2. What is Special Assistance Network?
Special Assistance Network is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization.¹
MISSION STATEMENT
Our goal at Special Assistance Network is to connect the community of Special
Needs people, particularly those on the Autism Spectrum, with resources to
assist them and their families to improve their quality of life and connect
them with others who care and want to help.
¹ Application submitted.
When the IRS approves a timely filed exemption application, exempt status is recognized back to the date the
organization was created. Thus, while an application is pending, the organization can treat itself as exempt from
federal income tax under section 501(c)(3).
https://www.irs.gov/Charities-&-Non-Profits/Charitable-Organizations/Contributions-to-Organization-with-IRS-
Application-Pending
4. What we do:
EDUCATION
We seek to educate the community of families with Special Needs about useful
and valuable programs and providers. Any program discussed or recommended by
Special Assistance Network (SAN) through any materials or this website will have
been researched, interviewed, reviewed and vetted by SAN on behalf of the
Special Needs community.
We seek to educate and assist the community about planning for the future and
professionally setting up the appropriate financial arrangements. This includes
estate planning documents for the creation of a sound financial plan that
provides a dedicated support structure for people with Special Needs. This
support structure may enhance the eligibility for government programs, needed
immediately or in the future, so it will protect that loved one with Special Needs
while attempting to preserve his or her maximum possible autonomy.
5. What we do:
ENDOWMENT
We seek to empower the Special Needs person, though proper financial planning
and the creation of the appropriate individualized plan for the family, directly
considering all the factors surrounding the Special Needs person and the family’s
circumstances. Our goal is to set up the proper support structure to provide
security and peace of mind for the family and as much autonomy as possible for
the Special Needs family member. This may include, but is not limited to the use
of: trusts, various forms of life insurance, qualified personal residences, ABLE
account advice, Guardian Advocate assistance, or whatever is suitable or
applicable for the individual and the family.
INITIALLY, THESE SERVICES ARE BEING OFFERRED IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA. AS WE
GROW THE NETWORK, HOWEVER, WE PLAN TO EXPAND THE COVERAGE AREA TO
OTHER APPLICABLE REGIONS.
6. What we do:
EMPOWERMENT
We seek to build a network to provide resources and recommendations to
enhance the daily life and work life for Special Needs individuals and their
families. All individuals need to feel they can contribute something and all
individuals deserve to have the reasonable opportunity to do that. We aspire to
assist Special Needs individuals, of any age, with quality services to enable them
to accomplish their goals and gain autonomy.
7. Why does this matter?
About 1 in 68 children has been identified with autism spectrum disorder (ASD),
according to estimates from CDC's Autism and Developmental Disabilities
Monitoring (ADDM) Network.1
About 1 in 6 children in the United States had a developmental disability in 2006-
2008, ranging from mild disabilities such as speech and language impairments to
serious developmental disabilities, such as intellectual disabilities, cerebral palsy
and autism.1
Parents who have children with ASD [and other Special Needs] can be
overwhelmed by misinformation and ineffective treatments looking for a “cure”.
We believe ASD represents neurodiversity and is a life-long condition [as are other
developmental differences]. We look to support Special Needs people and their
families and to enable quality of life for the people affected and the people who
love them. 2
1. http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/data.html
2. Steve Silberman, NeuroTribes 81
8. How can you help?
If you know of a great resource or service provider, let us know!
Schools
Programs
Attorneys who specialize in working with Special Needs
Supplemental specialists who provide speech therapy, occupational therapy or
behavioral therapy
Summer camps
Employer-sponsored support programs for employees with ASD
Donate ― it’s tax deductible¹
Spread the word
Volunteer your skills
¹SPECIAL ASSISTANCE NETWORK, INC. (SAN) welcomes any and all tangible contributions in any form of negotiable valued marketable property (real, mixed, or personal) in order to
further the cause and mission of the SPECIAL ASSISTANCE NETWORK, INC.
SPECIAL ASSISTANCE NETWORK, INC. (SAN) is a legally registered non-profit organization, organized under and according to the laws of the State of Florida, with registration number
#DTN2790983.
A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL-FREE (800-435-7352) WITHIN
THE STATE. REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE.
9. Who We are: The Board
Patricia A. Bowden, Esq.
President & Executive Director
Trish Bowden, principal at Patricia A. Bowden, PLLC, brings a wealth of experience in managing people and
projects to the Special Assistance Network.
