All Posts

From a 117-day NICU stay to navigating military moves, special education, and an evolving list of medical needs, Kevin’s journey has taught our family what advocacy truly looks like. Along the way, EFMP became more than another military requirement; it gave our family another way to advocate for Kevin’s needs as military life took us from one duty station to the next. Through every transition, diagnosis, and challenge, one lesson continued to surface: trust your gut. Sometime

Testing support for students with disabilities starts with preparation, advocacy, and the right accommodations. In this article, families will find practical ways to prepare for test day, reinforce IEP accommodations, and help children manage testing stress. A few simple steps can help students approach assessments feeling prepared and supported. The beginning of the school year is always an exciting time: new classrooms, new school supplies, meeting new kids, and new special

This report from Partners in PROMISE examines how PCS transitions affect military-connected children receiving special education services. Our Fall 2025 survey identifies three core findings: significant disruptions and delays to IEP and 504 Plan services during PCS moves, the substantial burden these transitions place on caregivers navigating new schools and providers, and inconsistent implementation of EFMP across installations. Together, these findings point to a direct li

Accessing your teen's health information can become an unexpected challenge for military families when a child turns 13. This article continues Becca Kofonow's story of navigating healthcare and support for her neurodivergent children. Read her first article, "ADHD Masking in Girls: The Cost of Being Fine." "Not Me" Did It Along with mood swings, puberty, and middle school drama comes a surprise for military families. When your child turns 13, you may lose access to much of t

Back to school with an IEP can bring extra questions for military families. These six tips can help parents prepare, get organized, and start the school year with confidence. As summer winds down, you may be settling back into the back-to-school routine. There’s a lot to think about: new teachers, schedules, and routines. If you recently PCSed, you may also be adjusting to a new home and school. As both a special education teacher and a parent of a child with an IEP, I unders

We never planned to homeschool. Like many military families, we assumed our son would receive the support he needed through the public school system. He had an Individualized Education Program (IEP), a team of professionals, and legal protections designed to help him succeed. What we didn't expect was that homeschooling, something we had never considered, would become one of the greatest gifts our family has ever received. Why We Began Homeschooling Our Military Child with Di

Make This Summer Work for Your Family Summer can bring a welcome break from homework and busy school schedules, but for military families raising children with disabilities, it can also bring uncertainty. Therapies may pause, routines change, and for many families, summer is PCS season. While those transitions can be challenging, they also create an opportunity to prepare for the upcoming school year and make meaningful memories as a family. Whether your child already has an

For Tabatha, a military child, frequent moves, deployments, and changing schools were simply part of life from a very young age. But behind that routine was a reality that few people ever saw. At home, her brother, who had significant special needs, required constant care, multiple therapies, and support in nearly every aspect of his daily life. As happens in many families, much of the family's time, energy, and attention was focused on meeting his immediate needs. While the

Para Tabatha, una niña militar, las mudanzas constantes, las separaciones durante los despliegues y los cambios de escuela eran parte de su vida desde muy pequeña. Pero detrás de esa rutina había una realidad que pocos llegaban a ver. En su hogar, su hermano con necesidades especiales severas requería atención continua, terapias múltiples y apoyo en casi todos los aspectos de su día a día. Como ocurre en muchas familias, gran parte de la energía, el tiempo y la atención se co

What are Extended School Year (ESY) Services? ESY services are special education and related services provided to children during long breaks from school if evidence shows that a student would otherwise require an excessive amount of time to regain previously learned skills. They are directly tied to Individualized Education Program (IEP) goals and are not the same as summer school. Typically, ESY is provided for a shortened duration during the summer, but it should be long e

ADHD masking in girls can make symptoms difficult to recognize, delaying diagnosis and support. In this personal story, one military mom shares how teachers and providers viewed her daughter as "fine," causing her struggles to go unnoticed for years. From preschool on, teachers described our daughter the same way: bright, busy, magnetic. At every conference we heard, “She’s wonderful,” “She’s so helpful,” “She’s a joy to have in class.” She thrived socially and creatively, of

By Taryn Ross, in collaboration with my mom. I am not the best writer. My IEP says so, officially. But every April, during Month of the Military Child, I feel like I have to say something. The voices of kids like me don't always make it into these conversations. And this year, as a senior about to graduate, I finally feel ready to use mine. My name is Taryn. I’m the youngest of four in my military family. I have a learning disability, and I’ve spent my whole life learning

Happy Month of the Military Child! With Spring comes flowers, rain showers, warmer weather, and, of course, the chance to give some extra-special attention to the military-connected children and exceptional learners in our lives. Why Celebrate the Month of the Military Child? According to Military OneSource, there are over 1.4 million military-connected children across the total force. We all know that being a military-connected student is hard. Frequent moves and deployments

Receiving the Diagnosis in Puerto Rico When the doctor said, “Caridad, your baby has tested positive for Bardet-Biedl Syndrome,” everything around me seemed to fade. I went into shock. I felt paralyzing fear and deep uncertainty. I never imagined that my precious baby—with his beautiful, deep sky-blue eyes—would be diagnosed with a rare genetic condition. Bardet-Biedl Syndrome is a complex, multisystem genetic disorder that can affect development, speech, and vision. It may a

El diagnóstico viviendo en Puerto Rico Cuando el doctor dijo: “Caridad, tu bebé es positivo al Síndrome Bardet Biedl” yo sentí que poco a poco la voz del doctor se iba apagando, entré en estado de “shock”, sentí un miedo paralizante y una incertidumbre profunda. Jamás imaginé que mi precioso bebé de hermosos y profundos ojos azul cielo tendría una enfermedad genética rara. El Síndrome Bardet Biedl es un trastorno genético multisistémico que afecta el desarrollo, el habla, la

Understanding Functional Behavior Assessments (FBAs) can help families better navigate conversations about behavior at school. When a child struggles with behavior in the classroom, parents may hear terms like FBA and a Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP). These can sound intimidating, but knowing what they mean can help parents advocate more effectively for their child. What Is a Functional Behavior Assessment? A Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA) is a process used by schools

When the caregiver needs care, military families discover how fragile support systems can be. Five years after cancer, remission has brought new challenges and new gaps in the Adult Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP) respite care. In Caregiving with Cancer and Caregiving with Cancer Follow-Up, I shared how our family navigated diagnosis and active treatment. This is where our story continues. Five Years Ago: Diagnosis, Deployment, and Survival Mode Five years ago, I was

Self-advocacy is the art and nuance of teaching children (and adults) to recognize and name their needs, and to work toward meeting those needs in an appropriate and effective way. Why Self-Advocacy Is More Than Speaking Up Being a self-advocate is more than just speaking your needs aloud. It's an appropriate accommodation to a world that can feel less than welcoming. Becoming a self-advocate takes practice. I am not an expert by any definition, but I am a parent of tenaciou

Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) and peer support for military families during deployments are key tools for staying emotionally strong and connected throughout the challenges of military life. Deployments are a tough time for military families. Through my own experience, I’ve learned how demanding they can be. The impact reaches both our service members and the families who support them. The absence of a loved one can bring a mix of emotions, from loneliness and anxiety to st

Have you heard the term “family readiness”? Me neither. Anyone in and around the military sphere has undoubtedly heard “mission readiness.” I was in a virtual discussion and the term was used – not in any kind of intentional, direct sort of way but more as a term to understand the plight of military families…and it got me thinking. What is Family Readiness? The familiar concept of “mission readiness” is widely understood to be what military families live by. Family readiness