Advocacy for the Special Ones in Your Life

ABA? Applied Behavior Analysis What is it and who needs it?. We talk today with experts at a Key Autism location who explain the therapy and dispel myths associated with it. Join us as we have a conversation around the hot topic. Resources: Key Autism : https://www.keyautismservices.com/ Advocacy: advocacyforthespecialones.com

Why does music therapy work? Music is a whole-brain brain activity that generates physiologic responses. Its predictable and structured nature can improve attention, enhance learning, and expand communication. Music listening and creation are motivating social experiences that can access memories and express or alter emotions. Prospect Music Therapy https://prospectmusictherapy.net/ Loren Goodman...

What is Conductive Education and who benefits from its practice? Center for Independence, Chicagoland, offers super affordable access for your child with motor needs. Jim Zwiefelhofer, PTA Center for Independence  Through Conductive Education-NW 23153 W. Miller Rd Lake Zurich, IL 60047 P-847-722-0386 F-708-588-0406 CFImove.org   Laurie McDevitt Founder, Special Education Advocate & Consultant...

Laura Hernandez, mom of 10, talks about her life, her business and her family. Managing therapies and the needs of her family require systems....instead of just holding on and surviving until bedtime. How could they manage all of their logistics and have-tos and make time to intentionally instill the ideals that their family values?  It took her years to develop systems and life hacks to keep her...

How the brain processes what our ears hear! Is your child struggling with w oral direction, spelling difficulty, strain and stress to follow along, to understand what they are hearing, tired, tune out? Auditory processing interacts with all areas of learning, sensory, phonics, social emotional, functional, reading. spelling, math and attention! Dr. Donna Turetgen, Au. D and Dr. Christy Washkowiak,...

John Felageller is the Ministry Relations Manager at Joni and Friends Chicago. Previous to that, he  spent almost 20 years in education, working with children from Infants to Middle School, serving in a variety of roles including Teacher, Mentor Teacher and School Director. John lives in Highwood, IL and is a single father to his son Christopher (ASD). He is a public speaker, multiple podcast gues...

Let's talk about trusts, guardianship and POA!  Sara Riechert from the Chamberlin Riechert Law Group P.C. breaks down what parents need to know about future planning and protections.  She carefully and clearly breaks down the often confusing and often intimidating conversation about planning for the financial and medical needs of a child with a disability, and any child who turns 18. &nb...

Jenn Haston is a dynamic professional presenter with 10 years of speaking experience who provides inclusive and growth-based presentations virtually or in person! A cultural leader who motivates and inspires teams with a collaborative spirit and focuses on meeting personal and professional goals and accomplishing great things with folks around the globe. She is no parenting expert- and some of the...

Lenora Edwards, Chief Knowledge Officer, from betterspeech.com talks about the benefits of virtual speech and language services. She explains that SLP service providers deal with "the neck up" when it comes to services.  She also answers questions parents ask about speech and language, that includes pragmatic language and sequencing of stories. Lenora also covers the question parents often as...

Dr. Shlok Kharod joins me in a conversation about mental health, and encourages families to have conversations with their kids about their mental health.  Open up the avenues of communication and help kids feel less alone.   His company, Charlie Health, offers virtual outpatient services to children and adolescents needing more than once a week connection. #metoo #mentalhealth #IOP...

Dr. Shlok Kharod joins me in a conversation about mental health.  This is a snippet of a longer eposide still to come!  So Stay Tuned!!! Name: Dr. Shlok Kharod Title: Clinical Outreach Manager, Illinois Company: Charlie Health Email: shlok.kharod@charliehealth.com Phone: (312) 351-0667 Website: www.charliehealth.com Interviewed by: Laurie McDevitt Founder of Advocacy for the Special Ones...

The Ah-Ha moment came during COVID when her son was online with his para and Lela heard the paraprofessional tell her son the answers.  She sat in disbelief as the paraprofessional was repeatedly telling her son, "Say this. Write this".   Prior to this she knew there was a struggle, from a 504 Plan to an evaluation for an IEP, she knew her son struggled to tie his shoes, ride a bike, do...

Andi and Joe have two children with disabilities. Andi shares her Band-Aid story and how a simple request for a Band-Aid from a child with autism made the parents realize the staff really did not “get” their child. After peers told her child with autism she had no friends and should just die the student with autism went to the lunch mom, teacher, and principal and all 3 dismissed her. This school...

One daughter was diagnosed with Moyamoya which led to the whole family getting genetically tested. Angelica was having mini strokes. As a mom, it was hard to convince doctors her 5-year-old was having mini strokes. There had to be a series of tests before the one test that confirmed Moyamoya. Mom says to trust your gut feeling don’t stop fighting. Don’t give up. Trust your mother’s instinct. Nothi...

After 3 denials for an IEP evaluation, failing to get high school credit for a course, 4 F’s, repeated reports about bullying, and ineligibility for sports, family hired an advocate and got an IEP for their son. Family was frustrated that the 504 Plan was not enough and wasn’t being followed. Parents started to feel like maybe they were overreacting, because the district made parents feel like the...

Laurie McDevitt, Founder of Advocacy for the Special ones in Your Life,  talks about her work, her clients and the “Why” behind hiring an advocate to partner with you in school meetings.  advocacyforthespecialones.com

Laurie McDevitt, founder of Advocacy for the Special ones in Your Life,  talks about her work, her clients and the “Why” behind hiring an advocate to partner with you in school meetings.  https://www.advocacyforthespecialones.com/

Paula cried at IEP meetings. They made her sad, and reading her son’s IEP was heartbreaking. She trusted the school team and has felt gut punched more than once.  She has become stronger and has developed mantras to live by, including: “Comparison is the thief of joy” and “A life lived differently is not a life less lived.” She wants to remind us that kids with special needs are still kids, d...

Marie is a mom of an only child and shares her story of betrayal and why she listened to her gut when determining placement for her child. She refers to the story of David and Goliath as stood up for herself to the  school which she believed was retaliating by making  multiple DCFS calls about the family. She believes some children have different ways of learning….One size doesn’t  ...

Annie is a mom who insisted on the least restrictive environment (LRE) when the school wanted to put her daughter into a self contained life skills class early in her schooling.  The family wanted their daughter to have an LRE school experience with general education peers. The family wanted their daughter to have life skills, and believed they can be learned in the general education settings...

Jennifer is a parent of two boys who were diagnosed on the autism spectrum.  She tells her story that includes different states, different school districts, different advocates, different neuropsychological assessments- not all are created equal. She shares her story about grief and how spouses may experience and process the diagnosis differently.  She also refers to outside evaluators:...

Michelle Season 1 Episode 1 Michelle is a mom of two boys who were diagnosed with disabilities.  After her struggle to get pregnant it was hard to accept and hard to hear anything negative about her son.  She admittedly lived in denial and eventual regret. However, another mom shared her story with Michelle and that was pivotal.  Michelle is here to share her story to hopefully help...