Have you ever questioned your knowledge of how to navigate special education? Have you left an IEP meeting feeling confused, angry, or sad? Have you been in a situation where you knew that if you were better informed, you could be a better advocate for your child?
Well, first off, you are not alone. At some point along this journey, we all feel lost, confused, overwhelmed, unequipped, and sometimes like failures. Well, you are not that either. And for the rest of it, we are fortunate to have amazing advocates to help us along. I am incredibly grateful to have spoken with two of them.
The Inclusive Education Project, created by Amanda Selogie and Vickie Brett, is “a team of civil rights attorneys on a mission to educate and empower our community to ensure all children are given equal opportunities” based out of Southern California. Good news for all of us though, they also host a podcast called the Inclusive Education Project Podcast, where you can find information on so many aspects of this journey.
They spoke with me about how they got starting into law, and special education and disability rights and the work that they do. We talked about what inclusion looks like and some possible barriers to implementation. Then I got to pick their brain a bit with some questions a few friends and I had as well. We also talked a bit about names and labels and even the appropriateness of this podcast’s name.
I was so grateful to Amanda and Vickie for taking time out of what is I’m sure an incredibly busy schedule to speak with me. They are wonderful, and I really hope that you check out their own podcast and website. They do amazing work!