Community Connection: Meet Kaitlyn Fusco
Did you love hearing about Amanda’s experiences as much as we did?
Next up in our Community Connection blog series is Kaitlyn Fusco! You may have learned about Kaitlyn in the Inclyousion Sports February newsletter, and we know you’ll love learning more about her story below.
Community Connection will share perspectives from people who are involved in inclusion work, across diverse careers and community volunteer roles, as well as through personal experiences. We hope that through reading about experiences and ideas from people in your community, you feel inspired to continue on your own journey towards building a more inclusive world.
Please share a little about yourself.
I am married to my elementary school sweetheart (met in 2nd grade and been together ever since) and am a mother to two beautiful, strong-willed girls, as well as two pups, Finnegan and Fiona. Disability issues, both personal and civil rights based, have been part of my life since I was very young, as my brother was diagnosed with autism when I was 5 years old. I grew up witnessing my parents make every effort to solicit all the supports at their disposal (some of which were unique and ahead of the times) to provide my brother with the services and opportunities he needed in order to succeed – something he has always done, exceeding even their optimistic expectations. I worked with both children and adults with disabilities starting in high school through law school, where I focused my studies on disability and civil rights law. I have since had the privilege to represent families seeking appropriate special education services for their children throughout the state of Massachusetts.
What is your current profession and what influenced you to do the work that you do?
I am a special education attorney, representing parents and families as they guide their children through the Massachusetts public school system. As I mentioned, my brother was diagnosed with autism back in the early 1990’s, when there were far fewer laws protecting the rights of children with special needs to receive an appropriate education and significantly less societal awareness/acceptance of children who presented as different than the “norm.” Witnessing the long, difficult road that my parents traveled, including hiring an attorney just to enroll my brother in the public school system, only to be obstructed time and time again when trying to secure appropriate services (both public and private), inspired me to become part of the solution to what I saw as a serious systemic failure. In addition to the academic based battles, there were countless social emotional issues that would arise due to bullying that were left completely unaddressed and mismanaged by the school administration.
What is a common question that you receive from parents who are navigating the special education system, and what advice do you offer them?
Parents often reach out when they have gotten to the point where they feel the school is intentionally obstructing them and/or communication has broken down, so they are legitimately frustrated and want to know if I can take over all communications with the district going forward. I always advise parents to approach the process in good faith and to remember that school personnel do not enter the education field with a bias against children with special needs. Keeping the lines of communication open, and as collaborative as possible, between school personnel and parents is vital. Unless the family intends to move, they will be working with these individuals for several years and need to maintain a good relationship in order to achieve the best results for their child – special education is a marathon, not a sprint and in most cases, the family is in it for the long haul.
When should parents consider hiring a special education attorney rather than navigating the system solo?
Every case is different, just like every child has their own specific learning needs, but the one element that is true of every parent navigating this system is their desire to achieve the best possible outcome for their child. Speaking from personal experience, it is impossible to remain neutral and unemotional when the topic of a team meeting is your own child, particularly if there is a disagreement about their learning needs and necessary supports/services between parents and school personnel. That being said, not every case requires an attorney’s involvement, particularly when parents have maintained a good working relationship with the school district and their child is making progress at school. I always advise parents to consult with a special education attorney when this relationship is at risk of breaking down due to a disagreement about the placement or services. An attorney will be able to review the relevant documentation, assess the facts and provide an unbiased assessment of the case so parents know their options and can decide how to proceed. In some cases, it is best to keep the attorney in the background, available for parent questions and next steps, and in others it is necessary to allow the attorney to communicate directly with the school district’s attorney to work towards an agreement between the parties without further action.
As a parent now navigating the special education system, what has helped you to stay organized and to prioritize your own mental health during the process?
I have hard copies of all my daughter’s evaluations, relevant emails and other documents organized in a binder for easy access and review prior to any meetings or discussions. We are just beginning this journey as parents so there is not an overwhelming amount of material, but it will be easier to add documents as we go along and keep it all organized.
Self care is so important because, as we all know, you cannot give your child and their needs the best of yourself if you are exhausted and burnt out. My personal favorite kind of self-care is reading for pleasure, which I try to do a little bit of every morning with a hot cup of coffee before the kids wake up and we officially start our day. My other favorite (when I can find and make the time) is taking a barre class, either in-person or virtually, at my local studio or a boxing class. I’ve met some of my favorite people and fellow parents at these and other small/local workout spots, which is such a wonderful and much needed community for me during what has been an isolating 2 plus years for many of us.
What tips would you offer a parent who suspects their child may need additional support, but doesn't know where to begin?
It can be such an overwhelming period and its important to remember first and foremost that you’re not alone. If you suspect your child may require additional support, you should reach out to the school district as soon as possible to express the area of concern and to request an evaluation for special education services. Many parents resist taking this step, for a variety of reasons, but it is better to have a sense of what your options are, and this requires as much information about your child’s specific strengths and weaknesses as possible. Once your signed consent to begin the testing has been received, the district has 30 school days to complete the evaluations and 45 school days to hold a team meeting to discuss their findings and determine your child’s eligibility for services. Parents can and should request copies of the reports 2 days prior to the meeting so they can review and prepare to fully participate in the meetings. If your child is found eligible for services, the Team, with your input, will propose specific supports to address areas of weakness.
You recently started the A Mother At Law blog, tell us what motivated you to share your story on this platform and what you hope readers will learn from your experience?
I have been involved, either personally or professionally, with special education and disability civil rights issues for the majority of my life. First as a sibling and then representing parents of children with disabilities seeking special education services. When I became one of those parents, I immediately realized that it was a completely different set of rules. I began to write in an attempt to process my emotions as my professional background navigating the special education system competed with my role as a mother. I created A Mother at Law with the intent to give other parents, both in the special and general education worlds, a different perspective, some basic resources regarding the applicable law and the opportunity to create a community of like-minded parents.
What is one book/movie/podcast that changed the way that you understand special education and/or parenting?
Of course, as a mom, I watch a lot of Disney movies, which often seem to have parenting themes. One that stands out is the movie Brave, in which Scottish princess Merida struggles to communicate with her mother and make her accept her for the person she is, rather than the princess her mother hopes she will be, while mom is just trying to help her daughter succeed in the only way she knows how. It’s a great movie overall, but watching the mother-daughter relationship evolve into one of love and acceptance is particularly heartwarming. I’ve always seen it as a good reminder that as much as we may think we know what’s best for our kids, they have their own dreams and desires that we can and should try to support without imposing our own vision onto them.
What is one action that readers can take today to be more inclusive?
I have always loved the quote “In a world where you can be anything, be kind.” It may seem simplistic, but kindness to others seems to be lacking in a lot of areas of our world right now and it needs to make a comeback.
A big thank you to Kaitlyn for sharing her story and experiences! Be sure to read the A Mother At Law blog and follow Kaitlyn on Instagram and Facebook .
Are you interested in sharing your inclusion experience? Email us!
