March 31, 2025 • 27 mins
This episode of Disability World with Norma Stanley welcomes Demetres Thomas. Demetres Thomas “The Specialist” is a special educator, community and family advocate, and founder of LEAD Inc., an education agency that supports students with disabilities and their families. She has 20 years of experience in Special Education and is certified in both Special Education (K-12) and Educational Leadership. Her passion for children with disabilities stems from the death of her brother who had multiple disabilities. She also has a daughter who was born at 29 weeks, resulting in global delays. Her life's motto is to "Pay It Forward".
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hi, my name is Norma Stanley, and welcome to Disability World.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
Hello, and welcome.
Speaker 1 (00:37):
To another segment of Disability World, where we discuss various
issues of interest and impact about the disability community and
as it relates to.
Speaker 2 (00:49):
The disability community.
Speaker 1 (00:51):
With regards to those who are dealing with disabilities and
those who care about the disability population which actually numbers
around sixty one million people, which is a vice, a
vast and vital population that is finding its voice and
refuses to be ignored. I'm your host, nor Miss Stanley,
(01:14):
and I'm excited about sharing some information with you today.
With our guests Demetrius Thomas, who is calls herself the Specialist.
She is an educator, a special educator, and she's involved
in providing community and family advocacy.
Speaker 2 (01:36):
She's the founder of an organization called Lead Inc. Which
is an education agency.
Speaker 1 (01:41):
That supports students with disabilities and their families, which is
a really big need. So I'd like you to welcome
Mss Demetrius Thomas to the Disability World and we can
start out great conversation.
Speaker 2 (02:01):
Hi, Dmitris, how are you. I'm doing wonderful. Norma, how
about yourself? I'm doing great?
Speaker 3 (02:07):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (02:07):
Thank you so much for taking time out to be
a part of this ability world and share the information
that you are about to share. I was so impressed
with the information you shared when we met at a
recent community meeting. And you know, I EPs and all
that goes and it gets involved in that is it
can be very overwhelming for parents. So finding people like
(02:30):
you to help them God through that process is so important.
Speaker 2 (02:34):
Tell us a little bit about LEAD, what that stands for,
and what you do.
Speaker 3 (02:39):
Absolutely, so let me just first start off by thanking
you for giving me this opportunity.
Speaker 2 (02:46):
I am very grateful, blessed, and honored.
Speaker 3 (02:49):
So LEAD LEAD stands for learn, educate, advocate and develop,
And just to go in a little more deeply about
those acronyms, So the L basically says that all children,
no matter their ability, can learn, and at LEAD, we
(03:12):
focus on providing young children the foundational skills so that
they can take their learning and grow as they continue
to evolve. The E stands for educating, and educate means
that we are very, very very passionate about educating the
community around the disabilities world. There are so many people
(03:37):
who don't understand some of the basic concepts and ideas
of what the disabilities world entails, specifically as it relates
to children.
Speaker 2 (03:48):
The eight stands for advocate.
Speaker 3 (03:51):
One of the services that we provide to families and
community members is advocacy or family support. We use that
term advocacy, which can sometimes have a negative connotation because
in the IEP world and the education world, you bring
an advocate to the table, some people feel as though
(04:11):
there's a fight that will ensue, and so as of lately,
we have changed our language to family support, just because
we want people to know that we're here to bridge
the gap and to help support the child and the family.
We are there to be a support as opposed to
an adversary. And the D stands for develop. One of
(04:34):
the other things that we do with our organization is
professional development. We do professional development in learning centers, training
early childhood teachers. We do professional development in the school
system to help support teachers and principles and district staff.
We also do professional development or training in different government
(04:55):
agencies such as d FACTS because as we know, a
lot of children are going through that foster kid system
and so helping our foster parents to better understand what
the disabilities world intel so that they can better support
the children that they are welcoming into their homes. So
that's a little about LEAD and what we do. Well,
(05:15):
that's quite a lot, and it's very very much needed.
Speaker 1 (05:20):
So thank you for you know, feeling that that gap
because again, especially in a situation like you said, the
foster care system.
Speaker 2 (05:29):
You know, some of.
Speaker 1 (05:30):
These kids, sometimes the parents can handle the child and
have to be taken outside of the home and end
up in a foster situation, and it's imperative that that
foster parents understand.
Speaker 2 (05:46):
Some of these challenges.
Speaker 1 (05:47):
Can you share a little bit about, you know, some
of the some of the situations you may have had
to counsel foster parents on or even you know, biological parents,
because you know it doesn't come easily.
Speaker 2 (06:00):
You know, this is a learned thing.
Speaker 1 (06:02):
I mean, my daughter is thirty six and I had
to figure it out along the way and didn't have somebody.
Speaker 2 (06:07):
Like you to show me how to do it. So
how does that work?
