RCSJ Hosts Free Disability Services Info Session for Parents

On Monday, March 24, at 5:45 p.m. Rowan College of South Jersey’s (RCSJ) Academy for Neurodiversity and the Schools for Neurodiversity Gloucester County Special Services School District (GCSSSD) will host a free information session and mini resource fair for parents of children with special needs. A Parent Information Session: Parenting a Child with Special Needs will bring together experts in the arenas of education, workforce training, medicine, housing, and recreation to share information on resources and services that enable individuals with developmental disabilities to thrive.

The event will feature a keynote address from special guest speaker, Steve Sweeney, parent of a daughter with special needs, former N.J. Senate President, and long-time champion of programs for the developmentally disabled. Attendees will also hear from RCSJ’s president, Frederick Keating, Ed.D., and expert panelists including Dr. Jennifer LeComte, DO, FAAP, FACP, director of the Rowan-Virtua Regional Integrated Special Needs Center; Jamie Dundee, superintendent of Schools for Neurodiversity GCSSSD; Ramon Casanova, LCSW, executive director of RCSJ Adult Center for Transition; Kimberly Gober, director of the Housing Authority of Gloucester County; and Carmen Bannon, chief community affairs officer for Special Olympics NJ. The session will be moderated by Dr. Guy Davidson, RCSJ dean and chairperson for the Academy of Neurodiversity.

Parenting a Child with Special Needs will be held on Monday, March 24, from 5:45 – 7:30 p.m., at RCSJ’s Gloucester campus Inspira Nursing & Health Professions Center, room 1001. Tickets for in-person attendance are free, but limited in amount, and available at bit.ly/3F6YPfz. A livestream will also be provided at bit.ly/3Dgj2Pq for virtual attendance.

RCSJ’s Academy for Neurodiversity was founded in 2023 to assemble a network of service providers and agencies dedicated to working with the individuals with disabilities. Its intended mission is to ease the daunting process of identifying and obtaining the right resources for individuals with special needs who have aged out of the public school system. One of the most celebrated aspects of the Academy is the ongoing construction of a campus housing complex consisting of 24, rent-supported, one-bedroom apartments for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. To learn more about the Academy for Neurodiversity, attend the March 24 parent information session or visit RCSJ.edu/Neurodiversity-Academy.