My mission to help children began when my first son was born. Although my son had not yet been diagnosed, mother’s intuition told me there was something wrong. Numerous physicians and therapists told me not to worry. After two years of fighting to find help, my son was diagnosed with sensory integration disorder.
I petitioned the early intervention services through our school district to provide my son's treatment, which included developmental, occupational, and psychological therapy three to five times a week. The school denied all special services, forcing me to either pay for treatment out of pocket or discontinue his therapy. At the time, I did not know that my son and all children with special needs are entitled to services under the IDEA.
I chose to pay for my son to continue with his necessary treatment and expended thousands and thousands of dollars that could have been covered by the school district. Unfortunately, many families do not have insurance or the resources available to provide their children with necessary services. As a result, the child's special needs compound and the issues become more difficult to address as the child grows.
I want to help every child with special needs get early intervention. The sooner the child begins treatment, the better off the child will progress academically, socially, and behaviorally. Early intervention is imperative.
I earned my Juris Doctor from DePaul University College of Law and my B.A. from Loyola University of Chicago. I have conducted extensive research and writing concerning children's rights, including the racial divide in child welfare in Cook County, Illinois, the exploitation of children in the media, the human rights of children internationally, and alternative forms of punishment and rehabilitation in the justice system. After working for 11 years in civil litigation, I decided to follow my passion for child advocacy and founded Attorneys for Children.