There is absolutely nothing that can take the place of years of experience, and Barbara’s intuition and bone deep knowledge of learning differences, how children cope in the world and what contributes to their success is evident from her years of teaching and special education administration. We started working with Barbara when our daughter was in the 8th grade and struggling in just about every aspect of school. Barbara’s coaching was invaluable in helping us advocate for special education services and eventually for an out-of-district placement in a therapeutic school. Barbara was thorough, persistent, intuitive and knowledgeable from beginning to end and we couldn’t have done it without her. We are now the proud parents of a successful college student who knows how to work effectively with her learning differences and whose dream is to become a pediatric oncology nurse.
Choosing an advocate can be a difficult decision and it has been my great fortune to have found Barbara; she has been an amazing advocate for my son and has provided me with much needed support as well. Barbara brings a wealth of knowledge about the rights of parents/students and the responsibilities of the school for those who are on an IEP, but she also understands the social issues that may come along with a disability. Barbara not only looks at the academic progress made by the student but cares about how the child is developing overall. Ensuring my son in enrolled in the correct classes, has appropriate support, and is well cared for in school has become a much easier process with Barbara as part of our team.
My wife and I found Barbara’s calm demeanor and her wonderful ability to keep us from losing our wits at school meetings very useful. She keeps current with the laws and regulations governing Special Education and she helped our daughter figure out how to ask for the help she needed in school. Overall, we feel Barbara’s advocacy made a huge difference in the way the school system viewed us. They were more respectful of us as parents once we brought Barbara in as our advocate.
I would highly recommend the use of Barbara as your Special Education Advocate. My only regret is that I waited so long before contacting Barbara. You need someone who knows the law and how the system works advocating for your child. It has made a huge difference in the schooling for both our children.
When I first met Barbara we were in an unfamiliar world of personal and educational upheaval without any idea how to navigate the waters. Barbara was very patient and gentle with our daughter when first they met to try to figure out where we were and where we needed to go from there. Oftentimes, I felt at a disadvantage when dealing with the school system because I didn’t know what I was doing and what I could ask or should ask them to do. Barbara was a steady influence in meetings with my child, myself, and the school. I would not have been able to navigate it as successfully as we have without her guidance and her ability to listen not just to what we said but how we were feeling about our situation. It really helps to have someone with you when meeting with the school staff that can ask questions that perhaps you either don’t feel like you can ask or don’t know to ask. Thank you Barbara for all your help in getting our child through high school.