For parents of children with disabilities, finding the right school that supports their unique needs can prove to be a challenge. A recently-launched website seeks to make it easier for parents to land on the right fit.
Parents and guardians take a survey with questions about location, the student's age, disability diagnosis (if he or she has one) and what kind of support is needed, like behavioral skills or occupational therapy, for example.
In 60 seconds or less, the TeaganAI platform can compile a list of private, charter and virtual schools offering services that match the student's needs.
" The idea that [parents] can go onto a program, answer a couple questions about their child and be given options that they did not even know existed, has been quite honestly life-changing," said creator Chenenne Gonzalez, who is based in Orlando. " We really wanted to make sure that a parent can just do a really quick, like, is-this-the-right-thing assessment of the school."
Gonzalez named the website after her youngest son, Teagan, who has autism. Now in the sixth grade, Teagan has attended three different schools in hopes of finding the one that would best support his needs.
She wanted to make it easier for other parents like her to shop for school options.
"A lot of us have more than one kid and so trying to streamline this process for our child that may learn differently has just become a whole lot easier," Gonzalez said.
The TeaganAI website is an extension of Gonzalez's first effort to create a one-stop-shop for parents seeking schools for their child. In 2024, she started the Unique Abilities School Fair, hosting more than 30 schools and education providers that offer a wide range of resources for various educational needs.
READ MORE: School fair helps parents to find the right fit for their child with special needs
The seasonal fair doesn't have stops statewide. The website, on the other hand, is available to parents all day, every day and includes options for 33 counties in Florida, including Broward and Miami-Dade counties.
TeaganAI doesn't currently suggest public school options, but Gonzalez says she's working with school districts to help get their services uploaded to the website.
Parents can also see if a school accepts state vouchers, like the Family Empowerment Scholarship Unique Abilities for students with learning disabilities.
"We are so lucky to live in a state that has school choice," Gonzalez said, "but we just need help helping parents find the right fit for their child based on that list."
