Tag Archives: Advocacy

A Picture Is Worth a Thousand Words, Take 2
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Posted on July 18, 2013 by

Two weeks ago I wrote about a photograph. It’s a standard class photo that shows a boy in a wheelchair seated off to the side, leaning over to get closer to his classmates. In a word, the photo says exclusion. … Continue reading →

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A Picture Is Worth a Thousand Words
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Posted on July 4, 2013 by

Happy Independence Day! I’ve been thinking a lot about inclusion the past couple of weeks and the main reason has to do with a photo, a photo that isn’t of me, or my daughter Katie, or even of a child … Continue reading →

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Glitter in the Air
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Posted on May 22, 2013 by

I’ve been thinking about how to write this post for a long time. I couldn’t find the words to explain what I wanted to express, and that’s not always an easy thing for a writer to admit. Then last week … Continue reading →

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Sometimes the Truth is Stranger Than Fiction: An Update
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Posted on April 24, 2013 by

My daughter Katie has been in her new placement in the Pleasanton School District for nearly three months. By any measurement, the transfer has been a success, thanks to the incredible Ms. Nav, Katie’s awesome aide Sharon, and the rest … Continue reading →

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Sometimes the Truth is Stranger Than Fiction, Part 10
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Posted on March 20, 2013 by

Unlike many kids on the spectrum, Katie adores variety. This tends to make transitions go a bit more smoothly—at least on the surface. So it did not surprise me that Katie plunged into her new classroom without any hesitation. Just … Continue reading →

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Sometimes the Truth is Stranger Than Fiction, Part 9
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Posted on March 13, 2013 by

Geri, the kickass advocate, reorganized the disaster of an IEP and sent the revised version to my school district late on Thursday. The case manager responded Friday morning by stating that she wanted to go with the original, messed-up version. … Continue reading →

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Sometimes the Truth is Stranger Than Fiction, Part 8
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Posted on March 6, 2013 by

My back was getting sore from hunching over the low-slung kiddie table. The room was hot and stuffy, despite an open door. Both case managers were in attendance. After Pleasanton’s show of confidence, they attempted to steer the discussion to … Continue reading →

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Sometimes the Truth is Stranger Than Fiction, Part 7
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Posted on March 3, 2013 by

When the principal suspended my daughter Katie on her birthday, he created a problem. I’d agreed to the upcoming IEP meeting assuming Katie would be in school. But if she was suspended, then I couldn’t attend. The principal said we … Continue reading →

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Sometimes the Truth is Stranger Than Fiction, Part 6
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Posted on February 27, 2013 by

After two-and-a-half hours, the IEP team had finally made it through all the triennial evaluations. It was clear we wouldn’t have time to finish. To my relief, we had not discussed the alternative placement in Pleasanton. For 30 minutes the … Continue reading →

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Sometimes the Truth is Stranger Than Fiction, Part 5
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Posted on February 6, 2013 by

On Monday, my daughter switched to a new classroom placement. This will be her fifth elementary school, and third school district, in six years. It will be her second mid-year transfer. Does anyone other than me think this is a … Continue reading →

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