I had the pleasure of attending a pre-conference session at the 2013 Assistive Technology Industry Association (ATIA) Conference. I have been visiting the exhibit hall at this conference for many years now. Every year, the ATIA provides a free pass, registration required, to visit the exhibit hall floor on Friday and Saturday. It is a chance to interact with vendors and learn about the latest advances in assistive technology. I would strongly recommend parents take advantage of the reduced or free admission to visit the exhibit hall, often available at technology conferences. It gives you a hands-on feel for specific assistive technology (AT) products. Most years, my daughter attends with me. Together, we are able to test drive the latest and greatest AT currently available or coming to market soon.
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In my first few posts in the Out-of-the-Box Advocacy series, I shared about how using non-traditional advocacy methods like social media, email, and blogging can spark a new conversation about LD beyond your school IEP and 504 plan meetings. Today, I focus on how to create change for kids with LD right in your own backyard.

“Out-of-the-Box Advocacy” is all about finding ways to start conversations about LD in an effort to raise awareness, remove stigma, and encourage others to embrace your child for who they are, despite their disabilities. While starting a blog or tweeting about LD-related topics may seem difficult for some, sometimes the hardest part of advocacy for many parents is actually talking about the realities of LD within their very own communities. Read More >

The day I finally got an Individualized Education Program (IEP), I was in my junior year of high school. Now, I understand that when people think of a student who has an IEP, they usually think of a young child in elementary school. Unfortunately, for me, that wasn’t the case. For many years, my family and I tried to figure out my diagnosis and get me an IEP, but this process took longer than anyone could have imagined. After many visits to the neuropsychologist, I was finally diagnosed with dyslexia, AD/HD and auditory processing disorder. Read More >

When you hear the term “Individualized Education Program (IEP)” you might automatically think of a young child. I know I did…until, that is, I stood by my daughter as she received her first IEP at the beginning of high school.   Read More >

For those who did not have the chance to tune in, NCLD held an informational webinar on February 20, 2013 to inform parents like you of the changes that this year’s Congress will bring, how these changes will impact students with learning disabilities (LD), and how you can help ensure that your child will receive anequal, high-quality education. The 113th Congress will continue to work on the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), also known as No Child Left Behind. Workforce issues and federal job training programs will be a particular focus this year, and of course, balancing the 2013 federal budget is a issue at the top of the Congressional priority list. Read More >