That’s the powerful reminder Assistant Principal Julian Saavedra brings to the newest episode of The Mama’s Den podcast, available to listen to now on all podcast platforms.
This week, the Mamas sit down with Julian—educator, father, and host of The Opportunity Gap podcast—for a conversation that hits home for many Black and brown families: How do we support our children’s learning differences and ensure they’re truly seen, valued, and empowered in school?
Let’s Talk About Learning Differences—Not Disabilities
Right off the bat, Julian helps reframe the conversation. Instead of “disabilities,” he uses the term “learning and thinking differences”—a more accurate and affirming way to describe the unique ways children process information. “Our kids are brilliant,” he says. “They just need support that speaks to how they learn best.”
And that support is available. Through the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), students can receive services like Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) or 504 plans, which provide accommodations tailored to their needs.
But even with these systems in place, many Black and brown families hesitate to engage with special education services. Why?
“We have trauma around our educational experiences,” Julian explains. “Our parents have trauma around that. Our grandparents have trauma around that. Generational poverty has been a thing for us for years, and years, and years. And so, we have to retrain our relationship with the public education system.”
That trauma—combined with past negative experiences, institutional racism, and stigma—can make it incredibly hard for families to trust schools. But Julian encourages parents to push past that fear and be proactive about getting their kids the help they deserve.
Because the truth is, our children are already showing up strong.
See the Brilliance Behind the Struggles
Julian lifts the veil on what many educators already see in their students: resilience. “You think about how so many of our kids are taking two, three, four buses just to get to school. They take care of a little sister; they get grandma’s pills. They do whatever they need to do, and then, they show up to school and they’re treated like they can’t do anything.”
This disconnect—between what our kids are capable of and how they’re often perceived—can be devastating. That’s why Julian and his colleagues work hard to create programming that highlights kids’ strengths and brings them into the learning process.
“It’s all about activating the skills they already have,” he says, “and making sure that those skills are activated in a school setting.”
Building a System That Works With Families
Julian doesn’t believe in leaving families out of the equation. In fact, he says collaboration is key.
“A lot of the work we do is a team effort where we try to work with the family. We try to get the student involved and we try to diagnose exactly what we can do to support that student to get them caught up.”
Diagnosis, intervention, parent engagement, consistent support—it all matters. “These are things we know work and we do that and we give that because it’s the same thing that they do in the suburbs,” Julian adds. “Our kids in the city should get the same exact thing.”
And for parents wondering where to start, Julian recommends Understood.org, a nonprofit packed with free, expert-vetted tools and resources designed to help kids who learn and think differently thrive.
This episode is also a love letter to the parents—and caretakers—who carry the weight of advocating for their children every day. The conversation acknowledges the pressure and reminds us that community, support, and trusted resources can lighten the load.
Julian’s final message? Your presence, your voice, and your advocacy matter more than you know.
“Our job is to really create programming that empowers them to show what they can already do,” he explains. “They have to see themselves and they have to see right in front of them. I can’t tell them, ‘Oh, in 15 years you’re gonna be successful when you’re 30 years old.’ No. I need to know that I’m gonna be successful tomorrow.”
Learn More:
Explore expert-backed resources for families and students with learning and thinking differences at Understood.org. Catch the latest episode of The Mama’s Den now on all podcast platforms and on Black Love’s YouTube channel!
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