EMPOWERING INDEPENDENCE FROM TODDLERS TO ADULTS

Sandra McElwee and LaTaasha Byrd

It’s never too early to start teaching independent living skills—and it’s never too late. Wherever you are on your journey to independence, just start! This presentation will highlight chores, money, self-help, work and employment, real-world applications, and supported independent living, as well as other empowering elements for amazing results with our amazing children. We’ll also review the insurance and regional center supports available to help support independence for all. You can do this! 

Sandra Assimotos McElwee is Sean’s mom, from the TV show Born this Way. She is an independent facilitator writing person-centered plans for Regional Center consumers entering the Self-Determination Program. Sandra is the author of three books—Who’s the Slow Learner? A Chronicle of Inclusion and Exclusion, Who’s the Slow Learner? Adventures in Independence, and My Name Is Sean and I Have Something to Share—all written about her son Sean. She supports Sean with his T-shirt business, seanese.com, and his keynote speaking; her title is Chief Dream Facilitator. 

LaTaasha Byrd is a mom to one daughter, born with Down Syndrome. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University and a Master of Science degree from the University of Central Florida. She hails from the metropolis of Monticello, Florida, where she learned the values of small-town life and a love for country living. She is a proud, self-proclaimed “Mom-Schooler” and chronicles the journey of homeschooling a child with exceptionality in her Facebook blog, Countdown To K. She regularly speaks at conferences and advocates for the special needs community at local, state, and national levels. She frequently works with local nonprofits in the areas of cultural outreach. She is the headmaster at Countdown Academy, an online school for parents of exceptional children. She is the author of Inclusion Is for the Included: A Collection of Stories from a Special Needs Mom. Together, she and her daughter reside in Orlando, Florida, where they enjoy many activities in the Florida sun.

SATURDAY JUNE 24th, 2023

TIME: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM (PST)

COST: $20