I have been an advocate for all things special needs since I was a child. My brother was born with severe special needs! I was eight when he born and sixteen when he passed away. This marked my life with a deep desire to speak up for those who can’t speak for themselves. I have spent the past twenty five years working with those who have disabilities. The majority of that time has been in the school setting. I value what I learned as a paraprofessional in self contained classrooms. I was fortunate enough to have been able to sit in on some IEPs as a paraprofessional. I have also been to many ISPs when serving as a case manager for adults in an independent living program.
My drive to really advocate came from having an adopted child who started struggling in kindergarten. He ended up with an IEP in second grade. It was very enlightening being on the other side of an IEP as a parent. I had no idea the journey would be so hard. I began reaching out for help from family and other parents. This has grown into me networking with others to help ensure all children receive a Free Appropriate Public Education!! I’m so excited to meet new people and see results through working with this non-profit group.