Grant for Sooner SUCCESS to Improve Services for Parents With Intellectual Disabilities

  Oklahoma City– Parents with disabilities in Oklahoma will benefit from a grant recently awarded to the Sooner SUCCESS program. Sooner SUCCESS is a statewide program for Oklahomans with special needs headquartered at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center.

The grant from the Oklahoma Developmental Disabilities Council will assist Sooner SUCCESS in its three main goals: to work alongside parents with disabilities to identify the challenges they face, to bring expertise and information to professionals and parents to address challenges, and to develop anew curriculum and training about working with parents with disabilities for Occupational Therapists. The project began October 1^st.

“We hope that this project will be just the beginning of reaching this under-served group of Oklahoma parents,” said Lisa Simmons, Sooner SUCCESS Region One coordinator and community-based program coordinator. “Our goal is to create empowered families that have the supports and skills they need to be successful.  Oklahomans believe in a strong family unit, and we believe that Oklahoma parents with disabilities also have the right to create a strong, successful family.”

If you are a parent with a disability and would like to share your story about obstacles experienced or overcome, please call the toll-free statewide number at 1-877-441-0434 or online at www.soonersuccess.ouhsc.edu.

The Mission of Sooner SUCCESS is to advance a comprehensive, unified system of health, social and educational services for children and parents with special needs within their community.