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Dr. Evisha Ford, LCSW

Dr. Evisha Ford is the Founding Executive Director of iCan Dream Center, a therapeutic school in Illinois, that serves the needs of neurodiverse learners and their families. She began her career serving inner-city homeless youth in Chicago. She is a former Assistant Superintendent, Director of Special Education, and Assistant Professor of Educational Leadership.

Dr. Ford is a sought after thought leader in schools nationally and internationally. She specializes in trauma-compassionate leadership, program design, cultural and racial equity, and effective school and nonprofit leadership. She is the author of Benches in the Bathroom: Leading a Physically, Emotionally, and Socially Safe School Culture.

Dr. Ford was honored as one of the influential “100 Black Women in Chicago” for her educational contributions. However, her most generous recognition as “best mom ever” is granted by her two sons. To learn more about Dr. Ford’s work, visit her website or follow her on LinkedIn.

Show Highlights

• Topic: Exclusion of Students with Learning Disabilities
  • Discusses the exclusion of students with learning disabilities from public school settings
  • Offers an alternative/therapeutic school that focuses on student observation and support
  • Works to place students in internships and paid work environments to encourage success and adaptation to the workforce
  • Emphasizes the importance of creating inclusive work environments for those with disabilities to prevent them from ending up in the criminal justice system
• Topic: Advocating for Yourself in Higher Education             
  • Discusses the importance of young people, especially those who are neurodiverse, advocating for themselves in a higher education setting
  • Stresses the need for students to understand disability services and their rights to access them
  • Empowers students to understand their disability and be able to articulate it effectively
• Topic: Post-Secondary Education Program
  • Built a program for post-secondary students with disabilities at a local community college
  • Supports students in being successful, liaising with their professors, assisting with schoolwork, and offering executive functioning support
  • Encourages and facilitates dual enrollment for students and provides transportation to ensure their success
• Topic: Preparing Students for Employment
  • Encourages finding work opportunities that align with students' interests and talents
  • Partnered with 30 unique community partners for students to gain work experiences
  • Recognizes the potential for students with autism in technology fields that require focus and structure
  • Has a twofold approach to preparing students with disabilities for employment opportunities

• Topic: I Can Dream Center
  • Ford resigned from her position and founded the I Can Dream Center
  • School environment designed to feel like a family and not a traditional alternative school
  • Engages in project-based learning and has a 95% graduation rate
  • Normalizes and destigmatizes autism to help individuals feel more accepted and comfortable with their reality
• Topic: Disruptive and Uncomfortable Change
  • Disruptive and uncomfortable change is necessary to benefit students and have a long-term impact
  • Encourages moving outside of one's comfort zone for the benefit of students
• Topic: Alternative Setting for Students
  • Proposes a plan to partner with a local junior college to gift space for these students to finish their studies
  • The alternative setting is intentionally designed to be free of institutionalization and focused on loving and supporting the students through their transitions
  • Ford's book, "Benches in the Bathroom," discusses the importance of building such an environment and creating space for everyone to have a human experience
  • Alternative setting has a lower rate of staff turnover because everyone gets space to be human, and it is okay to have a human experience

Connect with Evisha

Website

LinkedIn

Additional Resources

Book Dr. Eakins

Watch The Art of Advocacy Show

Learn more about our Student Affinity Groups

Free Course on Implicit Bias

20 Diversity Equity and Inclusion Activities

FREE AUDIO COURSE: Race, Advocacy, and Social Justice Studies

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