Virtual Brilliance: Question of the Day – Online!

The Notebook
Written By Margaret Fairbanks, Co-Founder & Chief Education Officer

Virtual Brilliance: Question of the Day – Online!

Say what? Yes! Starting Thursday morning, we will be posting a Question of the Day via YouTube. We invite you all to engage and share your answers with whatever format you prefer. You can draw a picture, create a little video, write a story, create with Model Magic– whatever works with the technology and materials you have access to! We’ll stay connected by sharing our questions and answers throughout the day. Help us bring joy to our new environment.

As we continue to learn how to best engage with you, we will explore other opportunities to connect. We will take this one day at a time and do all we can to keep all of you informed. We hope to be a light that you can all look forward to each day.

Stay healthy, stay in touch, and know that we are here and sending virtual hugs and high fives to each and every one of you.

Margaret Fairbanks, Co-Founder & Chief Education Officer

Margaret has been a special education teacher for the past 10+ years after earning her Masters in Special Education from The University of Minnesota. Her life as a special educator truly began when her son Harry was diagnosed with PDD-NOS at the age of 3. Though “new” to the world of autism, she quickly learned that she needed to really listen to her son, even when he didn’t have words, and think outside the box. Using his area of interest (trains) and meeting him where he was at, Harry eventually learned the basics of reading and writing. But more than that, she learned that his path did not always align with what the schools or the experts told her he should be doing and she tired of hearing all the things he was probably never going to be able to do. She also knew that those “experts” didn’t always see his gifts, they saw the disability but not always the capability.

In her current role, Margaret juggles many different tasks, from the IOB finances to working with the IOB Education team, to helping local schools as an autism consultant, writing blog posts, and working with families to navigate life as a member of the autistic community. But the most important thing she does is to help families find hope and a sense of what a happy tomorrow can look like.

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