News and Knowledge

“For many families whose child receives a diagnosis of an autism spectrum disorder, hearing the news can be overwhelming. It’s rewarding for me to be able to help them figure out what the next steps are and connect them to the right services. When they leave feeling like they are on the right track and moving ahead, I know I have done a good job,” says Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP) Coordinator Tresca Ramtahal.

The EFMP is a military program that works with other military and civilian agencies to provide comprehensive and coordinated community support, housing, educational, medical, and personnel services to military families with special needs. Located at Fort Campbell in Clarksville, Tenn., Ramtahal’s office works with more than 4,000 individuals.

She took her first job in the office in 2003, not long after being discharged from the Army, and became a program coordinator in 2007. Because she has a degree in business administration and a master’s degree in business technology, Ramtahal oversees the office budget and works with contracts and accreditation as well as coordinating special events.

Ramtahal takes her job seriously. “I initially applied for the job because my mother had several diagnoses, including having suffered a stroke and diabetes. Her experience motivated me to want to help families who are dealing with a family member’s disabilities.”

One of her favorite responsibilities is coordinating the Fort Campbell EMFP Office’s Annual Autism Walk. Supported by community partners, the purpose of the walk is raise awareness of autism and to give families who have a child with autism a day to have fun, Ramtahal says. The Walk will be held on June 29 this year.

“Local agencies set up information tables. We have arts and crafts and inflatables for the children and there’s a DJ. People do laps around the high school football stadium where the walk is held. Last year, we had approximately 550 participants. This year, our goal is to make it even bigger, better, and more informative than last year,” Ramtahal says. Organizers added t-shirt sales to the Walk this year in order to give back to the community. They are hoping to raise $1,000 for the Autism Society of Middle Tennessee and have raised $650 so far.

She notes that it was through the Annual Autism Walk that she found out about OAR. “A staff member at one of our community partners, Exemplary Behavior, mentioned that OAR may have resources for an information table. I asked and OAR sent them. OAR’s resources are great information for our families.”