I am Your Advocate

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My Beautiful boys,

You are worth the fight.

I am sorry life is hard for you. That I have to fight so hard for you. It is not the fight I am sorry for, because I would fight for you everyday of my life willingly and proudly.

I am sorry because if I do not fight for you, you would have much less then you have now.

If I do not speak up and be your voice, then you would not be heard. If I sit silent you will be forgotten.

I am your advocate.

I promise to put aside my fears and discomfort and will continue to shout with confidence to all who need to hear.

Not because I want to, but because you need me to. 

Change does not come when I sit quiet.

Change cannot happen without the knowledge and understanding of your rights. Not just your human rights, but your education, medical, clinical, and social rights.

I need to know what is equal and fair so I know what to say to ensure equality.

My voice will be present when the benefit of me speaking outweighs the risk of me being silent.

Change happens because I have the passion and motivation to execute the mission. The mission will always be you.

I am your advocate.

You are worth my effort and will always be worth the fight. You are worthy, and you deserve self worth. 

The world can call me what they want, but I am proud to be “that mom”.

To many I may be “here she goes again mom”, but to you I will always just be mom.

Your biggest advocate.

Your fearless fighter who does fear the fight. I am your voice to ensure you are getting what it is that you need, what is written in policy to protect your rights and not what people provide you to check a legal box.

Knowledge is power and advocacy results in powerful change. 

Love, 

“That Mom” 

Written by, Melissa Kenyon, M.Ed.

Melissa Kenyon has worked as a middle school self-contained, special education teacher for five years specializing in students with emotional behavioral disorders, autism spectrum disorder, mental health, and trauma. She continues her advocacy and passion for educating teachers and administrators as a special education facilitator working directly with the district and Juvenile Justice supporting the behavioral and continuing education schools. Melissa has dedicated herself to the University of Nevada Las Vegas since 2004 receiving her bachelor’s degree concentrating in psychology and counseling in 2008, a masters degree in Special Education in 2015, and a post masters sequence in Applied Behavior Analysis in 2019. Melissa will be sitting for her BCBA (Board Certified Behavior Analyst) license in the summer of 2020 and practices as a behavioral consultant in both a clinical setting and within our community. Melissa is a parent to two boys with Autism Spectrum Disorder and has navigated special education, community resources, and therapy services as a parent which has given her a more empathetic and therapeutic approach when assisting parents alike. You can learn more at resetbehavior.com

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Kate Swenson

Kate Swenson lives in Minnesota with her husband Jamie, and four children, Cooper, Sawyer, Harbor and Wynnie. Kate launched Finding Cooper's Voice from her couch while her now 11-year-old son Cooper was being diagnosed with autism. Back then it was a place to write. Today it is a living, thriving community of people who want to not only advocate for autism, but also make the world a better place for individuals with disabilities and their families. Her first book, Forever Boy, will be released, April 5, 2022.

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