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About
Us
What do
you do when you discover your child has special needs? You're
shell-shocked, you're frightened, and you're wondering how
this could have happened to you. Where do you turn?
How do you begin the process of reorienting your life and
learning about things you never imagined you'd have to know?
You're frustrated and overwhelmed. This isn't the life you
imagined, this isn't the child you imagined. You feel isolated
and unsure. How do you move forward? How do you secure the
educational and other support services necessary to enable
your child to progress and succeed? Ask A2Z Educational
Advocates. Each of us has confronted these questions with
our own children, as well as with our clients. THIS IS
WHO WE ARE; let us answer your questions:
 N
Jane DuBovy, M.A., J.D. Attorney at Law, Certified Mediator:
When
my son was diagnosed with Autism at age 3, I was temporarily
defeated. I didn't know what to do or where to turn. I was
lucky. Very quickly I plugged into a supportive network that
strengthened my resolve to give my child the best opportunities
available. My team developed a therapeutic approach that has
resulted in my child being mainstreamed in the public school
system. It wasn't easy. There were many obstacles placed before
me, including the passage of time. I made full use of the
expertise of my advocates. Based
on my team's success, along with my standing as an attorney,
I decided to become an advocate to fortify other parents in
their fight against a stagnant and overwhelming system.
Karen
Acedo, Advocate: In
1980 I asked my school district for educational services for
my three year old son who would eventually receive a diagnosis
of autism. I was told that because he did not display normal
intelligence they could not provide special education to him
and I should bring him back when he was five. Like many others,
I discovered that my unanticipated
task of becoming a good mother to a child with special needs
included not only learning what my child needed, but also,
how to deal with public school systems that
did not want to provide what he needed and was entitled to
receive. Obviously I needed to gain better understanding of
how the system was supposed to work so I went to the local
public law library and read everything the librarian said
they had regarding special education. By the time my son was
seven he had three fair hearing decisions and I began assisting
other families to obtain educational services. It’s
been my privilege to help over two hundred families individually
receive more appropriate educational services for their children.
As a result of class action civil rights complaints I filed,
I obtained better services for thousands of others. I receive
tremendous satisfaction by empowering parents. This isn’t
just a job for me, it is a passion.
 Carolina
D. Watts, Advocate: My
first exposure to children with disabilities came during my
work as a legal intern at the Office of the Child Advocate
in Georgia. Through my contact with the child welfare system,
I discovered how many children with special needs were not
getting the services that they needed – whether it was
from the department of family and children’s services,
the mental health system or the school system. My
investigations often revealed that it was the children with
disabilities that were most likely to “fall through the
cracks” of the system. I decided then that I would dedicate
my legal career to children’s rights.
When I came back to law school in the fall, I began working
in the Pepperdine Special Education Advocacy Clinic. There
I worked with other students as we provided advocacy services
to parents of special needs children. My first IEP experience
was representing the parents of a third grader with autism.
Through this process, I saw first hand the struggles and difficulties
that families have with the school system. My experiences
working with the OCA, the Advocacy Clinic and A2Z have ignited
a passion for this area of the law. I will receive my J.D.
in May and will be taking the California Bar Exam in July.
I bring my passion and dedication to fighting for the legal
rights of children to my work as an advocate,
and I will bring the same devotion to my legal career.
Mandy Favaloro, J.D. Attorney at Law: While
an undergraduate student at the University of Redlands, I
had the opportunity to be trained as a reading tutor for children
who had fallen behind in school and needed individual attention.
It was an amazing experience teaching a child to read. Although
I enjoyed working with children, I had always known that I
wanted to be a lawyer. After my first year at Pepperdine School
of Law, my favorite professor suggested that I take a course
in Special Education Law and participate in the Special Education
Advocacy Clinic. Over the next year
I had the opportunity to get to become familiar with this
area of the law and meet some amazing families who had children
with disabilities. The following summer I had
the chance to work for A2Z and get to know more families and
represent more children. I was
happy to find an area of the law where I could help children
and use my training in the law to make a difference in someone’s
life. I think this is one of the few areas
of the law where you get hugs from the clients – both
the children and the parents. Working with A2Z over the last
few years first as an advocate and now as an attorney, I have
had the opportunity to expand my knowledge of both the law
and the needs of the children we represent. I
hope to continue to work in this area of the law for a long
time and get to see some of the children I’ve been able
to help grow up and do magnificent things with their lives.
