• Finding Your Voice at the IEP Table: From Fights to Rights

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    Text reads: “He will never...” That’s not a prognosis, it’s predetermination disguised as support. To the right is a picture of C in his pre-k program, wearing jeans and a gray t-shirt. He is facing the fence of the playground, with his hand outstretched to retrieve a plastic egg from between the diamonds of the chain link fence.

    It was segregation disguised as support, and I hated it.

    I got home and started writing emails like my son’s life depended on it… and in some ways, it did.

    Buried, in a tiny little box, in a sea of boxes and tables and words, were 2 check boxes:
    ◻︎ Diploma Track
    ◻︎ Certificate Track

    Certificate track was checked.

    I would have never noticed it, had our special education teacher friend not pointed it out.

    I would have never thought twice about it, had she not said, “it’s harder to go back to diploma track than it is to move to certificate track.”

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  • Finding Your Voice: From IEP Tables to Legislative Change

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    Graphic reads, "From thinking, “they don’t care...” to knowing that your caregiving story is what makes them care." To the right is a picture of C standing on a paved path with fallen leaves surrounding him. He has short brown hair, a black hoodie, and jeans. Squatting beside him is Christy, wearing a red cardigan, black pants and a white shirt. Her long brown hair falls in waves over her shoulders.

    I kept sharing my story.

    Because if I can convince a team of professionals in one school that we can support disabled kids and their families differently, then surely we can take that on the road and convince systems that inclusion is for everyone and costs less than exclusion. 

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  • The Other Side of Autism Awareness and Acceptance

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    Autism Unfiltered was born out of a deep desire to make sure that the rhetoric doesn’t drown out those who are advocating every day to make sure our children have full and autonomous lives and are treated with dignity and respect.

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  • ABLE to Save for My Disabled Son

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    Graphic reads: What no one tells you about saving for the future... Navigating the $2,000 asset limit if your child will receive Medicaid and SSI. To the right is a picture of C standing in line at a store. His hands are on a shopping cart and he is wearing a maroon sweatshirt and matching pants.

    In 1989 – the year I was in second grade – the federal government set the asset limit for people receiving SSI at $2,000.

    It has not changed since.

    That means that saving for your disabled child is more complicated than it would be for a child who won’t need SSI or Medicaid benefits in the future…

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  • When Survival As A Caregiver Relies On Broken Systems

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    To the right is an image of Christy, with long brown hair, a salmon colored sweater, and black pants kneeling next to her 4 year old autistic son, who is wearing a black hoodie, jeans, and has short black hair. They are standing outside on a paved trail, in the woods, with fallen leaves surrounding them. Text reads: When Survival As a Caregiver Means Relying On Broken Systems.

    Planning for next week feels impossible.
    Planning for adulthood? Out of reach.

    If that sounds like you… lean in for a second.

    You’re doing great.
    You’re not failing your child.
    You’re not behind – you’re overloaded.

    Parenting is hard. Parenting a neurodivergent child in a changing, underfunded, politically volatile system is harder.

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