“My son, Tony, is eight years old, has a twinkle in his eye, and a gorgeous throaty laugh. He also happens to have a pretty significant learning disability—he cannot read and struggles with writing. But he is brilliant in math!

Tony plays on sports teams through the city recreation department. He is a Webelo Cub Scout and is active in our church’s youth choir. It may sound like I am bragging, but this boy is a success everywhere…except in school.

I recently met with Tony’s teachers to talk about his educational plan for the coming school year. As I left the school, I felt confused about how he would get the right support in the regular fourth grade classroom. I was worried that Tony’s reading and writing difficulties would leave him frustrated and even further behind his classmates.

Then my friend Gwen told me about the Florida Inclusion Network (also called FIN) and how they could help with some of my questions. She gave me a number and encouraged me to call FIN the first Friday morning of the month, when they have a special time set aside just for families to call. After calling FIN all of my questions were answered and I understood just how Tony’s school could help my son learn and get the support he needed in the regular fourth grade class next year!

Although this is a fictional story, it represents a frequent scenario that plays out with families across Florida. It is not unusual for families of children with disabilities to have questions about inclusion and what it means for their child’s education. That is why the Florida Inclusion Network has created opportunities to connect with families in a personal way. They call it First Friday with the FINs. During each First Friday of the month, FIN Facilitators Sallie Payne, from FSU in Tallahassee, Karen D’Avignon, from UWF’s Fort Walton Campus, and M.J. Ziemba, from Escambia County District Schools look forward to connecting with families!

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