It’s the night before Andrew’s first day of school. For many years this night held a mixture of excitement and anxiety for me, and after his new outfit and shoes were laid out, and his lunch box was packed, and his backpack was filled with shiny new school supplies, I would lay wide away in bed, endless questions…
Special Needs Parenting: Don’t Ever Look at My Son That Way Again.
Disclaimer: I don’t care where you stand on the vaccine/autism issue. I have friends on both sides of this heated debate and I have friends who are right down the middle. And if I dislike you, it likely has nothing to do with your opinion on this subject and everything to do with you being…
Long After
Long after he takes two timid steps up to his seat Long after he is buckled in next to his aide Long after I blow him one last kiss Long after the doors are closed and the driver pulls away from the house Long after the van rounds the corner and there is no one…
Why I FINALLY Joined the PTA
They’re tucked towards the back of the modest sized campus; four portable classrooms in the left corner, dedicated to the special education students that comprise a healthy chunk of the overall student population at the school. At any given time you can see these K-6th graders walking around campus, assisted by an aide or teacher,…
When bubbles burst: Alleged abuse of special needs students hits way too close to home
I’m not saying that I’ve been living in a bubble. I mean, I don’t think you CAN live in a bubble when you parent a special needs child. You must remain vigilant at all times; whether for medical reasons, potential IEP shenanigans, or anything pertaining to the well-being and continued development of your child, you…
Special Education Teacher Apologizes! Big Girl Panties Strike Again!
Last week I was all kinds of fired up over an email I received from a special needs educator in response to an article I wrote for The Orange County Register. After the initial shock of the email wore off I knew I had to take action and I was prepared to go to a…