerbated more in the Central Valley.
Despite conclusions about the negligible influence of socioeconomic status on unmet need
disparities across states, ethnic populations still need to be considered. From personal testimony, Asian
Americans, African Americans, Hispanic, and Native American preponderate as the minority population in
the Central Valley. There is estimation that minority children will constitute 41 percent of all children by the
year 2030. Alongside this statistic, approximately 16 percent Native American, 15 percent African
American, and 12 percent Hispanic children comprise the overall percentage of minority children receiving
special education services (Evans 2016). Compounding these revelations with those from personal
testimony, it is necessary to suggest that services have to be sufficient and accommodating for the cultures
beliefs and values. Analysis from infants of all ethnic backgrounds receiving services imparted that 65

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percent are Caucasian, 22 percent are African American, 7 percent are Hispanic, 4 percent are Asian, and
less than 1 percent are American Indian (Evans 2016). Evidently, the disparities of early intervention
pervaded gradually among ethnicities. As imperative early intervention is, it is also imperative that all
cultures benefit from the early intervention. The receipt of developmental disability services and early
diagnosis are optimal avenues for progressive development in children with developmental disabilities
(Petrenko 2013). However, minority families that are recipients of early intervention report more negative
experiences than other families (Evans 2016). Negative experiences manifest as difficulties locating
intervention services, initiating the services, professionals disrespect for cultural values and backgrounds,
and disregard for the concerns of families. Clearly, perfunctory delivery of early intervention isnt adequate
enough for some families. Purposeful accommodations need to exist when intervening.
Inspection of the lifestyle for parents who raise children with disabilities enables a rich
understanding of the insufficiencies effects. There are three primary perspectives I wish to investigate the
consequences with. The first perspective will involve parenting styles and strategies for children with
developmental disabilities. Psychologists predicate that an authoritative parenting style is the most effective
for almost all children. An authoritative parenting style is characterized as warm, attentive, and sensitive
while exercising firm, reasonable control (Berk 2015). Berk also describes an authoritative parenting style
as high acceptance and involvement, adaptive control techniques, and appropriate autonomy granting.
This parenting style is proven the most potent compared to other parenting styles. A paramount observation
to examine is the term adaptive in Berks definition. Some children with developmental disabilities are
perceived as difficult. A difficult child participates in irregular daily routines, slowly accepts new
experiences, and reacts negatively and intensely (Berk 2015). They arent difficult because they are bad
children; they are difficult because their temperament is complicated to cooperate with. Hence, the adaptive
technique in authoritative parenting is essential. Parents of children with developmental disabilities have

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also displayed higher sense of coherence strategies employed to cope with stressorsand active coping
when they participated in lower attachment anxiety and higher positive affect (Al-Yagon 2015). Effective
parenting strategies like the ones explained above suggest possible intervention programs that foster or
stimulate new parenting practices auxiliary for the childs development.
Unfortunately, the responsibilities for parents who raise children with disabilities immensely
overwhelm their emotional and physical capacities. Compared to parents with typically developing children,
parents raising children with developmental disabilities report significant declines in mental health and
physical freedom (Smith 2014). Furthermore, these parents displayed more depressive symptoms and
inabilities to perform Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL). An IADL is an important, ancillary
activity like paying bills, washing clothes, managing transportation, and so on. A restriction in IADLs might
prompt the parent to believe their responsibilities are uncontrollable, which could impair abilities to
demonstrate effective parenting.
The first perspective discussed how positive parenting styles could emerge from positive affect and
low attachment anxiety. The same research emphasized the detrimental impact negative parental affect could
have on child adjustment. Concurrently, parental affect that decreases and anxiety that increases can induce
low quality of childcare (Al-Yagon 2015). When proper parenting interventions arent applied, and the
parent encounters overwhelming responsibilities, the childs development likely suffers. The child with the
developmental disability fares better with receipt of developmental disability services, early diagnosis, not
being a victim of violence, and a harmonious and cohesive family climate (Petrenko 2013).
The causes and consequences of insufficient special services and interventions propound many
alternatives to resolve the crisis in the Central Valley. Parents of children with developmental disabilities in
the Central Valley communicated reasons for insufficiencies as transportation, disorganized or impersonal
processes, capacity issues, strict eligibility requirements, and lack of knowledge (Sheehan 2015).

