The Foreign Service Journal, September 2015

68 SEPTEMBER 2015 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL AFSA NEWS Eradicating Stigma in Special Needs Education THE AV I S BOHLEN AWARD FOR A FORE I GN SERV I CE FAMI LY MEMBER MARY BETH BECHTEL A special needs education expert, Mary Beth Bechtel has spent the last 16 years living in five countries on three different continents with her Foreign Service husband and their children. The couple just completed a tour in Dhahran, where Bechtel’s success building relationships to promote special education in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province earned her this year’s Avis Bohlen Award. The award is conferred on an eligible family member (EFM) whose relations with the American and foreign communities at a U.S. mission have done the most to advance American interests. Bechtel is a teacher and the mother of a grown son with Asperger’s syndrome. She points to both experi- ences as having inspired her to improve conditions for adults and children with disabilities: “As a mom and a human being, I have to pay it forward.” Shortly after arriving at post, Bechtel found Dhahran had few quality places where parents could take their children for diagnosis and treatment. Educators lacked expertise and training. The social stigma of disability was exacerbated by the absence of support services. Compelled to action, Bechtel recruited support from Consulate General Dhahran to bring a U.S. spe- cial education expert to the Eastern Province. Together, they secured grant funding, cut through logistical red tape, and—despite the extreme reti- cence of the Ministry of Edu- cation to work with consulate officials—organized a robust schedule of meetings. The public diplomacy office estimated that the speaker would draw an audience of 40-50 people: The final head count was close to 1,000. Thanks to Bechtel’s initia- tive, Saudi parents and busi- ness leaders are beginning to organize around the issue of disability. They are now connected to experts affiliated with U.S. institutions such as the Kennedy Krieger Institute and Autism Speaks. And, notably, the consulate general also benefitted by establishing ties to new segments of the community. Before receiving the Bohlen Award, Bechtel was not aware of its existence. In her acceptance remarks, she called the honor gratify- ing, saying,“EFMs: We are not direct hires; but we are patriotic, and we love the United States as much as our spouses do.” Bechtel encourages all EFMs to use their personal and professional know-how to make a difference at their posts, which, as she has shown, can include advancing U.S. foreign policy.Working remotely from her new home in Bamako, she continues to promote special needs educa- tion in Saudi Arabia. She is also turning her attention to a new goal—to create a DoctorsWithout Bor- ders-like program that deploys specially trained teams to work with teachers, parents and children overseas. Bechtel and her Foreign Service husband have also lived and worked in Munich, Athens and Vienna. Originally from Edgewater, Maryland, she holds a master’s degree in special education. n Bechtel (center) with her family and friends following the AFSA awards ceremony. COURTESYOFMARYBETHBECHTEL AFSA/JOAQUINSOSA Mary Beth Bechtel in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province. AFSA EXEMPLARY PERFORMANCE AWARDS