By Karen Kaplan, MS Dear Parent & Teachers, I am writing this letter to you to alert you to a very simple concept that needs to be embraced when creating a life-plan for an individual with autism or other neurodiverse challenges. We all come into this world needing to acquire sharing skills, reading skills, listening skills and learning skills. None of us arrives knowing how to do all things. We all stumble and fumble. What we must be encouraged to do is to try. We must be as

By Karen Kaplan, MS In our current times, fewer opportunities are becoming available for individuals with neurodiversity, learning differences, or uniqueness. So, why not help people explore the possibility of becoming an entrepreneur? I remember when I was nine years old and I told my father that I wanted to open a school of my own to support those who were considered different. He did not look at me as someone with a crazy idea. He, instead, drove me through the streets of

By Karen Kaplan, MS The Boston Higashi School , founded by Dr. Kiyo Kitahara of Tokyo, Japan, was started in 1987. It was a school that opened my eyes to a more multi-dimensional approach to those on the autism spectrum and other neurodiversity. Dr. Kitahara’s goal was to help these children reach their highest level of independence and dignity, and to contribute to the world they lived in. Dr. Kitahara passed away in 1989, just before my visit. But her legacy was being carri

By Meshell Baylor, MHS, MSW “Every sunset is an opportunity to reset.” — Richie Norton   As we close the chapter of 2025 and prepare to welcome a new season of growth, many of us look back and reflect on everything we've overcome and accomplished as caregivers of exceptional children. Throughout the year, you navigated the storms of diagnoses, clinical assessments, evaluations, and Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings. You stood tall through frustration, uncertaint