TAMPA, Fla. — We are only about two months away from the start of hurricane season, and it’s never too early to start preparing. A nonprofit in Wimauma is getting a jumpstart, helping children with special needs learn skills to cope with hurricanes.
What You Need To Know
Inspira Tampa Bay Inc. works to provide support to families.
The nonprofit launched Regulation Rangers in February to help children cope with the affects of hurricanes and be prepared this year.
The goal of the initiative is to provide coping strategies, emotional regulation and more.
With a simple point of her finger, 7-year-old Ellie is expressing her feelings. It’s something her father, Armando Garcia, says she has struggled with in the past.
Ellie was diagnosed with autism at an early age.
“We found out Ellie doesn’t talk when she was 2 years old,” Garcia said.
Since then, with speech therapy, she has learned to talk and is now building even more skills. Through Inspira Tampa Bay, Ellie is taking part in a new program called “Regulation Rangers.”
The initiative is paid for by the Florida Disaster Relief Fund through Volunteer Florida. It’s designed to help children develop emotional regulation, self-awareness and coping strategies.
Volunteer Florida says these partnerships are important.
“Through the generous donations made to the Florida Disaster Fund, the Volunteer Florida Foundation is able to support trusted nonprofit organizations working on disaster response and long-term recovery efforts across Florida, helping communities rebuild and recover,” it said in a statement to Spectrum News.
Program Director Jennifer Torres says the program helps children process the fear and confusion that can come with disasters like hurricanes.
“A big challenge is definitely communication, a lot of kids are scared, a lot of our families had to leave town, leave their home and you don’t know what that is that you’re coming back too, and so these feelings they impact the children so much,” says Torres.
Ellie’s family experienced that firsthand during Hurricane Milton in October 2024.
“My daughter is a kid that she starts feeling frustrated with the heat. One (of) the challenges that we had with the hurricane was that we had no power,” Garcia said.
The family stayed in their home and kept Ellie calm, playing games on an iPad and finding moments to laugh.
Now, her father says this program is helping Ellie learn how to manage and communicate her emotions.
In Hillsborough County, there are up to five special needs shelters available during hurricanes, but they have specific medical requirements for entry.
Families with children on the autism spectrum may not always qualify. Katja Miller with Hillsborough County Emergency Management says they work with local nonprofits to help support those families.
“They may send things over to the shelter, or they may send staff or employees over there that come with resources,” Miller said.
During Hurricane Milton, the county’s special needs shelters served about 4,000 people.
But Garcia said that shelters can still be overwhelming for children with autism, so he is focusing on preparing now.
“They’re going to help you say, ‘Hey, I’m here to control your feelings and deal with your feelings about everything through this disaster,'” Garcia said.
Taking steps today so his family feels ready for whatever this hurricane season may bring.
The Regulation Rangers program will host its next session on Saturday, March 21, and is open to children ages 3 to 9.