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Our advocates not only work professionally in the field, but also spend time advancing education and disability rights at city and state levels.
Volunteer Affiliations and Actions
Presentations and Workshops
Media Engagement and Publications
Volunteer Affiliations and Actions
All of our advocates are active members in 2eNYC, an organization serving the needs of parents of twice-exceptional children in New York City. Jenn founded the group, whose membership now includes more than 600 parents. Highlights of collective work with 2eNYC include:
Developing an informal survey and producing a report completed by 500 parents to identify the needs of 2e students in NYC.
Published in May 2018, this report was presented to the NYC DOE Special Education Office and the Citywide Council on Special Education.
Represent 2eNYC at meetings with the New York City Department of Education Special Education Office. Conversations from these meetings led to two conferences on executive function skills and serving students with disabilities in gifted and accelerated learning environments.
Our senior family peer advocate, Amber, has spent last 10 years advancing the rights of various vulnerable populations and their families including those with developmental disabilities and behavioral health disabilities at both the city and state level.
Service
- Serves as Steering Committee member of Medicaid Matters New York
- Participates as Member of the Arise Coalition
- Serves as PAIMI Advisory Council member for Disability Rights New York PAMI Pogram
- Participates as Member of the Arise Coalition
- Served as Facilitator for 5th Annual Disability and Civil Rights Clinic Roundtable
- Created a Participant Survey for those with OPWDD concerning care management changes
Testimony
- Testified on behalf of parents, caretakers and various disabled populations to the NYS Legislature and New York State Department of Health
- Submitted Written Testimony to the NYS legislature
- Submitted public comments for the OPWDD Waiver
- Testified in front of state legislators on the importance of Self-Direction program used by individuals with disabilities at New York State Joint Hearing of the Senate Finance and Assembly Ways and Means Committee
Presentations and Workshops
Part of our commitment to empower parents as advocates means speaking up about what we know and speaking out about our experiences. We can customize workshops for parents on a range of topics such as navigating IEP process, assistive technology, turning 5 process, and high school admissions. If you are interested in booking Special Support Services for a workshop at your next event or meeting, email rachel (at) specialsupportservices (dot) com.
Citywide Council on Special Education, Presentation on 2e Parent Survey Results, led by Jenn Choi
Quad Prep Breakthroughs in Twice Exceptional Education, Workshop on Assistive Technology for 2e Learners, led by Jenn Choi
Workshop on NYC Public High School Admissions for 2E Kids, led by Jenn Choi
Gigi’s Playhouse, Turning 5 Workshop, led by Amber Decker
NYC DOE Assistive Technology Expo, Keynote Panelist, Jenn Choi provides parent perspective on invisible disabilities and the use of assistive technology
Media Engagement and Publications
Our advocates are regularly consulted as experts on a range of advocacy topics and also contribute opinion pieces and articles. Here are just a few links:
- Inside Schools, Five Special Ed Questions to Ask on High School Tours. Written by Jenn, she offers expert advice on how to navigate school tours when you have a student with a disability.
- SDNYC, CCO, After Front Door post from Amber.
- The City, Special Report: Parents Sacrifice Savings and Careers in Fight for Special Education Services, Amber quoted as an expert source discussing the lack of impartial hearing officers to take on due process hearing requests
- The Hechinger Report, Twice Exceptional, Doubly Disadvantaged? How Schools Struggle to Serve Gifted Students with Disabilities, Jenn quoted as an expert source discussing advocacy work for twice exceptional students in New York City.
- Education Week, Parents Wield Online Tools to Advocate for Children with Disabilities, Jenn quoted as an expert source discussing the use of social media in the disability community.
- eParent, The Endless Fight for Help, Yesterday and Today, Amber quoted as an expert source in parents having to fight to gain access to services.
- Quartz, How Gifted and Talented Programs Are Failing our Kids, Jenn writes about the lack of support for twice exceptional students in New York City’s gifted and talented programs.
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