IEP Coaching & Advocacy

04/25/2026

https://www.fox13news.com/news/florida-millions-unspent-funds-disability-care-thousands.amp?fbclid=IwZnRzaARZBuRleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEebJqkM4SnjFJep-QaMPTqqYEDk0vqIJQu6amWWVG4OTK-vugse1OixiOJRoo_aem_JmYp_iFy2yOtcuMwYfN7mg

Thousands of Florida children and adults with severe developmental disabilities are qualified to receive home-based services but wait years for the support to arrive.

04/22/2026

Proprioception allows us to apply more or less pressure and force in a task. Instinctively, we know that lifting a feather requires very little pressure and effort, while moving a large backpack requires more work. We are able to coordinate our movements effectively to manage our day’s activities with the proprioceptive system. The brain also must coordinate input about gravity, movement, and balance involving the vestibular system.

Kids who are showing signs of proprioceptive challenges might do some of these things:

Appear clumsy
Fidget when asked to sit quietly
Show an increased activity level or arousal level
Seek intense proprioceptive input by “crashing and bashing” into anything
Slap their feet when walking

For more information and proprioceptive activities check out: https://www.theottoolbox.com/proprioception-sensory-activities/

04/22/2026

Today, we are spotlighting an episode of the Aging with Down Syndrome podcast. The podcast is hosted by Jadene, Kristin, and Molly, who share their perspectives as a mother, sister, and niece of individuals with Down syndrome. Ruth Brown-Ennis, PhD, a clinical psychologist and assistant professor at Virginia Commonwealth University, joined the podcast to discuss aging and anxiety in a recent episode. Dr. Brown described possible causes of anxiety and shared strategies for supporting individuals with Down syndrome experiencing anxiety.

See the link below to listen to the podcast episode on YouTube. It is also available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
🔗 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aad-xvmEpoI

04/22/2026

04/22/2026

At first glance, the right text feels easier to read… but your brain might disagree.

We don’t actually read letter by letter; we recognize whole word shapes. That means your brain is already “auto-completing” words without needing bold clues.

Bionic Reading tries to help by highlighting the beginnings of words, giving your eyes anchor points to jump between. And to be fair, it can feel faster; especially when you’re skimming or a bit tired.

But here’s the twist: that same bolding also adds visual noise. It breaks the natural rhythm of reading, and over longer texts, it can actually make things harder to process rather than easier.

It's great for quick scanning, and maybe helpful for some readers, but it's not a magic upgrade for deep reading.

04/22/2026

***Note: this foot is now 16 years old ****
I used to believe parents needed a receipt, evidence their child did more than “JUST” play.

I felt parents needed proof they were getting what they paid me for: to TEACH their child.

This receipt was in the form of a rigid schedule, flash-card games and other developmentally inappropriate methods of forcing letter memorization, adult-directed and heavily controlled play and an art project to prove their child was learning. And let’s me honest: the art project was mostly done by me.

During this time, I also THOUGHT I had so many behavior problems. Little did I realize THEN, that the problem was ME.

That was what I believed from 1998-2008.
This photo was taken in 2010...in the middle of the beginning of a very long journey towards a truly CHILD-LED philosophy.

This was the beginning of embracing child-led learning for me. This photo means the absolute world to me, as does the realization of its message.

I hope you also have that photo, or moment that signifies the beginning of positive changes in your work with children.

I share this every year with the hopes that it will resonate with a teacher who is stuck in the “receipt” stage of teaching. I hope it inspires change. ❤️

04/22/2026

It's a kindness we all deserve. 💛

04/22/2026

I spent time at a family bbq last weekend and did a lot of quiet observation of conversations that were happening around me.

I heard a lot of trauma and gaslighting.

Short story: kids saying some version of why they hate school. Parents and other adults saying some version of “yeah everyone feels that way….”

DO YOU HEAR YOURSELVES?!

Believe your kids. Make a change. Do it for them. Do it for little you who wasn’t believed. Do it for your future grandkids. Do it for the world. Just DO IT.

Need help? I created .us to be an alternative to the one-size-fits-all traumatic school experience. Here, your child’s unique journey is the only one that matters (and yeah, healing is a part of that 💔). Comment BRIDGE for more information.

04/22/2026

Taking it one day at a time 💐

04/22/2026