Speaker 3 (06:11):
Absolutely so some of the topics and some of the
training and tel things such as the developmental milestones. To
your point, foster parents and even biological parents don't always
understand what is typical or a typical development for a
young child, So having pools for families to know if
(06:33):
your child is or is not demonstrating XYZ milestone, it
may be time for a conversation with your pediatrician. Another
topic that we discussed is just the transition process. Many
people don't know that a child at the age of three,
if they have a developmental delay or disability, if they're
(06:54):
receiving early intervention services, they can transition to the school
them at the age of three, and so helping families
to understand the different transitions that happen throughout a child's
educational course or journey. We also talk about transitioning from
post secondary. There are many, many options and many many
(07:18):
services that are available once a child transitions from that
school age K twelve environment outside to the next step
of independent living mucational programs. So that's another area that
we cover. One other area that is very near and
dear to my heart is just having conversation around parents
(07:40):
around their parental rights. So oftentimes we go into the
IEP meetings and they are offered their rights, but many
families don't understand exactly what those parental rights mean and
fully embracing the power that they have to ensure that
their child receives a quality education.
Speaker 2 (08:03):
So those those are just a few. That's great and
again much very much needed.
Speaker 1 (08:10):
You know, that's part of the process that I think,
especially when parents of young children, it can be overwhelming
not knowing what it is that they have to face,
and if they don't have someone to guide them through
the process, and they have to find out of their own.
Speaker 2 (08:25):
Not everybody.
Speaker 1 (08:26):
I mean I was I read books you know, what
to do when You're expecting, and all these different models
over the things. I meant, those kinds of things to
find out, but not everybody is in that space, and
you know, and unfortunately, sometimes the children some of the
consequences because their parents just don't know, you know, they
(08:47):
didn't meet him any home.
Speaker 2 (08:48):
They just didn't know where to look or how to look.
Some people don't know.
Speaker 1 (08:52):
I'm a journalist by trade, so I know how to
ask questions, but some people just don't know how to
ask questions.
Speaker 2 (08:59):
And in many.
Speaker 1 (09:00):
Cases I found some parents are in denial that there
may be some developmental delays with their children.
Speaker 2 (09:07):
Do you deal with those kinds of things too.
Speaker 3 (09:09):
Absolutely, particularly if it's their first child or their only child,
and very early on. It's a hard pill to swallow,
if you will. And I find that a lot of
families have this idea that they will grow out of it. Yes,
(09:31):
that it's not as a major concern as others may
think it to be.
Speaker 2 (09:37):
Yes. And one of the.
Speaker 3 (09:38):
Things that I really try to impress upon families is
that this child won't be two, three, or four forever.
And there is a mandate in the law that says
that early intervention should be provided to the extent possible,
and sometimes families prevent that process from happening. And what
(10:00):
ends up happening is when they end up in a
regular school, elementary school, kindergarten, first grade, second grade, that
conversation comes back up. It is sometimes unavoidable. And I
tell families, let's tackle this early on with the hopes
(10:23):
that those gaps can close. Get to avoid it will
not be helpful for you or for your child, because
if it is a true disability, it will come up
and it will express itself across settings no matter where
that child is. And so I am a strong advocate
(10:44):
of early childhood and early intervention.
Speaker 2 (10:47):
Absolutely, that's why our.
Speaker 3 (10:49):
Organization really goes in really enforces the foundation to be laid.
When we lay a strong foundation, it says the child
up for success, the family up for success, and future
success for all awesome, awesome.
Speaker 2 (11:08):
And that's something that you know, my daughter's now.
Speaker 1 (11:11):
Thirty six, and you know I understood about early intervention,
and you know she's still I mean, she got all
the therapies and all the things will be found out
about her challenges. I noticed it at about four months because
I vent the book on what to expect, you know,
so I was like, wait a minute, she's not doing this,
and she's not turning over, and she keeps her hands,
(11:33):
you know, and FSS all the time. And I would
go to the pediatrician and ask them and they will
always say, well, all babies develop at their own pace.
Speaker 2 (11:43):
And they didn't won the touch with nine months old.
Speaker 1 (11:46):
That they referred me to a neurologist and that's when
we started her therapies. And one of the things that
I have I like to stress with parents is you
have to sist. Sometimes the doctors don't know everything. Sometimes
you have to insist or get a second opinion, because
(12:06):
you know, early intervention is critical, early stimulation is.
Speaker 2 (12:12):
Critical to their development.
Speaker 1 (12:16):
And so that's something that you're glad that you're sharing
with parents, and so, what are some of the.
Speaker 2 (12:24):
I guess successes that you've seen since you've started lead.
Speaker 1 (12:28):
What are some of the things that you've been able to,
you know, help parents overcome and families overcome as they are,
you know, advocating for their children and making sure that
they can maximize their potential.
Speaker 3 (12:41):
Absolutely, so, the most successful stories are those where the
families embrace what we do well, the families are open
and welcome to the support and the services, and where
families allow the team of people to come together and
(13:01):
support of their child. We actually had a young man
who started with us at the age of two. He's
five now. Nonverbal behaviors were very egregious, headbanging, scratching of
the ears, all sorts of things, and you know, mom
finally got to her WIT's end and said, you know what,
(13:24):
I'm ready.
Speaker 2 (13:25):
To have the conversation this baby.
Speaker 3 (13:29):
Literally today I was at our location and he is
talking in full sentences. He is now able to request
his wants and needs instead of having some of the
self injurious behaviors we call those sibs in the behavior world.
