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Watch my video on Least Restrictive Environment for context! I will be talking about this and more at my FREE IEP Webinar on 10/29. Link in bio to sign up! #iep #iepmeeting #specialeducationattorney #specialeducation #autismmom

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We will talk about this and more at my FREE IEP Webinar on 10/29. Link in bio to sign up! #iep #iepmeeting #specialeducationattorney #autismmom #SpecialNeedsParent

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I was an elementary school principal during Sandy Hook. I remember what it felt like to walk back into that school building afterward. To look at every door differently. To practice emergency protocols with little children while carrying the weight of knowing why we had to practice them. After the shooting in Oregon, I keep thinking about the students with disabilities who may not be able to do what an emergency protocol asks them to do. Some children cannot run. Some use wheelchairs or have physical disabilities that make evacuation difficult. Some, like my son Ryan, are autistic or have intellectual disabilities and may not understand what is happening or be able to follow complicated directions in a crisis. Some cannot tolerate alarms or sudden changes. Some may vocalize when everyone is being told to stay silent. Some may freeze, elope, become dysregulated, or need an adult to physically help them get to safety. We cannot create school safety plans for the “typical” student and then figure out what to do with everyone else when an emergency happens. Safety has to be accessible. We need to be asking the hard questions before the emergency. What does this protocol look like for this child? What support will they need? Who is responsible for providing it? What happens if the child cannot do what the protocol requires? To the teachers, paraprofessionals, administrators, therapists, school nurses, bus drivers and every other school employee who has to walk back into a building after something like this happens, my heart is with you. I remember. You are expected to walk back through those doors, hold your own fear, and somehow make children feel safe at the same time. We have to do better. But whatever “better” looks like, it has to include every single child. #SpecialNeedsParent #education #profoundautism ##nonverbal #autismmom