With learning disabilities and special needs in the Boca Raton and Delray Beach areas even higher than the 15 percent national average, the Jewish Federation of South Palm Beach County has recently made an even greater commitment to address the issue head on with the addition of Dr. Michelle LaRocque as Director of Community Special Needs Services.

Dr. La Rocque's position was recommended as a vital first step by the Federation's Special Needs Task Force, a group of agency representatives, family members and professionals who convened last year to research and make recommendations toward improving financial and professional services and support for residents with special needs and their families.

“As Jews we are commanded to care for the entire community and to repair the world. So we studied local populations with special needs, including children and adults with a wide range of disabilities – developmental, learning, intellectual, mobility, sensory, emotional, and behavioral – and the impact on their families,” explained Task Force Chair Dr. Carol Smokler. “We are so pleased to have brought Dr. Michelle LaRocque on board. She is an expert in the area of special needs education and has already worked with many of our synagogues, schools and agencies.  We could not have found a more capable person to begin this initiative."

The job is an extensive one, supporting existing community resources, assisting agencies to create programs and increase their effectiveness in providing services, and identifying and coordinating and developing responses to critical gaps.

“The Jewish community does have resources, but knows there is much more to be done. So I’m here to help our agencies increase their capacity and coordinate with each other,” explained Dr. LaRocque. “We’ll soon release a comprehensive Community Special Needs Directory both in print and online. I’m also available to help families navigate the complicated systems to access benefits.”

Dr. LaRocque is already consulting and training on special needs in Jewish community institutions such as the Adolph & Rose Levis JCC, Jewish Association for Residential Care, Ruth Rales Jewish Family Service, day schools, preschools and synagogue religious schools. She is also working on raising sensitivity and acceptance throughout the area, and on community special needs planning.

And her work is clearly appreciated. “We’re fortunate to have a resource right here on our campus with such a high level of expertise in the area of special needs, said Karen Feller, Donna Klein Jewish Academy’s Head of School. “In addition to providing valuable training to our faculty regarding learning differences and ADHD, Dr. LaRocque has offered support to our teachers on an individual and grade level, and has provided resources to enhance our ability to meet our students’ individual needs.”

Fortunately, though she may be new to the Jewish Federation of South Palm Beach County’s staff, Dr. LaRocque is hardly new to the Jewish and larger communities' special needs. In addition to her work at the Federation, Dr. LaRocque is an Associate Professor of Exceptional Student Education at Florida Atlantic University with 23 years experience in the field of special needs. Prior to coming to FAU in 2003, she completed her Masters degree in Early Childhood Special Education at Tufts University, and her doctorate in Emotional and Behavioral Disorders at University of Washington, and was on the faculty at Seattle Pacific University. She has published books, chapters and many articles on special education, and received a variety of grants for her work.

Of great value and importance, Dr. La Rocque also brings many years of hands-on experience to her position and our community, including teaching children with different special needs, working with parents, and training educators.

Our Jewish community has made great strides toward fulfilling our mission as it applies to everyone, with open doors and open hearts for all ages and abilities," said Janet Elinoff, a Task Force member and mother of a teenager living with autism. "My son has had wonderful experiences and I continue to advocate to make sure it is not as hard for others in our community as it was for me to find the right services."