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Rancho Bernardo woman starts special needs support group for South Asians

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South Asian families with special needs members will have a new place to turn to for support thanks to Rancho Bernardo resident Reva Subra and her non-profit organization, Parents United Special Needs Education (PUSE).

Subra, whose son, Suneet, has special needs and who is a counselor herself, has been heading up the organization for several years, but recently made it an official non-profit organization. “I started making it more structured last year,” said Subra, “handling the legalities. I made it have more of an aim, as an actual non-profit, licensed in California.”

PUSE is two-fold in its purpose: to provide support and resources for South Asian parents of special needs children, and to provide fun activities and socialization opportunities for South Asian special needs children and adults.

Subra herself is in Rancho Bernardo, but said her organization is aimed for the greater San Diego area, as she has some parents from Carlsbad and Chula Vista in the organization.

She runs the organization out of her home in Rancho Bernardo, holding activities for the special needs children and teens in her home and backyard.

She also holds workshops for parents, and speaker series, though those are usually held in nearby coffee shops.

Subra, who is Indian herself, said that she is targeting her organization at South Asian families because she feels they are a demographic that often isn’t receiving the resources needed for parents of a special needs child. “(South Asian) culture is that of being very smart and educated, but kind of shy,” said Subra. “There are so many resources available but many families aren’t aware of them. My goal for the parents is to empower them, and educate them on what is available, so they are aware of what resources are there for them.”

For the kids, Subra holds a number of events and activities, including bowling, dance workouts, stretching, laughter yoga and music. “It’s about fun,” said Subra.

Subra said she wanted parents to know that things are going to be okay, even if they have a special needs child. “As a parent, I want to let them know that I’ve been there,” she said. “For special needs parents, the stress level is so high and the divorce level is very high.”

As a parent to her own special needs child, Suneet, Subra has dealt with many developmental challenges with her son. “They told me he would never walk, never talk, that he would be a vegetable,” said Subra. “But he is walking, he’s articulate, he’s computer literate, he reads, his goal is to be a mailman. He inspires me to do this. He never quit, and I never quit on him. They told me all his life he would be in a wheelchair, and he walks on his own. If he can do it, why not another child?”

Subra said that while she might expand her organization’s focus in the future, right now she wants to focus on helping South Asian families. Subra is currently working on a website which is not yet available for the public. Anyone interested in finding out more about her organization or where they can find resources for their special needs child can contact her at revasubra@pusesd.org or call 858-334-3384.

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