Recently, Indiana learned the devastating news that 15-year-old Jeffrey Epps, a nonverbal autistic teenager, was found deceased after wandering from home in Baldwin County, Georgia. His death appears accidental, but it reveals a deeper truth that families like his live with every single day: the world is not yet built for their children. Parents of…
A Time of Courage, Connection, and the Power of Showing Up Lately, I’ve been thinking about how fragile things feel. How families are holding their breath as headlines talk about shutdowns, cuts, delays, and dwindling support. How caregivers wake up every day and do the work anyway — even when systems make it harder than…
I remember the sound of the clock ticking in the principal’s office. The smell of floor wax and pencil shavings. And that small table—just big enough for two embarrassed children trying not to exist. Before free and reduced lunches were available, my brother and I were asked to sit there every day, just outside the…
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…
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…
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,…