How Susie & Levi Turrey Found Their Voices
Susie Turrey faced several meetings with her son Levi’s public school when he started junior high. With diagnoses of autism, anxiety and behavior issues, he had an IEP throughout his public school career. In middle school, he was placed in a self-contained classroom without a permanent teacher but a series of substitutes.
This lack of consistency exacerbated his behavior issues, and the team frequently placed her son in the exclusion room. Turrey and her family strove to work effectively with the school.
Somewhere during this journey, a school team member suggested she call Raising Special Kids. Turrey spoke with Family Support Specialist Maureen Mills and participated in IEP workshops and other training. This equipped her to advocate for a different educational placement for her son, ultimately a private placement out of district. Along the way, they also secured private behavioral health services and support.
The school later wanted to move her son back to the original public school without a plan for this transition, which Turrey disagreed with. She filed Due Process, calling it off after compromising with the school, another advocacy tool she learned along the way.
Levi returned to the original private-school placement, staying there until he requested a change. He said he no longer wanted to be a special education student. Turrey and her son developed a plan to find a different school option and move him when he was ready. They also started to wean him from behavioral health medications, another desire of his. His doctor assisted with this process over a period of six months.
Turrey stayed involved in RSK, serving as a Parent Leader. She also represented RSK at workshops including the IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) conference and participated in Arizona Partners in Policymaking, a statewide advocacy training program.
Throughout these experiences, Levi also developed his advocacy skills. Now 23 years old, he attended the Arizona Youth Leadership Forum through Diverse Ability Incorporated in 2022 and served as a facilitator in 2023. This is a national organization that trains youth to advocate and lead within their own states and communities.
Levi currently attends Mesa Community College. He’s a youth ambassador for the Center on Youth Voice, Youth Choice, a national resource center for young people with disabilities, and is a member of Arizona Achieve, a statewide self-advocacy coalition. He presents information to new hires at Child & Family Support Services (CFSS).
“Things aren’t perfect,” Turrey said. “But we’ve come a long way!”