Grief is a powerful emotion and a profound and natural reaction to the loss of a loved one or something of significant importance. People share universal feelings; grief transcends cultural boundaries. Initially, the grieving process is exclusively attached to death; however, grief can be triggered by any significant loss, even the loss of one's dreams.

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Did you know that how parents and teachers communicate, actually affects student success? Peggy Bud dives deep into this important aspect of the Special education process at this Ferguson Library TEDx event about parent-teacher relationships.

Navigating Special Education, Building Positive Parent-Educator Partnerships was officially launched at the Council for Exceptional Children Conference in Louisville, Kentucky, on March 1, 2023. We had a terrific turnout full of conversations with people who stopped by the Slack Booth to learn about our book. We loved collaborating with other educators and community members about thoughts on our book and explicitly discussing the essential tools and strategies in Navigating Special Education. Our aim is to change how parents and educators communicate, collaborate, cooperate, and listen, always putting the child’s needs first in their conversations. After purchasing a copy of the book, the entire community of practice: teachers, administrators, professors, students, and family members, all made the same comment, ‘I can’t wait to read this book!’ We envision people reading our book while traveling home from the conference and returning to work with a new vision of how and why building positive parent-educator relationships.

Yesterday’s Dream Dr. Seuss said. “ Oh, the places we’ll go…. ” Some of these places will be fun and exciting, some will be difficult to navigate, and others will be places we’d rather not go, but…. Life doesn’t always give us choices. So instead of focusing on what you didn’t get, celebrate what you got. Make lemonade out of lemons and enjoy drinking it down to the very last drop. As soon as a family knows they are going to have a baby, they begin to formulate the hopes and dreams for their soon-to-be-born child and themselves. They make plans, decorate the child’s room, even decide where the child will go to college. Many parents envision all momentous occasions: birthdays, bar mitzvahs, sweet sixteen parties, proms, weddings, and even the birth of their first grandchild. Some families decide the child’s career: doctor, lawyer, teacher. Others assume their child will take over their family’s business or follow in their footsteps. Many parents are lucky enough to have children who will fulfill their hopes and dreams, while others will have to change ‘Yesterday’s Dream.’ When at birth, early childhood or even during their teenage years, a child is medically identified as having a disability, parents are likely left devastated. Their child’s disability, whether mild or profound, will change the trajectory of their life and their family’s path. Some students develop illnesses as children, while others develop their disabilities over time. In all cases, the child and family’s journey changes because of these diagnoses. ‘Yesterday’s Dream’ is no longer possible! What does this all mean? It means that the parents’ original plans for momentous occasions and career choices will be different. When parents are faced with an unexpected diagnosis, at any time throughout their child’s life, there is a feeling of disappointment and a loss of what could have been. This is normal. It takes a paradigm shift on the part of the whole family to embrace a new vision. There are many resources and opportunities to help families. From the moment parents, students, and educators join the child’s journey called ‘Special Education,’ they find some things challenging and many others simple and beautiful. There will be ups and downs, as the family travels on their child’s new path from childhood to adulthood. Embracing a new ‘shared vision’ requires perseverance, with a little grit. The result is then a positive journey, filled with new hope and success. The entire family and the exceptional child will be the best that they can be.