In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. day, I'm airing a special series of intimate and insightful interviews with four Harvard educators and two University of California professors on topics related to Implicit Bias. Our fourth topic of the 6-part series: Special Education.

In this episode, I chat with Melanie, Emmy award winning filmmaker, community activist, mother of 3, and former ward of the state. She shares her personal experience raising and advocating for a daughter with Down syndrome. She discusses implicit biases she had as a new parent and biases she has encountered as an educator and parent. She shares a number of resources in this episode, and in addition:

• Mainstream biases around learning disabilities and how to deal with it

• How to "see to believe" for yourself and others

• How to set expectations for yourself and your child

• Persistent, Professional, Polite. Ways to advocate for your child

• How teachers and educators can find their voice when working with children with special needs.

• How to select the right school for your child