About Us
The "Whys" and the "Hows"“How” We Got Here
How in the world did I get to the position of fighting schools for basic needs while supporting all of my son’s educational needs – all at the same time?! It’s been a long, insightful, exhausting, neurodivergent, and self-realizing journey.
My son developed in every way like a “classical autism” child might be expected to develop. He went to special education preschool, which he did well at, and then on into public school.
Somewhere in here is when a shift in caregivers happened. We went from understanding and joyous teachers to a school with unreasonable expectations for his little neurodivergent mind.
Everyone was frustrated. The school didn’t understand why he couldn’t just conform to them, he was frustrated because they weren’t listening to his communication, and I was frustrated that the school experience wasn’t the “normal” I anticipated.
Long story short, significant school trauma, a lack of communication, and hard decisions had to be made. A little after a month into 1st grade, we decided he was much better off not attending school. Part of the decision was the behaviorism we saw in schools; part was bullying, part was the school not offering needed accommodations, and part was academics. We discovered he was testing over the 90th percentile but was taught Kindergarten materials in 1st grade. It just didn’t make sense!
So we said we’ll figure this out! I ended up selling my business, a food cart, and staying home full-time to school him.
Diagnoses were added, learning styles discovered, and we launched on this journey together as a family. We’ve discovered our whole family is neurodivergent and we celebrate that together.
“Why” We Do It
I started this website because I was spending so much offering suggestions and problem-solving curriculum, I decided I’d like to write it all down to help even more people.
I’ve learned that between the ever-changing needs of my son that sourcing and designing our own curriculum would be better than following anyone else’s set-in-stone curriculum.
Through this process, I’ve learned that I am not alone. My greatest hope is that someone will find the information I slap on these web pages and it will make their own journey of discovery a little easier.
However, my desire is not limited to families schooling or supplementing at home. I also hope my words reach school teachers and they are able to implement some ideas for their students.
According to the ads I’m served, my search history and online presence have much more in common with special education teachers than homeschoolers alone.
My formal education has less to do with how to teach and more to do with how to learn. I’ve discovered through education and workplace experience that knowing how to find information is more important than intrinsically knowing the information.
While I do homeschool one of my children because that is what he needs on an individual level, I am committed to sending my other child to a school outside the home where she thrives in her own, different, wonderful, neurodivergent way.
I hope you find the information here to support your children or those children you work with, in the way that works best for them.
My view is that we are here to support learning and that support comes in many different forms that change dramatically from child to child.
We Believe
- Behaviorism is a Problem
- In Parents and Teachers
- All Children are Individuals
- Neurodiversity should be Celebrated
- Curriculum should be Adjusted to the Child
- Our Children are not Broken
- In Presuming Competence
- Our Children will do Great Things
Activism in Education
I didn’t decide to be an advocate; it was pushed on me out of necessity. However, once I started down that path I couldn’t back away.
The injustices are seen not at a local, city, county, or even state level. We see them at a systemic level and the only way to combat these is to advocate and use our voice to promote change.
All children deserve an education, which is already provided in existing law. However, the oversight and implementation of such laws are not well-established.
Advocacy in Action
