If you are a parent of a child with special needs, this is a very important episode for YOU to listen!  We brought our good friend, Yahaira Lopez, on the show to share her personal journey as the single mother of twin sons, both of whom are on the Autism spectrum, and how that experience propelled her into a career of special education advocacy for students and parents of color.  To learn more about Yahaira's work, her organization, Autism Sprinter (www.autismsprinter.org), and her new podcast, "Momvocate Mob", you can connect with her on the following social media platforms:  

FACEBOOK -  Autism Sprinter, Momvocate Mob                  INSTAGRAM - @autismsprinter, @iamamomvocate           TWITTER - @AutismSprinter  

BIO: 

Yahaira Lopez is the founder of Autism Sprinter, Inc: a parent led grassroots organization building parents as experts in special education. Yahaira knows the struggles of Autism firsthand—she has twin boys on the Autism Spectrum as well as ADHD. As any parent knows, young boys can be a handful. Young premature twins added even more complications. And having twin boys with different levels of unique challenges adds even more difficulties. As a parent, Yahaira put her career on hold where she turned one of her bedrooms into a home classroom. She began to watch YouTube videos of autism therapies to self-learn different form therapies to support her children needs to develop her own parent expertise.   Yahaira has a Master's degree in Human Service Organizational Management from Springfield College. She also has a Bachelor's in Social Work from Salem State University. Yahaira has over 15 years of experience working with children, youth and families in many different capacities. She has worked at Boston Public Schools, DCF, and  Boston Center for Youth and Families. Yahaira is currently working for Riverside Community Care Mobile Crisis Unit as a Crisis Specialist.  She is also a Boston Public School alumni who immigrated from Puerto Rico at the age of 4.  Yahaira's work is dedicated to improving the lives of families and their loved ones presented with unique abilities navigating systems that seems impossible to understand. She believes parents are more than just caretakers. Yahaira says "Parent are experts too".