Who am I?

My name is Dr. Lauren Whiteford and I am the owner and operator of Minnesota Special Education services. I am an educational consultant that strives to meet the needs of children with disabilities and their families to try and make life a little easier.

started as a special education teacher, special education school administrator and now business owner. I have my teaching licenses in specific learning disabilities, developmental cognitive disabilities and my autism certificate. I also have my special education director, principal and superintendent administrative licenses. In March 2021, I successfully defended my dissertation in the field of Educational Leadership and Administration receiving my educational doctorate. My dissertation was titled “K-12 Special Education Paraprofessionals: Perceptions about Preparedness to Work with Special Education Students in an Inclusive Setting.”

Now that I have two children of my own it is time that I put my family first and have become a stay at home mom. I still want utilize my experiences with children with disabilities to create something that is more flexible to be a parent first. That is why I wanted to create this business so that I can put your family first as well. I have a firm belief that parents should be the primary educator for their children and I want to support families in their homes and help them feel supported in their natural environment, without having to feel the pressure of going to the schools or another outside agency to get the support.