True Social Justice & Racial Equity Is Hard Work
November 6, 2018, is the day my daughter was officially diagnosed with autism. That’s the day my world collapsed. For the first hour of her three-hour IEP meeting, I was doing OK. We were reviewing her old goals and some of the new testing that the school had been doing […]
MY FIRST GUEST COLUMNIST! OMG, I am so excited to share this piece written by my dear friend, fellow disability advocate, proud Harry Potter loving friend, Megan! Seriously, I love this girl and am so honored that she shared her story and advise with me on my new blog! Please […]
The most difficult part of this whole, “admitting I am disabled” journey, has been, well, admitting I am disabled. And, since I don’t “look disabled” usually I can pretend. I just hang out at home, or church, or at my “office” the wonderful LIVE cafe, and mostly in my bed, […]
Dear Fellow Parent Warriors, While every parent has strong feelings as a new school year approaches—excitement, nerves, even a little worry—our special tribe of parents with children who have IEPs (Individualized Education Plan) or 504 plans feel all those feelings plus some. Our worries are much more complex than just […]
As a parent of a daughter with a disability, I feel like I am in a perpetual state of learning tips from the “experts.” Having a child with special needs means I am always trying to do the right thing for her. But summer break is extra hard. During the […]
My younger daughter is one of the greatest joys of my life. She is full of energy, gives great cuddles and has a fantastic imagination, often involving her Marvel friends Black Widow and Captain America. She also has disabilities. It has been a long, uphill battle to make sure she […]
Since having a child diagnosed with special needs, I’ve learned so much about navigating the special-education process. First thing: the special education system is a hot mess—even for savvier parents, it’s incredibly difficult to navigate. The second thing: Early intervention can make all the difference. To give you a head start, I want […]
When moving into my neighborhood, my husband and I never considered our neighborhood school a viable option for our children. It wasn’t “good” based on any list we consulted when choosing schools. The scores were all over the place and honestly, it just wasn’t special. It was just a regular […]
Before I had my younger daughter, I had no idea about special education. I had never heard of an IEP (Individualized Education Plan). And if I am being completely honest, I associated “special-needs students” with cruel jokes about “the kids on the short bus.” So when at 2 years old, […]
People loosely use the term “good schools and diversity” without looking into it or researching what that means. When you get below the surface, it means achievement for the White kids, but not for everybody else. That’s not good enough for me. Currently, my husband and I live in Broadview, […]