Introducing Lane of Inquiry, Deafblind Education Research and Family Support

I am a researcher. I am an academic. But, first and foremost, I am a mother. A mother to four wonderful, amazing boys. Two of them, Conner & Dalton, are deafblind. Their conditions shape their lives - our family's life - everyday.

I have two perspectives to share: both as a parent of children who are deafblind and as a professional. As a parent, I’ve been to countless IEP meetings, advocating for Conner and Dalton’s needs. As a professional, I am a special education family researcher. There is a critical need for more research to improve family-professional partnerships that relate to our specific student population; to find ways for families to partner with schools, ensuring the best outcomes for our children.

This new endeavor, Lane of Inquiry, blends my two perspectives. It is a place to ask questions and find answers. To highlight challenges and find solutions. A place to find support, knowledge and hope.

The idea for this site came to me in 2020. During the COVID-19 pandemic, I had time to reflect. I realized it was time to follow my passion - to more intentionally conduct research that could improve outcomes for children who are Deafblind AND to relate that research to my experience as a parent. As a parent, I have always wished there was more research specific to the topics that are of interest to families of children who are Deafblind. I believe more research can help families better work with their IEP teams. I needed to find a way to disseminate my research to families, in a format that is easy to find and access.

​The name "Lane of Inquiry” spoke to me because:

-My friends call me by the nickname, “Lane”.

-In qualitative research, ”Line of Inquiry” is a set of questions you want to try to answer using research. ​

​And there you have "Lane of Inquiry."

I hope you'll visit my website www.laneofinquiry.com and follow Lane of Inquiry on FaceBook, Twitter, and Instagram. Thanks for the support.