Autism Advocate for San Diego Area

I am Merryn Affleck and I am an Autism Advocate and Life Coach located San Diego. Congratulations!! You have just taken an important step toward improving the life of your special needs child and your family by coming to my website. Choosing to work with an Autism Advocate is indeed a BIG decision. Choosing the RIGHT Autism Advocate or Life Coach can help you to secure a brighter future for not only your child but your entire family.

People hire an Autism Advocate for a variety of reasons. I have had clients hire me to support them in their first IEP because they recognize that there is just so much to learn and do and they don’t want to mess up their child’s education. I have successfully taught those parents about the IEP process and how they can best prepare themselves. Additionally, I support them as they go through the IEP process so that they have a well written and solid IEP – something that many parents NEVER do for their child!

Other parents hire me as their Autism Advocate when things are obviously going wrong. Most often they have tried their best to fix the situation but soon find that nothing has changed to it has gotten worse. My years of experience and training in mediation allow me to come into this often volatile situation and remedy it. The different remedies can look very different.

I am also a certified Life Coach and to a certain extent this is integrated into my work as an Autism Advocate. But it is also a separate component that many parents draw upon in separate sessions. It is vital that parents learn how to put their own needs first. Parents who constantly stifle their emotions, fears, anxieties and stresses find that they become exhausted. Parents who suffer this way often feel inadequate as parents and even begin to question themselves in other ways, perhaps with their spouse or at work. It it vital that parents are supported emotionally in order to then have the energy and ability to support their child.

Here are some examples of what I do as an Autism Advocate and Life Coach:

• I can create a wonderful IEP team that works together.
• I work with the IEP team to move the child into an appropriate placement that is not always within the same district.
• I have the child re-assessed and create a completely new IEP.
• I work with Districts to create and/or implement new programs to support children on the Autism spectrum
• I work with parents and families to create a positive home atmosphere that supports AND is supported by the District.
• I support parents who are emotionally drained and exhausted.
• I help parents to create a working relationship that benefits everyone.
• I have supported parents as they take the steps towards filing Due Process.

Each situation, each family, each child is different and it takes an experienced Autism Advocate with the ability to think under pressure in order to create a truly working IEP document and team. And that is me!

If you find yourself struggling not only with your child’s school, but perhaps also with your ability to handle the stress of dealing with your life, then don’t hesitate to contact me for help today.