(13:49):
He's now using his communication device as we're teaching him
more vocabulary using that communication device to fill in some
of the language gaps. So things like that is really
what we pride ourselves on. Those are the success stories
having families that may have started off a little leary,
(14:11):
started off a little concern that are now open and
who we now have a friend for life. We have
many families that are saying, hey, wherever you go, we're going.
So you know, we're actually in the process of trying
to start our own school. We're looking for a building
(14:32):
right now. That's one of our greatest needs. We're in
the South Fulton area of course over right now in
College Park, but we are growing, and you know a
lot of our families are like, hey, we're not that
key if you will on you know, the school system,
and it's definitely not a notck to the school system.
Was raised through that system and I think I turned
(14:53):
out pretty fine, you know. But every environment isn't for
every child exactly. We have families that are just again
friends for life, who wanting to take advantage of the
programs and the services that we offer because they've seen
great success themselves.
Speaker 1 (15:10):
Awesome, and the age group that you work with is
it's all the way through high school K through twelve.
Speaker 3 (15:16):
No, Actually, we have an early childhood focus, and so
we start at the age of two because again early intervention,
and there are some children who are diagnosed with autism
as early as two and three year old, So we
want to grab that younger population and we carry them
(15:39):
through about seven years old, and that's about second grade
because those are the foundational years. Research shows that the
brain is developing at a very rapid rate.
Speaker 2 (15:49):
At that age and it kind of caps.
Speaker 3 (15:51):
Off at about the age of eight. So who you
are is going to be who you are. Your intellect
is going to be your intellect at around their age
of eight, and we want to get in there early
and we want to lay that strong foundation.
Speaker 2 (16:05):
So to answer your question, our.
Speaker 3 (16:07):
Services in around the age of seven second grade.
Speaker 1 (16:11):
Okay, great, Well with the population you know here in
metro Atlanta and South Fulton specifically, I'm sure that you're
kept very busy because that's something that it seems that
I don't know if it's if it's I don't know
if it's in the food or what, but some of
the children now are coming out with developmental delays and
(16:33):
maybe they were always there, but people didn't pay attention
to them or didn't notice them as much. But seems
to me that there's some things happening that at a
break that they were not happening back when I was
growing up.
Speaker 2 (16:47):
This is very true. This is very true.
Speaker 3 (16:49):
I mean, you can log onto the CDC and of
course they have data that shows the rise and autism
rate over the past ten years, and it's just astronomical.
Speaker 2 (17:02):
And so to your point.
Speaker 3 (17:04):
You know, there's a lot of conversation and debate about
where this is all coming from. I mean, some say
the environment, some say the vaccines. You know, that's a
discussion for another day. But the reality is, these babies
are here, and these babies and their families need support,
and our edualation system needs support. Our early learning centers
(17:26):
need support. We're finding that a lot of the learning
centers i e. Childcare centers, daycarees, they too are lacking
the training.
Speaker 2 (17:39):
This population.
Speaker 3 (17:40):
And so we're talking of ourselves partnering with different learning
centers to help train them on some of these best
practices from a developmental standpoint and from a best practice
standpoint as well.
Speaker 1 (17:55):
That is such a and that that specific population of
parents with children all too them on you know, mild
moderate ought to being disabilities, trying to find care services,
day care services where her parents can work. It's a
big needs. It's not there yet. And and that I
noticed that once here was a baby, we were you know,
(18:16):
able to find a home care situation, daycare program that
actually stayed with her into adulthood, you know, and which
was a great blessing to us because we could trust
her and we knew that she was going to take
care here the way we want to, you know, see
her to.
Speaker 2 (18:34):
Be taken care of.
Speaker 1 (18:36):
But that's so hard to find that it's so hard
to find. And so, you know, so that is a big, big,
big need.
Speaker 2 (18:43):
So maybe hopefully when you do your school we can
have a little another component you can add to it.
Absolutely looking forward to, looking forward to.
Speaker 1 (18:53):
So where can people find more information about LEAD and
you know, get in touch with you and your your program.
Speaker 3 (19:01):
Yes, so our website is lead Educateinc.
Speaker 2 (19:06):
Dot org.
Speaker 3 (19:07):
That's l e A D educate E d U c
A t e I n C again lead educate Inc
dot org. And our email address is lead Educate Inc.
At gmail dot com. And my direct line is four
(19:32):
to seven zero nine two zero one.
Speaker 2 (19:37):
Two three zero.
Speaker 3 (19:39):
Again that's four seven zero nine two zero one two
three zero. And if you guys go to our website,
there's a section that says Acts Demetrius the Specialists, and
there's a form that you can complete and that form
has several checkboxes where you you can indicate the area
(20:01):
of interest. There's also a other box. I know some
families are interested in summer camps, which we also offer
of summer camp again the school that we have that's forthcoming,
and any workshops that you're interested in participating in, if
there's a topic that you would like for us to
(20:21):
bring to your school, or if there's a topic that
you want for a group of family members to come together.
Even church organizations we're trying to tap into because again
many churches have these children programs and these children ministries.
Guess what, the babies are there too.
Speaker 2 (20:41):
That's right, it's a big, big need.
Speaker 1 (20:43):
So I want you before you go to tell us
quickly how you developed this passion for the disability to community,
because you had some personal experiences in that space in
addition to becoming a special educator.
