Hello! It's nice to meet you!
Hello! It's nice to meet you!
Hello! It's nice to meet you!
I’m Lara. I am a mother of 3 teenage daughters. I worked in a preschool/ daycare for almost 20 years. I have worked in public schools as a paraprofessional and as a substitute teacher. I was a 1:1 instructional aide for a student with autism for several years as well.
My "Why"
Hello! It's nice to meet you!
Hello! It's nice to meet you!
The time I spent working with students with autism was amazing! I was an all day 1:1 instructional aide. We were in a unique situation. My student was enrolled in a Special Education district that rented a classroom in a very small public school. I, however, was employed by his home district. This was a very successful setup, as far as hi
The time I spent working with students with autism was amazing! I was an all day 1:1 instructional aide. We were in a unique situation. My student was enrolled in a Special Education district that rented a classroom in a very small public school. I, however, was employed by his home district. This was a very successful setup, as far as his education. In our Autism room we worked on specific IEP goals, OTs, PTs and speech therapists came and went. We were able to adjust our day freely to have a positive experience and learn naturally. We were always welcome in the mainstream classrooms. We were able to participate in the art, music and PE classes and eventually we joined the mainstream science class! He was thriving! Then the Special Ed district closed and we were pulled back to our much larger, home public school district. Our new school did not have an Autism specific program, so we were placed in an LLD room. Coping with significantly larger class sizes and a more rigid district, that did not allow for the same flexibility, made this transition tremendously difficult. I continued to document our day the same way I had for years prior, recording school work completed, behaviors, breaks, services and any special occurrences in the day. Our flexible and communicative nature was under much scrutiny and an unpopular approach. I was asked by the family to join them at the IEP table, to help create a plan for a successful education. It was a struggle.
That was the beginning of the end of my time with that district, and unfortunately with that student. While the family requested me, and I was rehired as his aide for another year, I opted to leave and head back to the small public school where we had started together.
All of the years that I was this student’s 1:1 truly changed my life! He taught me a level of patience I never knew existed. He taught me how to avoid looking at a task and feeling overwhelmed, just to break it down and complete it piece by piece and to celebrate each of those small wins! To really slow down and smell the roses. He made me a better person but more importantly a better parent!
His parents and I are still in touch. They have continued to share his educational wins and hardships with me over the years. He didn't last much longer in his home district, he went to a more suitable program. His struggles with getting into a program and getting the services that he needed and deserved have sparked my desire to become an IEP consultant.
I want to assist parents and school districts in providing students with the education they need to prepare them for their future.
I want families to know I am on their team!