Empathy and Impact

Frustrated with paperwork, testing, time demands, limited support, difficult relationships with parents, and feeling insecure about your ability to succeed as a teacher in the classroom? Teaching children with exceptionalities is a difficult task, not totally because of the children's needs but also because of the additional demands of the required documentation and legal restrictions. This book explores what to do when the job becomes overwhelming and how teachers can reignite their passion for their profession.

The year 2020 was the forty-fifth anniversary of the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (now IDEA) and the thirtieth anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Dr. Joan Finch has served a significant role in all the stages of these legal mandates and their impact on individuals with special needs for the past forty-five years. Through intense study and remarkable timing, she became an expert in the field of special education, and her entire career path runs parallel to the legal and societal changes occurring in America in regard to individuals with disabilities. The laws and attitudes around her have shifted significantly, but her desire to inspire students and teachers alike has never wavered.