This focused episode is about advocating for a child with a disability or who is neurodivergent. It features a panel of three distinguished parent advocates. The panelists share their experiences, stories, and professional knowledge. They talk about building meaningful relationships with IEP and IFSP team members, advocating when, from a parental perspective the district data isn't sufficient, continuity between classrooms, schools, and district policies, and influencing changes in culture and policy through meaningful relationships. The advocacy panel was recorded as a launch event for my memoir Love Is a Classroom. The topics discussed come from experiences I shared in the memoir.

About the panelists:

Kimberly Travers is dedicated to enhancing the lives of families and their children with disabilities along with the professionals who serve them by focusing on Early Intervention policy, practice, and research. Kimberly’s professional and personal experience and expertise are critical elements that she brings to many classrooms, councils, boards, and workgroups, as well as professional development activities. Her passion for family-centered, natural environments, and evidence-based practices can be seen during her presentations and advisory work, inspiring families and professionals to team more successfully. Kimberly has extensive experience at the local, state, and national levels in the field of early intervention. Kimberly’s work experience includes service provision and service coordination to infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families, training and technical assistance, and policy recommendations. Kimberly’s journey as a parent of a child with a disability elevated her understanding of the importance of the family voice and informed decision-making at all levels.

Sarah Davidon has over 30 years of experience in the field of policy, health promotion and prevention, early childhood models of impact, and children's mental health. She is a passionate and dedicated advocate for improving access to children's mental health care and creating effective public policies. As the Deputy Ombudsman at Colorado Ombudsman for Behavioral Health Access to Care (BHOCO), I provide leadership and co-create strategies to help those who are seeking care or providing care navigate complicated systems, investigate concerns and complaints, and assess recommendations for reform. In addition to my role as the Deputy Ombudsman, I am also the Principal and Owner of Davidon Consulting, LLC, a consulting firm that focuses on children's mental health and the intersection of mental health and educational systems. I have provided keynotes, presentations, facilitated dialogue, and policy strategy to various clients, including the Colorado School Medicaid Consortium, the Office of the Behavioral Health Ombudsman of Colorado, Georgetown Center for Child and Human Development, Community First Foundation (now Colorado Gives Foundation) and the Mental Health Center of Denver. I serve as an Assistant Professor at Georgetown University, where I advise multiple states on funding and policies related to early childhood systems and mental health consultation.

Beth Cole has worked in early intervention since 1996. I began as a parent advocate after my son was diagnosed with autism at the age of 2-1/2. I worked as a paraeducator for 6 years in the same K-8 school where my son was. I also worked at the local and state level in Colorado’s early intervention Part C program for children birth – 3 with developmental delays and disabilities. I was very involved in helping to develop Colorado’s Part C early intervention provider training and the telehealth training. I’ve now been working at WestEd since 2021, providing TA to state Part C programs on their fiscal systems and I’m a part of the team working on an OSEP-funded demonstration project that focuses on screening and referral to Part C or other early childhood programs. I received my masters in Nonprofit Management in 2004 and my Ed.D. in Educational Leadership and Equity in 2019.

If you have a story you want to share, go to Loveisaclassroom.com/contact