The Section of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics works within the community to broaden services and programs for our fellow Oklahomans:
Sooner SUCCESS is a community based service available to any child, birth to age 21, with special needs. Their needs can be physical, developmental, emotional, behavioral, or due to abuse/neglect.
Too often, families who have children with special needs don’t know where to turn for services, help, or equipment. They worry about their child’s future and about how to pay for services if they can find them. They need information about their child’s disability or condition. Sooner SUCCESS connects families to services in their community that will meet their child’s unique needs.
Sooner SUCCESS Coordinators assist families by:
- Discussing available resources that fit the family's unique situation.
- Providing a county-specific resource guide of available services and supports.
- Supporting families as they complete complex application forms for services or prepare for meetings with service providers.
- Helping them locate specialty services – medical, counseling, speech and hearing, vision, nutrition, etc.
- Helping them learn more about their child's needs and condition by providing printed information or links to trustworthy websites.
- Providing emotional support during times of stress as well as recommendations for long-term peer support groups and networks.
- Providing contact and eligibility information for critical support programs such as the Respite Voucher System, Medicaid, Sooner Start, TEFRA, and the Family Support Assistance Program.
- Developing and organizing community projects to benefit children with special needs. Past projects have included mobile dental clinics, home/school renovations, social/recreation events, information fairs, and health screening events.
- Organizing local and regional training workshops for parents on special needs topics.
Additional programs for families
- Sibshops: A program specifically for siblings that have a brother or sister with special needs. Currently there are over 14 active Sibshops including two unique focuses, Supporting Hispanic Siblings and the Children’s Center.
- Lifespan Respite Voucher Program: Funded by the Aging Services Division of Department of Human Services. This program allows caregivers to have a temporary break from their caregiving duties.
- Supporting Parents with Disabilities: Funded by the Oklahoma Developmental Disabilities Council to train providers to provide support to parents with intellectual disabilities.
- On the Road Family Perspective Conferences: continue to be held throughout the state to provide a one-day training for families to learn about services and supports for their child with special needs/disability.
For more information on Sooner SUCCESS please use this link, Sooner SUCCESS.