Ally's Story

by Kathy Lazas Ignacio

Ally, a beautiful, healthy child at birth began to show signs of developmental delays, unraveling multiple disabilities she had to endure. A mother shares a heartfelt journey of seeking answers to unexplainable behaviors, accepting one diagnosis after another, working to overcome the challenges, and succeeding beyond a shadow of a doubt. Real life situations are intertwined with the education process, painting a true picture of life with a special needs child. The Individualized Education Program (IEP) and several complex evaluations are simplified and used as building blocks for creative/alternative instruction in school and at home. Life for Ally has been challenging, but with a team effort she has soared to great heights!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kathy earned a bachelor's degree from James Madison University in VA and later in life earned a master's degree from Towson University in MD. She has four beautiful children and believes that being a parent is one of the most challenging and yet rewarding jobs imaginable, especially if one has special needs. Kathy worked for the Calvert County Public Schools in MD teaching math, reading, and social skills to students with learning disabilities and assisted with the Individualized Education Program (IEP) process. In addition, she has spent over a decade fine tuning her role as a parent of a child with special needs. She discovered that the key to success is team advocacy. Her passion is to share her experiences, educate families about the special education process, and encourage families and school staff to be open minded, try new strategies, and never give up.

(2011, paperback, 226 pages)