In 2002 I began my work as a special education advocate for Team of Advocates for Special Kids (TASK). Over the next 14 years, I had the opportunity to help hundreds of families whose children exhibited a variety of unique special education needs. I was also provided the opportunity to partner with local groups such as the Interagency Autism Support Group, The Orange County Adult Transition Task Force Irvine Unified School District and was a stakeholder on the County Mental Health Services Act Proposition 63 Orange County Department of Mental Health.
I have been a member have been a member of Council of Parents Attorneys and Advocates COPAA since 2011 and volunteered as a court appointed special advocate for foster youth for Orange County CASA in 2012 while concurrently receiving my Special Education Certificate from the University of San Diego. I encourage a non-adversarial approach to advocacy and prefer to resolve issues at the local level as the first option.
I incorporate the use of assessment data to create charts that can aid in the acquisition of service and supports. These visual aids show present and historic levels of academic, language and behavioral difficulties to provide for a greater degree of evidence in support of individual needs.
Pictured right are myself and attorney Pete Wright whose training is responsible for my curiosity in the use of assessment data as an advocacy tool for demonstrating the need for services. I also give a great amount of credit to COPAA for their wonderful conferences which have significantly contributed to my professional development.