Jill Woodworth

Stacey Jackson, special education advocate, parent, engineer & past school committee member stopped by the podcast to give us an update on her daughter's out of district placement as well as engage in a discussion on the transition process. Stacey discusses how the immersive experience living away from home in a setting such as Riverview School, a co-educational boarding school placement, can be beneficial for those with "complex learning challenges" and has served her daughter well. Keeping the big picture in mind while advocating for the most effective programming for our loved ones challenged by special needs and trying to stay positive while making and keeping connections, are a few tools that have served Stacey well over the years. She urges parents to keep setting the bar high and remember that the main goal of any transition is that our loved ones are able to hold a job and live independently as possible.She states, "I don't know if it's just people have pity on kids with special needs....oh the