18 | MARCH 9 • 2023 

F

amilies who have a child with spe-
cial needs will gather for a parent 
symposium on Sunday, March 
12, designed to help them navigate their 
young adult/adult children’s transitional 
years. The three-hour event, which is 
being offered at no cost, will be held at the 
Jewish Community Center of Metropolitan 
Detroit.
Some 20 area agencies will be on hand 
to connect with the more 
than 130 attendees who 
have already RSVPed from 
throughout Metro Detroit. 
“I hope that families come 
away with their questions 
answered,” says Dr. Stephanie 
Zoltowski-Siordia, director, 
JCC Special Needs. “I hope 
they make family connections, 
get respite care, social interaction with 
like-minded families, and information to 
help their transitioning child.” 
Caroline Margolis of Bloomfield Hills 
has the event marked on her calendar. She’s 
eager to gather resources and information 
for her 16-year-old son. “I have not been 

to other things like it,” she says. “I’m really 
looking forward to talking to people to 
see what he can do in the future, to learn 
about housing and job support. I’m excited 
to learn about the different programs 
available and hopefully have a takeaway of 
a more secure future for my son and me.” 
She adds that she’s grateful such an 
event is being put on, and excited to talk 
with other people at the event. “I don’t 
really know much yet,” she explains. 
“Community, housing, really everything — 
I think it’ll be good just to see what’s out 
there.”
Terry Matlen of Birmingham says she’s 
also glad to see the symposium taking 
place. There were far fewer resources 
when her daughter, who is turning 35, 
was younger, she explains. “There wasn’t 
a whole lot out there. Not only that, but it 
was hard to connect with other kids with 
special needs,” Matlen says, adding that 
even today, families can feel isolated and 
disconnected from the community. 
The symposium is a way of letting 
parents who already have their hands full 
find new opportunities and share their 

experiences with others. 
“I’ve been in this for 35 years now, and 
parents are so hungry to connect with 
other families who understand them and 
get them and don’t stare at their child or 
have opinions about their child,” she says. 
“Being able to normalize our kids and our 
family life by being around other families 
at a symposium like this will be a huge 
weight off of our shoulders,” 
Matlen says.
Kathleen Remski, parent 
adviser with Solutions for 
Adult Interdependent Living 
(SAIL), will address the group. 
“I’m going to share with par-
ents the story of launching 
my differently abled daughter and soon-
to-be-launched differently abled son, and 
how SAIL can assist them in the journey to 
find independence for their loved one,” she 
explains. “I hope that mine and my hus-
band’s story about launching our daughter 
will inspire individuals and let 
them know there are resourc-
es to support them along the 
way.” 
It’s meaningful for families 
to get the information they 
need now and to build long-
term connections, she says. 
“SAIL helps people understand the impor-
tance of community and support them in 
their launch for their loved one.”

OUR COMMUNITY

JCC will host a symposium for 
parents of kids with special needs.

A Special Event 
for Special Families

Dr. 
Stephanie 
Zoltowski-
Siordia

KAREN SCHWARTZ CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Exercise class 
at JCC Day 
Camps

Linda 
Rosberg

Kathleen 
Remski

Join other families of special needs kids at 
the March 12 symposium.

