I’m Megan McNicholas, a non-attorney Special Education Advocate in Northern San Diego County. I am well-versed in the special education environment from my own experiences and through my work with other families. My experience includes speech delays and disorders, CAS (childhood apraxia of speech), anxiety, ASD (autism spectrum disorder), dyslexia, and more. I am a big proponent of the importance of early intervention and creating plans early in a child’s education process to try and create success as they grow. I recognize that the process can be overwhelming and scary as you try to figure out what steps you should take, and I am here to help you figure out what is best for your child, your family, and the school environment. Additionally, I have completed Special Education Advocate Training (SEAT)TM 1.0 through COPAA.

I benefitted from Special Education services as a child. I began early intervention therapies for speech at 2.5 years of age, ultimately receiving a diagnosis of Childhood Apraxia of Speech. I spent the next 10 years in speech and myofunctional therapy in both the school setting and private therapy. My son also has a severe speech delay, childhood apraxia of speech and level 1 ASD. We have been involved with early intervention services since he was 15 months old, and transitioned to services with the school district at age 3. So I understand how it feels to be both the child and the parent in this process.

As I navigated the early intervention process with my son, I was inspired to help other families be able to learn the system. Whether you are receiving a diagnosis at an early age or experiencing flags once your child is in an educational setting, it can be an overwhelming situation. My goal is to advocate for your child, for them to have access to the correct learning environment for them to thrive. In this process I hope to also help you, the parent/guardian learn the system and be a necessary part of the process. Together with the schools we will come up with solutions that address your child’s needs and create supports that are best practices for your child. There is not a one-size-fits-all approach to this, it is an individualized process to discover what works (and what doesn’t work) for your child and you.