Larissa Meany, My Daughters Dreams
Larissa Meany is a preschool teacher in Southern Oregon who loves hiking and being outdoors. She loves all things nerdy, including making Halloween costumes, Chainmail jewelry, fidgets and more! Beyond that, Larissa is a mom. For the last 11 years her most treasured and important role has been as a mom. "The trajectory I saw for my life and my daughter’s life changed 7 years ago when she received an autism diagnosis". The journey to diagnosis and services was a long one. Along the way she discovered some amazing things – the #ActuallyAutistic community, the neurodiversity movement, disability advocacy, and family networks to name a few. Larissa says “I know that if I encounter a roadblock in my child’s education that I have the tools to advocate for change.”
In 2018 Larissa was honored to attend Strong Start training through her local family network, Bridging Communities and FACT Oregon. This was her introduction to FACT Oregon. By this time, she had attended no less than 4 years' worth of IFSP/IEP meetings and did not realize that her role was more than that of a guest. FACT Oregon’s IEP trainings have changed the role she plays in her child’s education. The One Page Profile and Person-Centered Planning trainings have been game changers. Larissa’s daughter says she is proud to be neurodiverse!
Larissa says "my daughter is involved in all of the decisions that affect her. She entered middle school during a pandemic and is thriving. She is an incredible artist who is proud to be neurodiverse. When she talks about her future, she sees herself living independently, getting married and being a mother herself, one day."
Larissa supports all that FACT Oregon stands for. Inclusion, access for all to a full and messy life, working to rid the stigma around disability because it is a natural part of life, stopping the use of “developmental age” because everyone deserves to have their time on this planet honored, using a strength-based approach to goals, education, and employment, because no one wants to be referred to in terms of deficits.