Inspired by son’s journey, UK graduate finds calling in special education

It was the middle of the night when Marilyn Simpson typed “special education degrees” into a search bar and submitted an application to the University of Kentucky. It was a moment born of instinct – and love.

Months earlier, her son Milo had been diagnosed with autism.

“My son was non-verbal at the time, so I had been coming up with strategies for him, like making cards so he could gesture and pick out his own clothes,” Simpson said. “When we started working with a speech-language pathologist, she asked if I had ever thought about going to school for speech or special education."

Those careers had never been a consideration of Simpson’s, but the Lawrenceburg, Ky. native found herself on the internet at 3 a.m., figuring out what it would take to pursue a degree and where she could go.

Earlier this month, Simpson graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Special Education from the UK College of Education.

“It feels surreal,” she said. “It feels like it will take a long time when you start, and now it’s here. My son is graduating kindergarten this month as well. He has a cap and gown and we’re doing pictures together."

While her journey started with one child, her mission now extends to many.

“His needs drove me to meet him where he needed me, and then I found my passion for other kiddos,” Simpson said. “I want parents to know their students will be safe with me and cared for. I want to give parents the assurance that I would bend over backwards for their child, because that’s what I want for my own son."

Her perspective as both a parent and aspiring teacher gave her a unique voice in her program. While many of her classmates were learning about Individual Education Program (IEP) meetings for the first time, Simpson had already sat through them – as a mom.

“My cohort told me that it has been a helpful perspective to have a parent in our courses,” she said. “The other students were thinking about it from the teacher’s side. With me, they were able to ask, ‘How would you feel if a teacher said this to you?’"

Likewise, Simpson’s professors and peers contributed to her son’s growth. In a course on assistive technology, Simpson made buttons that play recorded messages to help students communicate.

“I looked some up on Amazon and immediately texted Milo’s preschool teacher,” Simpson said. “I asked ‘Hey, do you think we could add these to your classroom so Milo could independently ask to go to the bathroom?’ and she said of course she would try it."

When Simpson told Channon Horn, Ph.D., a clinical associate professor in the special education program, about the buttons, Horn offered a new idea: have a peer of the same age and gender record the message so Milo could hear an imitation of what he would sound like.

After that success, Simpson worked to get an augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) device for Milo through insurance. These high-tech tools – often tablets or laptops – help people with speech or language impairments express themselves.

“My classmates were the first people I told when Milo got his AAC in the mail. I made a video and they were so excited. They know and love my kids. My cohort was so supportive and a sounding board for me – and Dr. Horn has always been there for me. She has helped me go over Milo’s IEPs and she is always a text, an email, or a meeting away."

Horn said Simpson’s perspective as a non-traditional student was an asset.

“Marilyn’s lived experiences have solidified her passion for the population she has chosen to serve,” Horn said. “Those experiences coupled with her advanced skill set and strong work ethic will undoubtedly serve her well as she embarks on the next chapter of her impactful story. Her positive spirit and inquisitive mindset will be missed in our department."

Simpson credits Horn’s high, yet attainable, expectations for setting her up for success.

“Now that I am out in the community and with other educators, I realize how prepared I am because of those expectations. I am not intimidated by writing an IEP. I’m not intimidated by doing parent communication or by making an inclusive culture because that has been an expectation of me since my entrance into the program,” she said.

Simpson has spent the past semester doing her student teaching in Woodford County and Shelby County schools – both within close driving distance to her home in Lawrenceburg. This year, Kentucky introduced a stipend for student teachers, helping to ease the financial burden many face while working full time in classrooms, which Simpson said has been helpful.

Before returning to college, Simpson worked in a variety of jobs – from retail to a factory to a desk job with the state. While each job had its own challenges, she said none offered the same sense of purpose she feels in the classroom.

“I love it. You feel tired at the end of the day. But you feel like you are tired because you did something. Like you have mattered,” she said.

That sense of purpose is what draws her to students with more significant support needs, especially those who could use assistance expressing themselves.

“I know some of the behaviors we work with can be really tough,” she said. “But for me, that is often the most meaningful part, especially for kids who are nonverbal or who have sensory or processing needs. They’re just so frustrated because they can’t get their needs across like you or I can. Sometimes the behavior is about needing attention or feeling like not much is being expected from them. I want to help support them and change that."

Simpson hopes to work in a high school Moderate and Severe Disabilities (MSD) classroom, helping students navigate not only academics, but also life beyond high school.

“I love MSD because you are in your own classroom, with your own schedule, and you get those kids all day for multiple years. You also get to cooperate with general education teachers when they go to their inclusion classes. I really like high school because of the transition services I can provide for students entering adulthood and the support I can give their families during that transition,” she said.

Now, Simpson is preparing for a transition of her own. Milo, as well as her daughter Layla, who was born at the start of Simpson’s degree program, were in the audience at Commencement.

“Seeing my kids there, I know I am going to cry,” Simpson said the week prior to the ceremony.

Simpson managed to pack enough courses in her schedule to graduate early – in three and a half years. Her cap and gown represented her academic determination and achievements. It was also a tribute to the long nights and love that fueled it all.

“Now, I get to walk into a classroom and help other kids find their voice,” she said. “There is a lot of joy in being able to do that.”