I’m gonna call ya one day soon. Receiving my BA in Deaf Education in 4.5 years was a challenging journey filled with unexpected twists and turns. There were moments when I felt like a sinking ship, unsure of how to navigate the unfamiliar waters ahead. One particularly amusing anecdote from my college days involved a seemingly random requirement of taking an “expressive dance 101” class. With underwater basket weaving fully booked and only 1.5 units of PE left to fulfill, I found myself in a comical predicament. Amidst the pre-internet era, I had to hastily sign up for the dance class in front ..read more

2023 came and went with several strong advocacy cases. Alongside other parents, I was able to address issues of eligibility, FULL accessibility, proper evaluations for children with Autism, deafness and ADHD. I also supported families as they advocated for proper school placements. I’m very proud of how the cases ended, with relationships in tact and improvements make to the IEP’s. I consulted in Missouri, California, Hawaii, Alaska and Virginia. I developed this new logo because I want to provide parents and school providers with a bridge to walk across, together. A year ago I sat down an ..read more

Dear Special Educator, I know it’s that time of year when you are counting down the days until summer. I can still remember that feeling, especially strong during my first few years as a teacher of the deaf and hard of hearing. I admire your dedication to my children and to the field of education. Your efforts are not unseen. I’d like to take the time to explain the big WHY when it comes to advocating for my children at their IEP meetings. It’s a long story that encompassed years of my life but don’t worry, I’ll make it a two-minute read. The disabilities my children have are invisible to most ..read more

Happy New Year! 2023 is here! It’s fun to know we will be living in the same house for the entire year. The husband is already looking at where we may move next. Life can’t always be predictable, but we can always adapt. Being a Sign Language Interpreter at my home church is such a blessing in my life. Since I began at Shoreline Church in Monterey, California I have grown and learned so much about who I am and how to share that while I’m interpreting. I have found such a supportive and loving community here at The Crossing in St. Louis, Missouri. Thank you to all those in my life who invited m ..read more

Many of you know about the loss our family is coping with this Christmas. Here is my Eulogy for Darlene Hughes, GMa. I am grateful Elijah is of age and mind to attend with me. Heartfelt thank you for your calls, cards, prayers for my father I would like to express my deep, sincere, condolences to the family, the friends and the friends who are like family gathered here today. We have suffered a great and sudden loss. My father asked me to speak to you all today and it is my great pleasure and honor to do so. I am so nostalgic sharing this space with you all today about the very loving, funny ..read more

Taking a family vacation takes…courage! While vacationing in New Hampshire, I heard a political commercial say ”When you’re the parent of a child with special needs you have to be strong.” Since my children have very specific sensory needs, I had to learn how to help them learn how to avoid meltdowns. It’s hard to describe this. The best advice I can give you is to stop and think through what events are thinking about attending. Will the event be noisy? Crowded? Will there be social expectations which are difficult for your child? Is it more important to go to that birthday or can we come ..read more

How do you like to “time” events with your children? Timing…give me a minute. It took me years to learn to match my paddling to the timing of a wave.  When I learned how, it changed my life. Being able to surf opened doors everywhere I went, San Diego, Hawaii and eventually to Monterey, CA.  In our day-to-day lives, we spend so much time playing tug-of-war with our schedules that we’ve lost the joy of matching our pace to that of another.  Let us find joy finding a day and time to meet with one another. Let’s laugh and connect as we make arrangements. Don’t intimidate or put off ..read more

First things first. You’re both alive so breathe. Breathe some more. Tough topic, right? Relax, you’re in a safe a place. Every child with Autism is unique may have drastically different triggers for a meltdown. I have a few general guidelines and some specific advice to consider. I’m being totally serious with a dash of humor. Because without humor, God only knows where I’d be. Struggling to discipline your child is a sign they have have a disability. This is serious. Learning HOW to help your child is more important than continually trying to teach consequences IF your child isn’t yet cogni ..read more

Stop and think about that. Words from a humble, insightful docent at the St. Louis Aquarium. It’s a girls weekend for E2 and I. We went decadent and booked ourselves at the Union Station which has everything; light shows, fire shows, a koi pond, a Ferris wheel and yes an aquarium too. I was gonna skip the aquarium because let’s face it-we lived in Monterey and were members. Shoot-I even worked there as an ASL interpreter. Well I’m glad we didn’t skip it. We loved it. It’s very hands on and I got my blog juices flowing again. Being in public can be very stressful for us special parents. I’d b ..read more

Well, it’s been 6 months now since we moved to St. Louis Missouri and life is starting to feel settled. The kids are in school, the husband works from home and I accepted a full time positive with an office outside of the home (Praise God). Every so often I will stop to wonder if I’ve crossed some threshold or stepped into a portal and have “accepted my kids” for who they are. I wonder if I have found the joy in raising my now elementary aged “special” children. I even wonder, and please comment on this, if my little jokes about Autism are respectful enough at times. I grew up with a “special ..read more