 Luisa
Delgadillo Bi-lingual Advocate: I am a parent of
a child with Autism and I love
to help other parents that have not had the chance of getting
the training and information that will help them create a
good education plan for their children. I like
to help those parents for whom language is a barrier. Many
of these parents do not know about available resources, help
and services that their children are entitled to.
As a parent I do have a sensitive side that understands the
struggle and the frustration of dealing with the school staff
to understand the individual needs of every child.
In particular through my experiences in parent groups and
in my work with A2Z Educational Advocates, I
have discovered a significant need for trained advocates who
can provide services to the Spanish speaking community. I
assist parents in obtaining appropriate services and supports
for children in Los Angeles Area.
Lori
J. Boehm, Advocate: I am a mother of two children.
The oldest one was born three months premature with spastic
quadriplegic Cerebral Palsy. Confronted with his very real
special needs, I had to learn first hand how to steer through
the maze of local, state and federal agencies. I went back
to school where I received my B.S. in Child Development/Special
Education form California State University, Fullerton in 1996.
Today I am proud to say that Nicholas
is living independently, with help from support services and
regional center services as a productive member of our community.
I assist parents in obtaining appropriate services and supports
for children in all Southern California.
 Mike
Defuria, Senior Law Clerk: My first exposure to
children with disabilities came during my senior at Rutgers
University when I worked as a teacher’s assistant at
the Douglas Developmental Disabilities Center. Through my
experiences working with teenagers with autism, I learned
the importance of an appropriate learning environment for
children with disabilities. I
was amazed and gratified to see how much progress my students
were able to make in their programs through the provision
of individualized programs implemented by skilled and dedicated
teachers. Unfortunately, since I started working
for A2Z Educational Advocates in May 2006, I have discovered
that children with disabilities are rarely provided the programs
to which they are entitled without a fight. Because
I have seen first-hand the value of individualized education
programs for children with special needs, I am dedicated to
ensuring that all children with disabilities are given the
same support that my students at the DDDC received.
Becoming a part of the team at A2Z has provided me the ideal
opportunity to work with a group of skilled attorneys and
advocates who share my commitment to defending the rights
of children with disabilities and their families.
Melonie
T. Matjeka, Advocate: I
did not know where to turn when my daughter was diagnosed
with ADHD Inattentive, Hyperactivity and Impulsivity.
After all the tests were completed, we were also advised she
has a severe Auditory Processing Deficit as well as being
on the Autism Spectrum. I was
discouraged by the school district's lack of knowledge in
the area of Auditory Processing and Autism. They did not seem
to have an understanding of the disability and how it impacted
my child in her educational environment as well as her social
skills. I educated myself by attending support
groups, seminars, and conferences on learning disabilities.
I went through Due Process and my daughter finally received
placement in the appropriate environment. After being trained
for 11 months by a seasoned advocate, I was accepted into
the SEAT Project, a year-long program funded by USC UCEDD,
COPAA, OSEP, and Children's Hospital. The SEAT Project has
given me the confidence to continue advocating for a free
and appropriate education for every child with Special Needs.
I strive to be an example of perseverance for every parent
facing the long road of unknown challenges and opposition
ahead. I hope to continue advocating for these
children who so often, are ignored for being different. I
assist parents in obtaining appropriate services and supports
for children in all Southern California.
Stacey
Cherry, J.D.
Attorney at Law:
Stacey received her B.A. in Learning Disabilities concurrently
with her teaching certification for special and general education
from Hope College. She went on
to teach special education and inclusion kindergarten in New
Jersey. However, she grew frustrated with the lack of services
and supports her students were receiving. In
August 2004, she obtained her Juris Doctorate from Pepperdine
University School of Law, where she focused on special education
law. In the past, Stacey has assisted parents in obtaining
services for students with special needs at A2Z Educational
Advocates and the Pepperdine Special Education Advocacy Clinic.
Stacey combines her educational
background, experience, and passion for special needs children
as she assists parents in obtaining appropriate services and
supports for children in New Jersey and New York.
Visit
her website
for more information, or contact her directly:
 Takako
Akizawa, Office Manager
LET
US ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS. Call 888 IDEA-ADA (888-4332-232), or
email us at inquiry@a2zedad.com
for more information.
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