This week:
Military families whose kids need special education services are going months without help after moving to a new duty station. A new study shows the barriers many families face when seeking help — and offers some recommendations for success.
About the guests:
Crystal Mahany works as a paralegal, advocate and legal analyst in special education law and is married to an Army aviator. In 2014, her oldest son was diagnosed with Childhood Apraxia of Speech and autism. Two years later, her youngest son was diagnosed with the same speech disorder, thrusting her family into the special needs and special education community. Driven by her passion to help, Mahany went back to school and focused her research on Disability Rights and Special Education Law.
Jennifer Barnhill is the chief operating officer and lead researcher with Partners in PROMISE, a freelance writer with a focus on military family advocacy, and a Navy spouse and mother of three. She is currently studying at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill in pursuit of her Master of Public Administration degree, with a concentration in nonprofit management. Barnhill also hosts the podcast, “Disruptive Storytelling with Military Changemakers.”
About the podcast:
The Spouse Angle is a podcast breaking down the news for military spouses and their families. Each episode features subject-matter experts and military guests who dive into current events from a military perspective — everything from new policy changes to research on family lifestyle challenges. The podcast is hosted by Natalie Gross, a freelance journalist and former Military Times reporter who grew up in a military family.
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