Speaker Bio:

My passion to become a teacher and make a difference for people who are “born
with differences” began in my early teens. I started by volunteering 5000+ hours at
community programs, which looked great on my resume. I then earned both
Master and Bachelor of Education degrees in Elementary and Exceptional Student
Education, from the University of Miami (1973-1977), becoming one of the first
Special Education teachers in FL and one of the first Early Intervention Specialists
in the nation.
For 50 years now, I have worked with non-profits, for-profits, government, and my
own businesses, serving children and families in most every capacity. From case
management at Big Brothers/Big Sisters, to assistant director of a Sheltered
Workshop for Adults, being a community trainer/mentor for the U.S. Department’s
Drug-Free Schools and Communities Program, and even as the first Resource
Development Specialist for a Children’s Services Council.
For the past two decades, I have loved being a Learning Specialist at my Make
Your Mark in Life Learning Center in Vero Beach, FL, where I supported
thousands of students, helping them to learn based on their unique strengths, interests, talents, and goals. This has led to my final passion project: Empowered
Parents Creating the Best Education Experience for their Learning Different Child.

Talk Title:

See it Differently…Change Your “Learning Different” Child’s Life!

Talk Summary:

Every child learns in a unique way, yet our schools still rely on a one-size-fits-most learning
model that leaves millions behind. With 1 in 5 students identified as “learning different” and
many more bright, gifted, and differently learning-abled, it’s time to revolutionize how we
educate. Fifty years ago, parents led the movement that guaranteed every child the right to an
education. Today, parents can once again be the catalysts for transforming how our children are
perceived, supported, and taught.
This talk is a call to hope, possibility, and action.  It challenges us to shift our mindset away from
what’s “wrong” or “missing” and toward what’s strong, achievable, and full of potential. By
reframing “learning differences” as diverse abilities, we open the door to innovative, specialized
learning environments that unleash every child’s brilliance. It’s a change that starts not in
schools or government offices, but in the hearts and minds of parents.
Join special educator and parent empowerment specialist Lynda Sloan Allen as she shares how
seeing education differently can change everything for learning-different children.