Personal Advocacy Reflection

My personal story of how I have been impacted by the advocacy of someone else is when a relative needed assistance when she had a child with special needs. She did not know where to turn since she was a young mother and we had not had anyone in our family who had a special needs child. It was a trying time as it was 20 years ago and people did not talk about certain things and children were called retarded back then. It was only when the child turned 4 years old that it was decided to send the child to a special school for 4 hours a day and during that time a teacher took special interest and gave my Aunt the needed support for her and her child.

My cousin is now a productive citizen who has a job and is doing well. That experience has stayed in my mind and heart and has made me want to do more for children and their family. I have made it a lifelong passion to help others especially those who have expressed to me that they don’t know what to do and where to get the needed assistance.

I am glad to be I the profession I am in to be able to be a resource to families and know I help to make a difference in the lives of others.