The Right and Wrong Reasons to Advocate

I have a message to send loud and clear. A true, honest advocate fights for the child, adolescent or adult whom they are representing. They will position themselves to partner with all parties involved – the parents and/or other caregivers, school personnel, aides, the therapists, the case managers – and will not set out to make enemies of any of the aforementioned parties or convince caregivers that this is an ideal strategy. Sending a message that insinuates that the majority of teachers and therapists are out to make someone’s life…

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No Expectations Allows Me To Be A Better Parent

And here I sit again, in my car, crying. This seems to be the place I cry the most. After IEP meetings. After doctor’s appointments. After birthday parties. I usually know when I’m going to end up crying. You see, I’m always prepared. I don’t usually have a choice in that matter. I call it prepared grief. I can see it coming weeks in advance. We have done enough IEP meetings, doctor’s evaluations, and birthday parties that just don’t go the way we planned. This still doesn’t mean that it…

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An Open Letter to the Parent of a Child with a Disability

Dear Parent of a Child with a Disability, I saw you today at the local children’s hospital. Your body looked worn from the long days of countless appointments, multiple doctor visits, and always being on watch for another possible seizure stealing your child away. Your hair was pulled up in a ponytail, enabling you to always be able to react to any needed circumstances. Your little one lay her head quietly on your lap, she, herself so worn from the past 75-hour hospital stay. Yet, you smiled kindly on her,…

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The Other Side of the Table

I am no stranger to the IEP process that’s for sure. I just finished my 12th year as a special education teacher in a small town in the thumb of Michigan and I absolutely love my job. I’ve known I wanted to be a special education teacher since my junior year of high school and I pride myself in always trying my absolute best to put the students first and try to create great relationships with my students’ parents. I can’t tell you how many IEP meetings I have run…

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