Utah Parent Center Inc

The staff of the UPC are primarily parents of children with disabilities. Each of them have a child of varying ages with different disabilities. Their unique perspective of being a parent themselves allows them an opportunity to provide real-life experiences and positive lessons learned. 

Ashlie's Story ~ I reach for the moon for my children with special needs because of the advice and tools provided by the Utah Parent Center.  Raising two children with special needs was not the plan that I had intended, however I would not be the strong, compassionate mother I am today without the challenges and experiences I have already gone through.  I am never alone in this process as I utilized the webinars, resource lists and handbooks from the Utah Parent Center website.  I always know that the center is just a call away when I need advice or just a listening ear from a parent consultant.   Today, my twins are now in the fifth grade and I am encouraging them to be their own advocates.  They attend their IEP meetings and give input on what their needs and strengths are.  The transition into middle school is just around the corner and you better believe I will be calling my friends at the UPC to guide me through this next stage of our lives.

Stephanie's Story ~ My first experience with the Utah Parent Center, (UPC) was in 2004, when my daughter turned 3 years old.  She was in Early Intervention and getting ready to transfer to the public school system with an IEP. She has a rare chromosomal abnormality called 18q Deletion Syndrome, and as a result has many issues that impact her ability to learn.  The thought of the public school system was overwhelming, we had no idea what an IEP was or why she needed one.  Luckily, our Early Intervention provider told us about the UPC, and explained what a great resource they are.

We called the UPC, and immediately felt we had reached a place that would help us understand and navigate this confusing new world.  The consultant we spoke with was knowledgeable about the IEP process, but more than that, she was compassionate and understanding.  We truly felt she related to our stress and wanted to help us in any way she could. I’ve called the UPC many times over the years as we’ve worked out kinks in my kids’ educations. My daughter is now 13, and is thriving in a mainstream environment.  My son is 10 and has high-functioning autism, and he is also mainstreamed and thriving.  The information and help I’ve received from the UPC have been invaluable to me and my husband, and we are so grateful to them.  I now work for the UPC, and consider it an honor to be able to help parents as I have been helped myself.