Stories

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

When Something Feels Off Navigating ADHD in military families can be complicated, especially when frequent moves and constant change make early signs harder to recognize. As a military family, we were used to adapting to new everything: new schools, new doctors, new routines. But when our oldest daughter, Peyton, started school, we realized something might be off. She struggled with attention, organization, and emotional regulation. Every time we voiced our concerns, we heard

Trusting My Gut as a Military Mom Since birth, we knew Emmett was unique. Our daughter was three when Emmett was born, and they were similar in their sweet, loving natures, but my gut nagged me that there was something different this time. I first approached our pediatrician with my concerns when Emmett was 18 months old. The doctor dismissed my worries immediately and suggested everything was “normal.” Time passed, and Emmett‘s struggles became more noticeable. Nearly every

Learning the Diagnosis As a mom, hearing that my son Alex was autistic 13 years ago was one of the hardest moments of my life. It wasn’t something I ever expected to hear, and at that moment, fear filled my heart. I was afraid of the unknowns—the challenges we would face, the obstacles I couldn’t yet see, and the uncertainty of how his life would unfold. The questions were endless: Would he be okay? Would he find friends? Would he ever feel like he belonged? That moment marke

Our Journey Begins: Autism Diagnosis Overseas Military special education advocacy became our lifeline when our son was diagnosed with Autism at a very young age while we were stationed at Naval Air Facility Atsugi, Japan. Since then, he has had an Individualized Education Program (IEP) under the categories of Autism and Specific Learning Disability with deficits in several areas. Now 13 years old, my son is best described as an animal lover, a science enthusiast, a vegetarian

Some people call it multitasking. I call it survival—with a whole lot of love. My name is Tricia, and I’m a wife, a mother of four, and the caregiver to my retired U.S. Navy husband. This is a caregiver’s story—not the life I envisioned, but the one my family was chosen to lead—and it’s full of meaning, growth, and grace. Life After Service: Supporting My Veteran Husband My husband served over twenty-four years in the Navy. Calm in chaos and steady in every storm, he led with

Recently, I listened to a parenting podcast that referenced a book written by Dr. W. Thomas Boyce. The book discusses how children usually fall into two categories: dandelions or orchids. Hearing their definitions struck me to the core. Dandelions can thrive anywhere you put them, even in a sidewalk crack. Orchids, however, need the perfect humidity, sunlight, and watering schedule to thrive. I have two orchids with special needs, Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), a

We’ve all heard the adage “It takes a village,” which originates from the African proverb “It takes a village to raise a child.” It means a community of people is needed to provide a safe and healthy environment for children to grow up. This saying is even more important in special needs communities where parents are raising children with disabilities. But what happens when that family is a military family and their “community” changes every two to three years? How can you le

Emily's story is a powerful testament to the complex educational challenges faced by military-connected students—a journey marked by resilience, missed opportunities, and the critical importance of proactive parental advocacy, installation services (EFMP case managers), pediatrician referrals, behavioral health assessments, and community support services. The Landscape of Constant Change Emily’s educational journey was shaped by eight school transitions, 12 PCS relocations, a

Introduction to Our Military Life Journey My husband was an active-duty service member for ten years. We have endured two deployments, countless training missions, and multiple moves. He was an Armor Officer in the United States Army. I was his spouse – a mental health therapist and special education advocate. I recently successfully defended my dissertation, but I am his military spouse, nonetheless, lol. Throughout his active-duty career, we had two amazing sons. They are