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Resolutions like accessible transportation, dispersed programs, user-friendly systems, and education about
services could counteract the causes. Instead of reallocating a select amount of funds to public education for
special needs children, other possibilities should be considered. Two possible interventions are exercised
through school or parents. Parenting interventions involve programs that train parents on how to adapt to
their childs behaviors, what to expect in development for their special needs children, and when to apply
certain parenting styles that would prevent or impede possible behavioral problems. These programs are the
most common because children with developmental disabilities are exposed to their parents more often than
to educators (Petrenko 2013). One parenting program Petrenko reviewed was Incredible Years. The program
welcomes parents to a 12-week course that involves discussion, interactions, roleplaying, didactics, and
weekly homework assignments. Parents who participated in this program reported declines in their childs
behavior problems and less inappropriate or negative parenting. Other similar programs, like Parents Plus
and Stepping Stones Triple P, promote parent training in dynamic sessions. School interventions, although
less common, are also beneficial. School interventions like Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies
(PATHS) are universally delivered in general education classrooms. PATHS promote socioemotional
competence in the early elementary school years for children with developmental disabilities, which assist
in reducing aggression and behavior problems (Petrenko 2013). Since this intervention is more formal, it
ideally would be a secondary intervention after parenting interventions. Another program is the Pesky
Center in Boise, Idaho. This program invites children with learning disabilities to supplement their
instruction and train their cognitive capacities that arent properly stimulated at school. It is privately
funded, and the specialists are graduate students mastering in Special Education (Hale 2016). These
programs are initially described as more time consuming than without intervention (Cacioppo 2012).
Prospectively, the commitment to intervention in the early years promises more favorable results. There will

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be less restricted physical freedom, inhibited IADLS, and poor mental health because the child will
demonstrate progressive development.
Too often the immediate and rash response to insufficiencies is money. With special education
perceived as an encroachment, funding is a complicated battle to hassle with. It is a battle many of these
children cannot afford. Before I can suggest a specific program or direct certain actions, the community
must be apprised of the disguised dilemma. Then, with the information supplied in this essay, the
community could utilize the rich alternatives for resolving the crisis.

Works Cited

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Al-Yagon, Michal. "Fathers And Mothers Of Children With Learning Disabilities: Links
Between Emotional And Coping Resources." Learning Disability Quarterly 38.2 (2015):
112-128. Academic Search Premier. Web. 11 Feb. 2016.
Berk, Laura E. Exploring Lifespan Development: Third Edition. New Jersey: Pearson Education,
Inc., 2013. Print
Cacioppo, John, and Laura Freberg. Discovering psychology: the science of the mind, briefer
version. Boston: Cengage Learning. 2012. Print
Evans, Deneen L., Marvin D. Feit, and Theresa Trent. "African American Parents And Attitudes
About Child Disability And Early Intervention Services." Journal Of Social Service
Research 42.1 (2016): 96-112. Academic Search Premier. Web. 11 Feb. 2016.
George, Carmen. Protecting Patrick: Parents talk about challenges getting services. The Fresno
Bee. 19 June 2015. Web. 21 Mar. 2016.
Hale, Lee. Solving The Special Ed Teacher Shortage: Quality, Not Quantity. NPR Ed. NPR. 16
Jan. 2016. Web. 31 Jan. 2016.
Inkelas, M, et al. "Health Care Access For Children With Special Health Care Needs In
California." Maternal & Child Health Journal 9.(2005): S109-16 1p. CINAHL. Web. 17
Mar. 2016.
McManus, Beth M., Laura A. Prosser, and Mary E. Gannotti. "Which Children Are Not Getting
Their Needs For Therapy Or Mobility Aids Met? Data From The 2009-2010 National
Survey Of Children With Special Health Care Needs." Physical Therapy 96.2 (2016):
222-231 10p.CINAHL. Web. 17 Mar. 2016.
Petrenko, Christie. "A Review Of Intervention Programs To Prevent And Treat Behavioral
Problems In Young Children With Developmental Disabilities." Journal Of

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Developmental & Physical Disabilities 25.6 (2013): 651-679. Academic Search Premier.
Web. 12 Feb. 2016.
Sheehan, Tim. The sooner the better: diagnosing, assessing special needs early improves a
childs odds for later success. The Fresno Bee. 19 June 2015. Web. 29 Feb. 2016.
Smith, Amy M, and Joseph G Grzywacz. "Health And Well-Being In Midlife Parents Of
Children With Special Health Needs." Families, Systems & Health: The Journal Of
Collaborative Family Healthcare 32.3 (2014): 303-312 10p. CINAHL. Web. 17 Mar.
2016.