Caller: Hi, I received a Pathfinder bookmark that has this phone number and web address on it from my child’s school. She is entering the 5th grade and has a 504 plan due to some learning difficulties. I went to the website, but I would like to know more about what support you provide parents like me.
Pathfinder: Great question!
As a statewide information and referral assistance program, we help individuals connect with specific resources and services available to meet their needs. We do this through conversations on the phone and/or email exchanges. The first step is for us to determine what the person’s needs and qualifications are for certain resources. As you likely know, practically each agency has its own eligibility criteria, which can make it very confusing. So, we often ask the person specific questions about the person needing resources, such as their age, county of residence, health insurance and any government benefits received, county of residence, and disability. Based on the information obtained, we then search to pinpoint the most appropriate resources for the person’s need/s. The referral information that we provide includes the name of the agency, contact information, description of services, and any helpful insight to make accessing the services easier. After receiving and reviewing the information, we encourage anyone to call us back if they have questions or need additional assistance.
In your case there may be several different types of support services that could help you and your daughter. Perhaps, I can assist you in finding advocacy resources that can empower and inform you about your child’s special education. Additional referral resources I could potentially provide may include tutoring and other services she may need. Pathfinder also has archived webinars that about different subjects — dyslexia school advocacy and special education support resources — that may interest you. They can be found here on our Media webpage. Some parents are seeking a support group for themselves and looking to interact with other parents who “have been there.” The Learning Disabilities Association helps with parent support and advocacy.
So please feel free to call Pathfinder anytime you are looking for resource assistance. We are happy to help.