I was a teenager. My nephew was a child. He had autism and intellectual disability and we were waiting with our whole …
The Right Battle
“What do you really want?” I asked. She was confused. “What is the one thing that you hope to get from this …
Saying Sorry
I messed up big time. The advocate at the meeting presented herself as an expert to parents, but all of us around …
Sacred Space
She sat on her couch, cradled her three-year-old in her arms, and stroked his hair and cheek. She only glanced at me …
Positive Anxiety
I could see the panic in her eyes. “I didn’t plan for this. I don’t know what to do. Who is going …
They didn’t teach me…(part 2)
I reflected for weeks on what had happened that caused the parents to get so angry and hostile in the IEP meeting. …
They didn’t teach me…
They didn’t teach me in graduate school. They didn’t teach me during my internship. They didn’t even teach me during my first …
Mi Inspiración
Soy Vickie Fairchild. Soy psicóloga escolar. Decidí ser psicóloga escolar porque me encantan los niños especiales. Son maravillosos y me motivan. Si me …
¿Quién es el experto?
Uno de los debates que veo que suceden continuamente en las juntas de IEP es, el debate de la experiencia. ¿Quién es …
The To-Do List
At the end of the day, I wondered if I had accomplished anything at all. I would look at my “to-do” list …
One Child at a Time
“Shut the %&$# up!” he screamed at the child. I was getting in my car two spaces away. I froze. I stared. …
Included in the Village
Everyone has a poignant exclusion story. Maybe it was a party. Maybe it was a clique. Maybe it was a team. Maybe …