Inspiring and Educating Parents & Guardians
This six month program provides emotional & informational support for families of children who have special needs and complex trauma. We empower and support parents because we understand that being a parent of a child with special needs can be challenging. We’ve been there! During each two hour session, we will provide coping tools and resources to better equip you to handle the hills and valleys that come with raising a child with challenges. Each session will feature a different topic, with a different speaker to educate, engage and inspire.
We will begin each session with a short breathwork/meditation to help us ground and calm. We will learn different breathing techniques to take home to utilize to destress and de-escalate.
We will meet the third Sunday of each month starting Sunday August 17th, from 4-6pm here at the Fox Moon Farm, down at Lake Gazebo. We will provide drinks and snacks. Please bring a pad/pen to take notes.
Session Details
Make it Make Sense – Empowered Families: Know your Rights and Resources
Date: Sunday, August 17th, 2025
Location: Fox Moon Farm, Lake Gazebo
Time: 4:00-6:00pm
Speaker: Kate Williams
Special Education/Disability Rights Advocate
In this first session, learn the Basics, where to start (IEP’s vs 504’s), Behavior (the school won’t stop calling me to pick
up my child, suspensions & MDR’s), Helpful tips to prepare for different types of meetings, Virginia Medicaid Waivers & more.
Financial and Legal Planning for Individuals with Disabilities
Speaker: Nicolas Thompson
Attorney, Estate Planing, Guardianship
In today’s session, learn all about Guardianship and estate planning. When is Guardianship necessary? What is the Guardianship process and the different kinds of Guardianship? We will also discuss alternatives to Guardianship.
Cracking the Code: 504’s & IEP’s (In’s & Out’s of IEP Meetings, Measurable IEP Goals}
Speaker: Brian McCan, CEO Faison Center
Kate Williams, Special Education, Disability Rights Advocate
Understand and navigate the different school support plans available to students with disabilities. Create measurable, data-driven goals to track student progress. 504 plans vs. IEPs: What’s the difference? What are your legal rights? What questions should you ask?
Disability Benefits: Social Security and VA’s Medicaid Waivers
Speaker: Tammy Burns, Executive Director
Parent Educational Advocacy Training Center (PEATC)
Get an introduction to PEATC, what it is, its resources and how this organization can help provide tools and information to empower Virginia students with disabilities and their families. Tammy will walk us through the Medicaid Waiver process step-by-step. Don’t miss this powerful program.
Parenting Tips and Tricks (Addressing Behaviors Confidently, Ready or Not, here they grow…)
Speaker: TBA
In Home ABA (Applied Behavioral Analysis)
Speaker: TBA
What is ABA Therapy and how can it help build confidence and independence in your child? Does your child need more friends, to learn to master daily living skills? Come to this session to learn all about ABA and how it could help your family.