Even as a Disability Advocate I Still Did Everything Wrong When My Daughter Was Diagnosed With Autism

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…

It’s Not ‘Inclusion’ If You Leave Out Kids With Special Needs

Way back in 1990 on this day, then-President George H.W. Bush signed into law the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, or IDEA. The law’s provisions…

My Mom Went to War to Get Me Into a School That Believes a Kid With Autism Kid Can Thrive

I have always been extremely anxious about change. Sometimes that change would lead to various levels of panic, sometimes in public. And that panic would…

Here Are 4 Tips to Help Your Kids Be Their Best Selves

Raising two kids has taught me a lot about how to help children become their best selves. Four key themes have emerged in my years…

DeVos Is Stripping Away Civil Rights Protections for Students With Special Needs

I’m detecting a trend. Recently, The Atlantic ran a piece that catalogues the Trump administration’s disregard of civil rights protections for Americans (and aspiring Americans)…

Students With Autism Are ‘Different, Not Less,’ and Other Lessons From Temple Grandin

Steven was my oversized and freckled first-grade classmate. That basement classroom was bulging with students, with rows of tiny desks brimming with books and a…

My Son Has Autism and This School Taught Him to Say ‘Mom’

At 5, my son, Niko, was still in diapers. He didn’t know how to communicate. He wouldn’t let anyone touch him. I was afraid for…

I Found the Right School for My Son With Autism and It’s Only Because I’m White and Have Money

It’s March, and all over the country, students and their families are waiting anxiously to receive emails and letters about the status of school applications;…

I’m a Fierce Advocate for Educational Equity. And Then I Had My Own Kid.

For years, I have experienced the world of education through the role of a teacher. I’ve engaged in discussions about fair funding formulas and school…

Here’s Everything You Need to Know When You’re Done Denying Your Kid Has Special Needs

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…