The world of special education is tough, confusing and often nearly impossible for parents to navigate. Questions go unanswered, frustration mounts and in the end it’s usually the child that suffers most. Often times behavior issues surface, grades slip and unfortunately many children with special needs end up on the wrong path.

I’ve spent more than a decade immersed in all aspects of special education. I’ve worked with children of all ages, parents of children with special needs, adults with special needs, teachers and other professionals. I’ve been called every name imaginable by students, I’ve been hit during class, I’ve been chased by a student with a knife, I’ve cried, I’ve laughed, I’ve helped, taught and learned.

Often times I get asked what it is that keeps me going through all of the chaos. The answer is simple; It’s the 3rd grader labeled “the unteachable” that reads their first word, it’s the high school student who has spent their life in crime and with the wrong crowd that decides college is a much better option. It’s the tears of a parent as they watch their child graduate with honors, the parent who had spent years overwhelmed, stressed and frustrated feeling helpless not being able to get their child the assistance and resources to be successful.