Hi, my name is Katie and I am fundraising to finally publish my completed memoir!

In the 2023-24 school year, Jay entered kindergarten in our local public school system. He was not provided a paraprofessional or 1x1 assistant. We asked, and we were denied again and again. The transition was hard. We had good days and some really hard days. I was called, emailed, and sent text messages regularly up until one specific incident.

From August to October, Jay struggled to understand expectations, routines, etc. Because his verbal speech is behind that of his peers, he acts out in different ways to get attention, engage, or show emotions.

In March of 2024, Jay was suspended from school for an incident that should have never occurred in the first place. Post suspension, the school team added more support, but a plethora of people at different times throughout his day. They also felt that the behavior matched the discipline. In the meantime, I advocated for him. Hard!

I recognize that everyone is working with good intentions. And, we have the understanding of our experiences and the work we do day in and day out. But the way this incident was handled did not sit well with me, not at all.

Why write a memoir? This is my outlet. And, reading is how I learn best. I want to give this experience the justice and effort it deserves, but I need time in order to do so. I would love to focus one month on writing. From there, I'll query it and work to sell it for publication. And if this sells, I'll donate a portion of all proceeds to local Down syndrome associations throughout the USA. I will aways advocate for equitable, accessible, and inclusive education -- our experiences are better in community with one another.

We all have a story to tell. This is mine as a mom to a kid rocking an extra chromosome as we navigated kindergarten together.

Goals of the memoir:

1. Parenting a child with differing abilities in the public school setting - how we prepared for day 1

2. Researching my rights as a parent; lessons learned

3. Advocating for what my child needs/what we need

4. The nuances in "least restrictive environment" and how we attempted to navigate this reality

5. A look at the concept that behavior is communication - ALL BEHAVIOR

6. The weight of this first year in school -- stress, anger, confusion, frustration, and also happiness, surprise, joy, and fun

7. My lessons learned as a means to help future parents, students, and school staff experience successful inclusion in the public school setting

8. Sharing Think, Do, Engage as an advocacy model

I am mom to two boys. My oldest, Jay, has Down syndrome. In 2019, I self published a children's book "I Am Me" that is still in circulation today; used by nonprofits to help celebrate and welcome families to the Down syndrome community.