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Our Special Village | October 2026 |
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October in the VillageThe deadlines that actually matter, fall outings picked for sensory-sensitive kids, two new guides, and one hard school question answered plainly. |
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In this issue: Deadline watch · The month ahead · New in the library · Wall of Hope · One question, answered · Village Hall |
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Welcome to the Our Special Village family! I am a speech language pathologist running a private practice here in Murfreesboro. I’m neurodivergent myself, married to my neurodivergent husband, and we have an AuDHD daughter together. I built this site because I saw one too many families feel lost, isolated, and confused by the system, and I noticed they were all asking the same questions. I hope this newsletter brings you information, but most of all a little slice of peace. October can be a busy month as we kick off the holiday season, so make sure you take care of yourself. With love,  |
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Deadline watchTwo land on Monday, October 5. Dated items first, then the ones that only matter if you have a high schooler. |
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For every family | Fall break, Oct 5 to 9: Rutherford County and Murfreesboro City Schools Both districts are closed all week. RCS report cards Fri Oct 16, conferences Tue Oct 20; MCS conferences Tue Nov 3 (no school). Conference day is a good time to ask for IEP progress data. RCS calendar · MCS calendar Voter registration deadline for the Nov 3 election Register or update your address at GoVoteTN.gov. Early voting Oct 14 to 29; Election Day Nov 3. Voters with a disability (or age 60+) can vote by mail if the county receives the request by Sat Oct 24. GoVoteTN |
| | 2027 Social Security and SSI raise (COLA) announced Expected the morning the September inflation report comes out. New amounts start with January payments. SSA cost-of-living page |
| | Medicare open enrollment, Oct 15 to Dec 7 For adult family members on Medicare: the one window to compare or switch drug and Advantage plans for 2027. Free help from TN SHIP, 1-877-801-0044. Medicare.gov |
| | Clocks fall back one hour Daylight saving time ends at 2:00 AM. If sleep is fragile at your house, shift bedtime 10 to 15 minutes a night the week before. How DST works HealthCare.gov open enrollment for 2027 plans, Nov 1 to Jan 15 Enroll or change plans by Dec 15 for Jan 1 coverage. Children may qualify for TennCare or CoverKids any time of year. Dates and deadlines |
| | Katie Beckett, TennCare for children with disabilities Not based on parent income. Apply any time; Part B has a waiting list, so sooner is better. Katie Beckett guide |
| | Salvation Army Angel Tree, Rutherford and Cannon counties Family registration is full but spots may reopen as applications are reviewed. Angel adoptions open Nov 6 for families who want to give. Angel Tree page |
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Teens and college Five items for families with a high schooler or college student. Skip this card if that is not you yet. | FAFSA for 2027–28 opens For seniors and college students, including those with IEPs or 504 plans. Free; Tennessee Promise students must file by April 1, 2027. StudentAid.gov Education Freedom Scholarship family office hours, 1 to 2 PM Central The state answers questions about the 2027–28 scholarship. Application dates are not posted yet; last year’s window ran Dec 9 to Feb 6. EFS page |
| | Tennessee Promise application deadline, class of 2027 Tuition-free community college or TCAT for this year’s seniors. School counselors and tnAchieves can help. Apply at CollegeforTN.org |
| | ACT: register and request accommodations for the Dec 12 test Requests for extended time, breaks, or a separate room go through your school’s testing coordinator by this date; late registration does not extend it. ACT accommodations |
| | Individualized Education Account (IEA) Projected to open Feb 16, 2027. It requires an active IEP and a full prior year in a Tennessee public school, so this fall counts. IEA page |
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Dates confirmed Sept 14. If something changed, reply and we will fix it. |
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The month aheadPicked for sensory-sensitive kids and their families. Drive times are from Murfreesboro. |
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| Game Day · Autism Tennessee 12:00–3:00 PM · Nashville, address sent when you register · Free, food provided · About 45 min Sensory: indoor, small-group games for autistic kids, teens, and adults; families welcome. Register |
| | Village Hall: the IEP process, with Mercedes Lawson of A.C.C.E.S.S. 9:30–11:00 AM Central · Online · Pay what you can, including nothing · No drive Sensory: join from home and bring a question or simply listen; the lesson is recorded, the Q&A is not. Register for Village Hall |
| | Sensory Sunday Hour · Frist Art Museum 12:00–1:00 PM · Frist Art Museum, Nashville · Free for members and ages 18 and under; other adults pay admission · About 45 min Sensory: gallery sound lowered for the hour, multisensory carts with volunteers, Family Sunday activities afterward. Details |
| | Featured All Access Night: Monsters in the Museum · Discovery Center 6:00–8:00 PM · Discovery Center at Murfree Spring, Murfreesboro · Free, registration required · In Murfreesboro Sensory: after-hours museum with smaller crowds and reduced stimulation, at your own pace. A free night, close to home, built for exactly this. Reserve your spot |
| | Boo at the Zoo · Nashville Zoo Nightly Oct 16 to Nov 1, 5:00–9:00 PM · Nashville Zoo · $19 Mon–Thu, $23 Fri–Sun (ages 2+), parking $10, advance tickets · About 35 min Sensory: free Zooper Packs (fidgets, earplugs) at the ticket booth, a social story in English and Spanish, Mon–Wed quietest; some scenes are dark after sunset. Tickets and social story |
| | Super Sports Saturday · ABLE Youth 9:00 AM–12:00 PM · Williamson County Rec Center, Franklin · RSVP to info@ableyouth.org · About 50 min Sensory: indoor rec-center gym with adaptive sports and games for kids of all ages. Event page |
| | The EXTRA Mile · Down Syndrome Association of Middle Tennessee Gates 9:00 AM, celebration 10:00 AM · Ward Ag Center, Lebanon · Rain or shine · About 40 min Sensory: outdoors and lively; bounce houses open at 9:00 and live music starts at 10:00, so the first hour is the calmer one. No pets or balloons. Details |