Speaker 3 (20:57):
Yes, ma'am, so my other his name was Derek. He
was diagnosed with multiple disabilities. There was a bipolar diagnosis,
an ADHD diagnosis, as well as an autism diagnosis, and
we as a family, you know, struggle, really my mom struggled,
(21:18):
if I'm you know, totally honest, as hard as a
parent to navigate that space. And she was no different.
And so we saw my brother get kicked out of
multiple schools. We saw my brother have extreme behaviors, extreme highs,
extreme lows. My mom went through the full gamut of
different medication treatments, you know, So I experienced it firsthand. Well,
(21:41):
one day, he and my older brother, they got into
a verbal altercation and ADHD as we know it, most
people struggle with the impulsivity and he was no different.
And so that particular day they got into a verbal altercation,
he stormed out of the house, got on his bike
(22:01):
and rushed out into the middle of the street and
my car and he died on impact. And he was
eleven years old. And so at that time I was
only nineteen. I had no idea that my life's journey
would be this. But you know, as we know, when
(22:23):
you're following your purpose and your passion, there's a reason
why we go through and experience the things that we experience.
Speaker 2 (22:30):
I now know why.
Speaker 3 (22:32):
And so my entire goal, my entire efforts, my entire
purpose is to help families and help community members to
understand that these are impressionable lives. And unfortunately, you know,
my brother's life was halted in my opinion, too soon.
But you know, God had a different plan, and so
(22:53):
we have to be okay with whatever that is. But
at the end of the day, I'm ultimately wanting people
to understand I'm wanting people to have more conversation around
the needs of young children with disabilities. I'm wanting to
fill those gaps wherever I can. So that's where my
passion comes from. And then also, I have three daughters.
(23:17):
I always make people laugh when I tell this story,
but I have three daughters. My oldest is twenty seven,
my middle is twenty four, and I have a six
year old. Oh wow, okay, yes.
Speaker 2 (23:33):
The six year old.
Speaker 3 (23:34):
And so she was born at twenty nine weeks and
so she weighed two pounds nine ounces, did an extensive
nick you stay, and so unfortunately she had global delays,
so she did not meet her milestones. And so honestly,
I was in this thrown into this world because of
(23:55):
my brother.
Speaker 2 (23:56):
As well as my own child.
Speaker 3 (23:58):
You know. So I tell people all the time that
my professional world and my personal world came colliding together.
Speaker 1 (24:06):
Yeah, I am, and that's what happens, and I believe me,
I totally get it. But you know, I thank you
for you know, for your I call it the ministry
because it is something that I learned to do the
same thing because of what happened to my daughter and
what the challenges that happened as a family. So I
(24:27):
do what I can to share information as a journalist
so that parents can get the information they need to
maximize their child's potential and to actually maximize their own
because a lot of us, as you probably realize, we
put ourselves on the back burner, and you know, everything
is about the child, and we don't really have lives,
and so you know, my goal is to you know
(24:49):
now that I've done it for over thirty years, to
help families understand how to navigate and how to balance
the two and how to make it work for both
your child and.
Speaker 2 (25:01):
The mother or the father.
Speaker 1 (25:02):
And all both, you know, because sometimes it's one or
the other, sometimes it's both. But sometimes the marriages get
challenged and you know you end up being a single parent.
Speaker 2 (25:13):
It happens. So you know, I appreciate what you're doing.
Thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (25:18):
I look forward to reaching out to you about some
of the things that I'm doing that I think you
would be We have a blessing for you to be
a part of, so I will reach out to you
and let you know about those things.
Speaker 2 (25:29):
But thank you Demetrius for being on the show and
give give out our viewers. You know your website one
more time.
Speaker 3 (25:36):
Yes, absolutely it is lead Educateinc.
Speaker 2 (25:40):
Dot org. That's lead Educateinc. Dot org.
Speaker 3 (25:45):
And again my number for easier access or if you
forget it is four seven zero.
Speaker 2 (25:51):
Nine two zero one two three zero. Okay, Well, thank
you again and we would be talking again soon.
Speaker 1 (26:00):
And you have a blessed rest of the week and
you know, believe me, we'll be in touch.
Speaker 2 (26:07):
Absolutely. Thank you for the opportunity you have. You too,
be beleaused.
Speaker 1 (26:13):
Well, it was such a pleasure talking with Demetrius today
and learning Demetrius Thomas and learning about what she does
with Lead Inc. Which is such a vital, vital resource
and for families of young children toddlers disabilities and they
may be finding out that their child has some kind
(26:33):
of delays. You know, I would highly suggest you, guys
who may live in the South Side part of Town
of Metro Atlanta, to reach out to Demetrius and you know,
access her expertise and you know, help your child become
the best that they can be. And we look forward
to learning more about where Demetrius is taking that organization.
(26:57):
Hopefully she does get a chance to open up that
school and hopefully we can help her get some information
out to the community about that.
Speaker 2 (27:05):
So again, thank you for being a part of.
Speaker 1 (27:07):
Disability World this week. We look forward to seeing you
again very soon. We have some great guests coming up
in the next few weeks, so stay tuned for some
of these great stories that's coming out, some of these
great things people are doing in our communities for the
disability population. And we look forward to bringing all that
information to you because you can't team to find it
(27:28):
anywhere else in a lot of the media out there,
so we are taking on the charge to bring you
the information that you need. So have a blessed one.
