I don’t think anyone grows up wanting to be a special education advocate in Hawaii. You learn the ropes out of necessity, because things weren’t going right and you had no where to turn. Sound familiar?
I have been a foster parent for over 11+ years now. The vast majority of the children that I cared for had a disability of one kind or another. I found myself frustrated with school meetings, the lack of services/help and school officials that quite frankly, didn’t care.
After that experience, I became a Surrogate Parent for children with disabilities in foster care. I had a caseload of nearly 60 students a year. I advocated for these students, ensuring that they were getting appropriate services at school. I would attend two to three IEP/504 meetings a day…everyday!
I know the rules of engagement when it comes to special education. I have written state complaints, filed civil rights complaints and filed for due process. I know how to navigate the system to get the services the child needs. I’ve helped over 100 students in Hawaii and I can help your student too.
In my free time, I love to cook, travel, practice yoga and spend time with my family. We have four kids (all with disabilities) so they keep us pretty busy.
Associations
- Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates
