The people behind Special Kids

A Bio of Rose Ferguson, Director of Special Kids, Incorporated: Mrs. Rose Ferguson is a retired Registrar Nurse of 25 years and co-founder of Special Kids, Inc. Her passion for children with disabilities grew, while caring for the needs of her disabled foster child. Mrs. Ferguson has touched the lives of 100’s of families in Harris and surrounding counties. Mrs. Ferguson has sat on the boards of Harris County Mental Health and HISD Liaison Board of Parents. She is also serving HISD as a Surrogate Parent and is a Children’s Protective Services MAP Trainer. Mrs. Rose Ferguson was appointed the new Director of Special Kids, Incorporated (SKI) after the passing of her dear friend. Her desire is to continue to implement the mission of this project and carry on the work that she and her dear friend began over 20 years ago.

A Bio of Agnes Johnson, Former Project Director of Special Kids Incorporated: Agnes Johnson, mother of six daughters and legal secretary, was the co-founder and director of Special Kids, Inc. In 1982, she was blessed with Shannon, a child who had special needs.

In her own words, “The idea to form my own parent support group was germinated outside the school district while I was carrying a picket sign that said “HISD Won’t Talk to Parents, Only the News Media.” Out of frustration and determination she and her close friend birthed Special Kids, Inc. into being.

Ms. Johnson was instrumental in expanding goals from providing parent support only to providing training and information. She developed partnerships with other advocacy organizations throughout the country as well as co-directed of the Grassroots Consortium on Disabilities.

She has sat out various boards throughout the City of Houston; Neighborhood Centers, Inc Head Start Health Board, People in Partnership and Anne E. Casey Foundation, to name a few. Her grant writing expertise allowed SKI and Grassroots to be funded by the Department of Education for many years. Through her efforts, SKI is still providing services to families in our community and beyond with Dept of Ed funding. Ms. Johnson went home to be with the Lord August 15, 2006. Her legacy lives on as she has imparted her knowledge to many by empowering families of children with disabilities to get the services their children rightfully deserve.

Agnes' daughters, Helen, Diona, Adondria, Quisa, continue to help run the Special Kids, Inc. organization along with taking care of their sisters Shannon and Lil' Agnes.

SKI is incredibly greatful to our wonderful supporters, volunteers and families who truly make our organization and mission possible. Read our SKI testimonials to learn how we've touched the lives of the beautiful people in our organization. Did we miss your great story? Contact us today!

Make a DonationHow can I Volunteer?

Advocacy TrainingAdvocacy Training

SKI is dedicated to helping parents become strong advocates for their children. Whether in Washington DC lobbying for your child's rights or training parents on available resources and federal regulations, we are here for you! Read more about our Advocacy Training here!

Support GroupsSupport Groups

There's no better support for a parent with a special needs child than another parent. SKI facilitates support groups for families to learn from each other, share experiences and provide needed support. Read more about our SKI Support Groups here!

Upcoming EventsUpcoming Events

SKI is constantly adding new training and networking events to our calendar. Check out our SKI events!