Michelle Hogan - Parents Perspective

Michelle Hoggan came to the Center for Persons with Disabilities as the new parent of a nine-month old girl. Doctors told her not to expect her daughter to ever walk or talk. “I think doctors don’t want to get your hopes up,” she said. But she’s thankful to occupational and physical therapists from the Up to 3 program, who set out with her to find out what her daughter, Sarah, could do. “The CPD was my very first contact with any professionals who were trained to work with people with disabilities.” Today, Sarah Hoggan is twenty years old, she’s walking and talking, and she’s giving Michelle plenty of input. Michelle has joined the CPD’s Consumer Advisory Council as a parent member so that she can funnel that information back to the CPD. “I have a grown daughter with disabilities and she’s pretty good to tell me how she feels about things,” she said. “I thought I would add the right perspective.” Hoggan is from Cache Valley, and it’s a great community, she said. “I’ve been really positively surprised at the services that have been available to her. My daughter has loved school, the education that she’s gotten there has been great.” Sarah has also been involved in the Cache Employment and Training Center, which has taught her job skills and given her a place to socialize and do activities. Organizations like the CPD and the CETC support not only the people with disabilities, but their families, too, Michelle said. It helps them find others who are going through the same experience and realize that they are not alone. “I think the CPD gives people a lot of hope, and a positive start,” she said. Michelle, welcome back to the CPD!