I never planned to do this.I'm the mom of two neurodivergent kids in New York City. For the past decade, I've learned how to navigate this city's education and medical systems from the inside — not as a professional, but as a parent who had no other choice.I've sat in the IEP meetings, pushed back against placements I didn't believe were right, and learned, often the hard way, how this system actually works versus how it's supposed to work. I've made real mistakes. I've come to see those mistakes as my most valuable lessons — the reason I can sit across from a family and say honestly: I've been there. Here's what I learned.I never want any parent to feel the way I felt. Alone, overwhelmed, unsure. But I do want every parent to have the energy to fight — because our kids are remarkable, and they deserve someone in their corner who actually knows the terrain.