The Journey that Inspired SPEDUCATION

To sum it up, I’ve been “there”—and I’m still “in it.”  But it’s not just me. It’s my family of 4.

Where is “there”?

It’s understanding the unique challenges that come with raising a child with additional needs. It’s navigating a road for which there is no user manual, no clear map of what to expect, and often no obvious place to turn for help.

Although children may share the same or similar diagnosis, no two people—and no two stories—are identical. Yet, as parents and caregivers, we share many of the same daily struggles. We struggle to find a school that genuinely cares about our child’s social, emotional, mental, and educational well-being. We struggle to find providers who listen, understand, and see our child as a whole person. And sometimes, we struggle simply to feel accepted within our own community.

There are the looks and judgments when behaviors are misunderstood. The people who shun you or your child. The neighbors who cross the street on the way to school. The invitations to neighborhood gatherings and birthday parties that never come. The conversations that happen behind your back. Being a parent of a child with additional needs is already hard enough. Feeling as though everything is an uphill battle can make an already difficult journey feel impossible.

Our Journey

I am a mother of a child whose primary diagnosis is Autism Spectrum Disorder, Level 1. We received our son's diagnosis when he was five years old while we were living overseas because of my husband's career in the U.S. Army. Although the diagnosis came as no surprise to me, I knew from the beginning that our son was wonderfully unique and that he would need us to advocate for him every step of the way.

Being a military family added another layer of complexity. With every move came a new community, a new school, new medical providers, and the need to start over finding services and therapies. We faced long waitlists and the constant pressure of trying to secure the right support as quickly as possible. When it comes to children who need additional support, time matters. Early intervention and timely access to appropriate services can make a meaningful difference. By the time our oldest son was seven, he had attended seven schools, lived in eight states, and lived in two countries. We became experts at starting over. But starting over never became easy.

Finding Home

Athens, Alabama, has been home since late 2024, and our family has no intention of moving again.We found our place. We found where we belong.  For the first time, we felt like we had found our place.Our community has been nothing short of amazing.

We experienced annual autism events, medical providers who actively listen to our concerns and work with us to find the best path forward, and a school community—from the top down—that has shown us an extraordinary level of support, empathy, and understanding. Most importantly, we found a local community that embraces and encourages our family—even on the hard days .For the first time in a long time, things felt peaceful. Our family was settling in, and life was finally falling into place.

Then, about a year later, our son transitioned into fifth grade. And once again, the road changed.

The Roadblock That Became a Beginning

As children grow, their needs grow and change with them. We found ourselves searching for additional services and supports, only to encounter more roadblocks. The services we needed weren't local. Some weren't covered by our insurance. Grants and scholarships that could help offset the extremely high cost weren't available.

Once again, we were faced with a choice.I gave myself permission to have a moment. I cried. I felt the weight of yet another roadblock on a journey that had already included so many. And then, as we have always done, my husband and I came together and figured it out. But this time, we decided to do something different. Instead of continuing to search for the road, we decided to build our own. Not only for our son. For families like ours. For our local community. And that is where the idea of SPEDucation was born.

Our Vision

SPEDucation will be a launchpad for children and their families—a place where every child is seen, understood, included, valued, and supported. Our vision is to create a community-centered organization serving students and caregivers throughout Northern Alabama by connecting families with local resources, providing educational opportunities for unique learners, and helping make specialized education and support more financially accessible. We believe students who require additional educational support should not have to leave their community—or face an impossible financial burden—to access the resources they need.

Our long-term vision is a campus where education, special education services, therapies, advocacy, and family support come together under one roof. A place staffed by people who don't simply understand special education from a textbook, but who have lived it, worked in it, studied it, advocated for it, and understand the people and families behind every diagnosis. A place where our children are not defined by what doesn’t come easily or they still have yet to grasp but supported for who they are and empowered to discover what they can do. A place where parents don't have to spend countless hours searching for answers alone. A place where families know:You are not alone.

This Is My Why

SPEDucation is more than an idea.It is the result of years of navigating the challenges, celebrating the victories, facing the setbacks, starting over, advocating, learning, and continuing forward.It was born from our family's experience—but it is being built for our community. I know what it feels like to search for answers. I know what it feels like to hit a roadblock.I know what it feels like to wonder where to turn next.And I know how transformative it can be when someone finally says:“We see you. We understand. Let's figure this out together.”

That is what I want SPEDucation to be. A place where families feel supported instead of isolated.A place where children feel valued instead of judged. A place where education is individualized instead of one-size-fits-all.A place where access to the right support isn't determined by a family's ability to pay or their ability to navigate an overwhelming system.

I have been “there.” And I'm still “in it.”So I'm building a road forward—not just for my son, but for every child and family who needs someone to walk alongside them. This is my why. This is how SPEDucation emerged. And I am determined to make it a reality.

has context menu