Education

the couple.

“It’s been hard because we don’t have outside support and oftentimes we don’t know which door to knock on to get help,” Jose Fernandez said. “That’s what held us back for a long time.”

So when they discovered Fiesta Educativa a few years ago, they felt as if they had hit pay dirt.

The statewide organization — created to empower Latino families who have kids with special needs by offering them education, training, referrals and advocacy — has helped parents such as the Fernandezes for nearly four decades.

Fiesta Educativa hosted its 16th annual conference at the Mayfair Community Center on Saturday. About 250 people attended, the majority of them parents of children with learning, developmental and healthrelated disabilities that can have long-term effects on their educational progress.

The organization says its aim is to provide families with a safe space to connect with others facing similar struggles.

The nonprofit reaches many Latino families that would otherwise be unaware of the support available to them.

“It’s crucial that these families know about our services,” said Isabel Guerrero, regional coordinator for Fiesta Educativa South Bay.

Maria Mendoza, of Sunnyvale, said she attends the conference each year to educate herself on how to help her children as they grow older. Her 19-yearold son, Abdiel, has autism, and another son, 8-year-old Abner, is in a special needs class.

“It’s important because there are many parents who don’t know what to do

— Maria Mendoza, a Sunnyvale mother with two special needs children

with their children,” she said.

“And many of them perhaps are discriminated against or don’t have sufficient help in schools or in the community. We need to learn to defend ourselves in these situations.”

Like many parents at the conference, Mendoza, 46, said she found a support system at Fiesta Educativa.

“It makes you realize that you’re not the only one experiencing this. There are a lot of people with the same need,” she added. “It gives you strength and you learn from the experiences of others.”

The all-day conference, conducted in Spanish, included workshops on a variety of topics, including anxiety and depression, Down syndrome, mental health, education laws, bullying, immigration issues and self-determination.

Maria Flores-Ruiz, of San Jose, has attended the conference for three years to learn about resources for her 5-year-old son, Miguel Angel, who has Down syndrome.

“More than anything, it’s taught me to be a voice, an advocate, for my child and to see that I’m not the only person who’s going through this struggle,” she said as she fought back tears.

“There is help and resources available.”