Dear Families and Community,
I was called to serve! Taking a break in the present and remembering the entire road traveled to get where I am now makes me think and understand that I was called to serve. At the time of making the decision of which profession I should focus on, I never had doubt that my vocation was to be involved with children. I started my journey in my studies as a teacher of English in Puerto Rico. Everything was going well until I was hit with an educational system that, instead of filling me with satisfaction, filled me with frustration. It was then that I understood that my service should be more individualized. I completed a bachelor’s degree in speech therapy with a certification in early intervention. God always put people by my side, giving me great advice, and I never forgot the teacher who told me, “you can be one therapist more, or you can make the difference between the therapists.” Those words impressed me greatly and I asked myself, “How could I make a difference?”
Maria Andino, M. Ed, SLPA
In that time I was living in Puerto Rico. There wasn’t an option there to have a certification or degree specific to autism spectrum disorders, but that didn’t stop me from reaching my goals. During the course of my career, I have earned several certifications related to autism in the area of speech therapy. It was not easy being a student, professional, spouse and mother of two children while also taking classes, but when you have a partner who supports you in all your projects and sacrifices with you, nothing is impossible. A year after I graduated, I started my private practice providing services in speech therapy in homes, daycares and schools. Thanks to God, the clients increased rapidly, and in less than a year I had my private office with a spectacular team of speech therapists, occupational therapists and psychologists! In my heart, however, I felt that something was missing and I continued my education, finishing a master’s degree in education, majoring in autism at Cambridge College in Puerto Rico.
One day, watching a child in a daycare, I said to myself “that child deserves an education according to their strengths and needs and that daycare, while having good intentions, does not meet that child’s individual needs.” It was then, with much sacrifice, that I started my project of love, a school for children with autism at the preschool level. The time flew and a year later I increased my services, offering classes for K-8. It was beautiful and challenging, with several obstacles and unexpected events, but all of that helped me become a better professional and, above all, a better person. For over four years I had the most wonderful experience serving a population that needed to be understood and needed someone to speak for them. The largest bonus was to see excited mothers when their children said “mama” or simply when her son gave her a hug. I understand that the real education for the students with special needs is in the little details that fill the heart of parents.
During my project of love I had the privilege of offering continuing education to health professionals in Puerto Rico with subjects related to autism. I was invited by an advertising agency in Puerto Rico to offer an expectant mother orientation about early intervention. I have worked as a bible school teacher in various curches that I have attended and am a teacher in my current church. I had the opportunity to become certified in the following speech therapy specialties:
- “Oral-Motor Therapy: Assessment and Program Plan Development.” By Renée Roy Hill, M.S., CCC-SLP
- Certification in Level 1: A Three-Part Treatment Plan for Oral-Motor Therapy, By Sara Rosenfeld-Johnson, M.S., CCC-SLP
- Certification in PROMPTS for” Restructuring Oral Muscular Phonetic Targets By Gabriela Sanchez, The PROMPT Institute
My journey has not stopped yet and in the month of October 2018 I will begin studies to become a BCBA.
With all these experiences I learned that the biggest impact you can have on a child with autism and their family is found in the simplest of things. The best place for students with special needs is having a family environment with respect and empathy. My journey is not complete, and God has allowed me to continue my service to be part of the great family of Wind Rose Academy. For me it is an honor to offer my services, my love, my dedication, my passion and my knowledge to Wind Rose Academy students, families, and educators. I firmly believe in offering a fun, family-focused environment in which parents and teachers form a united team. In unity we can continue positively impacting the population of children with autism and developmental disabilities, and above all, educate a society that is unaware of the potential that can be developed in these students.