Until next time. I'm your host, NORMALUS Stanley. See you soon.
Hi, my name is Norma Stanley, and welcome to Disability World.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
Hello, and welcome.
Speaker 1 (00:37):
To another segment of Disability World, where we discuss various
issues of interest and impact about the disability community and
as it relates to.
Speaker 2 (00:49):
The disability community.
Speaker 1 (00:51):
With regards to those who are dealing with disabilities and
those who care about the disability population which actually numbers
around sixty one million people, which is a vice, a
vast and vital population that is finding its voice and
refuses to be ignored. I'm your host, nor Miss Stanley,
(01:14):
and I'm excited about sharing some information with you today.
With our guests Demetrius Thomas, who is calls herself the Specialist.
She is an educator, a special educator, and she's involved
in providing community and family advocacy.
Speaker 2 (01:36):
She's the founder of an organization called Lead Inc. Which
is an education agency.
Speaker 1 (01:41):
That supports students with disabilities and their families, which is
a really big need. So I'd like you to welcome
Mss Demetrius Thomas to the Disability World and we can
start out great conversation.
Speaker 2 (02:01):
Hi, Dmitris, how are you. I'm doing wonderful. Norma, how
about yourself? I'm doing great?
Speaker 3 (02:07):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (02:07):
Thank you so much for taking time out to be
a part of this ability world and share the information
that you are about to share. I was so impressed
with the information you shared when we met at a
recent community meeting. And you know, I EPs and all
that goes and it gets involved in that is it
can be very overwhelming for parents. So finding people like
(02:30):
you to help them God through that process is so important.
Speaker 2 (02:34):
Tell us a little bit about LEAD, what that stands for,
and what you do.
Speaker 3 (02:39):
Absolutely, so let me just first start off by thanking
you for giving me this opportunity.
Speaker 2 (02:46):
I am very grateful, blessed, and honored.
Speaker 3 (02:49):
So LEAD LEAD stands for learn, educate, advocate and develop,
And just to go in a little more deeply about
those acronyms, So the L basically says that all children,
no matter their ability, can learn, and at LEAD, we
(03:12):
focus on providing young children the foundational skills so that
they can take their learning and grow as they continue
to evolve. The E stands for educating, and educate means
that we are very, very very passionate about educating the
community around the disabilities world. There are so many people
(03:37):
who don't understand some of the basic concepts and ideas
of what the disabilities world entails, specifically as it relates
to children.
Speaker 2 (03:48):
The eight stands for advocate.
Speaker 3 (03:51):
One of the services that we provide to families and
community members is advocacy or family support. We use that
term advocacy, which can sometimes have a negative connotation because
in the IEP world and the education world, you bring
an advocate to the table, some people feel as though
(04:11):
there's a fight that will ensue, and so as of lately,
we have changed our language to family support, just because
we want people to know that we're here to bridge
the gap and to help support the child and the family.
We are there to be a support as opposed to
an adversary. And the D stands for develop. One of
(04:34):
the other things that we do with our organization is
professional development. We do professional development in learning centers, training
early childhood teachers. We do professional development in the school
system to help support teachers and principles and district staff.
We also do professional development or training in different government
(04:55):
agencies such as d FACTS because as we know, a
lot of children are going through that foster kid system
and so helping our foster parents to better understand what
the disabilities world intel so that they can better support
the children that they are welcoming into their homes. So
that's a little about LEAD and what we do. Well,
(05:15):
that's quite a lot, and it's very very much needed.
Speaker 1 (05:20):
So thank you for you know, feeling that that gap
because again, especially in a situation like you said, the
foster care system.
Speaker 2 (05:29):
You know, some of.
Speaker 1 (05:30):
These kids, sometimes the parents can handle the child and
have to be taken outside of the home and end
up in a foster situation, and it's imperative that that
foster parents understand.
Speaker 2 (05:46):
Some of these challenges.
Speaker 1 (05:47):
Can you share a little bit about, you know, some
of the some of the situations you may have had
to counsel foster parents on or even you know, biological parents,
because you know it doesn't come easily.
Speaker 2 (06:00):
You know, this is a learned thing.
Speaker 1 (06:02):
I mean, my daughter is thirty six and I had
to figure it out along the way and didn't have somebody.
Speaker 2 (06:07):
Like you to show me how to do it. So
how does that work?
Speaker 3 (06:11):
Absolutely so some of the topics and some of the
training and tel things such as the developmental milestones. To
your point, foster parents and even biological parents don't always
understand what is typical or a typical development for a
young child, So having pools for families to know if
(06:33):
your child is or is not demonstrating XYZ milestone, it
may be time for a conversation with your pediatrician. Another
topic that we discussed is just the transition process. Many
people don't know that a child at the age of three,
if they have a developmental delay or disability, if they're
(06:54):
receiving early intervention services, they can transition to the school
them at the age of three, and so helping families
to understand the different transitions that happen throughout a child's
educational course or journey. We also talk about transitioning from
post secondary. There are many, many options and many many
(07:18):
services that are available once a child transitions from that
school age K twelve environment outside to the next step
of independent living mucational programs. So that's another area that
we cover. One other area that is very near and
dear to my heart is just having conversation around parents
(07:40):
around their parental rights. So oftentimes we go into the
IEP meetings and they are offered their rights, but many
families don't understand exactly what those parental rights mean and
fully embracing the power that they have to ensure that
their child receives a quality education.