In two-plus-decades as an IT specialist and as a manager for IBM, she took on critical efforts including managing
the U.S. early support program for IBM firewall development in collaboration with the Hursley, England, lab,
creating the software beta program and teach-the-teacher (T3) educational materials. She also was part of the
management team chosen to create a new IBM cross-brand services business to serve federal government
customers and was part of the team selected to launch outreach and technical enablement for key systems
integrators (SI) to accelerate adoption of IBM’s services-oriented architecture foundation products and to grow
IBM software market share and revenue through the SI partner channel. She worked on negotiating and
globalizing master subcontracting agreements with assigned global, major and regional SI partners with IBM
Legal. That’s when she decided to attend law school, while still working for IBM.
While working full-time and attending law school, she added volunteering as a tax preparer for low-income
clients (VITA) and participated with the Orange County Bar Association Young Lawyers Section to create a
mentorship program to facilitate mentoring of law students by OCBA YLS members. But that alone didn’t fill the
need she felt to make a difference. So she began laying the groundwork for a fulltime effort to focus on
underserved populations.
In 2015, she achieved her first objective, as she was sworn in as a member of the Florida Bar.
In 2016, she launched the Special Assistance Network, to focus on education, endowment and empowerment of
families with loved ones on the autism spectrum. The goal is to use the three pillars of the network to give
working families confidence in providing long-term support for their children, and most of all, to ensure as
much autonomy as possible for people on the spectrum.
10. Who We are: The Board
T. Robert Wyatt
Vice President
T.Rob Wyatt grew up with epilepsy and undiagnosed autism. As a child and into his teen
years, he experienced firsthand the bullying and social ostracism that often accompany
special needs. Through determination, perseverance and a great deal of luck he was able
to rise above his circumstances. Today, he is globally recognized as a leader in his field
and runs a successful IT consulting practice. He recently celebrated his 30th wedding
anniversary and enjoys the company of his two children and a grandson.
Discovering in his late 40s that he has autism came as a bit of a surprise, but suddenly
much of his childhood made sense. Reviewing the events of his life with new
understanding, T.Rob became inspired to work for compassionate social reform. He now
speaks at anti-bullying events, writes candidly about his experiences and tries to whittle
away at the social conditions that inflict emotional and physical harm on people for the
“crime” of being different.
11. Who We are: The Board
Georgina C. Bowden-Pierce
Vice President & Secretary
Gina Bowden-Pierce, owner and chief creative officer at GBP Communications LLC, has
more than 40 years’ experience in communications as an editor, writer and graphic
designer. She has worked at small specialty publications, large newspapers and at
magazines. Her duties have included copy editing, page design, assignment editing,
project management and website content creation.
She retired from the Tampa Bay Times in 2014, but wasn’t content to enter a life of
leisure. Instead, she first freelanced, then created a business, focused on helping
organizations elevate their verbal and visual communication in print and online.
Through her career, she has shared her experience with students, through seminar
sessions at college media conventions and other venues.
She looks forward to helping spread the message of the Special Assistance Network to
client families and the general public.
12. Who We are: General Counsel
Jeffrey J. Seward, Esq.
Jeff Seward, attorney and educator, has spent more than 30 years in trust administration,
management and legal counsel positions with major financial institutions such as Insurance Trust
Monitor, Fifth Third Private Bank, M&I Marshall and Ilsley Trust Co., Bank of America/USTrust, Regions
Bank, Comerica Bank, Merrill Lynch Trust Co., and JPMorgan Chase Private Bank, and in private
practice in law firms in the Midwest.
He is also an adjunct law professor at Barry University School of Law, teaching courses in trusts, estate
and tax law since 2005.
Seward is a practicing attorney and an active member of numerous federal and state bar associations
and the District of Columbia Bar. He is also a member of several estate planning councils and a
member of the American Association of Corporate Counsel. He is a qualified expert in his field for the
Technical Advisory Service for Attorneys (TASA) and is a member of the Society of Trust and Estate
Practitioners (STEP). He has testified in numerous multi-million-dollar estate planning cases and as a
court-certified expert throughout many U.S. jurisdictions in trust administration, estate
administration, compliance and tax issues.
He also has given hundreds of presentations about estate planning to variety of audiences and also
presented continuing legal education (CLE) courses to practicing attorneys. Seward has published
articles in professional and private publications.
13. Thank you!
To learn more, please visit:
Specialassistancenetwork.org
