03/25/2025
A few weeks ago, I attended a special education eligibility meeting—not as a provider, but as a parent. I’ve sat through thousands of these meetings, but this time, my role was different.
I had a feeling my daughter wouldn’t qualify for services. She has a mild delay in speech sounds and is making progress in reading. But at home, I see things differently. Her test scores vary widely, developmental norms suggest she needs support, and both my professional judgment and my instincts as a mother tell me she needs help.
Sitting in that meeting about my own child, I realized I didn’t have the final say. I questioned myself—not just as a parent, but as a professional. A week later, I spoke with a district leader who truly listened to my concerns and validated them. I did NOT feel that same sense of being heard in her eligibility meeting.
That meeting changed me. I may be an expert in communication, but parents are the experts on their children. My fight to get her the support she needs is not over, and neither is my fight for all the kids in her school—to ensure they get what they need to be their best selves.
