Alison Kacer began her journey as an advocate for her son, Lucas, who was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder when he was four years old. Then, her mindset shifted from finding a fix to finding the right support system for her son.

That support system now includes Andover Elementary School special education teacher Donna Macoskey. In the latest Parent Engage 360 Podcast, Alison and Donna joined host Liz Burgard to discuss the Kacer family’s experience navigating the district’s special education services and the importance of the relationship between home and school. 

Alison and her son Lucas were featured in KARE-11 journalist Boyd Huppert’s Land of 10,000 Stories, sharing Lucas’ passion for pencil sharpening. You can also learn more about Lucas and his passion by visiting his Facebook page, Pencils4lucas.

Episode highlights:

• 3:12 - Alison shares the story about her son Lucas’ autism diagnosis and his being featured KARE-11 journalist Boyd Huppert’s Land of 10,000 Stories, sharing Lucas’ passion for pencil sharpening.


• 11:30 - Alison shares her family’s experience in learning about her son’s diagnosis and how she went about seeking support.


• 16:33 - Donna discusses support systems that are available in schools across Anoka-Hennepin for families seeking extra support for their children, including special education services.


• 22:04 - Alison and Donna talked about the importance of a team approach to supporting Lucas at home and in school.

The Parent Engage 360 Podcast aims to provide parents and guardians with knowledge from experts in chemical health, mental health, internet safety and more, as well as the tools needed to support their children. Anoka-Hennepin hopes that providing timely and helpful information through the Parent Engage 360 podcast series will strengthen the bond between school and home with resources parents and guardians can use and share with others.