TCI Center for Independence Employee Earns Passaic County Champions of Disabilities Award

On June 17th, the Passaic County Board of Chosen Freeholders presented Mary Laumbach-Perez, an employee of The Children’s Institute (TCI), with the 2015 Passaic County Champions of Disabilities Award for spearheading and creating programs that recognize the potential of individuals with disabilities.

When Ms. Laumbach-Perez is not at her full time job at the TCI Center for Independence, working with adults on the autism spectrum, she’s volunteering her time to help low income families navigate the state’s bureaucratic regulations that govern the use of special educational services. Families lack of understanding of the regulations and their rights often result in keeping their loved ones from receiving the special services to equalize their educational experience and to live productive lives in the community.

Many of these families have nowhere else to turn for assistance and rely on Mary’s guidance. With referrals coming largely through word of mouth, as a volunteer advocate Mary has assisted over 100 low income families from Bergen, Passaic and Morris county school districts, many of them single family households. She assists them in reviewing Individualized Educational Plans (IEPs) and Americans with Disabilities Act 504 plans, teaches families advocacy skills, and assists with filing state complaints and due process, often securing pro-bono legal advocates for families when needed to ensure local districts’ adherence to NJ Administrative Code in Special Education.

In response to winning the award, Ms. Laumbach-Perez, a West Milford resident, said, “It was nice to be recognized for the work I am doing with low income populations. Eventually I’d like to start a foundation that will financially assist low income special needs families to receive appropriate educational evaluations, allowing them to receive the best and least restrictive education for their children.” Mary added, “My mantra has always been Martin Luther King’s statement, ‘Our lives begin to end on the day we become silent about things that matter.’ “

As employee of The Children’s Institute (TCI) for over 6 years, Ms. Laumbach-Perez, has a deep understanding of how appropriate education and services can positively impact the lives of individuals with special needs and their families. In her work at TCI, first as a job coach and then as the Assistant Director of the Center for Independence (CFI), a program for adults on the autism spectrum located in Livingston, Mary has helped individuals with autism become more self-sufficient and productively engaged in community life. She oversees CFI’s work assisting clients with vocational and job skills, self-advocacy skills, social and relationship skills and skills for independent community living.

Given the broad spectrum of services CFI provides, it concerned Mary to see so many other people with a wide variety of special needs who were not aware of what their rights were regarding accommodations. Her volunteer effort to help low income families get needed services for their special needs children was her response.

Mary is also the co-founder of NJ Auditory Processing Disorders Awareness Coalition and founded the West Milford Parents for Successful Students. She has partnered with other professionals to offer special education workshops throughout the state geared towards parents of special needs students. At the November 2015 New Jersey Educators Association (NJEA) Conference, she will be co-presenting a workshop, “Twice Exceptional Students”, with TCI employee Randy Palmer, who has also won several awards for his work with technology and special needs students.

“We are so fortunate to have employees like Mary,” commented Dr. Bruce Ettinger, TCI’s Executive Director, “She is truly dedicated to ensuring that all individuals with special needs have a place in the community and receive the best education and services available.”

About The Children’s Institute (TCI)

For more than 50 years, TCI has been a pioneer in serving individuals with special learning needs. Today, TCI includes two non-profit schools, approved by the New Jersey State Board of Education, which serve children from ages 3-21 on the autism spectrum and with related disabilities, and The Center for Independence, a program for adults over 21, approved by the NJ Division of Developmental Disabilities and the NJ Division of Vocational Rehabilitation. TCI is committed to developing the academic, social, behavioral, communication, life and career skills of children, young adults, and adults on the autism spectrum.