67: ​The System for Being the Voice Your Child Needs with Frankie Cooper

What happens when you realize your child needs support and no one hands you a clear path forward? Frankie Cooper is a wedding planner, business owner, and mom who learned very quickly that advocating for her son would require more than showing up to appointments and trusting the experts. After recognizing that her son Jameson was struggling, she entered a world of evaluations, occupational therapy, IEPs, school systems, and professionals who didn’t always listen. In this episode, Frankie shares what it actually looks like to become your child’s advocate. We talk about the evaluation that changed the way she approached advocacy forever, how she prepares for IEP meetings, why parents need support instead of unsolicited advice, and the emotional process of letting go of the version of parenthood you imagined. Frankie also shares the story of putting four-year-old Jameson on the school bus for the first time, why she now makes a second dinner every night, and how parenting an autistic child changed her definition of what actually matters. In this episode: How Frankie knew her son needed more support What parents should know about early intervention and IEPs Why advocacy sometimes means getting comfortable making other people uncomfortable The grief that can come with letting go of the parenting experience you imagined How Frankie separates her identity as a “good mom” from what her child actually needs Why the systems that work for your family may look completely different from everyone else’s Connect with Frankie on Instagram: instagram.com/thefrancescacooper Connect with Julie: Website: dallasgirlfriday.com Instagram: @thesystemforeverything