Finally an IEP for Me!

A Love Letter to Every Mother Who Is Tired, Brave, and Refusing to Give Up

By Doreen G. Fulton

This book began on a hot August morning in 2011, when I read a newspaper article about a mother named Margaret who had taken her own life and the life of her teenage son, because she had reached the end of her rope without ever finding the support she needed.

I heard God's voice clearly that morning: Doreen, you must help those Moms to survive.

Finally, an IEP for Me! is my answer to that calling.

Part memoir, part practical guide, part love letter — it is written for every mother of a young adult with special needs who has attended IEP meetings for years and wonders what comes next.

Margaret deserved this book. Every mother on this road deserves it.

More Than an IEP for Your Child

For years, I learned how to advocate for my child — but somewhere along the way, I realized that I needed an IEP for myself, too.

This book invites mothers to look beyond the meetings, paperwork, therapies, and daily demands and begin asking a different question:

What do I need to keep going, to find my voice, and to create a life that includes me, too?

This book is still becoming.

I am taking the time to shape these stories, lessons, and practical tools with care. My hope is that when Finally an IEP for Me! reaches your hands, it will feel like sitting down with someone who understands — someone reminding you that your needs matter, your voice matters, and there is still hope for you, too.

Want to Be Part of This Book's Story?

This book is still being shaped — and I'd love to hear what you're hoping to find in it. Your story, your questions, your "I wish someone had told me this" moments may become part of these pages.