Category: Advocacy
-
The Day My Son Came Home in a Police Car
I am the mother of two neurodivergent Latino boys. My youngest was diagnosed with autism around the age of two, and that diagnosis became a passport to supports and services. His older brother, however, went under the radar for far too long, masking his own neurodivergence. Both of my boys have always been described as…
-
A Difficult Truth: I May Never Know What Happened to My Daughter
When I read that three former employees from Greensburg Salem School District’s Nicely Elementary School pleaded guilty and received only probation for abusing disabled students, my heart sank. This wasn’t just another news story. One of those employees had been my daughter’s preschool teacher, and another had been her Therapeutic Staff Support (TSS). In this…
-
Owning Our Truths to Show Up Authentically for Our Children
We can not meet our children on a level of creating potential if we have no sense of what it means to meet them in their full, unique truth. The truth is: we were taught to move away from our truth. Culture has created and sustained behaviorism, and faith that it would teach us how…
-
My Students Understand. Why Don’t Some Adults Get It?
Of those things people recognize me by at this point, yesterday one of my 4th graders pointed at it and asked, “What do ALL those words mean?” Not just one—every single one. So instead of brushing it off, we sat down and talked about it, and honestly, it turned into one of the most meaningful…
-
A Parent’s Story: Seclusion, Anxiety, and Broken Trust
I am the parent of an 8-year-old child with autism who attends a Connecticut public school. Like many families, I trusted that the school would provide a safe and supportive environment where my child could learn, regulate, and thrive. My child had supports in place, including supervision and strategies to help manage sensory and behavioral…
-
Approaching Seven Years of the Alliance Against Seclusion and Restraint
April is a meaningful month for me and for the Alliance Against Seclusion and Restraint. On April 23rd, it will be seven years since I started AASR. What began as a small effort to speak out against the harmful use of restraint and seclusion has grown into a national nonprofit and community working every day…
-
Autism Acceptance Month Is Not a Celebration—It’s a Reckoning
Every April, the world turns its attention to autism. The posts go up, the slogans circulate, and suddenly everyone is talking about “awareness” again. But if I’m being honest, awareness has never been the issue. Autism is not hidden. It is not rare. It is not misunderstood because people haven’t heard of it. It is…
-
How Martial Arts Can Help Those Who Have Experienced Exclusion, Bullying, Seclusion & Restraint
As a child growing up in the mid-1960s, I became the product of early private school education, an experience that no doubt changed me for years to come. For as long as I can remember, I was always a very shy and timid kid, even well into my early 20’s. It is unclear if I…
-
Missouri’s Wake‑Up Call: After the DOJ’s Findings, It’s Time to Ban Seclusion in All Schools
On February 23, 2026, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) released its findings in a sweeping investigation of the Special School District of St. Louis County (SSD). DOJ concluded that SSD’s use of seclusion and restraint violated Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act, describing “shocking overuse” of these practices and a pattern of…
-
Time to Stop Locking Disabled Children in Boxes: We Need Lawmakers to Pass the Keeping All Students Safe Act
In Salmon River, New York, horrific photos of wooden “timeout” boxes circulated on social media and quickly drew outrage from families, tribal leaders, and state officials. The district has now acknowledged using windowless wooden boxes as a “timeout” technique for children, including a nonspeaking autistic eight‑year‑old, and multiple administrators have been placed on leave while…