M. Tonita Austin is a solo parenting writer, poet, singer, activist and mother of two twice exceptional teenagers - a 19 year old son and a 15 year old daughter.She is self employed and has owned her own business for 21 years. She lives outside of Philadelphia, PA. She says, "I want to bring awareness to conversion disorder and how to recognize the beginning stages before it becomes debilitating and irreversible. Twice exceptional students, particularly with slow processing challenges like dysgraphia, can easily fall victim under the stress and pressures of school. It is a rare disorder that can lead to paralysis when the brain cannot manage the stress and slowly shuts down the motion of the body. I want parents to be able to recognize it and provide suggestions on how to help their child heal without the harsh interventions of doctors and facilities who don't have enough research to treat the condition."
Amelia Peace is an award-winning author of the children's book, Alone Bird: A Story About Autism. She is also an autism advocate who has spent years sharing her experience about educating and raising a child with autism. Amelia's daughter Robyn is on the autism spectrum, and she is nonverbal. Amelia and Robyn began their homeschooling journey in 2018. Amelia hopes her family's journey will be an inspiration to Black families interested in homeschooling. --- Black Family Homeschool Educators & Scholars, LLC (BFHES) is the first US-based research and education group dedicated specifically to the topic of black family homeschooling. BFHES continues to engage with our community through our podcast titled, Contemporary Perspectives on Black Homeschooling and maintaining a burgeoning community of homeschool educators via Facebook. Our mission in 2020 was to provide ongoing community engagement regarding black homeschooling through (1) the publication of scholarly and trade work on the topic, and (2) the production of community events targeting black homeschool familites and entrepreneurs engaged in the practice of black homeschooling. Since January 2022, our strategic goals have pivoted, focusing on training Black parents on homeschooling best practices and youth development theory, connecting them with resources and opportunities to optimize their homeschooling practice. Learn more at http://www.BlackFamilyHomeschool.org --- Credits: Licensed music by Microsoft Produced by Khadijah Z. Ali-Coleman Copyright 2022 Black Family Homeschool Educators & Scholars, LLC