Speaker 2 (08:03):
So those those are just a few. That's great and
again much very much needed.
Speaker 1 (08:10):
You know, that's part of the process that I think,
especially when parents of young children, it can be overwhelming
not knowing what it is that they have to face,
and if they don't have someone to guide them through
the process, and they have to find out of their own.
Speaker 2 (08:25):
Not everybody.
Speaker 1 (08:26):
I mean I was I read books you know, what
to do when You're expecting, and all these different models
over the things. I meant, those kinds of things to
find out, but not everybody is in that space, and
you know, and unfortunately, sometimes the children some of the
consequences because their parents just don't know, you know, they
(08:47):
didn't meet him any home.
Speaker 2 (08:48):
They just didn't know where to look or how to look.
Some people don't know.
Speaker 1 (08:52):
I'm a journalist by trade, so I know how to
ask questions, but some people just don't know how to
ask questions.
Speaker 2 (08:59):
And in many.
Speaker 1 (09:00):
Cases I found some parents are in denial that there
may be some developmental delays with their children.
Speaker 2 (09:07):
Do you deal with those kinds of things too.
Speaker 3 (09:09):
Absolutely, particularly if it's their first child or their only child,
and very early on. It's a hard pill to swallow,
if you will. And I find that a lot of
families have this idea that they will grow out of it. Yes,
(09:31):
that it's not as a major concern as others may
think it to be.
Speaker 2 (09:37):
Yes. And one of the.
Speaker 3 (09:38):
Things that I really try to impress upon families is
that this child won't be two, three, or four forever.
And there is a mandate in the law that says
that early intervention should be provided to the extent possible,
and sometimes families prevent that process from happening. And what
(10:00):
ends up happening is when they end up in a
regular school, elementary school, kindergarten, first grade, second grade, that
conversation comes back up. It is sometimes unavoidable. And I
tell families, let's tackle this early on with the hopes
(10:23):
that those gaps can close. Get to avoid it will
not be helpful for you or for your child, because
if it is a true disability, it will come up
and it will express itself across settings no matter where
that child is. And so I am a strong advocate
(10:44):
of early childhood and early intervention.
Speaker 2 (10:47):
Absolutely, that's why our.
Speaker 3 (10:49):
Organization really goes in really enforces the foundation to be laid.
When we lay a strong foundation, it says the child
up for success, the family up for success, and future
success for all awesome, awesome.
Speaker 2 (11:08):
And that's something that you know, my daughter's now.
Speaker 1 (11:11):
Thirty six, and you know I understood about early intervention,
and you know she's still I mean, she got all
the therapies and all the things will be found out
about her challenges. I noticed it at about four months because
I vent the book on what to expect, you know,
so I was like, wait a minute, she's not doing this,
and she's not turning over, and she keeps her hands,
(11:33):
you know, and FSS all the time. And I would
go to the pediatrician and ask them and they will
always say, well, all babies develop at their own pace.
Speaker 2 (11:43):
And they didn't won the touch with nine months old.
Speaker 1 (11:46):
That they referred me to a neurologist and that's when
we started her therapies. And one of the things that
I have I like to stress with parents is you
have to sist. Sometimes the doctors don't know everything. Sometimes
you have to insist or get a second opinion, because
(12:06):
you know, early intervention is critical, early stimulation is.
Speaker 2 (12:12):
Critical to their development.
Speaker 1 (12:16):
And so that's something that you're glad that you're sharing
with parents, and so, what are some of the.
Speaker 2 (12:24):
I guess successes that you've seen since you've started lead.
Speaker 1 (12:28):
What are some of the things that you've been able to,
you know, help parents overcome and families overcome as they are,
you know, advocating for their children and making sure that
they can maximize their potential.
Speaker 3 (12:41):
Absolutely, so, the most successful stories are those where the
families embrace what we do well, the families are open
and welcome to the support and the services, and where
families allow the team of people to come together and
(13:01):
support of their child. We actually had a young man
who started with us at the age of two. He's
five now. Nonverbal behaviors were very egregious, headbanging, scratching of
the ears, all sorts of things, and you know, mom
finally got to her WIT's end and said, you know what,
(13:24):
I'm ready.
Speaker 2 (13:25):
To have the conversation this baby.
Speaker 3 (13:29):
Literally today I was at our location and he is
talking in full sentences. He is now able to request
his wants and needs instead of having some of the
self injurious behaviors we call those sibs in the behavior world.
(13:49):
He's now using his communication device as we're teaching him
more vocabulary using that communication device to fill in some
of the language gaps. So things like that is really
what we pride ourselves on. Those are the success stories
having families that may have started off a little leary,
(14:11):
started off a little concern that are now open and
who we now have a friend for life. We have
many families that are saying, hey, wherever you go, we're going.
