Hi, I’m Jenn.
I’ve been in your shoes.
I know the feeling of leaving a school meeting with more questions than answers and the fear that your child’s needs won’t be met.
My Story
I loved school growing up, but for my own child, it was the opposite. Watching them struggle to get through the school door, a place that was clearly not safe for them, was heartbreaking. We tried everything, but things just got worse.
It felt like total chaos. There was no IEP at the time and no known reason to explain what was happening. Worse, the school team seemed to think my child’s distress was rooted in a “home problem” and put them on a two-hour day “inclusion plan”. I found myself overcome by emotion, completely without a plan for how to articulate my child’s needs.
My relationships with the school team fell apart, my co-parent wasn’t on the same page, and even with my years of experience as a teacher, I felt totally disempowered.
The Pivot: From Personal Struggle to Collective Problem
After making the difficult decision to move to home learning, I started looking for answers. I soon learned that what my child and I had experienced wasn’t unique. In fact, it was incredibly common. I connected with other parents and realized we were all falling into the same traps.
This realization was my turning point. I compiled the stories of 40 families who, like mine, had been forced to leave the system. That report, Stories of Exclusion, confirmed what I had learned firsthand: the problem wasn’t us. It was a flaw in the system.
With this new understanding, I sought out training with advocacy organizations like BCEdAccess and I began working with parents directly. I took everything I had learned as a teacher, a frustrated parent, and a researcher of these systemic issues and built a framework to help parents do what I couldn’t: advocate effectively from the start
Now, my mission is to share the knowledge and tools that took me years to acquire. I’m here to show you that with the right approach, you can be a far more effective advocate than I was and make decisions for your family from a place of clarity rather than confusion.
My Advocacy Philosophy: Three Pillars
My own advocacy experience led me to a different way of thinking, a three-part framework that has helped my clients find a better path. This isn’t just about getting an IEP, it’s about a complete mindset shift that gives you your power back.
A Neuroaffirming Lens
The school system often focuses on what’s “wrong” with our kids, using deficit-based language that can feel invalidating. I’ll teach you how to look at your child’s neurology as a blueprint, not a flaw. We’ll shift the focus from what’s “missing” to honouring who they are and what they need to be effectively included at school.
The Power of Language
You’ll learn to speak the school’s language, but with a new vocabulary. I’ll show you how to frame your child’s characteristics in a way that aligns with school policies while also honouring their characteristics as valid ways of being. This isn’t about being deceptive, it’s about using the right language to unlock the doors to the support your child deserves.
The Strategic Reality
Advocacy can feel like a maze, and it can be hard to know who or what to believe. I’ll give you an honest look at how the system actually work so that you can work with the challenges and common roadblocks rather than getting stuck on them. We’ll talk about how to navigate complex situations and how to influence your child’s school team to better serve their needs.
What Parents Are Saying
Ready to Get Started?
Now that you know my story and my philosophy, here are some options to get you started.