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I’m Robin and I am a mom. I’m also a 24 hour a day, 7 day a week, and 365 day a year advocate for my three kiddos. My son has Autism, my daughter has ADHD, and my youngest has a speech and language disability. All together that makes about 20 total hours of therapy a week and 2 IEPs, 1 504 plan, 3 academic review meetings a year. Most of my earliest years as a mother were spent in evaluations, testings, assessments, and diagnoses meetings than most people I knew. I became active in various groups on Facebook and joined a few organizations to better my knowledge so that I could be the best advocate I could for my children. In the beginning, it was very lonely and very overwhelming.
It became further isolating when some people in my family and community thought I was overreacting. It wasn’t necessary, they believed, for my children to have to undergo all these unnecessary things; that they simply needed prayer or that they would develop in their own time. It’s interesting that this is something that is heard a lot in communities of color. There is this stigma that accompanies special needs and mental health that discourages a lot of families who need help from getting the support and the services they need.
It is my goal with this blog is to use my own experiences to educate, encourage, and empower other parents who have children with special needs, especially those in communities of color. There is an entire community out there. I hope that through my stories and the articles I share, I can give another parent the courage and the tools he or she needs to find it. Join me in erasing the stigma.
The Blackbird's Compass 