Advocating in the school setting for my son (who has Down Syndrome) has been one of the most challenging and hardest roles of my life—and one of the most rewarding.

Parents who are caregivers for children with special needs need all of the help and resources that we can get—especially when it comes to our children’s education. We, ourselves, need compassion and allies who are willing to work with us for our children’s advancement—which can be emotionally and practically taxing. Sometimes, we can be perceived as adversarial for simply asking questions and expecting the very best for our children. It is a long road, but not without joy, and I can walk it with you.

Unfortunately, exclusion still exists in our communities and despite public education being designed and legally mandated as the most inclusive, sometimes parents do have to speak up and show up for our children, particularly those with special and different learning needs. We advocate at IEP meetings, and many times in between. It can be daunting, overwhelming, exhausting, frustrating and, yes, it’s ok to say, infuriating at times. It can even be traumatic.

I have experienced the span of different seasons with my son in special education through growth and promotion from early intervention (EIS) to elementary school into middle school and eventually to high school and, now, beyond. The lessons along the journey are ever evolving and can become more complex and difficult to navigate as our children become older. (That’s one reason attrition is higher among secondary school students with disabilities.) It helps to have someone who can support you.

Parenting and advocating requires stamina and steadfastness. It also requires knowledge and assertiveness—and follow-up, follow-up, follow-up. One principle that guides my advocacy is this:

collaboration should be realistic and reasonable with the expectation that our child will receive the appropriate education (FAPE) they are legally entitled in the context of the IDEA and Section 504.

As an advocate, I prioritize my clients, and I am pro-teacher. Sometimes that gets lost around the meeting table, between email and during conversations because let’s face it, sometimes meetings are intense and tense. Teachers are now more than ever overloaded and under-resourced with more responsibility and less pay. Two things can be true at the same time:

students with disabilities require collaborative plans (IEPs) and teachers can only do as much as they reasonably can do in the current environments. I can help you navigate that “substantive” process.

I will also help you understand the “procedural” safeguards (parental and student rights) and hold the process (District) accountable when needed. The fidelity of IEP implementation is imperative for your child’s growth and success.

I’ve experienced (and survived) some hard fought battles within the system, and offer the insight of lessons learned as well as the technical knowledge I’ve accumulated. I help parents and students practically navigate this complex process of special education (especially the older our children get), and hopefully plant seeds of possibilities and for progress.

We have personally experienced varied educational settings: early intervention (EIS), public school, then to private school, then homeschool, and eventually back to public school for middle and high school.

My son is graduating from high school soon, and we are exploring post-secondary educational and employment options. This is one thing I’ve learned after experiencing 16 years of special education from pre-k to graduation: we as sped parents have to be more aware, more knowledgeable, more persistent, more committed and more willing (than with our neurotypical children) while our children are in school and before they graduate to in order to address their needs and meet their potential so that they are prepared for the surprisingly many options available to our children after high school. It is never too late to advocate for your child.

It would be my honor to simply talk with you or walk with you on the path of your child receiving the wholistic education they deserve to prepare them for a future that awaits them.