My philosophy is that all disabled people deserve a high quality of life

I wanna see a feisty group of disabled people around the world…if you don’t respect yourself and if you don’t demand what you believe in for yourself, you’re not gonna get it.
— – Judith Heumann AKA the Mother of Disability Rights

Approach

My Approach to IEP/504 Advocacy, Coaching, and Working with Students

Disability is a natural part of humanity and diversity only makes all of us better.
Not supporting disability needs does not have to be the norm.

When I am advocating for families, that I use my teaching expertise in how to translate what an IEP or 504 Plan is asking of a school team. I collaborate to create materials and systems to allow school staff to supports students correctly as whole learners. A large part of my work is training school staff on how to change their approach with students— that means we’re going to talk not just about the best possible plan of support and instruction, we are also going to make sure that the school team understands the “why” behind student behavior, emotions, social skills, and academics. ADHD, Autism, OCD, dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia, apraxia, PDA, DMDD, you name it—we’re going to talk explicitly about the research for supporting a student.

I believe that we must provide adequate accommodations and teach skills explicitly to disabled students. I focus on students’ special interests, strengths, and curiosity to get them invested in their own growth. Connection is at the heart of my work before I make any demands of a child.
When we truly see students as whole people, we can create an educational experience for them that brings them safety, joy, and growth.