4.4.24 Dos and don’ts for talking about students with disabilities It was my first year teaching, and I was getting my classroom ready for school when my new principal dropped off my name tag. “Please wear this every day,” he said. “And good luck this... Read more
7.26.23 Celebrating the Americans with Disabilities Act Every July, I’m reminded of the Tour de France because my husband is somewhat obsessed. He wakes up early to tune in. He finds coffee shops and bars that also invest in the nearly month-long... Read more
7.20.23 How AI can improve digital accessibility in math Every week, maybe even daily, my 14-year-old shows me changes in technology, such as the new cherry blossom grotto mod in Minecraft, new moves an NCP (non-player character, in case you’re... Read more
10.1.22 Fact or fiction? The 4 myths of dyslexia Dyslexia doesn’t usually look how we think it will. Consider third-grader Judy, a dedicated student who finds herself in the middle of one of her most dreaded activities: a class read... Read more
7.26.22 There’s always a way in special education. Don’t stop until you find it. I've spent most of my life thinking about students with disabilities. That may seem hyperbolic, but it’s not. I wasn’t diagnosed with dyslexia until I was in sixth grade, after years of... Read more
6.9.22 NWEA research helps us better understand differential growth during school years and summer for students in SPED When I was growing up in Michigan, the summers were hot and sticky. You prayed the evening would bring lightning bugs and a cool breeze. Despite the high temperatures, my Michigan summers were... Read more
5.6.21 3 lessons on serving kids with disabilities from SXSW EDU Here’s a sentence I never thought I’d write: My colleague Stephanie Cawthon and I were selected to present on students with disabilities at SXSW EDU earlier this spring, and our names... Read more
2.23.21 The case for K–3 screening and intervention for dyslexia I vividly remember the first student I worked with at my first job as a special education teacher. Jacob was a sixth-grader, and the road to his dyslexia diagnosis was a long one. Despite... Read more
1.28.21 Why students with dyslexia aren’t “at risk” My mom had an in-home daycare when I was five years old. She read lots of books to me—I was surrounded by books—and every night my mom would read to me and my twin brother from a book of... Read more
8.10.20 5 patterns in math skills of new kindergarteners—and 4 ways to address them As we enter an unpredictable back-to-school season, educators and administrators are hitting the ground running to prepare students for our new normal amid COVID-19. While many students received... Read more
7.23.20 The 4 ingredients you need for reaching students with disabilities online When coronavirus began getting serious national attention in the US back in March, I was at the California State University, Northridge Assistive Technology Conference. Soon after returning home... Read more
4.7.20 6 ways to support students with disabilities during COVID-19 school closures Like many offices, mine is closed right now, so most mornings I start my workday in front of my laptop with headphones on attending my morning standup meeting at my kitchen table. My... Read more