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The Boxes We Build
I grew up believing children with disabilities had always belonged in public schools. They hadn’t. The law that opened those doors is younger than my…
Aug 8
•
Maria Messer
6
1
2
The Teal Journals
Live it. Write it. Craft it.
Aug 3
•
Maria Messer
8
2
July 2026
Build Relationships Between Meetings
The most important conversation of the year is often the small one, months before the big one.
Jul 28
3
1
The California Book
He made the week into something he could carry
Jul 23
•
Maria Messer
4
2
Focus on the Student, Not the Position
A position is what someone asks for. A need is why. The difference is where stuck meetings come unstuck.
Jul 20
3
1
Your Inner Critic Is Not a Reliable Narrator
Most of us get the cards. Very few of us keep them. Almost none of us go back and read them when the clouds come in. On confidence, evidence, and the…
Jul 14
•
Maria Messer
5
2
Separate Intent from Impact
You don't have to choose between believing people have good intentions and protecting your child. In Step 2 of Families Deserve a Map, we explore one of…
Jul 9
3
2
2
When the Garage Became Enough
Last Fourth of July, we wouldn't have made this trip. This year, Carter watched fireworks from a roof… until anxiety reminded him the garage felt safer…
Jul 7
•
Maria Messer
8
6
1
Curiosity is Not Surrender
Curiosity is not surrender. It's strategy. When an IEP meeting gets tense, the first words out of our mouths often determine everything that follows. In…
Jul 2
•
Maria Messer
4
1
2
June 2026
The Great Yogurt Betrayal
For years, Carter's breakfast was as predictable as sunrise: peach yogurt. Until one morning it wasn't. A humorous story about parenting, autism…
Jun 28
•
Maria Messer
9
7
3
Families Deserve a Map
You shouldn’t need a law degree to understand your child’s education.
Jun 25
•
Maria Messer
9
3
The Community I Didn't Know I Needed
For years, I thought I was doing fine. I had friends. Good friends. The kind who stay through every version of your life. But community? A circle of…
Jun 23
•
Maria Messer
10
3
2
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