101903 Argus

FREMONT -- A group that works to give hope to kids with disabilities soon will have a dream of its own come true.

Friends of Children with Special Needs, a Fremont-based organization founded by Chinese Americans, will break ground next week on a 6,000-square-foot "dream center" that will serve as its headquarters.

The $2million facility -- expected to open in two years -- will include a multipurpose room and kitchen, six classrooms, space for job-training classes, support groups and after-school programs for kids with autism, cerebral palsy and other disorders.

Founded in 1996 by a small group of families, the organization has blossomed to include more than 300 families -- only half of whom have kids with disabilities, President Limin Hu said.

The group provides services for families of all ethnic backgrounds, Hu said, but focuses on Chinese Americans because of the cultural stigma often felt by Chinese parents of children with disabilities.

Most people feel ashamed," Hu said. "They feel they did something wrong, that the gods are punishing them or their ancestors did something wrong. ... It's much harsher in our culture. People cannot face themselves or ask for help."

Hu said a big part of what his organization does is integration. Teenagers and children throughout the Bay Area who do not have disabilities participate in play groups and other projects with those involved in the program, Hu said.

"(The special needs kids') behavior won't be exactly the same," he said, "but many of them can grow up and lead healthy, productive lives."

The groups' services are spread throughout the Bay Area, with therapy and recreational groups as far north as Oakland and as far south as San Jose.

The organization recently won a $200,000 grant from Santa Clara County to develop four "integrated play groups" for families with children under 5 in the San Jose area.

Anna Wang, a founding member who works in the Fremont area, is looking forward to having a center to "call home." The group is working out of the Asian Pacific Family Resource Center in San Jose.

"We've borrowed office space at churches and other locations," she said. "It's difficult to run a program for the whole week like this."

When the center opens, Hu hopes, the organization will continue to expand. It will be located on Peralta Boulevard near Edwards Street and New Hope Community Church. The organization already has raised about $1.25million and expects to raise the rest through fund-raisers and with the help of donors.

Hu knows the value of its services firsthand -- his 9-year-old son was diagnosed with autism four years ago, he said.

For a while, he and his wife could not understand why their 5-year-old could not say "mommy" or "daddy" and would often seem to be in a trance, Hu said.

"It was a horrible time," he said.

When his son finally uttered the word "bobba" -- father -- "it was the most wonderful thing in the whole world."

	October 19, 2003
Special center for 'special' kids $2 million facility to handle children of various ethnicities By Melissa Evans, STAFF WRITER

FREMONT -- A group that works to give hope to kids with disabilities soon will have a dream of its own come true. Friends of Children with Special Needs, a Fremont-based organization founded by Chinese Americans, will break ground next week on a 6,000-square-foot "dream center" that will serve as its headquarters. The $2million facility -- expected to open in two years -- will include a multipurpose room and kitchen, six classrooms, space for job-training classes, support groups and after-school programs for kids with autism, cerebral palsy and other disorders. Founded in 1996 by a small group of families, the organization has blossomed to include more than 300 families -- only half of whom have kids with disabilities, President Limin Hu said. The group provides services for families of all ethnic backgrounds, Hu said, but focuses on Chinese Americans because of the cultural stigma often felt by Chinese parents of children with disabilities. Most people feel ashamed," Hu said. "They feel they did something wrong, that the gods are punishing them or their ancestors did something wrong. ... It's much harsher in our culture. People cannot face themselves or ask for help." Hu said a big part of what his organization does is integration. Teenagers and children throughout the Bay Area who do not have disabilities participate in play groups and other projects with those involved in the program, Hu said. "(The special needs kids') behavior won't be exactly the same," he said, "but many of them can grow up and lead healthy, productive lives." The groups' services are spread throughout the Bay Area, with therapy and recreational groups as far north as Oakland and as far south as San Jose. The organization recently won a $200,000 grant from Santa Clara County to develop four "integrated play groups" for families with children under 5 in the San Jose area. Anna Wang, a founding member who works in the Fremont area, is looking forward to having a center to "call home." The group is working out of the Asian Pacific Family Resource Center in San Jose. "We've borrowed office space at churches and other locations," she said. "It's difficult to run a program for the whole week like this." When the center opens, Hu hopes, the organization will continue to expand. It will be located on Peralta Boulevard near Edwards Street and New Hope Community Church. The organization already has raised about $1.25million and expects to raise the rest through fund-raisers and with the help of donors. Hu knows the value of its services firsthand -- his 9-year-old son was diagnosed with autism four years ago, he said. For a while, he and his wife could not understand why their 5-year-old could not say "mommy" or "daddy" and would often seem to be in a trance, Hu said. "It was a horrible time," he said. When his son finally uttered the word "bobba" -- father -- "it was the most wonderful thing in the whole world."


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