So you know, we're actually in the process of trying
to start our own school. We're looking for a building
(14:32):
right now. That's one of our greatest needs. We're in
the South Fulton area of course over right now in
College Park, but we are growing, and you know a
lot of our families are like, hey, we're not that
key if you will on you know, the school system,
and it's definitely not a notck to the school system.
Was raised through that system and I think I turned
(14:53):
out pretty fine, you know. But every environment isn't for
every child exactly. We have families that are just again
friends for life, who wanting to take advantage of the
programs and the services that we offer because they've seen
great success themselves.
Speaker 1 (15:10):
Awesome, and the age group that you work with is
it's all the way through high school K through twelve.
Speaker 3 (15:16):
No, Actually, we have an early childhood focus, and so
we start at the age of two because again early intervention,
and there are some children who are diagnosed with autism
as early as two and three year old, So we
want to grab that younger population and we carry them
(15:39):
through about seven years old, and that's about second grade
because those are the foundational years. Research shows that the
brain is developing at a very rapid rate.
Speaker 2 (15:49):
At that age and it kind of caps.
Speaker 3 (15:51):
Off at about the age of eight. So who you
are is going to be who you are. Your intellect
is going to be your intellect at around their age
of eight, and we want to get in there early
and we want to lay that strong foundation.
Speaker 2 (16:05):
So to answer your question, our.
Speaker 3 (16:07):
Services in around the age of seven second grade.
Speaker 1 (16:11):
Okay, great, Well with the population you know here in
metro Atlanta and South Fulton specifically, I'm sure that you're
kept very busy because that's something that it seems that
I don't know if it's if it's I don't know
if it's in the food or what, but some of
the children now are coming out with developmental delays and
(16:33):
maybe they were always there, but people didn't pay attention
to them or didn't notice them as much. But seems
to me that there's some things happening that at a
break that they were not happening back when I was
growing up.
Speaker 2 (16:47):
This is very true. This is very true.
Speaker 3 (16:49):
I mean, you can log onto the CDC and of
course they have data that shows the rise and autism
rate over the past ten years, and it's just astronomical.
Speaker 2 (17:02):
And so to your point.
Speaker 3 (17:04):
You know, there's a lot of conversation and debate about
where this is all coming from. I mean, some say
the environment, some say the vaccines. You know, that's a
discussion for another day. But the reality is, these babies
are here, and these babies and their families need support,
and our edualation system needs support. Our early learning centers
(17:26):
need support. We're finding that a lot of the learning
centers i e. Childcare centers, daycarees, they too are lacking
the training.
Speaker 2 (17:39):
This population.
Speaker 3 (17:40):
And so we're talking of ourselves partnering with different learning
centers to help train them on some of these best
practices from a developmental standpoint and from a best practice
standpoint as well.
Speaker 1 (17:55):
That is such a and that that specific population of
parents with children all too them on you know, mild
moderate ought to being disabilities, trying to find care services,
day care services where her parents can work. It's a
big needs. It's not there yet. And and that I
noticed that once here was a baby, we were you know,
(18:16):
able to find a home care situation, daycare program that
actually stayed with her into adulthood, you know, and which
was a great blessing to us because we could trust
her and we knew that she was going to take
care here the way we want to, you know, see
her to.
Speaker 2 (18:34):
Be taken care of.
Speaker 1 (18:36):
But that's so hard to find that it's so hard
to find. And so, you know, so that is a big, big,
big need.
Speaker 2 (18:43):
So maybe hopefully when you do your school we can
have a little another component you can add to it.
Absolutely looking forward to, looking forward to.
Speaker 1 (18:53):
So where can people find more information about LEAD and
you know, get in touch with you and your your program.
Speaker 3 (19:01):
Yes, so our website is lead Educateinc.
Speaker 2 (19:06):
Dot org.
Speaker 3 (19:07):
That's l e A D educate E d U c
A t e I n C again lead educate Inc
dot org. And our email address is lead Educate Inc.
At gmail dot com. And my direct line is four
(19:32):
to seven zero nine two zero one.
Speaker 2 (19:37):
Two three zero.
Speaker 3 (19:39):
Again that's four seven zero nine two zero one two
three zero. And if you guys go to our website,
there's a section that says Acts Demetrius the Specialists, and
there's a form that you can complete and that form
has several checkboxes where you you can indicate the area
(20:01):
of interest. There's also a other box. I know some
families are interested in summer camps, which we also offer
of summer camp again the school that we have that's forthcoming,
and any workshops that you're interested in participating in, if
there's a topic that you would like for us to
(20:21):
bring to your school, or if there's a topic that
you want for a group of family members to come together.
Even church organizations we're trying to tap into because again
many churches have these children programs and these children ministries.
Guess what, the babies are there too.
Speaker 2 (20:41):
That's right, it's a big, big need.
Speaker 1 (20:43):
So I want you before you go to tell us
quickly how you developed this passion for the disability to community,
because you had some personal experiences in that space in
addition to becoming a special educator.
Speaker 3 (20:57):
Yes, ma'am, so my other his name was Derek. He
was diagnosed with multiple disabilities. There was a bipolar diagnosis,
an ADHD diagnosis, as well as an autism diagnosis, and
we as a family, you know, struggle, really my mom struggled,
(21:18):
if I'm you know, totally honest, as hard as a
parent to navigate that space. And she was no different.
