In honor of Down Syndrome Awareness Month WHERE IT BEGAN October invites us to reflect on what inclusion truly means—not as a slogan, but as a practice of care, compassion, and thoughtful design. This month, as we celebrate Down Syndrome Awareness Month, I want to share the personal story that inspired the Safe Parks Plus…
October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month — a time to celebrate the talents, aspirations, and dignity of people with disabilities in the workforce. Across Indiana, individuals with autism, intellectual and developmental disabilities, and other challenges are ready, eager, and highly capable of meaningful work — if we as a society continue to clear away…
Our stories hold power. When we choose to share them—even the most painful ones—we transform personal suffering into collective advocacy. Speaking out is how silence breaks, how systems change, and how children are finally protected. This month, I will release a new book, “14 Minutes: A Call to End Restraint & Seclusion.” Our title comes…
On July 2, an Indiana mother opened the letter she had dreaded. Medicaid had denied the waiver services her son depended on for nursing care. Her choices were unthinkable: quit her job to provide care full-time or risk her child’s health without the support they’d been promised. This is what “policy change” looks like—not in…
The whiteboard squeaked beneath my marker: “What makes a great leader?” The answers came quickly—bold, confident, brave, honest, funny. Year after year, classroom after classroom, the words changed—but the pattern stayed the same. The one word I believed mattered most—listening—never made the board. Why is that? We often define leadership by volume. Big voices. Big…
The Big Beautiful Cost of Medicaid Cuts There are moments when policy becomes personal. This is one of them. Medicaid cuts in Indiana are no longer theoretical—they are active, expansive, and alarming. These aren’t just budget adjustments. These are structural decisions that will affect how we educate, how we care, how we feed, and how…
I still remember where I was sitting when my brother told me he was gay. We were teenagers—just beginning to find our footing in a world that rarely explained itself to us. Growing up in the Midwest in the 1980s, I lived in a bubble of sorts. We were surrounded by cornfields, church pews, and…
In this heartfelt post, Marya reflects on her journey in raising her two sons following her younger son’s autism diagnosis. With years of perspective, she shares honest insights and helpful resources for families and siblings walking a similar path. I want to begin this post in full transparency. I didn’t do it perfectly. In fact,…
I didn’t set out to be an advocate. I was just a mom trying to get my son what he needed—a quiet place to regroup, a teacher who understood, a little more time to get from here to there. But what started as a conversation turned into a calling. Because every time I spoke up,…
A reflection on what it means to hold onto hope when the systems we trust begin to unravel—and how our belief in what is possible must carry us forward. Hope is not always easy. I almost didn’t write this post. I sat in stillness, unsure whether I had the right words—or the emotional stamina—to speak…