A little about me...

Hi! First you should know, I'm pretty informal when working with families. When you tell somebody I'm your advocate friend...I hope you will come to mean it. 

With that in mind, it's important that you get to know me. I'm a mom to two sweet and salty teenage boys, and you'll often see me with my teenage nephew as well. All three have unique needs in their education. I've been married for 20 years to Zack, my favorite tech geek and live in Dallas, TX. 

My advocacy journey started over 11 years ago, when my oldest was identified as being hard of hearing. He was just getting ready to enter Kindergarten, and we were clueless. He's a bright 16 year old now, who has great self advocacy skills, uses spoken English and American Sign Language, and thrives in school. He was was our learning curve, and learned a lot himself along the way. You'll often find him helping me support families, and offering his perspective to other families with deaf/hard of hearing children. 

A few years later my younger child began having problems in his education including outbursts, elopements, and other problem behaviors. We (not very quickly) learned that he was dealing with a severe Generalized Anxiety Disorder, and got to work. After much collaboration...and some tension... with his school, we were able to develop a plan to keep him in his classes, teach him skills, and make sure he kept learning. As he's starting high school, I can see where all of that work paid off. He's my favorite cheerleader, a straight A student, and an incredible friend. 

My nephew, and favorite football star, is never one to be left out, and struggles with anxiety as well. His didn't come to light until he was older, which presented a unique set of needs. Working through the 504 process with him has taught me a lot about how to help a very bright kid learn to advocate for his own needs, and how to help teachers understand that even the most confident seeming of kids can struggle when they feel like all eyes are on them. He's come such a long way, and is now living his best Friday Night Lights life.

Through our story, I learned a lot in order to advocate for my own children, and realized my passion could be put to work supporting others. I'm lucky that my children realize that their stories could have ended differently, and as a family, we are passionate about helping families make the most of their child's education.

I have served families primarily through my various roles at Texas Hands & Voices from 2015-2022 as a board member, Parent Guide, ASTra Advocacy Coordinator, and Educational Advocacy Trainer with a focus on serving families with deaf/hard of hearing children. I've also served on the board of my kids' charter school, and helped countless of other families along the way. 

Collaboration with school professionals, and educating professionals and parents on the special education process is an important part of how I work. Any family that works with me should expect to become a better advocate as we help your child together. Presenting to large groups, and providing a parent perspective to educators are some of my great loves. 

I have extensive experience with IEP's and 504's, ARD meetings, the special education process, mediation, and formal complaints to both the Texas Education Agency and the Office of Civil Rights. Let's chat soon to see how I can help your family.