| | Sensory Spooktacular · We Rock the Spectrum Murfreesboro 820 N Thompson Ln, Murfreesboro · Time and cost not posted yet · In Murfreesboro Sensory: Halloween inside the sensory gym; watch their page or call (615) 962-8627 for details closer to the date. We Rock the Spectrum |
| | Evergreen Trunk or Treat · Evergreen Life Services 1:00–3:00 PM · Evergreen Life Services, Antioch · Free · About 30 min Sensory: outdoors; decorated trunks, games, and booths built for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families. Details |
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Every week Thursdays · 7:00–8:00 PM Central Our Special Village online parent group · Free · Online Meeting weekly since September, so join any Thursday. Any diagnosis or none yet; cameras optional; not recorded. | Wednesdays · 5:00 PM We Rock the Spectrum Murfreesboro group, led by Cari Parr · 820 N Thompson Ln, Murfreesboro Call (615) 962-8627 for current details. |
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New in the library |
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New guide, reviewed Sept 2026 Therapy styles: play, structure, and compliance Two therapists can have the same license and run completely different rooms. Learn what the common labels actually look like. Read the guide |
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New guide, reviewed Sept 2026 Grief and disability: the loss nobody sends a card for This kind of grief rarely has an occasion attached to it. It shows up at a birthday party, at a milestone that did not arrive, in the parking lot after an evaluation. The guide covers what it actually looks like, why it circles back instead of ending, how it can land differently on each parent in the same house, what siblings end up carrying, and when it has turned into something worth taking to a counselor. Read the grief guide |
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Wall of Hope |
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An invitation Borrow a little hope, or lend some Each month this space holds one real win from a family in Murfreesboro or the surrounding areas, shared with permission and the name you choose. The first stories are on their way. Have one? Something that got easier, a skill or friendship worth celebrating, or a wonderfully ordinary week. Tell it like you would tell another parent. Share your win |
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One question, answeredOur recurring column: one real question from a local parent, answered plainly, every issue. Send us your question |
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October’s question “What do I do if my child’s IEP isn’t being followed?” Answer An IEP is a legally binding plan: the school has to deliver every service and accommodation written in it, not just the convenient ones. When that is not happening, you have more options than most parents are told. | Put it in writing. Email the case manager and copy the principal: name the service or accommodation, quote what the IEP says, describe what is actually happening, and ask for a fix by a specific date. Ask for service logs and progress data too; you are entitled to them. Keep the sent copy. |
| | Ask for an IEP team meeting. You can request one in writing at any time, not just at the annual review, and the school has to respond. If things stall, copy the district’s special education director. Bring your notes and a friend to take notes for you. |
| | Use the state’s free complaint process. If it still is not fixed, file an administrative complaint with the Tennessee Department of Education. No lawyer, no cost. “Failing to implement IEP accommodations or services” is one of the state’s own listed examples. TDOE must issue a written decision within 60 calendar days, and you have one year from the problem to file. Mediation is also available. |
| | Get free backup. STEP TN, Tennessee’s parent training center, will review the IEP with you and help you prepare: 800-280-7837 (Español 800-975-2919). For a district that will not follow its own plan, Disability Rights Tennessee: 800-342-1660. |
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Bring your own version of this question to Village Hall on Sat Oct 10. Mercedes Lawson of A.C.C.E.S.S. is covering the IEP process and taking parent questions live; pay what you can, including nothing. Register for Village Hall Read the IEP & 504 guide · TDOE dispute options Parent-to-parent guidance, not legal advice. |
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Village HallOne topic, one guest expert, your questions. Second Saturday of every month, online. Pay what you can, including nothing. |
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Saturday, October 10, 2026 9:30 to 11:00 AM Central · Online · Pay what you can, including nothing Topic and guest The IEP process and navigating the school system, with Mercedes Lawson of A.C.C.E.S.S. A 40-minute lesson on how the IEP process works and how to navigate the school system, then live parent questions. The lesson is recorded and sent to registrants; the Q&A is not. $0 always welcome · $10 helps · $20 suggested · $35 sponsors another seat. The meeting link is emailed to registrants. |
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About Our Special VillageA village for families like ours. Free, parent-built guides, a local Resource Directory, sensory-friendly events, and a parent community for Murfreesboro and surrounding areas. Built around autism and open to every kind of difference and disability. Providers cannot pay for placement or recommendations. Sponsors and supporters never decide what gets listed or written. Owned and operated by Little Luminaries Therapy Services, PLLC. About the Village → · How we check information → |
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Numbers worth keeping 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. Call or text 988, any hour. STEP TN, free IEP and special education help for parents: 800-280-7837 (Español 800-975-2919). Disability Rights Tennessee: 800-342-1660. TN SHIP, free Medicare counseling: 1-877-801-0044. |
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Know a family who could use this? Forward it along. Anyone can join the list at ourspecialvillagetn.com/newsletter. |
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Our Special Village · Murfreesboro and surrounding areas, Tennessee Local businesses and practices help keep the Village free and ad-free. Sponsorship options. You are receiving this because you joined the newsletter list at ourspecialvillagetn.com.
Unsubscribe in one click · Privacy · Contact Our Special Village is owned and operated by Little Luminaries Therapy Services, PLLC
1810 Ward Dr, Suite 101, Murfreesboro, TN 37129 |
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