I’m Vicki, a Carlsbad based educational advocate and mom to 2 boys. I empower parents of students with IEPs to be the best advocate they can for their child so they reach their full potential and I help simplify the IEP process so families feel less stress & more in control of their child’s education.
Our story began on August 23rd, 2004 when my husband and I welcomed Luke to the world. Luke was born with a rare chromosome disorder and to this day we have only found 1 other person (our friend in New Zealand) with the same chromosomes. Luke is affected cognitively and physically and I like to say that he can do most things, he just has to work A LOT harder to do them. In 2008, Luke’s brother and best friend Everett was born.
When Luke ended up on the cover of a magazine called “Unique” and the doctors started telling us that they would learn from him, I knew we were about to embark on a journey to a very unfamiliar place. In 2010, I decided to educate myself so that I could truly be part of our school IEP team as the expert on Luke. My advocacy certificate program led to an internship at a non-profit that led to 12 years as an educational advocate and then starting Blue Glasses Advocacy in 2021. Luke has worn blue glasses since he was 1 year old.
Our school journey began 16 years ago when Luke was 2 years old. I still remember the day I dropped him off at a local elementary school where he was whisked away in a red, radio flyer wagon for early intervention. Yes, there were lots of tears that morning! Although that ended up being a wonderful program, there have been many ups and downs throughout the years and I look forward to sharing our experiences and what I’ve learned as a mom and advocate to help families like yours.
I started this blog to help alleviate school related stress, provide tips on what you can do to make sure your child has enough support throughout the year and hopefully have a few laughs along the way! There are no stupid questions and you are not in this alone! We all want the best for our children. Remember, YOU are part of the IEP team and the expert on your child! Luke and all students in “special” education are more alike than different from any of their peers!
Time to tuck Luke in but I’ll be back tomorrow to blog about how to create structure, learn new skills and have new experiences over the summer.
Good night!
Vicki