Patrice Dobies makes a difference in East Meadow

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Even though more children today have special needs, an effective education program can be hard to come by. But many East Meadow school officials and parents agree they don’t have that issue because of Special Education Director Patrice Dobies.

“Patrice Dobies, absolutely, without a shadow of a doubt, is a child advocate first,” said Ethan Mann, a parent who has worked with Dobies on special education committees.

Dobies, 59, of New Hyde Park, has worked for 13 years to improve and innovate programs to help children with special needs. She has a professional diploma in administration and a Master’s degree in special education, with a concentration in learning disabilities. She helps special needs students from ages 3 to 21. Her initiatives improved pre-existing programs, including establishing a competition for visually impaired students and retooling a program to help students with autism learn life skills.

The Braille Challenge is a competition encouraging visually impaired students to learn Braille. Dobies hosted the 12th annual challenge on Feb. 1. East Meadow became the first school to host the challenge 12 years ago, although it has happened each year since 2000. Dobies hosts the program, dedicated to helping visually impaired students receive assistance in learning Braille. The challenge consists of listening, writing and reading tests, and charts and graphs to read.

“The Braille Challenge is just one of the wonderful fulfillments of my profession,” Dobies said. “What draws me to the challenge is the same draw [as] 12 years ago . . . providing students with an opportunity for Braille readers and writers to unite for a fun competition that celebrates learning.”

Helping students make the most out of their education is part of being a special education director. The former special education teacher-turned-administrator takes this heart when helping visually impaired students, both at the challenge and in school.

Dobies’ days are filled with meetings with parents and principles. She also works with the students, spending a lot of time listening to their concerns.

“The children are used to seeing her come into the buildings, come in and out of the classrooms,” said Carrie Kelsey, chairperson of the committee for pre-school special education. “She knows their names, and she’s at all of their events at night.”

Dobies is known for having a gentle approach that makes even reserved students comfortable talking to her.

“I think that they pick up on that, and they get a sense of that because it’s such a non-threatening environment where she gets to know them,” said Melissa Stanford, who now works with Dobies in the district office.

Dobies encourages students to advocate for themselves. She says children will need these skills in the future, and she helps to prepare kids to enter the world when they leave school.

She recalled one student who was looking for a new kind of Braille that would be a better personal fit for him.

“He was very apologetic,” Dobies said. “And I said, ‘No, no, don’t be apologetic, you’re advocating for yourself in a very appropriate way, so you need to tell me what you need’.”

Another way Dobies has helped teach students like skills was by advocating for an apartment for autistic students to teach them the skills they will need after leaving school. The apartment, built three years ago, is used to teach students adult tasks such as cooking meals and washing laundry. This learning environment is open to everyone in the program and configured to help facilitate education in everyday activities.

Now with the coronavirus pandemic forcing schools to close down and move instruction online, Dobies is facing a new challenge. Students with special needs can particularly struggle with unexpected changes. She says students are having a difficult time adjusting to the change in routine, and the crisis is affecting the special education department as well.

“I probably work too hard, too late, too long,” she said. “I put my soul into the job and has affected my [personal] life outside of work.”

But Dobies still loves her job.

“I really feel I have a great job and the best job in education because I can really make an impact on students, and really change their lives,” she said. “And that’s the best part.”