Coach Bill / Dad, Entrepreneur Special Educator, American Political Scientist, Writer, Musician.

I just met Ricardo (that's not him in the photo:), my elderly neighbor, an American who was born and raised in Argentina.  Ricardo’s story is a very American story filled with hope, vision and tremendous optimism. I know the story well. It is one shared by many immigrants who come to our shores for a chance at a better life in the ‘land of opportunity.’ The guy left with one dollar from his home country in his early twenties. On the way over, in the airplane, three quarters of his money fell out from his pocket leaving him with only 25% of the dollar he started with. It was enough. Upon reaching JFK airport with one suitcase in hand he found out that he could take the bus for a quarter all the way into Manhattan. He didn’t need to go all the way though. The guy was happy just to be in America and got off in Queens with his suit on and began to walk the sidewalk. Before he knew it, an old man patted him on the back and eventually took him to a bar where he found out that 1...

The role of the father in the life of their children cannot be underestimated. It’s absence or presence directly impacts the rise and fall of a community. That said, the role of the mother is as equally pivotal as well. Many a times, it is the mother who is the safety net and ‘fall-back’ position for children when crisis, emergencies or divorce break up the family unit. In my line of work as a Special Educator of 13 years across multiple states ranging from Massachusetts to Hawai’i, I have seen and experienced first hand the ins and outs of families that go through the gauntlet of divorce, drug use, violence…and apathy. As a male and a  father of three, I am sad to say that a lot of the times, the father is the one who is no longer in the picture. This is a hard truth, more so as we go down the socio-economic ladder. In Hawai’i for example, the prevalent use of hard drugs, such as crystal meth, has delivered a super-blow to many families. Dad’s in these situations end...

Is it morning time in your household and you are trying to get the children ready? Some of your kids may be independent enough, but what about a child on the autism spectrum, or some other special need?  Let's work on those executive function and hemispheric skills by making the morning routine on a planned category map. It takes 2-4 minutes to get a piece of paper, pencil or pen, and make 3-4 categories with accompanying morning routine activities. One category can be 'Getting Dressed' while another one can be 'Breakfast & Clean Up,' and a third can be 'Thinking About Your Thinking,' (metacognition). Activities can be organized according to categories, then number them TOGETHER with your child. Convey collaboration and inclusion by having them help fill up the planning map with you. You can make a game out of it where they have to guess activities and categories. After numbering, or prioritizing the map... you start the first numbered activity and cross...

Parents with children with severe special needs commonly mirror the emotional turmoil of soldiers with PTSD, or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, a term used to replace battle-hardened, 'shell-shocked' men coming from war. Just yesterday I was in a particular office with four mothers, and it being Puerto Rico, the conversation was loud and inclusive. By no means would I attempt to enter a conversation as a stranger on the U.S. mainland, but the culture is different here. People are warm, gregarious and a bit nosy... kind of like one big family...kind of.. So these Moms are talking about their children with autism, and one has tears welling-up in her eyes, the other is 'unloading' her thoughts and feelings after so many years of battling and advocating for her child, and another Mom (not all at the same time) is telling me and everyone in earshot how frustrating it is that just about every year her child has to get re-acquainted with a new set of Special Educators, a new s...

updated 2/7/16 I  consider how incredibly fortunate I am to have had the opportunities that I have been given. I stand on the shoulders of others.  My own family life was not perfect, but I had both parents home, and the strong support of extended family. This post is about what 'mother' means to me, and it is also a social commentary in how I see the role of the 'mother' under constant bombardment in America today.  My mother has been a selfless, sacrificing woman who has gone beyond the point of exhaustion, wit, and strength to see that my three sisters and I succeed. Everyone who knows my mother know about  her connection to her children. We constantly seek to talk with her on an almost daily basis and she counsels us. She does not call us with counsel to give, but we seek her out. ..It is also because her internet phone system automatically answers her  calls putting the caller on loud speaker by error.   Her children seek her out because of...