Hi, I'm Paula!
Are you feeling overwhelmed as a parent of a child with a disability? Are you juggling child-rearing along with additional responsibilities like medical and therapy appointments, IEP or 504 meetings, plus your work life, and your relationships with family and friends? Do you wish you could hear from someone who has walked in your shoes and even learn a few tricks of how to handle it all without losing yourself or your sanity?
If this sounds like you, you've come to the right place! My name is Paula Rosenthal and I'm a Mom of 3 great kids, one of whom happens to have a disability, just like me. But hold on to your hat because there's a lot more to my story, and that's why I've created this website and blog. I'm going to be sharing a lifetime of experience with you and trust me, you're going to want a front row seat for this.
Let's get started with some quick facts about me:
• I'm a woman with a lifelong hearing loss who uses cochlear implants to hear. Without them, I am completely deaf.
• I graduated from law school and received the Barbara Klein Memorial Scholarship for overcoming adversity. My undergraduate degree is in Political Science.
• I have written parenting articles that have been republished nationwide and also used as parent handouts for educational programs, medical offices and advocacy organizations.
• As a public speaker I've spoken to numerous parent support groups and at universities and national organizations.
• My child and I were featured in a widely distributed public service video about cochlear implants. It was shown continuously at EPCOT for several years and reached thousands of people worldwide.
• I took the biggest risk of my life and relocated nearly 1,000 miles away from home for a special education program with two toddlers. It turned out to be the smartest decision for my family.
• I founded a community website pre-Facebook that supported thousands of adults with hearing loss and families of children with hearing loss.
• I've worked as a parent advocate for families of children with special education needs.
• I have also been a parent educator and peer mentor.
• I am experienced with both private and public special education programs.
• I won the Oticon Focus on People Award for my work advocating for people with hearing loss and their families.
• As a serial entrepreneur I have founded businesses in the education, clothing, food, software, real estate and gift industries.
• I was inducted into my high school's Hall of Fame for my work with people with hearing loss and their families.
Using critical analysis skills honed in law school, along with my broad experience as someone with a lifelong disability and a parent who raised a child with hearing loss, I have assisted hundreds of people as they navigated their own journeys.
Join me as I share my tips so you can start moving forward and feel confident and live life with optimism, purpose and a sense of calm.
Be sure to check out my first blog post here to learn more about my unusual story.