Aot1234

Hi—

My name is Arrissia, and I have two autistic children who have ADHD. The older is low-support needs and a young adult. My younger child is Keith, who is 12, and has high-support needs. He is thriving, but it hasn’t been without our share of advocating and not taking no for an answer. 

I recently helped start a Special Education PTA in our district. I have more and more people referred to me asking questions about their IEPs or seeking assistance. I am not a professional advocate and do not tell people I am, but that is how bad it is here. People are desperate for help to get their kids’ needs met. So I need to level up.

I learn more with each family I help, so I am always wanting more information. Unfortunately, I need to know more than the admin for our district’s SpEd department because they have a culture of “no” and tend to blatantly lie to people. 

There is always more to learn, and I believe this course will help me become more informed and, in turn, I will feel more confident when advocating. 

I am very interested in learning more about how to become an advocate at the legislative level, as well. That is the direction I see my journey headed eventually. I want systemic change, and not just for our district.

Thank you!