Children First: Advocacy for Kids with Special Needs

In this episode of Badass Black Girl, MJ talks with Genie Dawkins, author, international speaker and host of the podcast The Parenting Cipher. As the mother of special needs children, Genie discusses the school system and the difficulties of parenting special needs children within that system. She talks about how the system often fails special needs children, especially Black children who are often categorized as having behavioral problems, rather than being tested and diagnosed with learning disabilities. She talks about how confidence and preparedness is key to advocating for your special needs children, and she discusses how she stays connected to herself and her kids. They also discuss Genie’s book, Not My Child, and her journey to getting her children diagnosed. The book offers tips for parents with special needs children, or those who suspect their children may have special needs. Genie offers parenting classes through her website and you can check out her podcast here.

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Genie Dawkins is a multi-passionate author who delves into the topics of family & relationships, parenting, education, special needs, and education & teaching. Currently, she serves as a Health Insurance Specialist, Special Education Consultant, and Integrative Health Coach. Genie recently authored the book Not My Child and she is in the midst of working on a number of other publications. In addition to obtaining her Certification in Integrative Health Coaching, Genie holds an M.S. in Non-Profit Management and a B.S. in Social Sciences.