And so we saw my brother get kicked out of
multiple schools. We saw my brother have extreme behaviors, extreme highs,
extreme lows. My mom went through the full gamut of
different medication treatments, you know, So I experienced it firsthand. Well,
(21:41):
one day, he and my older brother, they got into
a verbal altercation and ADHD as we know it, most
people struggle with the impulsivity and he was no different.
And so that particular day they got into a verbal altercation,
he stormed out of the house, got on his bike
(22:01):
and rushed out into the middle of the street and
my car and he died on impact. And he was
eleven years old. And so at that time I was
only nineteen. I had no idea that my life's journey
would be this. But you know, as we know, when
(22:23):
you're following your purpose and your passion, there's a reason
why we go through and experience the things that we experience.
Speaker 2 (22:30):
I now know why.
Speaker 3 (22:32):
And so my entire goal, my entire efforts, my entire
purpose is to help families and help community members to
understand that these are impressionable lives. And unfortunately, you know,
my brother's life was halted in my opinion, too soon.
But you know, God had a different plan, and so
(22:53):
we have to be okay with whatever that is. But
at the end of the day, I'm ultimately wanting people
to understand I'm wanting people to have more conversation around
the needs of young children with disabilities. I'm wanting to
fill those gaps wherever I can. So that's where my
passion comes from. And then also, I have three daughters.
(23:17):
I always make people laugh when I tell this story,
but I have three daughters. My oldest is twenty seven,
my middle is twenty four, and I have a six
year old. Oh wow, okay, yes.
Speaker 2 (23:33):
The six year old.
Speaker 3 (23:34):
And so she was born at twenty nine weeks and
so she weighed two pounds nine ounces, did an extensive
nick you stay, and so unfortunately she had global delays,
so she did not meet her milestones. And so honestly,
I was in this thrown into this world because of
(23:55):
my brother.
Speaker 2 (23:56):
As well as my own child.
Speaker 3 (23:58):
You know. So I tell people all the time that
my professional world and my personal world came colliding together.
Speaker 1 (24:06):
Yeah, I am, and that's what happens, and I believe me,
I totally get it. But you know, I thank you
for you know, for your I call it the ministry
because it is something that I learned to do the
same thing because of what happened to my daughter and
what the challenges that happened as a family. So I
(24:27):
do what I can to share information as a journalist
so that parents can get the information they need to
maximize their child's potential and to actually maximize their own
because a lot of us, as you probably realize, we
put ourselves on the back burner, and you know, everything
is about the child, and we don't really have lives,
and so you know, my goal is to you know
(24:49):
now that I've done it for over thirty years, to
help families understand how to navigate and how to balance
the two and how to make it work for both
your child and.
Speaker 2 (25:01):
The mother or the father.
Speaker 1 (25:02):
And all both, you know, because sometimes it's one or
the other, sometimes it's both. But sometimes the marriages get
challenged and you know you end up being a single parent.
Speaker 2 (25:13):
It happens. So you know, I appreciate what you're doing.
Thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (25:18):
I look forward to reaching out to you about some
of the things that I'm doing that I think you
would be We have a blessing for you to be
a part of, so I will reach out to you
and let you know about those things.
Speaker 2 (25:29):
But thank you Demetrius for being on the show and
give give out our viewers. You know your website one
more time.
Speaker 3 (25:36):
Yes, absolutely it is lead Educateinc.
Speaker 2 (25:40):
Dot org. That's lead Educateinc. Dot org.
Speaker 3 (25:45):
And again my number for easier access or if you
forget it is four seven zero.
Speaker 2 (25:51):
Nine two zero one two three zero. Okay, Well, thank
you again and we would be talking again soon.
Speaker 1 (26:00):
And you have a blessed rest of the week and
you know, believe me, we'll be in touch.
Speaker 2 (26:07):
Absolutely. Thank you for the opportunity you have. You too,
be beleaused.
Speaker 1 (26:13):
Well, it was such a pleasure talking with Demetrius today
and learning Demetrius Thomas and learning about what she does
with Lead Inc. Which is such a vital, vital resource
and for families of young children toddlers disabilities and they
may be finding out that their child has some kind
(26:33):
of delays. You know, I would highly suggest you, guys
who may live in the South Side part of Town
of Metro Atlanta, to reach out to Demetrius and you know,
access her expertise and you know, help your child become
the best that they can be. And we look forward
to learning more about where Demetrius is taking that organization.
(26:57):
Hopefully she does get a chance to open up that
school and hopefully we can help her get some information
out to the community about that.
Speaker 2 (27:05):
So again, thank you for being a part of.
Speaker 1 (27:07):
Disability World this week. We look forward to seeing you
again very soon. We have some great guests coming up
in the next few weeks, so stay tuned for some
of these great stories that's coming out, some of these
great things people are doing in our communities for the
disability population. And we look forward to bringing all that
information to you because you can't team to find it
(27:28):
anywhere else in a lot of the media out there,
so we are taking on the charge to bring you
the information that you need. So have a blessed one.
Until next time. I'm your host, NORMALUS Stanley. See you soon.
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